Remembering My Pioneer Heritage

The wood felt curious in my hands as I dipped between the handle and the cart. I leaned my waist into the handle. The cart moved easily and seemed eager to get under way. My sister Destinee stood on the other side of the frame. My parents stood at the back of the cart ready to push.

“For some must push and some must pull as we go marching up the hill; So merrily on our way we go until we reach the Valley-o.” –

Finally, the front cart rumbled onto the path. We turned in close behind and away we went.

The cart moved easily. I mused on the efficient design. Though minimal, our load balanced evenly over the two large wheels. Impressive.

My thoughts soon turned to defying gravity down a hill towards the first stream we’d cross. Down. Pull back. Communicate with the others. Steady myself as I went down the incline. Listen to instructions of the man at the bank. Step across on the stones, but pull the cart through the water. Up the bank. On we went.

Suddenly, whoop-hollering ensued. I recognized the din. My brother Donovan’s family cart flew down the incline. All of them laughingly held on. I loved watching Donovan put the FUN in the adventure. So characteristic of him. His enthusiasm’s infectious.

I watched my uncle lead the procession. President and Sister Bushman are the first to preside over the Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission. Uncle Blaine had been talking about building handcarts and handcart treks for as long as I could remember. I loved seeing them in this element.

Handcart after handcart after handcart was manned by uncles, aunts, and cousins—175 Bushmans in all. Everyone dressed, to some degree, in pioneer garb. My dad was the oldest at 73 and the youngest trekker was under a year old.

Some families had several little ones in tow. Hearing the occasional cry made the experience even more “real.” My brother Dannen and Claudia’s 18 month old twins bounced along in the cart happily eating crackers and candy.

We reached the Sweetwater. We gathered together on the riverbank and listened to several stories about the crossing. Then, from the opposite side, Destinee and cousin Madelen began playing “Come, Come Ye Saints” on their violins.

“Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;

But with joy wend your way.

Though hard to you this journey may appear,

Grace shall be as your day.

‘Tis better far for us to strive

Our useless cares from us to drive;

Do this, and joy your hearts will swell–

All is well! All is well!

…

And should we die before our journey’s through,

Happy day! All is well!

We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;

With the just we shall dwell!

But if our lives are spared again

To see the Saints their rest obtain,

Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell–

All is well! All is well!”

The coolness of the river was a welcome relief to me. The handcart pulled easier than I expected—until mom, dad, and I hit a sandy patch on the opposite bank. Then, we pushed and pulled with our might to exit the babbling river.

For some pioneers, the Sweetwater proved fatal.

My Pioneers

Forty-two of my dad’s direct ancestors crossed the plains. Twenty of my mother’s direct ancestors crossed the plains. I kept thinking, particularly, of a family who traveled by handcart.

My mom’s 3rd great grandmother Eliza Chapman Gadd left England with her husband Samuel and eight living children. Samuel and the older children joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but Eliza did not.  Samuel zealously longed for Zion and wanted to join the Saints in Salt Lake City.  Eliza finally agreed to emigrate.

They began their trek West on 15 July 1856 with the ill-fated Willie Handcart company.  The handcart companies, expecting to increase provisions along the journey, didn’t take enough food for the entire trek. The people who typically made sure provisions were available didn’t realize four handcart companies were still on the plains. Food became critically scarce as temperatures dropped below zero.

One of Eliza’s 2 year old twins, Daniel, died 4 October 1856. Eliza’s husband Samuel, aged 4, caught a cold on guard duty in Iowa City. The cold became pneumonia and Samuel succumbed to sickness and starvation on 9 October 1856 at Glenrock, Wyoming.

As Eliza and her seven children crossed Rocky Ridge during a ferocious blizzard, Eliza became snowblind. With only rags on her feet, 7 year old Mary Ann guided Eliza for three days through the storm. Samuel Jr, aged 10, carried the surviving twin, saving Isaac’s life. But Samuel died 23 October 1856 at Rock Creek on the banks of the Sweetwater.  “Samuel was the most anxious to reach Zion, but it was not to be,” wrote Eliza.

On November 9, 1856, Eliza and her six surviving children entered the Salt Lake Valley. The Gadds were sent directly to Nephi, Utah. A week later, Eliza was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She lived the rest of her life in Nephi and served the community as a midwife, delivering 2,000 babies.

“I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit…but have poured out my soul before the Lord. …My heart rejoiceth in the Lord…I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. …they that stumbled are girded with strength…he will keep the feet of his saints.”

Alfred’s Diary

Eliza’s oldest son Alfred, age 19, kept a diary of their journey from Iowa to Salt Lake City. Many details are missing, including the death of Samuel Junior and the harrowing temperatures, but I’m so grateful for Alfred’s record to get a glimpse into their experience.

July 15. Wednesday, evening we started, after two weeks and three days at the Iowa camping grounds, and came to this side of the house and camped for the night and, also, for the next day.

July 18. We started again and traveled about 6 miles to the Nine Mile house and camped.

July 19. Saturday. We went 12 miles and stopped over Sunday at Brush Creek.

July 21. Monday. We travelled about 7 miles and camped at Leave Creek.

