off on another scout—again on bear river—dream of seeing troops—dream fulfilled—send word back of discovery—five hundred cavalrymen—heavy storm—my only remaining companion taken ill—he is healed and i am stricken down—camp in the snow—my companion, expecting me to die, prepares to take my body home—he returns, prays for me, and i am healed—stricken down again—i direct him to leave me and return home—he obeys reluctantly—i expect to die—peculiar experiences—four young men, sent by my comrade, come to my relief—journey on—lighting fire in a storm—the young men pray for me, and i am relieved—traveling homeward—kind treatment—reach ogden—act as sexton—guard over spies—utah militia recalled—missionary labors in weber county.
the first night in camp at ogden, general west and his adjutant, d. gamble, called at my tent, and told me i was wanted to take charge of a scouting party to go over in the bear lake country, and start by sunrise next morning. they directed me to choose the men i would like to have accompany me, and they should be released to go home and prepare. i made a list of five young, active men, who met me next morning at sunrise, having received their orders. we proceeded to the emigrant road across the bear river, about fifteen miles above the lake. there we met with some emigrants, but could not learn anything from them, so we crossed back to the foot hills, and there camped in a secluded place, where we could overlook the emigrant road. next morning at 4 o'clock i awoke from a dream, in which i had seen two hundred and fifty cavalrymen come and pitch camp just across the river from where we were; then i saw two hundred and fifty more come and reinforce the first detachment; i also saw their baggage and artillery wagons. i was impressed so forcibly with the dream that i called my comrades and told them to prepare for a move, while i went up one of the high points and watched developments. at daybreak i saw the camp of the first two hundred and fifty men, saw them form in line for roll call, and a mounted guard drive their horses across the river towards our camp.
the main object of our scout was to learn if the army or any portion of it was coming down bear river and into salt lake valley from the north, and if we saw any troops on that route to communicate the information to headquarters at the earliest moment possible, so that our forces could meet them at the best places on the route, and repulse them. that that end might be served i sent two of my men with a dispatch to general west, and as soon as the messengers had gone out of call i again went on the hill. everything was ready to move as developments might indicate, and just as the first party was saddling its horses i saw the second two hundred and fifty come up and join the first party. then the five hundred cavalrymen proceeded down the river, just as i had seen them in my dream. this necessitated a second dispatch and two more of my men, leaving me only one, with whom i followed up the troops till they camped. it rained and snowed alternately all that day and night. my comrade, james davis, and i went after dark within the lines of the troops, but did not learn of their intentions. davis was taken with something like a congestive chill, and we were forced to retreat into the hills, where we camped for the night. davis was so bad that i worked in the storm all night with him and prayed for him; at last he was healed and we set out on our way home at daylight.
about 8 a.m. the writer came down sick, just the same as my friend had been, only i also suffered with pleurisy in the right side. i could ride no further, so we camped in the snow, where it was about eight inches deep. snow was still falling as it can only in the mountain country. our clothes were wet as could be, and our blankets were in the same condition. the only food we had was the crumbs and dust from some crackers.
davis succeeded in making a fire, but by that time i had cramped so that i could not speak. davis, supposing i was dying, started out to a quakingasp grove to get some poles to make an indian litter or drag, on which he thought to take my body home. as he went he felt he ought to have faith and pray for his comrade, as he had been prayed for the night before; so he fell on his knees and prayed, as he afterwards said, as he never had done before. then something said to him, "go back and put your hands on him and pray again, and he will be healed;" and it was even so.
we then traveled some fifteen miles, when the sun shone. we partly dried our blankets by a fire and the sun, and continued our journey for some ten miles, when i had a second attack of illness, which was so severe that i thought i had better die alone in the mountains than to allow the enemy to gain the advantage in the country. consequently, i told davis to make my horse fast by the trail and spread my blankets, that i might lie down. this done, i directed him not to spare horseflesh, but take the news to our friends as soon as it was possible. davis did not want to leave me in that plight, but was urged to go. he started reluctantly, and in tears.
for a time it seemed that i had rendered my last services to family and friends, as i lay down by an indian trail, sixty miles from any white man's habitation. while i was pondering the situation, a magpie came flying down over me, and said "quack," then alighted on a willow near by, in plain sight. next came a raven, which gave its "croak," as it settled down near me, and it seemed as though it had found prey. being aware of the habits of these carrion birds, i wrapped my head in blankets, to prevent the birds from picking out my eyes, if the worst came to me; yet i knew that my body could not be protected from the wild beasts that roamed in the mountains, such as the bear, wolf, wolverine, panther or mountain lion, wild cat and lynx, some of which, if not all these various kinds, would be tugging at my carcass inside of twenty-four hours.
