History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

CHAPTER VIII.
EXPULSION FROM NAUVOO,
1845-1846.
A Bust 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 families
preparing to vacate their homes. Hundreds were
making tents and wagon covers out of cloth bought
companies were
with anything they happened to have ;
organized and numbered, each of which had its own
wagon-shop, wheelwrights, carpenters, and cabinetmakers,
who were all busily employed. 1 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 different
parts of the country, and blacksmiths were at work
night and day. 2
Some three years previous, the prophet Joseph had
ordered that there should not be another general con-
1 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, 1 rille and ammunition, a tent and tent-poles, from 10 to 20 lbs
seed to a family, from 25 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. Hist. B. Young, MS. , 125.
2 In December the drying-house of emigrating company no. 18 was burned
to the ground, consuming §300 worth of wagon timber. Id., MS., Dec. 1S45.
(2U)