[William Clayton Journal] This morning the weather is severely cold, with a strong wind from the North and North West. We started out at 9 o'clock and traveled till near 12 the distance being about 7 miles. We camped close by a cotton wood grove, and the brethren fell hundreds of them to feed their teams and save corn. There is a small lake close by but the water is not good and the brethren go to the river about a half a mile. At 5 P.M. the Camps were called together and organized in military order as follows:
Brigham Young, Lieutenant General
Stephen Markham, Colonel
John Pack and Shadrack Roundy, Majors.
The Captains of 10's to be captains of 10's in this order, except John Pack, who being appointed Major, Appleton M. Harmon was appointed captain in his stead.
Thomas Bullock, clerk of the camp. Thomas Tanner captain of the cannon with the privilege of choosing 8 men to manage it in case of necessity. The President then said after we start from here, every man must keep his loaded gun in his hand, or in wagon where he can put his hand on it at a moments warning. If they are cap locks, take off the cap and put on a little leather to keep wet &c. out. If flint locks, take out the priming and fill the pan with tw[ine] or cotton &c.
The wagons must keep together when travelling, and not separate as they have previously done, and every man to walk beside his own wagon, and not leave it only by permission. A while before evening one of the traders wagons came from the Pawnee village, loaded with furs and peltry, and camped about 1/4 of a mile below us. At night [Ellis] Eames and [Hans C.] Hanson played some on their violins. All peace and quietness. At night I slept with [Howard] Egan in Heber's wagon, Heber being gone to sleep with President Young.
[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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