James G. Willie
- Captain, Willie Handcart Company
James Grey Willie was born November 1, 1814, at Murell Green, Hampshire,
England. He came to America when 21, was married and joined the Church
in 1842. Ten years later he returned to England as a missionary. Upon
his release he came home, captaining the Fourth Handcart Company. In 1859
he moved to Cache Valley, Utah, where he was active in community enterprises.
He died in 1895.
"Our Captains showed us a noble example. They waded every stream,
I might say, a dozen times between Iowa City and Green River… Their
feet were worn and bleeding, they became exhausted and had to be hauled
the balance of the way, some of them not being able to stand. Among these
heroic leaders were James Willie, our captain." - George Cunningham.
Levi
Savage - Willie Handcart Company
A meeting was called because questions arose among the people; namely,
due to the lateness of the season, should they remain at Winter Quarters
for the winter of continue on their journey. Millen Atwood, assistant
to Elder Willie, said, "Let's go now." During the discussion,
Elder Levi Savage (just returning from a mission) advised the brethren
that such a journey so late in the season should not be undertaken. He
had been over the road and knew its dangers. A vote was taken and he was
overruled. Nevertheless, the decision was made. They decided to go on
rather than remain at Winter Quarters for the winter. They fully expected
to reach Salt Lake City before winter should over take them. This was
a fatal error, but unsuspected by most of the company for the winter season
set in earlier than usual that year and was most severe. - A History
of James Laird.
"Levi Savage used his common sense and his knowledge of the country.
He declared positively that to his certain knowledge we could not cross
the mountains with mixed company of aged people, women, and little children,
so late in the season without much suffering, sickness, and death. He
therefore advised going into winter quarters without delay.; but he was
rebuked by the other elder for want of faith…Savage was accordingly
defeated, as the majority were against him." He then added; "Brethren
and sisters, what I have said I know to be true; but, seeing you are to
go forward, I will go with you, will help you all I can, will work with
you, will rest with you, will suffer with you, and if necessary I will
die with you. May God in his mercy bless and preserve us. Amen"
Brother Savage was true to his word; no man worked harder than he to alleviate
the suffering which he had foreseen, when he had to endure it. - James
and Eliza Hurren.
Bodil
Mortensen and James Kirkwood - Willie Handcart Company
Two of those buried at Rock Creek Hollow were heroic children of tender
years: Bodil Mortensen, age nine, from Denmark, and James Kirkwood, age
eleven, from Scotland. Bodil apparently was assigned to care for some
small children as they crossed Rocky Ridge. When they arrived at camp,
she must have been sent to gather firewood. She was found frozen to death
leaning against the wheel of their handcart, clutching sagebrush.
Let me tell you of James Kirkwood. James was from Glasgow, Scotland. On
the trip west, James was accompanied by his widow mother and three brothers,
one of whom, Thomas, was nineteen and crippled and had to ride in the
handcart. James' primary responsibility on the trek was to care for his
little four-year-old brother, Joseph, while his mother and oldest brother,
Robert, pulled the cart. As they climbed Rocky Ridge, it was snowing and
there was a bitter cold wind blowing. It took the whole company twenty
seven hours to travel fifteen miles. When little Joseph became too weary
to walk, James, the older brother, had no choice but to carry him. Left
behind the main group, James and Joseph made their way slowly to camp.
When the two finally arrived at the fireside, James "having so faithfully
carried out his task, collapsed and died from exposure and overexertion."
- Elder James E. Faust, November 1992 Ensign.
George Cunningham
- Willie Handcart Company
Our Captain intended to keep his word, and commenced to kill off the cattle
but they were nearly as poor as we were. We used to boil the bones and
drink the soup and eat what little meat there was. We greedily devoured
the hides also. I myself had took a piece of hide when I could get it,
scorched off hair, roasted it a little on the coals, cut it into little
pieces so that I could swallow it and bolted it down my throat for supper
and thought it was most delicious. Many were frozen to death. I think
that there were only five of six men in camp towards the last but what
were frozen. Our Captain drove all he could and did his duty. He was badly
frozen and came very close to dying. Some would sacrifice themselves by
giving their food or perhaps some old blanket that covered them. In common
cares, we cannot tell who our friends and neighbors are, but there are
circumstances which undoubtedly prove them. - Journal of George Cunningham.