July 22. We went about 9 miles to Hilton Creek, which is about one and one-half miles from Mariage, and camped.

July 23. We travelled 18 miles and camped again for the night.

July 24. We only traveled about 2 miles this day as one of our fellow traveler’s has passed away and we stopped to bury her. We camped there that night.

July 25. Friday. We went 13 miles and camped for the night, where we could not get any water fit to drink, nor wood to burn.

July 26. Traveled about three miles and camp for the night.

July 27. Sunday. We stopped after driving 5 miles.

July 28. Monday. We travelled about 12 miles, going through Newton, and camped about two miles this side.

July 29. Tuesday. We traveled 14 miles this day.

July 30. Went 20 miles to Fort Des Moines and camped.

Aug. 2. Went about 10 miles and were then approximately 95 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Aug. 3. We drove through two rivers, one creek. One river near the city of Mel called Coon river. Traveled about 17 miles.

Aug. 4. Drove 17 miles and camped at Bare Grove.

Aug. 5. Travelled 18-½ miles.

Aug. 6. West 13 miles.

Aug. 7. West 13 miles and camped at Marset Creek.

Aug. 8. Travelled 15 miles.

Aug. 9. Went 16 miles to Cave Creek.

Aug. 10. Sunday. We rested until 4 o’clock, traveled 10 miles and camped 2 miles from The Bluffs.

Aug. 11. Monday. We went about 17 miles to Mauseiern [Missouri] River, in the afternoon we camped at Florence to get ready for the final journey.

Aug. 16. Saturday. In the afternoon we started and traveled 6 miles and camped until Monday. WE went back on Sunday to fetch the cattle up to us.

Aug. 18. We went about 5 miles to Papoose Creeks.

Aug. 19. Today we went about 11 miles to Elk Horn River and ferried over, then went 3 more miles and camped.

Aug 20. Travelled 15 miles to the Platt[e] River and camped.

Aug. 21. Went 12 miles and camped, although there was no water nor wood, only what we had with us.

Aug. 22. Travelled 22 miles and campt near the Platt River again.

Aug. 23. Went 11 miles to ferry. Ferried over and camped near the river.

Aug. 24. Sunday. Drove 23 miles.

Aug. 25. Monday. Drove 18 more miles and camped by the river.

Aug. 26. Tuesday. Traveled 21 miles.

Aug. 27. Wednesday, we camped for the night on the prairie, where there was no wood, but a little standing water. We had travelled 23 miles that day.

Aug. 28. Thursday. We went 10 miles to Prairie Creek and stopped there for dinner. We then went on 22 miles and camped for the night at Wood River. Here we saw some Buffalo. It was dark before we got in camp and we found that an old man had dropped behind and was lost. There was a heavy thunder storm that night.

Aug. 29. Camped until noon. Went back and found the old man. The exposure made him too weak to walk at all. We went four miles and camped near the Omeasi [Omaha] Indians. They brought us some food and buffalo meat. They told us about the Indians killing Col. Babbits men. This tribe (Omeasi) have always been friends of the white people and warned us of the danger.

Aug. 30. We went 13 miles and stopped at the place where Babbit’s men were killed by the Chianes [Cheyenne] Indians. We covered them up, also burnt their things. We crossed the Wood River, nine miles from where we found the men.

Aug. 31. W. Babbitt overtook us and camped with us till morning, we were about ten miles from Fort Kearny. We went about twenty one miles and camped by the river again. We did not go near the fort.

Sept. 1. We went about twenty-one miles and camped at Buffalo Creek where we killed a buffalo in the evening, about one mile from the camp.

Sept. 2. We travelled about twelve miles to a creek and camped for dinner. We cut brush to make a bridge over which to cross and then travelled another three miles before camping.

Sept. 3. We killed another buffalo. After travelling eighteen miles we camped for the night. There was no wood and no water where we camped, only some standing, muddy water to drink.

Sept. 4. We could not go on. On Wednesday night we lost about thirty of our best cattle. We stayed until Sunday and hunted for our cattle, but could not find them. There was a heavy thunder storm and our tents were broken.

Sept. 7. Sunday. We moved on about 4 miles to the Platte River where there was both wood and water.

Sept. 8. Monday. This morning a man came to us and told us of the death of Thomas Margretts, who was coming from the Valley to the States to live, but was killed by the Indians. Nearly two hundred miles after passing Fort Laramie, Margett’s family and another family were killed. This man, who was travelling with the Margetts, had gone out to shoot buffalo and when he came back after an hour’s hunt, he found them all dead. That afternoon we went fifteen miles and camped at the Platte River.

Sept. 9. We travelled eleven miles and camped for the night.

Sept. 10. We went five miles to Carine [Carrion] Creek, camped for noon, after eating we travelled another twelve miles and camped by a spring.

Sept. 11. Thursday. We travelled sixteen miles to the Platte River. we found very little wood, which is the last we expect to find for nearly two hundred miles.

Sept. 12. We travelled eleven miles, crossed a branch of the river and camped for the night, twelve miles from Strawberry Creek. Brothers Franklin, Richards, Spencer and Whellock [Wheelock] and Joseph Young, and others, overtook us and spent the night with us. We held a fine meeting that night.

