[William Clayton Journal] Arose soon after 5 o'clock, my face very painful again caused by the cold. There has been no trouble from the Indians and all is peace and safe. The cannon was prepared for action, and stood all night just outside the wagons. There was considerable joking this morning on account of two of the picket guard having their guns stole and Colonel [Stephen] Markham having his hat stole. The owners were found asleep while on guard and those who found them so, took their guns to be a warning to them, but it is difficult for men to keep awake night after night, after traveling 20 miles in the day taking care of teams, cooking &c . . .
At 12 1/4 we arrived on the East bank of "Be[a]ver river" having travelled about 10 miles. This stream is from 20 to 25 feet wide swift current, clear water and pleasanted tasted, the banks tolerably well lined with timber. Here we stopped to feed. Some of the brethren went to fix the fording place a little, the banks are steep on each side and the water a little over two feet deep. At 2 P.M. started again the ox teams first. When [passing] the river a number of the brethren stood on the west bank with a long rope which was hooked to the wagon tongue and they assisted the teams up the bank. The wagon I rode in crossed at 20 minutes after 2 and in a little while all were safely over. We proceeded on till half past 5 when we arrived at the Pawnee Missionary station which is about 7 miles from "Beaver River" . . .
The government station is a quarter of a mile below, or south where Father [James] Case lived as government farmer and received $300. a year for it, but when Major [Thomas] Harvey learned at the last pay day, which was last November that Father Case had joined the Mormons he very politely dismissed him from government service. The Sioux came down sometime ago and burned up the government station houses, blacksmith shop and every thing, but the missionary station they did not touch. This place according to my account is 134 miles from winter quarters, and a lovely place to live. Before dark the President called the camp together and told them they might use the fodder and hay for their teams but forbade any man carrying anything away, even to the value of one cent. He said he had no fears of the Pawnees troubling us here but we had better be prepared lest the Sioux should come down and try to steal horses. A guard was selected and a picket guard to watch the ravine to the north . . .
The variation of the compass is about 12 degrees at this place. The latitude []. I again introduced the subject of fixing machinery to a wagon wheel to tell the distance we travel, describing the machinery and the time it would take to make &c. Several caught the idea and feel confident of its success . . .
[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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