Lucy
Ward - Willie Handcart Company
To each hundred there were rive tents with twenty persons to a tent;
twenty handcarts and one Chicago Wagon drawn by three yoke of oxen to
hold provisions and tents, each person was limited to seventeen pounds
of clothing and bedding. The strength of the company was equalized as
much as possible by distributing the young men among the different families
to help them. Several carts were drawn by young girls exclusively. Lucy
was one of these. She had just turned 23 years old in May. At this time,
(6 Oct. 1856) the Salt Lake Conference was taking place and Brigham Young
was sending a rescue party to the stranded handcart companies. James Barnett
Cole, went with them. One night he dreamed he would meet his future wife
with the stranded Saints. He even was shown what she looked like. She
had a fur cap and a green veil tied over her cap to keep the wind off,
she was very beautiful. He told his dream to Brother [William} Kimball
and he remarked, "We will see no beautiful girl with a fur cap and
a green veil in these frozen Saints."
Reminiscing, James Barnett Cole said that they saw the encampment just
as the sun was sinking in the west. It looked like an Eskimo village which
was fully a mile away. The snow was very deep and paths had been made
from tent to tent giving the camp that appearance. It was located on a
plain near the river. When the people caught sight of the train coming,
they shouted, they cried, they threw off all restraint and freely embraced
their deliverers. Just then, William Kimball caught sight of Lucy Ward
in the green veil. He drove up to her and said, "Brother Jim, there
is your dream girl." James asked her to get in the wagon and her
reply was, "No I don't know you." She got used to the idea of
having him around, because on the way to Salt Lake, on November 2, 1856,
they were married at Fort Bridger by William Kimball. - Story or Lucy
ward by Ruby M. F. Hall, Granddaughter.
Margaret Dalgish - Willie Handcart Company
The first of the rescued reached Salt Lake on November 9th, a day
of tears and thanksgiving. For many days afterwards the others were straggling
in, some riding the wagons, some still grimly hauling their battered carts,
still defiantly on their own legs. Margaret Dalglish, that gaunt image
of Scotch fortitude, dragged her pitiful handful of possessions to the
very rim of the valley, but when she looked down and saw the end of it,
safety, the City of the Saints, she did something extraordinary. She tugged
the cart to the edge of the road and gave it a push and watched it roll
and crash and tumble and burst apart, scattering down the ravine the last
things she owned on earth. Then she went on into Salt Lake to start the
new life with nothing but her gaunt bones, her empty hands, her stout
heart. - Ordeal by Handcart, Sollier's for July 6, 1956.
Ann
Jewell Rowley - Willie Handcart Company
I was left a widow with 7 children under 12 years of age and the step
children of William's first marriage. I was very grateful for the gospel
of Jesus Christ and the comfort it gave me. I knew that our parting was
only temporary and that viewed from the eternities, this was but a fleeting
moment. I also knew that no matter how fleeting a moment it was, I had
to make the best of it. I had a very real job to do. The children had
to be fed and clothed, but the big task and the one I must accomplish,
is to get us all to Zion. I must be among the people of my faith and I
must get the Temple work done for us.
There came a time, when there seemed to be no food at all. Some of the
men left to hunt buffalo. Night was coming and there was no food for the
evening meal. I asked God's help as I always did. I got on my knees, remembering
two hard sea biscuits that were still in my trunk. They had been left
over from the sea voyage, they were not large, and were so hard, they
couldn't be broken. Surely, that was not enough to feed 8 people, but
5 loaves and 2 fishes were not enough to feed 5000 people either, but
through a miracle, Jesus had done it. So with God's help, nothing is impossible.
I found the biscuits and put them in a Dutch oven and covered them with
water and asked for God's blessing, then I put the lid on the pan and
set it on the coals. When I took off the lid a little later, I found the
pan Filled with food. I kneeled with my family and thanked God for his
goodness. That night my family had sufficient. - Autobiography of Ann
Jewell Rowley.
Levi Savage - Willie Handcart Company
A council & a meeting were held to take into consideration our provisions
& the time it was considered we should have to make it last before
we could depend upon supplies. It was unanimously agreed to reduce the
rations of flour one fourth - the men then would get 10 1/2 oz. per
day; women & large children 9 oz., per day; & infants 3 oz. Per
day each.