then the birds circled over me, as if to say, "we want an eye," or some fragment of my body, i felt that my time was nigh, and unless the providence of god interposed, i would go the way of all the earth before the rising of the sun. i was chilled to the very bone, and cramped so that it was impossible for me to build a fire. it did not seem possible for me to survive until my companion could ride sixty miles and send relief.
while i pondered the situation, four young men who had been sent with fresh horses and food supplies came up, they having met davis, who sent them on with all speed. i think the eldest of them was not over seventeen years old. they soon built a fire and prepared much needed refreshments, and i was greatly benefited by that special providence of god, as it certainly seemed to me to be. while i partook of the food, the young men saddled my horse, rolled up my blankets, and we rode eight or ten miles that night, and camped while the rain came down in torrents. the boys soon provided me with shelter by sticking willows in the ground and winding the tops together and spreading blankets over, so that it afforded a little protection for me, and i was soon wrapped in wet blankets.
the next thing was to start a fire. every match had got wet, and the boys thought it impossible to make a fire, so they asked me what they should do. i told them to get some cotton out of a quilt if they could find a dry spot in it, then put a small priming of powder in a rifle and ram down the cotton on the powder; in the next place, go to the heaviest topped sagebrush they could find, and carefully reach under and strip the dry bark off the main stalk of sagebrush, and in that way get a tinder, then come to my shelter and hold the bark loosely over the muzzle of the gun and fire it off. they got a light, but they had too much powder and it blew the fire out. they tried repeatedly without satisfactory results, and the case was becoming desperate, as darkness was coming on. two of them got under cover with me, and i finally succeeded in measuring the powder to them. then they started a flame, and as wood was plenty they made a rousing fire.
in the meantime i took to cramping and suffered so severely that one of the boys remarked. "brother brown will die. o what shall we do?" another said, "let us pray." then one led in prayer, and he prayed mightily. as soon as he was through, one said, "let us go in and lay hands on him," and in a moment they all gathered around me, placed their hands on my head, and prayed from their hearts. the cramping ceased and never returned as severe as it was before; yet i suffered greatly from the pain in my side. the writer regrets very much that he cannot recall the names of those young lads. i believe they were all sent from willard city, box elder county. god bless them, whoever they are. their action showed them to be young heroes, with great faith in god; and but for them i would have died that fearful night.
next morning, the party was up, and off we went down blacksmith's fork canyon and across to wellsville, where i was taken in by bishop peter maughan and his good wife, who did all they could to relieve my sufferings. the bishop also saw that the boys were well taken care of.
the following morning samuel obray drove up with a light, covered wagon, and a good team, and i was helped into the wagon. sister maughan had provided a large canteen full of composition tea. she came to the wagon, and without thinking of anything else, she placed it partly under the side where i had the pleurisy pain. then the team started for brigham city, and before we had gone five miles the pain had disappeared from my side, thanks to the bishop and sister maughan for their special kindness, and s. obray. the latter delivered me into the hands of colonel smith in brigham city, where i was cared for until next day, and then the colonel forwarded me to my home in ogden city, where i recovered after suffering from a severe cold and cough for a few days.
during my absence the regiment had gone to echo canyon, and there was scarcely an able-bodied man to be found in the city. the women and children were cutting and hauling wood, and doing all the outdoor work as best they could. a great deal of sickness was brought on by exposure and hardships. at a sabbath meeting a general vote of thanks was given the writer for his efforts for the general good of the people and his self-sacrifice.
about this time there was a very worthy young man named yough, who died, and i was called on to take the part of sexton and bury the deceased, as well as some small children that had died. meanwhile, there were four prisoners brought in from the north; they were supposed to be spies. i was called on to be one of the guards to take them to salt lake city, where they were turned over to the military authorities. then i returned home, to learn that the troops my scouts and i had seen on bear river were general r. t. burton's battalion of utah cavalry, which had been sent out to intercept a detachment of johnston's army which had been discovered in that direction, but had returned to the main body, which went into winter quarters at fort bridger. then the utah militia was withdrawn from echo canyon.
i was next called to take up my missionary labors in weber county. from 1856 to 1859 i baptized and rebaptized four hundred persons, and visited with the catechism from house to house. in that work i spent the winter of 1857-8.
