The Omahas were ready to solicit as a favor the residence of white protectors among them. The Mormons harvested and stored away for them their crops of maize; with all their own poverty they spared them food enough besides, from time to time, to save them from absolutely starving; and their entrenched camp to the north of the Omaha villages, served as a sort of a breakwater between them and the destroying rush of the Sioux.
But the Mormons were as careful in their settlement on the Indian lands as they had been in the Battalion case, to make their conduct irreproachable in the eyes of the General Government, and to do nothing, even in their direst necessities, that would not force the sanction of the nation. They were, therefore, particular in obtaining covenants from the Indians and forwarding them to the President of the United States. Here is the covenant of the Omahas: "West Side of the Missouri River, Near Council Bluffs, August 31, 1846.
"We, the undersigned chiefs and braves, representatives of the Omaha nation of Indians, do hereby grant to the Mormon people the privilege of tarrying upon our lands for two years or more, or as long as may suit their convenience for the purpose of making the necessary preparations to prosecute their journey west of the Rocky Mountains, provided that our great father, the President of the United States, shall not counsel us to the contrary.
And we also do grant unto them the privilege of using all the wood and timber they shall require.
And furthermore agree that we will not molest or take from them their cattle, horses, sheep, or any other property.
Big Elk, his x mark,
Standing Elk, his x mark,
Little Chief, his x mark."
On this matter Brigham Young wrote to the President in behalf of his people: Near Council Bluffs, Butler's Park, Omaha Nation, Sept. 7, 1846.
"Sir: Since our communication of the 9th ult. to Your Excellency, the Omaha Indians have returned from their Summer hunt, and we have had an interview in general council with their chiefs and braves, who expressed a willingness that we should tarry on their lands, and use what wood and timber would be necessary for our convenience, while we were preparing to prosecute our journey, as may be seen by a duplicate of theirs to us of the 21st of August, which will be presented by Col. Kane.
"In council they were much more specific than in their writings, and Big Elk, in behalf of his nation requested us to lend them teams to draw their corn at harvest, and help keep it after it was deposited, to assist them in building houses, making fields, doing some blacksmithing, etc., and to teach some of their young men to do the same, and also keep some goods, and trade with them while we tarried among them.
We responded to all their wishes in the same spirit of kindness manifested by them and told them we would do them all the good we could, with the same proviso they made—if the President is willing; and this is why we write.
Hitherto we have kept aloof from all intercourse except in councils, as referred to, and giving them a few beeves when hungry, but we have the means of doing them a favor by instructing them in agricultural and mechanical arts, if it is desirable.
It might subject us to some inconvenience in our impoverished situation, to procure goods for their accommodation, and yet, if we can do it, we might receive in return as many skins and furs as would prove a valuable temporary substitute for worn-out clothing and tents in our camp, which would be no small blessing.
"A small division of our camp is some two or three hundred miles west of this, on the rush bottoms, among the Puncaws, where similar feelings are manifested towards our people.
"Should Your Excellency consider the requests of the Indians for instruction, etc., reasonable, and signifying the same to us, we will give them all the information in mechanism and farming the nature of the case will admit, which will give us the opportunity of getting the assistance of their men to help ns herd and labor, which we have much needed since the organization of the Battalion.
"A license, giving us permission to trade with the Indians while we are tarrying on or passing through their lands, made out in the name of Newel K. Whitney, our agent in camp, would be a favor to our people and our red neighbors. All of which is submitted to Your Excellency's considerations and the confidence of Colonel Kane.
"Done in behalf of the council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, at the time and place before mentioned, and Camp of Israel.
'Most respectfully,
Brigham Young, President,
Willard Richards, Clerk."
"To James K. Polk, President U. S."
Out of an absolute destitution, and in spite of their expulsion, the Mormons had flourished and increased in the wilderness, so that at the end of the year 1846, Winter Quarters had grown into twenty-two wards, with a bishop over each.
As the spring opened, they began to prepare for their journey to the mountains, which at that day was almost appalling to the imagination. They had still over a thousand miles to the valley of the Salt Like, and so little was known of the country any more than its name implied—the Great American Desert— that the Mormons could not look forward to much of a land of promise to repay them for all the past. Yet sang their poet, Eliza R. Snow, who has ever on their great occasions fired them with her Hebraic inspiration:
"The time of winter now is o'er.
There's verdure on the plain;
We leave our shelt'ring roofs once more,
And to our tents again.
Chorus :—O Camp of Israel, onward move,
O, Jacob, rise and sing;
Ye Saints the world's salvation prove,
All hail to Zion's King!"
The pioneer song (as it was called) was, like their journey, quite lengthy.
But the pioneers sang it with a will. It told them of their past; told them in exultation, that they were leaving the "mobbing Gentile race, who thirsted for their blood, to rest in Jacob's hiding place," and it told of the future, in prophetic strains.
The word and will of the Lord concerning the Camp of Israel in its journeyings to the West, was published from head-quarters, on the 14th of January, 1847. As it is the first written revelation ever sent out to the Church by President Young, the following passages from it will be read with interest: "Let all the people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and those who journey with them, be organized into companies, with a covenant and promise to keep all the commandments and statutes of the Lord our God. Let the companies be organized with captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, with a president and councilor at their head, under the direction of the Twelve Apostles; and this shall be our covenant, that we will walk in all the ordinances of the Lord.
"Let each company provide itself with all the teams, wagons, provisions and all other necessaries for the journey that they can. When the companies are organized, let them go to with all their might, to prepare for those who are to tarry. Let each company, with their captains and presidents, decide how many can go next spring; then choose out a sufficient number of able-bodied and expert men to take teams, seed, and farming utensils to go as pioneers to prepare for putting in the spring crops. Let each company bear an equal proportion, according to the dividend of their property, in taking the poor, the widows, and the fatherless, and the families of those who have gone with the army, that the cries of the widow and the fatherless come not up into the ears of the Lord against his people.
"Let each company prepare houses, and fields for raising corn for those who are to remain behind this season; and this is the will of the Lord concerning this people."
"Let