History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

THE PARTY AT DEVIL'S GATE. 429
There remains yet one more incident in the story
of the hand-cart emigration. On arrival at Devil's
Gate on the Sweetwater, twenty men, belonging to
Martin's company, were left in charge of stock,
merchandise, and baggage, with orders to follow in
the spring. The snow fell deep, and many of the
cattle were devoured by the wolves, while others perished
from cold. The rest were slaughtered, and on
their frozen carcasses the men subsisted, their small
stock of flour and salt being now exhausted. Game
was scarce in the neighborhood, and with their utmost
care the supply of food could not hold out until spring.
Two of the men, with the only horses that remained,
were sent to Platte Bridge to obtain supplies; but the
animals were lost, and they returned empty-handed.
Presently the meat was all consumed; and then their
only resource was the hides, which were cut into small
pieces and soaked in hot water, after the hair had been
removed. When the last hides had been eaten, nothing
remained but their boot-tops and the scraps of leather
around their wagons, even the neck-piece of a buffalo
skin which had served as door-mat being used for
food. Thus they kept themselves alive until spring,
when they subsisted on thistle roots and wild garlic,
until at length relief came from Salt Lake City.
Even the worst enemies of Brigham Young admit
that he was in no sense to blame for this disaster, and
that he spared no effort to prevent it. When tidings
of the emigrants' condition arrived in Salt Lake City,
he at once suspended all other business, 64 and declared
that nothing more should be done until every available
team was sent to their relief. He himself set
grants were happy and content, until winter overtook them in the mountains,
singing as they journeyed, one of their songs commencing:
' We're going to Zion with our carts,
And the spirit of God within our hearts;'
the chorus of another, sung to the tune of ' A little more cider:'
Hurrah for the camp of Israel
Hurrah for the hand-cart scheme I
Hurrah ! Hurrah ! 'tis better far
Than wagon and ox-team.'
84 The October conference was then in session.
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