On the Mormon Pioneer Trail 788 miles from Nauvoo.....
Photo by Jodi Reynolds Nichol
This 2006 photo was taken from the old steel army bridge built in 1875, looking east and down river. Fort Laramie is about one and one-half miles south or to the right of this location.
On June 1, 1847 Wilford Woodruff recorded in his journal "We traveled in the afternoon [] miles and camped on the bank of the Platte opposite of Fort Laramie within 1½ miles of the fort." On June 2, 1847 he wrote: "In company with the Twelve and others I crossed to the river to visit the fort and those who inhabit it. We examined for[t] St. John which is now evacuated but the walls are standing. The dimentions of St. John are 144 by 132 outside. The inside of the fort contained 16 rooms, 7 rooms on the northwest and 7 on the southeast, one on the South, the largest on the north, 98 feet long 47 wide."
"The Oregon trail runs one rod from the S.W. corner of the fort."
"We next visited Fort Laramie now occupied by 38 persons. French mostly, who have married the Sioux. Mr. Burdow is the superintendent. This fort is 168 by 116 outside. There are 6 rooms upon two sides, and 3 rooms upon the north and 3 upon the south occupied by stores, blacksmith, and dwellings. It is quite a pleasant situation for a fort" (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 1833–1898, typescript, ed. Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. [1983], 3:192–93, spelling and punctuation modernized).
http://lds.org/gospellibrary/pioneer/pioneerstory.htm
On June 1, 1847 Wilford Woodruff recorded in his journal "We traveled in the afternoon [] miles and camped on the bank of the Platte opposite of Fort Laramie within 1½ miles of the fort." On June 2, 1847 he wrote: "In company with the Twelve and others I crossed to the river to visit the fort and those who inhabit it. We examined for[t] St. John which is now evacuated but the walls are standing. The dimentions of St. John are 144 by 132 outside. The inside of the fort contained 16 rooms, 7 rooms on the northwest and 7 on the southeast, one on the South, the largest on the north, 98 feet long 47 wide."
"The Oregon trail runs one rod from the S.W. corner of the fort."
"We next visited Fort Laramie now occupied by 38 persons. French mostly, who have married the Sioux. Mr. Burdow is the superintendent. This fort is 168 by 116 outside. There are 6 rooms upon two sides, and 3 rooms upon the north and 3 upon the south occupied by stores, blacksmith, and dwellings. It is quite a pleasant situation for a fort" (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 1833–1898, typescript, ed. Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. [1983], 3:192–93, spelling and punctuation modernized).
http://lds.org/gospellibrary/pioneer/pioneerstory.htm
Listen to the song the Mormon Pioneers sang while struggling along the trail....
The trail from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake Valley was approximately 1,300 miles long.
Photo by Robert N. Reynolds
This 2006 photo of Fort Laramie (right) is from a point about one mile north and west. The inset is granddaughter Lauren Vernessa Reynolds experiencing the difficulty of traversing this area by foot because of the presence of three-awn grass that viciously penetrated one's socks and clothing. We empathized with the pioneers and their many difficulties.
Fort Laramie marked the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. The Mormon emigrants were now over half way to the Great Salt Lake valley. Here, they rested and regrouped for a day or so. A tiny few gave up the dream, turned around and returned east. But most made the decision to push ahead.
This military post served as a refreshing site to the pioneers--the first sign of civilization in several weeks. In the earliest days of the pioneer trek the fort consisted only of a military stockade and a general store where sugar cost a dollar a cup.
The site was originally known as Fort William, then Fort John. The original site was abandoned and Fort Laramie constructed nearby, taking its name from a French trapper, Jacques LaRamie. It always served as a trading post, even after it became a legitimate U.S. military outpost in 1849. As a major resting and reprovisioning point for almost all emigrants on the trek west, it was a welcome sight. At Fort Laramie, Brigham Young's vanguard company met an advance party of the Mississippi Saints who had wintered with the sick detachment of the Mormon Battalion at Pueblo.
Fort Laramie marked the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. The Mormon emigrants were now over half way to the Great Salt Lake valley. Here, they rested and regrouped for a day or so. A tiny few gave up the dream, turned around and returned east. But most made the decision to push ahead.
This military post served as a refreshing site to the pioneers--the first sign of civilization in several weeks. In the earliest days of the pioneer trek the fort consisted only of a military stockade and a general store where sugar cost a dollar a cup.
The site was originally known as Fort William, then Fort John. The original site was abandoned and Fort Laramie constructed nearby, taking its name from a French trapper, Jacques LaRamie. It always served as a trading post, even after it became a legitimate U.S. military outpost in 1849. As a major resting and reprovisioning point for almost all emigrants on the trek west, it was a welcome sight. At Fort Laramie, Brigham Young's vanguard company met an advance party of the Mississippi Saints who had wintered with the sick detachment of the Mormon Battalion at Pueblo.
Fort Laramie played an epic role in tragedies of Mormon history that involved our direct line ancestors.
1852
1856
Christina McNeil
In the late fall of 1856, the Willie Handcart Company failed to obtain additional provisions while at the fort, a circumstance that proved fatal for many members of the company when they were caught in early snows only 130 miles to the west of Fort Laramie.
