[Apostle Willard Richards Journal] Locust Creek Encampment, Middle Fork. Morning lowery, with occasional showers of rain, wind southwest. During the night the water in the creek at our encampment had risen about 5 feet and still on the rise. At 10 a.m., the camp (males only) met at Captain Stout's tent at the sound of the horn where President Young suggested the propriety of sending as many wagons as the teams could conveniently draw through the mud, and [including] all the men that could be spared from camp and a part of the families to WeldonÂ's Fork of Grand River where they can get jobs of work and grain to feed our teams and recruit them while we are waiting for the travel to get better and grass to rise.
Commissary Sherwood, on Captain WrightÂ's report that grains and provisions can be had in abundance in exchange for labor in the Grand River settlement, said that he would recommend sending some of the contracting commissaries and Orson Pratt up Grand River selecting a location for a settlement, and while we are weather or water bound as we are now, we could clear and fence 100 acres and break it up and leave such families as are not prepared to proceed further at present. When they have raised a crop, let them leave it and pass on to the Missouri River where they can winter their stock without grain, then when a company comes on from Nauvoo they will have a resting place. They then can take feed from that point to do them through to the Missouri River, and so continue on for years to come until the land comes into market.
They also spoke of order in the camp and said as soon as the weather and roads got good, we would establish a rule in camp that when the horn sounds in the morning every person should be out of bed, and within 20 minutes from that time, the horn would sound again for them to go to prayers, but [the] situation will not admit of this at present. I would, however, recommend to the commandants of companies to select some steady, fatherly, old man in each ten who shall act as a teacher and see that prayers are held in the season thereof in all the tents. There was an idea suggested in council last evening by Captain A. P. R. [Young] and others that will bring every man to the mark, which is something in the shape of a daily report or return of the whole camp, showing the employment of every man daily through which the behavior and conduct of the whole camp can be known and recorded in its true character.
The President then walked to the creek where some men by his counsel were pinning down the puncheons on the bridge. At this juncture a sudden gale came from the southwest which hurried each man to his tent. The storm was short and terminated in rain. President Young, Taylor, Bent, Harris, Allred, Wilson, Richards, Benson, Rockwood, and others met in council at 14 minutes to 12 noon in the post office. President Young related to the historian (who was sick in bed) the suggestions of the meeting. The same propositions were deliberated upon by the council and the suggestions accepted by the united voice of the council. John D. Lee [Young] was also appointed the trading commissary for the first 50. President Young said that we would wait a day or 2 before we should send any teams on, peradventure the rest of their council would be here by Sunday, and then the business would be decided. Council adjourned sine die.
Brother John Binley, the contracting commissary for the guard, reported that a job of work could be had some 13 miles ahead on Big Medicine Creek, 1,000 rails at 50 cents per 100 and board, also about 100 bushels oats to be threshed for the 7th bushel and the straw. Mr. Valentine likewise proffered to pay $5 towards building a bridge over Medicine Creek and he thinks that the neighbors will also do something towards it. 1.50 bushels corn can be had at this point at 25 cents. At or about 8 o'clock evening, President Young came into the post office and chatted on various subjects and said that we would send a messenger in the morning to the pioneers on Medicine Creek, instructing them to close the contract with Mr. Valentine, as we very much needed the grain.
[source: Apostle Willard Richards Journal]
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