THE PIONEERS HAD JUST CROSSED THE PLATTE RIVER FOR THE LAST TIME ON OCT. 19, 1856, WHEN THE STORMS BEGAN . FOR THREE DAYS THE STORMS NEVER LET UP! THEY WERE RUNNING OUT OF FOOD AND FREEZING TO DEATH.
ON OCT. 28TH, THE ADVANCED PARTY OF MEN ON HORSEBACK FINALLY FOUND THEM BEYOND DEVIL'S GATE.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
WE HAD 6 MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILY IN THE MARTIN HANDCART COMPANY.
ONE OF THESE WAS A LITTLE 3 WEEK OLD BABY THAT WAS BORN TO FRANCIS AND ANN ELIZABETH WEBSTER. THEY NAMED HER AMY ELIZABETH.
FRANCIS GAVE A POWERFUL TESTIMONY YEARS LATER IN A SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS THAT WAS CRITICIZING THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH FOR LETTING THE HANDCART COMPANIES LEAVE SO LATE IN THE SEASON. HE STOOD UP AND ASKED THEM TO STOP THE CRITICISM, THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
FRANCIS SAID THAT HE WOULD BE SO TIRED AND EXHAUSTED THAT HE WOULD SEE A SAND HILL UP AHEAD AND THAT HE COULD ONLY GO TO THAT SPOT AND NO MORE. WHEN HE WOULD GET THERE THE CART WOULD START PUSHING HIM. HE WOULD TURN AROUND AND NO ONE WAS THERE. THAT IS WHEN HE KNEW THAT THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN WERE HELPING THEM.
THEN HE SAID THAT THE PRICE THEY PAID TO KNOW GOD WAS WORTH ALL THE SUFFERING THEY HAD ENDURED.
FRANCIS GAVE A POWERFUL TESTIMONY YEARS LATER IN A SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS THAT WAS CRITICIZING THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH FOR LETTING THE HANDCART COMPANIES LEAVE SO LATE IN THE SEASON. HE STOOD UP AND ASKED THEM TO STOP THE CRITICISM, THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
FRANCIS SAID THAT HE WOULD BE SO TIRED AND EXHAUSTED THAT HE WOULD SEE A SAND HILL UP AHEAD AND THAT HE COULD ONLY GO TO THAT SPOT AND NO MORE. WHEN HE WOULD GET THERE THE CART WOULD START PUSHING HIM. HE WOULD TURN AROUND AND NO ONE WAS THERE. THAT IS WHEN HE KNEW THAT THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN WERE HELPING THEM.
THEN HE SAID THAT THE PRICE THEY PAID TO KNOW GOD WAS WORTH ALL THE SUFFERING THEY HAD ENDURED.
LAST DAY OF OCT.,THE RESCUERS FINALLY MET UP WITH THE MARTIN HANDCART CO. AT GREASEWOOD CREEK....16 MILES FROM DEVIL'S GATE.
THE RESCUERS FROM SALT LAKE SAW THE DIRE NEED OF THE HANDCART IMMIGRANTS AND ENCOURAGED THEM TO GO FORWARD TO DEVIL'S GATE WHERE THERE WERE SOME SUPPLY WAGONS WITH FOOD AND CLOTHING WAITING FOR THEM. THESE THINGS WOULD KEEP THEM ALIVE.
THERE WERE 12 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND AND THE WAGONS WERE NOT ABLE TO GET TO THEM. ON NOV. 2, 1856, THE MARTIN HANDCART COMPANY FINALLY MADE IT TO DEVIL'S GATE. THE STORMS NEVER LET UP SO THEY DECIDED TO MOVE EVERYONE TO MARTIN'S COVE WHERE THERE WAS SOME RELIEF FROM THE SNOW AND WINDS. IT WAS ABOUT 2 1/2 MILES AWAY.
THE IMMIGRANTS STAYED IN MARTIN'S COVE FOR 6 DAYS. THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 11 DEGREES BELOW ZERO IN THE COVE. MANY DIED AND WERE BURIED AND THE SUFFERING WAS BEYOND COMPREHENSION.
THERE WERE 12 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND AND THE WAGONS WERE NOT ABLE TO GET TO THEM. ON NOV. 2, 1856, THE MARTIN HANDCART COMPANY FINALLY MADE IT TO DEVIL'S GATE. THE STORMS NEVER LET UP SO THEY DECIDED TO MOVE EVERYONE TO MARTIN'S COVE WHERE THERE WAS SOME RELIEF FROM THE SNOW AND WINDS. IT WAS ABOUT 2 1/2 MILES AWAY.
THE IMMIGRANTS STAYED IN MARTIN'S COVE FOR 6 DAYS. THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 11 DEGREES BELOW ZERO IN THE COVE. MANY DIED AND WERE BURIED AND THE SUFFERING WAS BEYOND COMPREHENSION.
ON NOV. 9, 1856 THE RESCUERS MOVED THE IMMIGRANTS OUT OF MARTIN'S COVE TOWARDS SALT LAKE
THE VERY SICK WERE ABLE TO RIDE IN WAGON'S BUT THE REST WALKED. ALL THE HANDCARTS WERE LEFT BEHIND. WAGONS AND SUPPLIES WERE MET ALONG THE WAY AND BY THE TIME THEY WERE AT ROCKY RIDGE, ALL OF THE MARTIN HANDCART IMMIGRANTS WERE RIDING IN WAGONS.
THEY MADE IT TO SALT LAKE ON NOV. 30, WHERE THE SAINTS IN SALT LAKE WERE READY TO TAKE CARE OF THEM UNTIL THEY WERE ON THEIR FEET AGAIN.
THEY MADE IT TO SALT LAKE ON NOV. 30, WHERE THE SAINTS IN SALT LAKE WERE READY TO TAKE CARE OF THEM UNTIL THEY WERE ON THEIR FEET AGAIN.
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