Our Scottish ancestor, Christina McNeil established her place in Mormon history with the following recorded accounts:
Paul Lyman Commentary
The temptation for several of the women to stay at Fort Laramie proved too great. Lucinda M. Davenport and Christine Brown were both found missing. William Woodward reported that Lucinda M. Davenport eloped with Stephen Forsdick, a man who Woodward, in his entry for the 29th, described as an apostate Mormon living at the Fort. In contrast, Christina McNeil, age 24, proved to be more loyal. She was traveling with Margaret Caldwell, a widow with four children. Together they went to the Fort to trade some trinkets and silver spoons for flour and meat. An officer tried to persuade and then to scare Christina into abandoning the journey. She told him in “plain language” that she “would take her chance with the others even though it may mean death.” The officer apparently admired her loyalty to her faith and gave her a large cured ham and well wishes.1
President Willie and a few other men went to Fort Laramie to purchase what provisions they could. Unfortunately, provisions were sparse. Among the provisions the men procured was a barrel or two of hard bread. This hard bread proved to be the last food the Saints ate before they ran out of food on October 20th.
1. Rosilla E. Osborn, “Biography of Agnes Caldwell Southworth,” dictated by Agnes Caldwell Southworth to her daughter Rosilla E. Osborn, April 20, 1921, Daughters of Utah Pioneers Library, Salt Lake City, 3–4.
From the biography of Agnes Caldwell Southworth, here is her complete account:
“The 30th of September we stopped in Laramie, Wyoming. Mother, in company with her fifteen-year-old boy and a young lady, Christina McNeil, who was making the trip under mother’s care, visited one of the generals in command at the fort to obtain permission to trade some trinkets and silver spoons for flour and meat. The officer said he himself could not use any of the things but to leave the young lady in his office while mother went to another station, where he assured her she would be able to obtain the things she desired. He seemed very kind, and not wishing to arouse any feeling of ill will, she left Christina and Thomas. During her absence the officer used the time in trying to persuade Christina to stay there, proposing to her and showing her the gold he had, telling her what a fine lady he would make of her. Then he tried discouraging her, pointing out to her how the handcart company would never reach Utah, because of the severe cold, and that they would die of cold and hunger and exposure. Like all noble girls, and true to the cause for which she left her native Scotland, her family, home, and friends just to be in Utah, she told him in plain language she would take her chances with the others even though it might mean death. She was greatly relieved to have mother return. The officer, however, seemed to admire her very much for her loyalty to her faith and gave her a large cured ham and wished her well in her chosen adventure.”
From our pioneer ancestors we have received a priceless heritage. Thinking about it I penned some thoughts about our obligations.
Our Scottish ancestor, Christina McNeil established her place in Mormon history with the following recorded accounts:
Paul Lyman Commentary
The temptation for several of the women to stay at Fort Laramie proved too great. Lucinda M. Davenport and Christine Brown were both found missing. William Woodward reported that Lucinda M. Davenport eloped with Stephen Forsdick, a man who Woodward, in his entry for the 29th, described as an apostate Mormon living at the Fort. In contrast, Christina McNeil, age 24, proved to be more loyal. She was traveling with Margaret Caldwell, a widow with four children. Together they went to the Fort to trade some trinkets and silver spoons for flour and meat. An officer tried to persuade and then to scare Christina into abandoning the journey. She told him in “plain language” that she “would take her chance with the others even though it may mean death.” The officer apparently admired her loyalty to her faith and gave her a large cured ham and well wishes.1
President Willie and a few other men went to Fort Laramie to purchase what provisions they could. Unfortunately, provisions were sparse. Among the provisions the men procured was a barrel or two of hard bread. This hard bread proved to be the last food the Saints ate before they ran out of food on October 20th.
1. Rosilla E. Osborn, “Biography of Agnes Caldwell Southworth,” dictated by Agnes Caldwell Southworth to her daughter Rosilla E. Osborn, April 20, 1921, Daughters of Utah Pioneers Library, Salt Lake City, 3–4.
From the biography of Agnes Caldwell Southworth, here is her complete account:
“The 30th of September we stopped in Laramie, Wyoming. Mother, in company with her fifteen-year-old boy and a young lady, Christina McNeil, who was making the trip under mother’s care, visited one of the generals in command at the fort to obtain permission to trade some trinkets and silver spoons for flour and meat. The officer said he himself could not use any of the things but to leave the young lady in his office while mother went to another station, where he assured her she would be able to obtain the things she desired. He seemed very kind, and not wishing to arouse any feeling of ill will, she left Christina and Thomas. During her absence the officer used the time in trying to persuade Christina to stay there, proposing to her and showing her the gold he had, telling her what a fine lady he would make of her. Then he tried discouraging her, pointing out to her how the handcart company would never reach Utah, because of the severe cold, and that they would die of cold and hunger and exposure. Like all noble girls, and true to the cause for which she left her native Scotland, her family, home, and friends just to be in Utah, she told him in plain language she would take her chances with the others even though it might mean death. She was greatly relieved to have mother return. The officer, however, seemed to admire her very much for her loyalty to her faith and gave her a large cured ham and wished her well in her chosen adventure.”
From our pioneer ancestors we have received a priceless heritage. Thinking about it I penned some thoughts about our obligations.