[William Clayton Journal] Sent [Alvah] Keller and [] Corbite to the mills to try to get 2 cows and some flour and meal. Weighing and packing. About 9 was sent for to council. I waited about 2 hours before anything was done. The vote for Ezra T. Benson to stay as counselor for Father [Samuel] Bent was rescinded and it was voted to take Aaron Johnson in his place. A letter of authority was written for Father Bent by Dr. [Willard] Richards but he made me copy it, and afterwards when the President spoke to him to write to O. P. Rockwell he favored me to do that although I left 3 men waiting to weigh my loading and load my wagon. The fact is I can scarcely ever go to council but Dr. Richards wants me to do his writing although I have more writing to do as clerk of the camp than I can possibly do. Moreover I have to unpack the chests and wait on all of them with the public goods in my charge which keeps me busy all the time. President Young, Heber [Kimball], Dr. Richards and Bishop [Newel K.] Whitney have all made out to get lumber sawed to make their wagons comfortable but I can't get enough to make a hind board for one of my wagons, which has none. They are tolerably well prepared with wagons and teams but I am here with about 5 tons of stuff and only 6 wagons and 5 yoke of Oxen to take it. I have dealt out near all of my provisions and have to get more before I can go on. It looks as if I had to be a slave and take slaves fare all the journey for it has worked that way so far. After council I was weighing and loading &c until night. We had some rain at night.
[source: George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://amzn.to/william-clayton]
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