Wilford Woodruff Papers Wilford Woodruff Papers
About About Wilford Woodruff Volunteer Meet the Team Partners Impact Editorial Method
2023 Conference Articles Photos Podcasts Updates Videos Newsroom

Day in the Life

Dec 19, 1838

Journal Entry

December 19, 1838 ~ Wednesday

19 What strange things happen at times we travled 2 miles to Rochester Sangamon County Illinois here we unexpect
edly found Mr Ebenezar Carver & family they left us at Utica N Y & took the canal & lake they had stoped
here in Rochester to spend the winter. We called in to visit them a few moments not expecting to tarry but
an hour as it were but after calling in we concluded to spend the night & during the evening I had an interview
with Elder Arnold Stephens I was informed that we could not cross the Illinois River in consequence of the
Ice. I also learned that the Saints in Zion far west were suffering the severest persecutions & privations
& we could not travel through that country & with all these combination of circumstances we concluded
to stop for a season whare we were as doors were open unto us in the regions of Rochester & that to among the Sain-
ts that had taken up there abode in the place for a season. A hand pointing to the right I wrote a letter to Sister Eunice 2 miles

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.

Stephens, Arnold
unknown-1847
11 mentions
Carver, Ebenezer Waterman
1 Dec 1804 - 8 Jan 1896
37 mentions
Maine Mission
Webster, Eunice Hart Woodruff
19 Jun 1821 - 14 Jun 1853
271 mentions
Family

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.

Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri
Illinois River, Illinois
Rochester, Sangamon County, Illinois
Utica, Oneida County, New York

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.

Autobiography 1882 Leaves from My Journal

cember, and arrived at Rochester on the , and, getting information of the severe persecutions of the Saints in Mis- souri and the unsettled state of the Church at that time, we concluded to stop at Rochester and spend the winter. Thus ended my journey of two months and sixteen days, leading the Fox Island Saints to the west, through all the perils of a journey of nearly two thousand miles, in the midst of sickness and great severity of weather. I took my family in the spring and removed to Quincy, Illinois, where I could mingle with my brethren, and I felt to praise God for His protecting care over me and my family in all our afflictions. CHAPTER XVIII. A PECULIAR REVELATION—DETERMINATION OF ENEMIES TO PREVENT ITS FULFILLMENT—START TO FAR WEST TO FUL- FILL THE REVELATION—OUR ARRIVAL THERE—HOLD A COUNCIL—FULFILL THE REVELATION—CORNER STONE OF THE TEMPLE LAID—ORDAINED TO THE APOSTLESHIP— LEAVE FAR WEST—MEET THE PROPHET JOSEPH—A CON- FERENCE HELD—SETTLE OUR FAMILIES IN NAUVOO. JOSEPH SMITH, the Prophet, asked the Lord what His will was concerning the Twelve, and the Lord answered in

Autobiography 1865 Millennial Star

county, Illinois, , where I stopped and settled my family and company for the winter, being unable to proceed further. My wife had passed through a severe course of the brain fever while upon the journey; her sufferings had been very great. Her spirit had left her body twice to all human appearance, and only been called back through the prayer of faith and the power of God. Our child had also been very sick, and I had become so thoroughly chilled through my whole system, in crossing the bleak prairies, that it was two months after I stopped, before I got sufficiently warmed to feel natural. Brother Thomas buried one child, and nearly all the company had been sick through exposure; some of them had stopped by the way. I spent the winter laboring with my hands for the support of my family.

Daybook (3 October 1838 - 4 March 1839)

19th What strange things happen at times We travlled 2 miles to Rochester, Sangamon County Illinois here we unexpectedly found Mr Ebenezar Carver & family they left us at Utica N. Y. they took the Canal & also the Lake they had stoped for the winter

Daybook (3 October 1838 - 4 March 1839)

we called in to visit them awhile not expecting to tarry but for a hour as it were but after cilling [calling] in we concluded to tarry the night & During the evening I had an interview with Elder Arnold Stephens here I was informed that we co- uld not cross the Illinois & Missi sippi rivers in consequence of the Ice & more esspecially beca use of our religion that they stoped all of the Saints unless they would take the oath that they were not Mormons. I also learned that the Saints in Zion far west were suffering the severest persecutions & privating & that we could not travel through the country & with all these com- binations of circumstances towe stop concluded to stop for a season

Daybook (3 October 1838 - 4 March 1839)

whare we were as Doors were opening unto us in the regions of Rochester & that to among some of the Saints that had taken up their abode among for a while [FIGURE] wrote a letter to ^Sister Eunice^ 2 mi[les]

