July 30th - August 5th

July 30th - August 5th

Sister White in Cornfield

Elder White in Cornfield

DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

We now have two new couples working with us at the Trail Center and Tabernacle.

Elder and Sister Dawson from Clinton, Utah and Elder and Sister White from North Salt

Lake. It is good to have a full contingent of workers. We look forward to serving with

these couples.

Still a lot of visitors coming through. It seems to have slowed a little this week with the

Nauvoo Pageant winding down. Still a lot of families on Church History tours.

We visited a new place this week with Elder and Sister Call. Went to the Desoto

National Wildlife Refuge. It was really interesting. Sister White has never been able

to sit in the Eagles Nest during her sons’ Eagle Court of Honors but she got in one

on Saturday with Sister Call. We have visited many sites around Omaha and Council

Sister Call and White as Eagles

Bluffs with the Calls, but on Monday August 6th they will go home. They have served

faithfully as our FM Missionaries. The beautiful flowers around the Visitor Centers and

the clean walks in the winter are only part of the great Missionary experience they had.

They will be missed by all and especially us. They have become such great friends.

The Call's

Dorius, C. C. N., Autobiography of Carl Christian Nicoli Dorius, 19-21. 7th

Handcart Company

We were at once shown to our camping ground, which was two or three miles out
of Iowa City, by John Taylor and Abrah[a]m Cannon. We pitched our tents in a circle,
18 persons to be accomodated in each tent.
We stayed about one month to get our hand carts and provision in order to make
everything ready. The handcarts were in poor condition and they soon became worse
as we went over ditches and rough hills and hollows. This was the beginning of our trip
across the plains, our goal being Salt Lake City, Utah. It was something to tackle, as the
two previous handcart companies the year before had almost perished, so we were
warned to start as soon as possible on account of the winter weather. Our first captain
of the handcart company was Elder James R. Park, whom the Scandinavians did not
understand, and he did not understand them. So a new captain was named. A number
did not have enough means to go on and stayed in the valley. Many went by ox team,
which was somewhat better, although our company, which was the 7th, made almost as
good time.

There were 300 souls, 68 handcarts, 3 wagons, 10 mules. Christian Christianson, the
man the saints love so much and who baptized three of my father’s family, became our
captain from Florence to Salt Lake City. We were so thankful for this wonderful man to
take charge, and then went much better. He divided the company into four divisions under
four other captains. I was made captain of one division of 16 handcarts. The other
captains also had 16 handcarts to oversee. This helped to make our traveling more unique.

We traveled on one side of the Platt[e] River, while the Johnston Army was traveling also
toward Salt Lake City. Little wee knew who were and what their aims were, but the army
stayed at Fort Bridger that winter and did not come toward Salt Lake until the next summer.
There was joy and sorrow in that trek. When we camped we held meetings. We also danced barefoot and sang when we camped, and all tried to be happy. One tenth of the company
died for want of care and nourishment. We had to send to Salt Lake for provisions, which
were most too late for help. We also saw that thrilling never-to-be-forgotten experience of a
buffalo stampede.

Our shoes were entirely worn out, and the women had to use burlap around their feet,
which my wife, Ellen, often spoke of. When we crossed the small streams the thin ice would
tear our bleeding feet, and oh! how swollen they would be. But we five couples walked almost
all the way. Being young, we soon forgot the hardships we had endured. We pulled and
pushed the handcarts, side by side with our wives as true partners of this hectic journey,
but no one ever complained. We tried to be pioneers true blue.

Even the Johnson Army came to our rescue, as almost a miracle, just when we were
almost without food. One of the captains approached our company and said very kindly
that one of his oxen had its foot crushed, and if we could use it and care for it, we could
have it. This came as a blessing and kept the trek from starving, as they had been without
meat for weeks. This certainly was a real treat. By using the meat sparingly, it lasted unti
help came from Salt Lake, consisting of food and something special for the sick and
those most in need.

We landed in Salt Lake City the 13th of September, 1857.