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Mother and Babe Sleep Side by Side

This story is especially for all of you mothers and fathers out there, that we might appreciate the blessings of the Almighty that have been ours. Lest we forget…

The following comes from the account of John Bond, who traveled with the Martin Company. The date is November 1, 1856, at Independence Rock, Wyoming. By that date, a few rescue teams had reached the Martin and Hodgettt companies, but they were not enough to offset forced marches in the face of the relentless storms of winter. Young Bond wrote:

“Mother and Babe Sleep Side by Side

“All journey on until noon when the wagon and hand-cart trains camp where there was good sagebrush to make fires with, and good feed for the cattle to eat as the wind had blown the snow off the ridges uncovering grass and such was very helpful to the cattle. My mother, being a midwife on the way, was very good to the sick at all times. As she had provided well for medicine to travel westward, so as to meet every emergency. 

“When dinner was over the Train moves on towards Independence Rock, but progress was slow as the snow was ten inches deep. As the trains were on the tributaries of the Sweet Water, Brother Rollow came for my mother to attend his wife, as she lay sick on his cart. When mother went through the snow with raw hide shoes to do what she could for the sister, and on arriving at the cart two miles away in ten inches of snow, his wife had just been confined on the cart and that the baby was not able to live. 

“She did all in her power to help the sister, but she was in such a weak condition that it was impossible to do anything for her. It was so cold and only a cart for a home and mother gave the husband to understand that mother would secumb [succumb] to the inevitable. The mother and babe would sleep side by side in the grave at Independence Rock, and they were both buried in one grave amidst her husband’s sorrowful mourning, the wind blowing a perfect gail [gale].”

Once again, it is well to be reminded that we are the descendants of faithful pioneers who sacrificed all to answer the call and gather to Zion. As we so often sing: Carry On! I hope we do.

Source:

Diary account of John Bond, from compilation by Jolene Allphin titled, “Rescue Timeline” in the possession of the Jolene Allphin and Glenn Rawson.