June 23 -25, 2016  ~  Wolf Creek State Park

A brief overview of the Martin handcart company trek,   by Sister GC.

 

The Martin Company was the fifth company to travel to Salt Lake and the last one to reach the Salt Lake Valley in 1856. When the Willy company was almost about to undertake the ascension of Rocky Ridge, the Martin company was a 100 miles East and still 400 miles from their goal, the Salt Lake Valley.

 

The company started their journey In Iowa only 9 days after their predecessors but arrived 3 weeks after them. Their company was bigger, around 600 travelers (about a hundred more than the Willy company).

 

As the Willy company was entering Emigration canyon, the Martin company had just moved out of camp in the Ravine, what we now call Martin’s Cove. From that time forth we have less journal keepers and less information. Even John Jaques, one to be so good at relating what was happening, probably discouraged, stop trying to record who died, where and when. I have been told that President Hinckley, while standing near Martin’s Cove, revealed the place where a lot of them died without being able to be buried and devoured by hungry wolves in front of their family and friends.

 

October 3rd they were close to Chimney Rock, this big rock well seen 45 miles (70 km) upstream, a milestone on the way to Zion. The Saints did not follow the Oregon Trail, on the south side of the Platte River leading to Oregon and California. Rather, they followed a new trail, inspired and opened by Brigham Young, the Mormon Trail, on the North side of the river. (President Hinckley remarked that when the Pacific Union Railroad  was built it followed the Mormon Trail on a great distance.) The road was going up the Platte valley till the junction of two rivers, the North and South Platte Rivers. The road followed then the North Platte (Nebraska and Wyoming) until a spot where the Sweet Water River flows into the North Platte River. The road then followed closely this watercourse up to his spring, near South Pass, Wyoming.

 

On the 8th they reached old Fort Laramie and bought supplies. I can’t help thinking of those who held the Fort. A few days earlier they had nothing to give to the Willy company but provisions now were there and they could help.

 

Rapidly though those precious provisions were being depleted and on the 16th the food rations had to be reduced.

 

The next day, on the 17th they burned their beddings and some of their clothes too heavy to be transported. On the 19th, just 2 days after burning their clothes, oh how terrible they felt when that early storm of October 19th hit them. “Like a summer-dried fountain, when our wants were the sorest” lamented John Jaques... Sir Walter Scott had never been so well quoted.

They found refuge at the Red Buttes and stayed there for nine long days. But even though the company was exhausted and had suffered a lot, they had a good spirit and songs were often heard on the camp. They had buoyant spirits despite being accustomed to death. They were not afraid of it. They felt the sting of it, the tremendous pain it is to see your loved ones swallowed by the earth and this feeling of being buried with them but being still alive. They knew what it felt and trusted their God and knew His will had to be done. They kept the faith and didn’t murmure at any time.

Oh how those pioneers suffered. When no mortals are able to comfort us in our trial they can help us. Because they know! They have been there! When I lost my baby, the spirit of these pioneers held me tight into their spiritual arms as I grieved my little boy’s death two years ago. They knew how I felt and they were so loving, encouraging and helping and close. How blessed we are to have them as our pioneers!

 

On October 27, Elizabeth Jackson felt her husband had died during the night, “of course I could not sleep. I could only watch, wait and pray for the dawn.” she said. She was now a widow, exhausted, discouraged and alone holding tight to her children. But she had a revelation that night. “In my dream,” she said, “my husband stood by me and said- ‘cheer up, Elizabeth, deliverance is nigh.’ How we love those dreams and revelations when they announce delivrance a theme repeated in the Old Testament !… Our God is a God of miracles! He delivers us!

 

The next day a woman in camp shouted wavering her shawl “ I see them coming! I see them coming! Surely they were welcomed as angels from Heaven! We are saved”  Joseph A. Young, son of the prophet, Abel Garr and Dan Jones arrived and are since, cherished for the rest of the eternities!

 

On the 31st, another 6 rescue wagons met them at Greasewood Creek after a long slow walk through the Avenue of the Rocks, Mineral Springs, Willow springs and the dreary ascent of Prospect Hill.

 

On November 1st, they reached Independence Rock, immense round rock dedicated by Elder Woodruff, a sign of hope, announcing the end of the journey was close.

 

Then when they reached Devil’s gate (talk about a name!), another landmark, a gorge on the Sweet Water River, a natural rock formation, it was too cold to go on. They met with the Hunt and Hodgett wagon train companies. Picture in your mind about 1,200 destitute people, starving and at the end of their strength. The weather was getting worse and worse and they decided to get closer to a cove about 3 miles away. To do so they had to cross the Sweetwater that had nothing sweet. I have stood in front of this place, and thought it was but a stream. It was not deep may be 2 feet, it was not very large but it was summer when I went. I could see the bed of the river was muddy. I could  see this very place covered with snow, blown away by fierce winds, covered with ice, burning and hurting and ceasing everyone who would attempt to get in it. On November 4th, children crying, mothers crying, fathers crying. “Oh dear I can’t go through that!” one said.

 

Then our rescuers, several young men including C. Allen Huntington, George W. Grant, David P. Kimball and Stephen W. Taylor carrying them across the river back and forth, sparing the weak, strengthening the feeble knees, saving and sacrificing their own health. It is said that President Young wept like a baby when he heard what happened. “The Carriers,” I hope you can see that painting from  J. Kirk Richards; it is one of my favorite. I have been very touched by this episode as I have lived with my parents and aunt who were paramedics and would wake up at any time of the night or day to go rescue injured people on the roads for years and years. I want my children to remember they have the word Carrier in their own surname and carry the gospel to the world, carry the work of the temple, carry the work of Salvation, carry their burdens and carry their missions in life. May we all be Carriers!

The water froze their clothes on them and many died. 5 long days they stayed in Martin’s Cove and many died there.

 

The word of order was to continue. Twenty men were chosen to stay back in the place to keep safe the belongings of the Saints and the rest were to march toward the Salt Lake Valley. Those men with Dan Jones at their head suffered tremendously and could have eaten the wolves running around but because those same wolves had eaten the corpses of their dead friends and family they chose to pass and starve.

 

The company made its way very slowly in the snow like a brown-ant-line in the white immense Wyoming plains with snow that absorbed probably every sound and every tear. And if you know the place, you know that you see that plain over there and you think oh! I am gonna be behind it soon and then you arrive to it and there is another one, just like the one you’ve passed!

 

November the 10th: Picture the line of wearied walkers walking as desperate convicts after a day of sufferings... Then in the distance before the sun went down… a man! only one man with 2 horses, a man with buffalo meat! This man, it was Ephraim Hanks, inspired, courageous, loved and still talked about. He healed their frozen feet, he fed them and encouraged them. I love what he told them “I do know when a body needs the Lord, needs something the Lord can do for him so bad that there isn’t any other out- that is the time the Lord will show His face or His voice.”

 

November 12th: The company reached the wagon train company and by November 30th they entered the valley under the wet eyes and the sobbing heart of their prophet.

 

No one can forget the words of Francis Webster who still resound from the corridors of time, like this violin piece of Pablo de Sarasate Zigeunerweisen played by Itzhak Perlman and which takes you by the guts.

 

When I joined the Church in 1992, I had a special experience reading his words. As pioneers living today, we can have a special bond with them across time and space.

Francis is the direct ancestor of my friend Soni Uhler with whom I am privileged to work on the trek committee this year:

 

“We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? No one of that company ever apostatized or left the church because everyone of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with Him in our extremities. I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can only go that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it. I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it the cart began pushing me! I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the Angels of God were there. Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No! Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.”