Page:History of Utah.djvu/266

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CHAPTER VIII.

EXPULSION FROM NAUVOO.

1845-1846.

A Busy City — Meeting in the Temple — Sacrifice of Property — Detachments Move Forward — A Singular Exodus — The First Encampment — Cool Proposal from Brother Brannan— The Journey— Courage AND Good Cheer — Swelling of their Numbers — The Remnant of the Saints in Nauvoo — Attitude of the Gentiles — The Mormons Attacked — Continued Hostilities — The Final Departures — The Poor Camp — A Deserted City.

The holy city now presented an exciting scene. Men were making ready their merchandise, and fami- lies preparing to vacate their homes. Hundreds were making tents and wagon covers out of cloth bought with anything they happened to have; companies were organized and numbered, each of which had its own wagon-shop, wheelwrights, carpenters, and cabinet- makers, who were all busily employed.^ Green timber was prepared for spokes and felloes, some kiln-dried, and some boiled in salt and water. At the Nauvoo house shops were established as well as at the mason's hall and arsenal. Iron was brought from difi'erent parts of the country, and blacksmiths were at work night and day.^

Some three years previous, the prophet Joseph had ordered that there should not be another general con-

^ Parley Pratt's calculation for an outfit of every family of 5 persons was 1 good wagon, 3 yoke cattle, 2 cows, 2 beef cattle, 3 sheep, 1,000 lbs flour, 20 lbs sugar, i rille and ammunition, a tent and tent-poles, from 10 to 20 lbs seed to a family, from 2o to 100 lbs tools for farming, and a few other items, the cost being about §250, provided they had nothing else but bedding and cooking utensils. IIM. B. Young, MS., 125.

'■^ In December the drying-house of emigrating company no. 18 was burned to the ground, consuming $300 worth of wagon timber. Id., MS., Dec. 1845.