Day in the Life

Oct 4, 1838

Journal Entry

October 04, 1838 ~ Thursday

4th We spent most of the day in painting & preparing our waggons for the Journey at about 2
oclock in the afternoon I took the parting hand ^ A hand pointing to the right^ with Father & Mother Carter & their household
tears were shed but Mrs Woodruff manifested great fortitude in parting with her friends after
bidding them farewell and also parting with Sister Sarah Foss & many neighbours that were present I
made a commencement of leading this camp of the Saints on their long journey. This camp of the
Saints consisted of the following persons From South fox Island Brother Charles Brown & family
From North fox Island Priest Nathaniel Thomas & family, Brother Ephraim Luce & family Cyrus Sterrett

& family, Ebenezer Carver & family & a young man by the name of Alonzo Thurstin. From Camden
Daniel Whitley & family, from Scarborough Elder James Townsend & family, & Elder Willford Woodruff
& family this camp consisted of 8 families the whole numbering 53 persons we had 10 waggons & 19
horses & after being set in order we rode to Saco 4 miles to Kenebunk 9 miles & camped for the night by a saw
mill. as the camp is not fully organized their is some bustle among us. It was for a moment a trial to my feelings
to take my tender wife with an infant at her breast into a cold tent to sleep upon the ground but after we became
reconciled to it there was a door opened for her to go into a house to spend the night & as she had a young child she
excepted the invitation. I lay down upon the bed that I had spread in the tent & after lying two hours I got up
to stand on guard & I sat up the remainder of the night built up a fire & wrote thes lines by it Distance of the day 13 m[iles]

People

Browse people Wilford Woodruff mentioned on this day in his journal. Click on the person's name to view a short bio and other pages they are mentioned on or click on "View in Family Search" to view their FamilySearch profile.

4 mentions
Maine Mission
Brown, Charles
abt. 1805-1839
37 mentions
Family, Maine Mission
Starrett, Cyrus
21 Feb 1802 - 31 Dec 1879
31 mentions
Host, Maine Mission
Carver, Ebenezer Waterman
1 Dec 1804 - 8 Jan 1896
37 mentions
Maine Mission
Luce, Ephraim
30 Sep 1799 - 2 Mar 1880
35 mentions
Maine Mission
Carter, Ezra, b. 1773
18 Mar 1773 - 10 Mar 1868
288 mentions
Family
Townsend, James Foss
20 Feb 1808 - 2 Apr 1886
91 mentions
Thomas, Nathaniel
abt. 1803-1844
73 mentions
Maine Mission
Woodruff, Phebe Whittemore Carter
8 Mar 1807 - 10 Nov 1885
1580 mentions
Family
Foss, Sarah Brackett Carter
30 Sep 1800 - 4 Mar 1894
185 mentions
Family
Woodruff, Sarah Emma
14 Jul 1838 - 17 Jul 1840
164 mentions
Family
Carter, Sarah Fabyan
8 Apr 1775 - 24 Jul 1845
90 mentions
Family
11 mentions
Maine Mission

Places

Browse places mentioned in Wilford Woodruff's journal entry on this day. Click on the place names to view other pages where they are mentioned.

Camden, Lincoln County, Maine
Kennebunk, York County, Maine
North Fox Island, Waldo County, Maine
Saco, York County, Maine
Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine
South Fox Island, Waldo County, Maine

Related Documents

Browse other documents with this same date. These could include pages from Wilford Woodruff's autobiographies, daybooks, letters, histories, and personal papers. Click on the document titles to view the full document.

Daybook (3 October 1838 - 4 March 1839)

This camp of Saints were as follows Brother Charles Brown & family from South fox Island from North fox Island Priest Thomas & family Brothers Ephraim Luce & family Starrett & family Ebenezar Carver & family & a young man by the name of [blank] from Camden Daniel Whitley & family from Scarborough Elder James Townsend & family & Elder Willford Woodruff & family this camp consisted of 8 familyies the whole number- ing 53 persons We had 7 double waggons & 3 single ones & 19 horses. We rode to Saco 4 miles to Kennebunk 9 miles & camped for the night by a saw- mill as the camp is not fully organized as yet their is still some bustle among us it was for a moment a trial to my feelings to take my tender wife with an infant at her brest into a cold tent to sleep upon the ground but after we became reconciled to it their was a door open for her to go into a house to spend the night & as she

Daybook (3 October 1838 - 4 March 1839)

Expenses $2.75 cts had a young child she excepted the invitation & I lay down upon a bed that I had spread in the tent & after lying two hours I got up to stand on guard & I sat up the remainder of the night built up a fire & wrote these lines by it the distance of the day 13 miles

Autobiography Volume 1 circa 1842-1865

On the next at 2 p.m. our anxiety was releived for the camp came in sight and I immediately accompanied them to Sister Foss' house where a busy scene ensued.

Autobiography Volume 1 circa 1842-1865

We spent most of the ^next^ in painting and preparing our waggons for the journey. At about 2 o'clock p.m. we bid our friends and relatives farewell. Many tears were shed; but Mrs Woodruff manifested great fortitude in parting from her father mother family and friends After our farewell to these and many of the neighbours who were present I made a commencement to lead this camp of Saints on their long journey. Our company consisted of the following persons: From South Fox Island brother Charles Brown and family; from North Fox Island Nathaniel Thomas and family; brother Ephraim Luce and family, Cyrus Sterrett and family, Ebenezer Carver and family and a young man by the name of Alonzo Thurstin; from Camden Daniel Whitley and family; from Scarborough Elder James Townsend and family and I with my wife and child. The whole numbered 53 persons. We had with us ten waggons and nineteen horses. After being set in order we travelled 13 miles to Kenebunk and camped for the night by a saw mill and as we were not fully organized there was some bustle amongst us at first. It was for a moment a trial to my feelings to take my wife with an infant at her breast into a cold tent to sleep upon the ground; but after we had become reconciled to it there was an invitation given her to spend the night at a house which was accepted. I laid down upon the bed I spread in the tent and after two hours I got up to stand on guard. I sat up the remainder of the night built a fire and by its light wrote in my journal.

Autobiography 1857 Draft 1

proof. And in the after noon of the ^with^ my wife bid her Father Mother & friends fare well ^and with her child two month and a half old in the first stage of the hooping cough^ and we 54 started upon our journey. The company consisted of 53 persons including Brother Townsend & family and myself and family we had 10 waggons a pair of horses to each waggon, we had now ^before us at this late period^ commenced this gloo ^Before us^ to start upon a gloomy land journey of two thousand miles from Maine to Missouri we continued to travel from day to day to day through all the rain, mud, cold, frost, and

Autobiography 1865 Millennial Star

——We started upon our journey. My child was in the first stages of the whooping-cough. Our company con- sisted of fifty-three persons; we had ten wagons, with a pair of horses to each. We had before us, at this late period, a gloomy land journey of two thousand miles, from Maine to Mis- souri. We continued to travel through rain, mud, cold, frost and snow, until we arrived in Rochester, Sangamon

Events

View selected events in the two months surrounding this date in Wilford Woodruff's life. Click on the dates to jump to that day in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

August 9, 1838
Wilford receives news of his calling as an apostle; and call to go on mission to England with apostles.

Oct 4, 1838