Autobiography 1883 Tullidge's Quarterly Magazine

arrived at Rochester on the , and, getting information of the severe perse- cutions of the Saints in Missouri, and the unsettled state of the Church at that time, we concluded to stop at Rochester and spend the winter. Thus ended my journey of two months and sixteen days, leading the Fox Island Saints to the west, through all the perils of a journey of nearly two thousand miles, in the midst of sickness and great severity of weather. I took my family in the spring and removed to Quincy, Illinois, where I could mingle with my brethren, and I felt to praise God for His protecting care over me and my family in all our afflictions. TO BE CONTINUED.

Autobiography 1857 Draft 1

snow, untill I arived in Rochester, Sangamont Co Illinos, on the where I stoped and setled my family and company for the winter. My wife had passed through a severe course of the brain fever and her s while upon the journey and her sufferings had been very great her spirit had left her body twice to all human appearance and ownly been called back through the prayer of faith and the power of God. Our child had also been very sick and I had become so thoroughly chilled through my whole system ^in crossing the bleak prairies^ ^*Brother Thomas had buried one child and^ that it was two months after I stoped before I got sufficiently thawed nearly all the company had been sick through their exposures some of them had stoped by the way out and warmed up to feel natural. ** We continued travelling untill we were obliged to side we had wallowed through much mud and snow had broaken several axeltrees, and stop in consequence of the bad roads and cold weather, I spent the remainder of ^we suffered much upon the journey yet &^

Letter to Eunice Hart Woodruff Webster, 19 December 1838

Rochester Sangamon County Illinois [FIGURE] Eunice [FIGURE] Woodruff My Dear Sister Although I am in the midst of a croud & but a few moments allotted me to write yet I feel it my Duty to appropriate these few moments in communicating a few words to you & my Dear parents. I thought it proper to direct this sheet to you in consequence of the writing on the 3rd page which is the production of Brother Asahels pen which I found among his papers which appears to be an address to you. Whether it is a copy of writings already in your possession or not I am unable to say. But as I feel anxious to put in your possession all writings that you have sent him or that he has directed to you is the cause of my writing upon the same sheet. As Death has closed all communications between Asahel & yourself & our parents I feel it my duty to give you all information that I possess concerning his sickness & Death or any thing concerning him that will be of interest to you. I also feel it my Duty to write to you as often as my circumstances will admit & I have matter of interest to comunicate. I have much upon my mind at this time I would like to communicate which I mus[t] omit for want of time but I will touch upon some importent items Firstly I hold in my hands a letter Dated Farmington Oct 31st 1838 from Aphek & Azubah & Eunice Woodruff to Mr James Dayson. in fine I have in my possession (I suppose) all the writings that were Directed to Asahel as well as his own compositions I took them because I supposed that I should be able to put them into the possession of my parents & Sister sooner than they could obtain them any other way & I much doubt whether you would ever obtained them had I left them in Terre Haute I shall give you information upon this subject from time to time as I write. I have not had time as yet to look over his writings but little & do not know what there is among them, but all of his corresponding letters with his Dear Sister & parents & Azmon & myself & many other friends are among them there is many compo- sitions of his own of interest among them I was particular to enquire of his clerk & also Mr Smith concering his mind, his sickness, & death & I learn the following particulars that he was considered one of the first & most respect- able citizens of Terre Haute & his death much regretted [upside-down text] Wilford Woodruff to Eunice Woodruff giving the Acco[un]t of the death of Ashael Woodruff [end of upside-down text]

Autobiography Volume 1 circa 1842-1865

Rochester Sangamon Co. Illinois on the . Here strange to say we unexpectedly found Ebenezar Cart^v^er and family who left us at Utica N. P. [Y] and took the canal and lake. They had stoped in Rochester to spend the winter. We called to visit them for a few minutes not expecting to tarry; but after calling we concluded to spend the night with them. During the evening I had an interview with Elder Arnold Stephens. I was informed that we could not cross the Illinois River in consequence of the ice. I also learned that the Saints in Zion Far West were suffering the severest persecution and privation and that we could not travel through that country. Under these combined circumstances we concluded to stop for a season in the region of Rochester as doors were opened to us and that too among Saints who had also taken up their abode here for a season Next day I procured a house 3 miles north of Rochester in a grove of woods on the borders of a prairie on the farm of Widow Branch. It was a double house and brother

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.

Dec 19, 1838