Written by Joseph Grafton Hovey
(1812 - 1868)

Submitted by Steven J. Hovey

Account of Suffering at Winter Quarters, Nebraska

     Tonight it rained and thundered quite hard. We have had quite a dry time thus far on our journey. The next morning was September 1, 1846, and we proceeded on our way. We came near the ferry on the Mississippi River. Brother Brigham and Lorenzo Young met us there. They crossed the river to meet us. I was pleased to see President Brigham Young after not seeing him for seven months. He looked very much like Brother Joseph, the Seer, so much so that at first sight, I thought he was the Prophet Joseph.

     President Brigham administered to my wife who was very sick. She felt some better. The next morning we started across the ferry. About 11 o’clock, I took a severe attack of ague and fever. I shook from head to foot. We tied our cattle to the side of the flat boat and swam them across the river. Brother Brigham asked if he should drive my team to camp and have my wife and Joseph and our little babe ride in his buggy wagon and let Brother Lorenzo drive them. We had about 14 miles to go to reach camp. We arrived at the camp of the Saints about sundown. I had a very hot fever and my wife Martha was so sick she could not sit up. My son Joseph was also very sick. Brother Young took us in his tent. Truly I felt to thank my Heavenly Father for his kindness and mercy in sparing our lives and also that I had the opportunity again of beholding my brethren and the grand spectacle of beholding the Camp of Israel on a prairie, far from her nativity. I feel very thankful to Brother Brigham for his kindness in taking my team and in meeting us. Truly I shall always remember it, for the prophet of the Lord to drive my team was an example of service to me. It reminded me of what Jesus said, “Whosoever shall be great among you let him be your minister; even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but minister.” I hope that I may always do likewise.

     The morning following was the Sabbath. It was very windy and somewhat cloudy. To look around upon the camp and see the tents in motion and hear the large herds of cattle lowing, it caused me to meditate upon the Camp of Israel in the days of Moses. Says I to myself, “Can it be possible that we have been driven from the land of our fathers who did lay down their lives for our liberty that we might worship God according to the dictates of our conscience?” But I feel to rejoice that we have a promise of a more sure inheritance, even when this earth shall be celestialized. That inspires my heart to endure all things.

     This morning we moved out about two miles from camp with Brother Young. We stopped here for about three days, and Father Kimball came and visited us and said we should come get with Brother Joseph Young, as Brother Young’s family was also sick. Accordingly, Brother James Smith drove me over the Father Kimball’s division. I spread my tent beside my wagon and got a bedstead and placed my wife on an ordinary bed once more. She was very weak, and we could hardly get her out of the wagon. With much difficulty we got her to bed. Father Kimball got us a girl to help take care of our baby which was not well.

     I nursed my wife as well as I could. Yea, I did stand by her bed and did minister herbs and mild foods and prayed over her. I was sick myself. I had a high fever and shook all over. My wife could not take any food, only a little water. For nine days she took but very little of anything. After considerable persuasion, I got her to take an ametick [emetic] of Lobelia and this helped her. She said the ice water tasted good. Mother Kimball and the other sisters came to see my wife, and she talked quite freely with them. I did not think she would die, but she told some who were there she could not live.

     This morning I ate a very hearty breakfast. About 10 o’clock I was taken with a severe attack, the hardest I had ever had. I vomited a great deal and lay prostrate upon the ground. I exercised all the faith I could and I could not raise up. I did not know what was going on around me, but I did hear them ask Martha what they should do with the little babe, and she said, “Let me have the dear little lamb, and you see to my dear husband, as he is almost dead.” This was the last time I heard Martha speak. I had such a fever I was out of my head for some time.

     About 10 o’clock in the evening Father Kimball came to the tent door and asked how we were. I told him I was better and I thought my wife was, for she was asleep. I went to sleep again. When I awoke later, although I was very ill, the first thing I did was to go to the bed of Martha to see how she was. She was partly uncovered and cold. I spoke to her but she could not speak. I persevered, but se was so stopped up in the throat she could not speak. She was unconscious and did not move. Her eyes were half shut, and she breathed very hard. Her pulse was low, and she was cold as death in her lower limbs. I concluded she was struck with death. I could not do much for her, as she could not swallow. I sent for Father Kimball. He came and laid hands on her. He asked her if she knew him, but she made no signs that she knew him. I presume the dampness of the night and the bed clothes being partly off, and not having anyone to watch and give her some warm drinks and keep her warm, she took her death of cold.

     Martha departed this life September 16, 1846, at about 11 o’clock. She was laid out in her robes to come forth in the morning of the resurrection. She was full of faith and good works. She delighted in the blessings of the Kingdom. It was her meat and drink to hear them spoken of. She often spoke of the Glory of God and what a blessing it would be to live and enjoy it. She did desire to live and gain more knowledge of God and his plans. She died without a struggle or groan. I stopped beside her bed until she drew her last breath and closed her eyes. She showed in her countenance that she was at rest. A number spoke of her pleasant countenance and peaceful corpse. If I am faithful, I anticipate meeting her and embracing her when she comes forth in the morning of the resurrection. I will behold her with a glorious body that cannot be diseased and afflicted, and all tears will be wiped away. My daily prayer is that I may hold out until the end and enjoy the glories of the Celestial Kingdom with her, and reign with my brethren throughout all eternity.

     My dear wife Martha was interred in as good a manner as the existing circumstances would permit. We had a good coffin, and she was carried to the burying grounds. The sexton recorded her name with the dead, and she was numbered in his book.

     I continued to be sick upon my bed. I was removed from my tent to Brother Davis’s. It was decided that we should move down on the bottoms near the river for winter quarters. Accordingly, September 24, I was moved with the rest about tree miles. I was very sick as well as my son Joseph and my little babe Martha Jane. My tent was spread near the other tents. My little babe I boarded out to Sister Dunlap. I paid one dollar per week and furnished the bed for the child. The little thing was very sick, and I did not expect her to live from one day to the next.

     I lived in a tent for about fourteen weeks, and then moved in with Brother Dunlap in his mud house. The weather was fine for this time of the season. One of the old settlers said for twelve years he had not seen such a moderate season. In the meantime, the brethren had put up a number of log and mud houses. They built about 100 such houses in six weeks. The timber was not very good, and they had to go quite a distance for it. Some went fourteen miles up the river and rafted down logs. They had exceedingly bad luck as the current was strong and the sand bars so frequent that it made it difficult.

     The location of Winter Quarters bordered on the Missouri River about fourteen miles below Council Bluffs on the opposite side of the river. Our President Young and councilors made a treaty with the government and the Omaha Indians to build and plant for three or four years.

     My health continued to be very bad for the fever and ague preyed upon me with violence. However, some days I was better and then I would take a backset or a violent cold all through my system. Joseph was about the same as myself. The babe was gaining some.

     The brethren built a Council House, and they called a meeting to dedicate it, Brother Brigham there and a number of the Twelve. They talked about having a dance for those who had built it or assisted. Brother Brigham said he was going to have the first dance and his brethren with him so they would set a pattern for the rest. They called for the band, and on they came forthwith. Brother Brigham organized a number of couples and set the band to playing a tune, after which we kneeled down and prayed to the God of Heaven. I can truly say that the prayer that was offered up and the music and the dance were controlled with the Spirit of God which caused me to shed a flow of tears for joy. I was the first meeting I had been to for some time. Truly I was led to say this was the way the ancient fathers praised the Lord in a dance. The floor had been made of green timber. I took a violent cold, and it laid me up for some time.