Autobiography 1857 Draft 2
while travelling in the night with several
bro. Benj. L. Clapp and others, a tremendous storm of wind
and rain overtook us; we came to a creek which had swollen to
such an extent by the rain that we could not cross without
swimming our horses; and several of the company were faemialies, and
could not consistently cross the stream / we undertook to head the
stream sufficient to ford it, but in the attempt in the midst
of the darkness, and the raging of the wind and rain, we became ^were^
lost in the thick woods,we had neither fire, light nor road, but
were in the dark, mud, ^amidst the^ rain, wind, mud, creeks and ^fallen^ tree tops,
we crossed streams near twenty times, and setting aside our females
and horses we made more the appearance of fishermen than
travellers. I was reminded of Pauls perils by water; but the
Lord was merciful unto us in the midst of our troubles, for
while we were groping in the dark, running the risk of killing
both ourselves and animals by riding off steep ^precipitous^ bluffs, a bright light
suddenly shone round about us, and revealed unto us our perilous
situation, as we were upon the edge of a deep gulf; the light
continued with us until we found a house and learned the
right road, then the light disappeared, yet ^&^ we were enabled
to reach the house of bro. Henry Thomas at 9 o'clock in the
evening, without all safe, having rode 20 miles, being 5 hours in
the storm, and forded streams twenty or more times, and we felt
to thank the Lord for our preservation.
During the winter and spring, I continued to labor mostly
alone, through Kentucky and Tennessee, and extended my labors
opening new places, preaching daily, baptizing, confirming and organ-
