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MORMON SETTLEMENT AT KANESVILLE OR COUNCIL BLUFFS
1916 "Early Days at Council Bluffs" by Charles H.
Babbitt
THE MORMONS. The beginning of the history of civil government at and in
the vicinity of the site of the present city of Council Bluffs, dates from the arrival
there of the Mormons "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" on
June 14, 1846. Whither they were going, that is to say, where would they fix their
permanent resting place, was at that time unknown even to their leaders. They were
fleeing from persecution which they had suffered for a period of years in various
portions of the United States, especially in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois; and they
had started upon a pilgrimage, seeking, like the Children of Israel of old, a New
Zion or "promised land." It was....with the hope that at least the advance
parties would reach the Pacific coast that season that the emigrants began crossing
the Mississippi River on February 5 and 6, 1846, and established their first camp
on Sugar Creek, opposite Nauvoo, and not far from Keokuk, in the Territory of Iowa,
where, on the 15th of that month, they were joined by Brigham Young and other leaders,
and organization of the caravans was begun. The start from Sugar Creek was made
on March 1, 1846, and at about the same time the ship "Brooklyn," with
a number of Saints and large quantities of supplies on board, sailed from New York,
via Cape Horn for San Francisco. On March 21, 1846, near the river Chariton, the
organization of the "Camps of Israel" was perfected. Near the end of April,
Garden Grove (so named by them) was reached and there was established a settlement.
Shortly afterward another settlement was founded at what they called Mount Pisgah;
and, on June 14, the head of the column reached the Missouri River at or near the
site of the present city of Council Bluffs, Iowa, where another settlement was begun.
These settlements were made for the purpose of affording rest for the moving trains,
for the planting of crops to be cultivated and used by following parties, and similar
ones were to be established and maintained along the route, as relay stations forming
a continuous line of connection from the beginning to the end of the journey; and
they were called "Stakes of Zion." Within a few days after arrival at
Council Bluffs, CAPTAIN JAMES ALLEN, with a few dragoons, visited the camp and laid
before the leaders a proposition, submitted by the Government through COLONEL STEPHEN
W. KEARNY, commandant of the military district with headquarters at Fort Leavenworth,
for the raining by the Mormon Church of a force of from 500 to 1,000 men for service
in the war with Mexico. There not being a sufficient number at Council Bluffs, BRIGHAN
YOUNG, HEBER C. KIMBALL, and WILLARD RICHARDS (of the high council), accompanied
by Captain Allen and three dragoons, visited the settlement at Mount Pisgah and
by sending messengers to Garden Grove, secured volunteers to the number of 520.
Within three days after the arrival of these men at Council Bluffs, they were equipped,
mustered into the United States service and ready to march to Fort Leavenworth for
which place they departed July 20, 1846. REVEREND HENRY DeLONG, who still resides
at Council Bluffs, was with the Mormons who early arrived at that place, being then
some 12 or 14 years of age, remembered that "My remembrance of the raising
of the Mormon Battalion is this: They had a regular city composed of wagons and
tents, some 4,000 inhabitants at what is now Dodge Orchard and J.G. Rice's place.
Brigham Young's tent was the most conspicuous of them all. A flag pole 60 or 80
feet high stood in front of it." In the meantime, the remaining Mormons were
making plans to move on. To the end that an early resumption of their journey the
following season should not be interfered with by late opening of the Missouri river,
it was deemed advisable that the main body should cross the stream and, if possible,
make settlement on its western (right) bank. Accordingly negotiations were begun
with the Omaha Indians who then occupied the lands on that side. Because of the
beauty of the site, its desirability on account of bountiful supplies of wood and
water, and because of the existence there of an abandoned trading post, with stockade,
in fairly good condition, "Winter Quarters" were established upon the
site later occupied by the town of Florence (now embraced within the limits of Omaha,
Nebraska), and Brigham Young and other leaders located headquarters there. Upwards
of 1000 houses were soon built, 700 of them in about 3 months, and a Tabernacle
of the Congregation." The Indians, although having agreed to this occupation,
began to complain to the Indian Agents; and so the Mormons removed back across the
river to Kanesville. In 1853/54, practically all of the improvements made by the
Mormons in Winter Quarters had been destroyed. A description of the movement into
Nebrask and crossing of the Missouri River is given as: "At Kanesville (later
Council Bluffs, Iowa), I was kindly permitted to joing the emigrating company, under
the presidency of Elders MILLER and COOLEY. The company being ready to move, we
drove down to Ferryville or Council Bluffs Ferry, 12 miles distant, and just opposite
Winter Quarters, at which point we crossed the Missouri into Indian Territory, now
Nebraska and Kansas. The ferry boats are flat bottomed and large enough to carry
two wagons of ordinary size. The total population of Winter Quarters, at the time
of the general removal thence in 1848, is not positively known; but judging from
the number of houses erected, it must have been in the neighborhood of from five
to six thousand. Probably more than half of the people went with the departing train
to Salt Lake City; and a majority of those remaining removed to Kanesville, while
others settled at various places within Pottawattamie country, notably at Charterville,
Macedonia, Springville, in Pottawattamie County, and Cutler's Camp, Coonville (now
Glenwood), and Bethlehem in what is now Mills County, the last mentioned place having
been swept away by the Missouri river long ago. As for the Mormon system of government,
on July 21, 1846, a High Council was organized at Council Point, near Council Bluffs,
to preside over the temporal and spiritual affairs of that camp and other settlements
organized since leaving Nauvoo. The following brethren were sustained as a High
Council: ISAAC MORLEY, GEO. W. HARRIS, JAMES ALLRED, THOS. GROVER, PHINEAS RICHARDS,
HEMAN HYDE, ANDREW H. PERKINS, WM. G. PERKINS, HENRY W. MILLER, DANIEL SPENCER,
JONATHAN H. HALE, and JOHN MURDOCK. On April 7, 1847, BRIGHAM YOUNG, at the head
of an exploring party consisting of 143 picked men, embrasing the eight of the Twelve
Apostles, set out from Winter Quarters in search of the Promised Lan. He returned
October 31st, having decided upon the Great Salt Lake Valley. In the spring of 1848,
the great body of Mormons then in Nebraska departed on the journey to the newly
established Zion, their train comprising 600 wagons. Upon the abandonment of Winter
Quarters, Kanesville (Council Bluffs) became the church official headquarters for
the Missouri river country. Pottawattamie County was officially created on February
24, 1847, established a postoffice at Miller's Hollow on January 17, 1848. The migration
of the Mormons continued throughout this area. The "Frontier Guardian"
newspaper in its issue of June 12, 1850, estimates the number of teams crossing
the river during the season, up to that date, at about 4,500, with probably 13,500
men and about 22,000 horses, mules, oxen and cows. Each train consisted of about
700 wagons. Mormon control in western Iowa, especially at Kanesville, ceased in
the spring of 1852, when Apostle ORSON HYDE departed, bag and baggage, with all
the Saints whom he could by any means induce to accompany him.
Extracted by Mona Sarratt Knight, Dec 2001.
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