Sept. 13. This morning we had another meeting. Then we left the camp, crossing the river in a new place which was shown to us by the brothers who had spent the night with us.

Sept. 14. We went seventeen miles and camped by the river again. In the evening we shot two more buffalo.

Sept. 15. We travelled twenty miles.

Sept. 16. We travelled on and now were in the hills, which were very sandy. We camped in the Bluffs, where there was but a little muddy water. During the day we met thirteen Indians, who camped near us. They were watching us all night, but did us no harm.

Sept. 17. This morning we travelled on again at 4 o’clock A.M. and we travelled eight miles before stopping for breakfast.

Sept. 18. We travelled ten miles to Ash Hollow. We lost a woman, but found her the next day in the mountains. We stayed there until Saturday repairing our hand carts. Ash Hollow is about eighty miles from Fort Laramie.

Sept. 20. We travelled ten miles.

Sept. 21. We travelled fifteen miles.

Sept. 22. We travelled eighteen miles and camped near the river.

Sept. 23. We travelled twenty miles and had to cross a stream. We came in sight of Chimney Rock about noon and camped by the river at night.

Sept. 24. Wednesday. We crossed the river and travelled twelve miles stopping at Chimney Rock for dinner.

Sept. 25. Thursday. We went eighteen miles and camped at the river near the old shores.

Sept. 26. We travelled eighteen miles and camped by a creek where there was a little Cedar wood for fires.

Sept. 27. We travelled eighteen miles and camped against a branch of the Platte River, after having crossed it.

Sept. 28. We travelled nineteen miles and camped near the Trading Post, where the Sioux Indians were trading.

Sept. 29. We went eighteen miles and camped four miles from Fort Morgan.

Sept. 30. We again crossed the Platte River at Laramie. We went two miles beyond Laramie and camped at the river until the next day.

Oct. 1. We travelled eight miles today.

Oct. 2. Thursday morning Parley P. Pratt and some of the Missionaries from Utah came to us and we held a meeting. In the afternoon we travelled about six miles and camped.

Oct. 3. We went about twenty-seven miles and camped where there was a little wood and water.

Oct 4. We went three miles and camped. My brother Daniel (aged two) died this afternoon.

Oct. 5. We went twenty miles and camped at the Platte River, after having crossed it.

Oct. 6. We went fifteen miles before dinner, because we could not get any water. Then we came to the Platte again and travelled four miles more before camping.

Oct. 7. We travelled fifteen miles and camped at the river.

Oct. 8. We travelled to Deer Creek, which was a distance of about seventeen miles.

Oct. 9. We went eighteen miles. My father was dying before we left this morning, but they put him in a wagon and when we saw him at noon, he was dead.

Oct. 10. We buried Father this morning.

Oct. 11. Saturday. We travelled fourteen miles and nooned, but we had to camp for the night, as the cattle were worn out and could not go any further.

Oct. 12. Sunday. We travelled sixteen miles.

Oct. 13. Monday. We travelled fourteen miles and got some salt water. When we came to the springs we crossed the Sweetwater and camped.

Oct. 14. Tuesday. We travelled on again and passed Devil’s Gate; we went sixteen miles.

Oct. 15. We travelled twelve miles and camped for the night by the Sweetwater.

Oct. 16. We travelled ten miles and crossed the Sweetwater twice and then camped.

Oct. 17. From the 12th of October, I have missed on[e] day travelling; therefore, this is one day behind.

Oct. 18. Saturday. We travelled eight miles, camped on the Sweetwater after having crossed it.

Oct. 19. Sunday. We travelled sixteen and one-half miles before noon and had a snow storm. Soon after we met Brothers Young, Whellcock [Wheelock] and others. We travelled late that night and just got our tents up when it commenced to snow. It snowed all day, night and day.

Oct. 21. Today our brethren came in with their teams loaded with flour and other things for us. Our provisions were all gone one day before they came in with the flour.

Oct. 22. We travelled ten miles and camped for the night on the snow.

Oct. 23. We went sixteen miles and camped late at night. It was very cold. We remained there all day on the 24th. Samuel, 10, died. Buried Rock Creek, Wyoming with 12 others.

Oct. 25. We travelled sixteen miles to South Pass and camped.

Oct. 26. Sunday. We travelled thirteen miles.

Oct. 27. Monday. We travelled twenty miles in the snow and camped at White Goose Pass.

Oct. 28. We travelled ten miles and camped about two miles after we crossed the creek. We had no wood to burn.

Oct. 29. We travelled fifteen miles and crossed a creek and camped for the night.

Oct. 30. Thursday. We travelled twelve miles and crossed the Green River and camped at the river a mile and a half from the Fort.

Oct. 31. We travelled twenty miles and camped.

Nov. 1. We travelled twenty miles and crossed four creeks and camped.

Nov. 2. Sunday. We went to Fort Bridger and camped for the night. There we tied our hand carts behind our wagons and drew them no more, because we had more teams. We arrived on the ninth of November in Salt Lake City.