Footnotes
Revelation, 8 July 1838–A [D&C 118:4]. Parley P. Pratt, who had been in England, returned to the United States in early July and did not return to England until October. (Pratt, Autobiography, 342–343.)
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
Woodruff, Journal, 18–19 Dec. 1839.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
With the help of Israel Barlow, Young departed Montrose, Iowa Territory, to join Kimball in Commerce on 14 September 1839. Of the first leg of his journey, Young recalled, “My health was so poor I was unable to go thirty rods to the river without assistance.” Young’s family arrived in Commerce on 17 September. Kimball later recounted their departure in more detail, recollecting that he and Young, although ill, arose in the wagon as they left and shouted a cheer to encourage their family members. (Historian’s Office, Brigham Young History Drafts, 26; Kimball, “History,” 111.)
Historian’s Office. Brigham Young History Drafts, 1856–1858. CHL. CR 100 475, box 1, fd. 5.
Kimball, Heber C. “History of Heber Chase Kimball by His Own Dictation,” ca. 1842–1856. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 2.
Likely Benjamin R. Bentley, who resided in Nauvoo at the time. (“Obituary,” Times and Seasons, 15 Feb. 1841, 2:325.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Deuel was a member of the church living twelve miles outside of Lima, Illinois. Apparently located near a proposed railroad track, Deuel’s home was described as a “Shantee on the raileroad.” (Kimball, “History,” 111–112; Turley, Reminiscences and Journal, 7.)
Kimball, Heber C. “History of Heber Chase Kimball by His Own Dictation,” ca. 1842–1856. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 2.
Turley, Theodore. Reminiscences and Journal, Sept. 1839–July 1840. Photocopy. CHL. MS 1950.
Kimball later identified this man as “Bro. Bidwell.” He was likely Robert W. Bidwell, who resided in Adams County, Illinois, where Lima is located. (Kimball, “History,” 112; Robert W. Bidwell, Affidavit, 8 Jan. 1840, Record Group 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, National Archives, Washington DC.)
Kimball, Heber C. “History of Heber Chase Kimball by His Own Dictation,” ca. 1842–1856. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 2.
Record Group 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives / Petitions and Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents Which Were Referred to the Committee on Judiciary during the 27th Congress. Committee on the Judiciary, Petitions and Memorials, 1813–1968. Record Group 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789–2015. National Archives, Washington DC. The LDS records cited herein are housed in National Archives boxes 40 and 41 of Library of Congress boxes 139–144 in HR27A-G10.1.
Laura and Abigail Pitkin were members of the church living in Quincy, Illinois. (Heber C. Kimball, Quincy, IL, to Vilate Murray Kimball, Sept. [1839], Heber C. Kimball, Collection, CHL; Thompson, Journal of Heber C. Kimball, 54–55.)
Kimball, Heber C. Collection, 1837–1898. CHL. MS 12476.
Thompson, Robert B. Journal of Heber C. Kimball an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Nauvoo, IL: Robinson and Smith, 1840.
On 14 January 1840, Young wrote to his wife, Mary Ann Angell Young, and assured her that he had “injoyed my self well sence I left home concidirn [considering] my helth has ben so poor.” (Brigham Young, Richmond, MA, to Mary Ann Angell Young, 14 and 16 Jan. 1840; 5 Feb. 1840, George W. Thatcher Blair, Collection, CHL.)
Blair, George W. Thatcher. Collection, 1837–1988. CHL.
Smith, Turley, and Hedlock departed Commerce on 21 September 1839 and followed a route very similar to Young and Kimball’s. They arrived in Quincy on 24 September 1839. Turley described his sickness as the “western Chill” fever, which caused one of his legs to swell so much that his leg “contracted” and he “could not put it to the Ground.” (Turley, Reminiscences and Journal, 5–8; George A. Smith, Journal, 21 Sept. 1839.)
Turley, Theodore. Reminiscences and Journal, Sept. 1839–July 1840. Photocopy. CHL. MS 1950.
Smith, George A. Autobiography, ca. 1860–1882. George Albert Smith, Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322, box 1, fd. 2.
In summer 1839, the Saints in Nauvoo and Montrose were ravaged by malaria. They generally attributed their susceptibility to the epidemic to their forced exodus from Missouri. (See, for example, John Taylor, Letter to the Editor, LDS Millennial Star, May 1841, 2:13.)
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
Rich was in Burton, Illinois, where his in-laws resided. (Historian’s Office, Brigham Young History Drafts, 27; Rich, Autobiography, 53–54.)
Historian’s Office. Brigham Young History Drafts, 1856–1858. CHL. CR 100 475, box 1, fd. 5.
Rich, Sarah DeArmon Pea. Autobiography and Journal, 1885–1890. Sarah DeArmon Pea Rich, Autobiography, 1884–1893. CHL.
On 8 March 1840, Phebe Carter Woodruff reported that a few days earlier Wight had expressed his intention of “going to N. & S. Carolina this summer to preach.” Wight may have undertaken this journey at the time he joined with Kimball and the others. (Phebe Carter Woodruff, Montrose, Iowa Territory, to Wilford Woodruff, Ledbury, England, 8 Mar. 1840, digital scan, Wilford Woodruff, Collection, CHL.)
Woodruff, Wilford. Collection, 1831–1905. CHL. MS 19509.