1856
Friday, October 3; 9 miles west of Chimney Rock, 580 miles from Salt Lake City.
Saturday, October 4; 2 miles west of Scotts Bluff, Nebraska.
Sunday, October 5; 2 miles from the Platte River
Wednesday, October 8; Fort Laramie (bought supplies; reduced flour from 1 pound to 1/4 pound.
Tuesday, October 4; On the Platte River.
Friday, October 17; Deer Creek, on the Platte River (baggage reduced to 10 pounds for adults, 5 pounds for children under 8; bedding, etc. burned) still 400 miles from Salt Lake Valley.
Saturday, October 18; Camped on river, in poor shape, hungry, cold.
Sunday, October 19; Last crossing of the Platte River, Red Buttes -- real trouble. Winter storm, cold, hail, sleet. Waded river; ground too frozen for tent pegs; crawled under tents; 19 'invalids lost and found, cooked an old beef head.
Monday, October 20; Buried Elizabeth Horrock's husband.
Wednesday, October 22; Still at Platte, death of several.
Monday, October 27; Red Butte's; Elizabeth's husband came to her and "stood by me and said, 'Cheer up Elizabeth, deliverance is at hand.'"
Tuesday, October 28; Still at Red Buttes. Joseph Young, Dan Jones, an Abel Garr arrived as advance party, indicated help is at Devil's Gate; said help waited just 25 miles further; everyone got one pound of flour and one pound of beef; great joy in camp.
Wednesday, October 29; Willow Springs, Avenue of Rocks, 30 miles east of Devil's Gate, struggling on.
Friday, October 31; Greasewood Creek; Elders Grant, Decker, Webb, Burton and others with six wagons of food and clothing meet them, rescue began.
Saturday, November 1; 5 miles east of Devil's Gate at Independence Rock; 12-18 inches of snow, ground frozen hard; more deaths.
Sunday, November 2; Devil's Gate Trading Post; 11 degrees below zero; 13 die.
Tuesday, November 4; Martin's Cove (ravine) -- Crossed the Sweetwater River to the ravine, several young men from the rescue party waded in the river helping others to cross; among them were D.P. Kimball, George W. Grant, Stephen W. Taylor, and C.A. Huntington. Of these young men one journalist wrote: "These were brave men in the water, packing the women and children over on their backs. They were in the water all day. We wanted to thank them, but they would not listen to my dear mother who felt in her heart to bless them for their kindness." Of the rescuers, Brother Kimball stayed so long in the water he had to be taken out and packed to camp and he was a long time before he recovered as he was chilled through and later in life he was always afflicted with rheumatism.
Wednesday - Saturday, November 5-8; Here is how these days were described by Elizabeth Horrocks: "After his crossing, we camped for several days in a deep gulch called Martin's Ravine. It was a fearful time and place. It was so cold that some of the company came near freezing to death. The sufferings of he people were fearful and nothing but the power of a merciful God kept them from perishing. The storms continued unabated for some days. When the snow at length ceased falling, it lay thick on the ground and so deep that for many days it was impossible to move the wagons through. My children and I, with hundreds of others, were locked up in those fearful weather-bound mountains.
Sunday, November 9; Devil's Gate -- A meeting was held to determine who would stay in the old fort through the winter and guard the wagon and handcart contents, which they had uploaded. Twenty men were selected and Dan Jones was appointed in charge. Captain Grant counseled that he "wished the men to be obedient to President Jones.
Sunday or Monday, November 9 or 10; Left the cove in wagons and walking.
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