Between 1847 and 1869, some 70,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints came to Utah by the overland trail. Most of them traveled in wagon companies, but approximately 3,000 – 4 percent of the total – came by handcart.
The last two handcart companies of 1856 departed late from England. The ship Thornton, carrying the emigrants who became the Willie Company, did not leave England until May 4. The leader of the Latter-day Saints on the Thornton was James G. Willie. Another three weeks passed before the Horizon, carrying the emigrants who formed the Martin Company, departed. The late departures may have been the result of difficulties in procuring ships in response to the unexpected demand, but the results would be tragic.
In 1856, two groups of pioneers, the Willie group and the Martin group traveled from Liverpool, England to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. They traveled by sailing vessels from England to America; the next 1,200 miles was made by rail, steamboat and ferry from New York City, New York to Iowa City, Iowa. The final 1,300 miles of the journey was to be made by foot, pulling a handcart loaded with 250 pounds of supplies and luggage; a trip which was to take about three and one-half months.
We will follow the Willie handcart company for a 21 day period from October 4 to October 25, 1856. This was the most trying portion of the trek. More than 42 members of the Willie Company perished from exhaustion, exposure and starvation during this period of time. Their dwindling food supply was reduced from 12 ounces of flour per adult on Oct 4 to 10 ounces on Oct 15, until they ran out of food on Oct 21.
Our commemorative trek will begin on Monday, February 7, and end on Sunday, February 13.
Our rations will be:
Monday – Tuesday: 12 ounces of flour products per day. One large onion.
Wednesday – Thursday: 10 ounces of flour products per day.
Friday – Saturday: 6 ounces of flour products per day.
Sunday - No food on this day.
A daily log will be kept on my Facebook page with more detailed descriptions taken from actual journal pages of the handcart pioneers to be posted at http://travlinmanblog.blogspot.com/
To sign up for this event send NAME, AGE, EMAIL, and any CONNECTION you may have with any of the handcart pioneers to garyhyde5@gmail.com
In one night, thirteen of [the Willie] company died and were buried in a common grave, and two others died the next morning. We remember them with appreciation and gratitude. . . We feel in our hearts the great redeeming power of Thy son, who saved them as He has saved all men through His atoning sacrifice. . . We know that they came to know Thee in a particular way in the dire circumstances in which they found themselves those early winter days in 1856. . .
O god, our Eternal Father, we thank Thee for the great inheritance that is ours, that we come of the strain of noble people who valued faith more than life itself, who were willing to work and sacrifice – even to give their lives in death –for the cause in which they believed. Help us to be true to the faith, and help all the generations who shall follow to remain true to the faith, that they may keep the trust which became so much a part of the lives of those who died here and elsewhere along this trail of tears.
PRESIDENT GORDON B HINCKLEY
DEDICATORY PRAYER AT ROCK CREEK HOLLOW, WYOMING, 23 JULY 1994
DEDICATORY PRAYER AT ROCK CREEK HOLLOW, WYOMING, 23 JULY 1994
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