Description

Lesson on the Blacks Fork

Mary Branagan came from Ireland—from a lovely home on the River Liffy, and from a loving family of 15. Against all odds and opposition, Mary joined the Church and came to America. She was part of the Daniel D. McArthur handcart company of early 1857. She had many struggles coming across the plains as a single girl of only 21 years.

She tells of an incident that occurred just before the company reached Fort Bridger, Wyoming. As they had started out that morning, Captain McArthur promised them that they would not cross any streams that day—that they would not cross the river that night.

That night as they came to the River, Mary was tired and weary, and suddenly came the Captain’s voice “All prepare to cross the next river.” Mary stood there on the bank hesitating. Just then Captain McArthur came along and asked “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Mary replied, “I won’t wade that river tonight!”

Captain McArthur said, “What are you going to do?”

Mary said, “I dropped the handle of my cart and said, ‘Camp here, of course.’”

Captain McArthur said nothing but picked up Mary’s handcart, told her to sit tight, and pulled her cart across the river. He then picked up a covered handcart and went back across the river told Mary “to crawl in at the back.” She did and he pulled her across the river. Once they were across the river, Captain McArthur upended the handcart and dumped her out. She said he “walked on without saying one word.”

Mary was embarrassed. She knew that if others in camp learned what had happened they would think the Captain was favoring her, so she said nothing. However, some had seen it and one said to her, “If you were not a girl you have to wade tonight as well as I did.”

Mary knew that was true and it bothered her. She went to Captain McArthur sometime later and asked him about it. This is the account.

He asked me if I knew the reason he cross the river that night. I said I did not, only I remembered I didn’t want to wade that cold, deep stream. Do you remember the big rain and snow storm we had, and had to remain in camp all next day and make up great fires to keep the people from freezing? I meant women as well as men when I said people; and if we had not crossed that night we could not have got any wood, for there was a large grove of trees on the other side and not a stick of wood on the side we left.

Mary concluded with this powerful statement, “So that was another lesson to me to obey those that are placed to lead us.”

Source:

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWJX-X2X