02/15/07

The first wagons crossed the Mississippi River.  Hannah Smith states "Brother Smith started with some of his family, taking me with him…  The wind was blowing and the ice running fearfully.  My Sister Sarah and others must remain in Nauvoo."  Sarah stayed to help Nancy & Zilpha (George A. Smith's wives) with their deliveries.  Hannah was 16 yrs old, Sarah was 26.

Bathsheba W. Smith (George A. Smith's first wife) wrote;  "On the 9th of February 1846, in company with many others, my husband took me and some thers of his family with what bedding, clothing and proisions we could take with us, leaving our accumulations to our enemies.  I shall not try to describe how e traveled through storms of snow, wind and rain; how roads had to be made, bridges built and rafts constructed, how our poor animals had to drag on day after day, with scanty feed, nor how our camps suffered from poverty, sickness and death.  We were consoled in the midst of these hardships by seeing the power of God manifested through the layingn of hands by the elders, causing the sick to be healed, and the lame to walk.  The Lord was with us and his power was manifest daily."

After crossing the Mississippi rive the storms were so bad and snow so deep they were unable to travel on.  Lucy says in her journal, "As a matter of course our fires had to be built so the wind would blow the sparks from our tent.  I cannot forget how cold I was standing inthe tent preparing food and washing dishes for our big family."  Hannah wrote, "We couldn't sleep warm.  In the morning the bed covers would be frozen stiff to the wagon covers and across our chins.  We could not get warm from morning to night or from night to morning.