Autobiography Volume 2 circa 1865
I spent in camp assisting to gather
the Volunteers. We had a visit from Col. Kane from the city of
Washington confirming the declaration that President Polk had sent
for five hundred Mormon Volunteers. He informed us that the
President was very favourable to our people and that he had taken this
course for our good. Col. Kane manifested the spirit of a gentleman
and much interest in our welfare.
From the information received from
Col. Kane ^him represented^ we were convinced that God had begun to move upon the
heart of the President and others of the nation to act for our interest and
the general good of Zion. The object of Presedent Polk was to enlist
500 of the Latter-day Saints and feed cloth[e] and pay them and
let them go direct to California via Santa Fe^e^ and take possession
of that country and prepare a way for the body of the Church
to come which would make them the first settlers of that
country.
Elder Taylors company was encamped on the
south of the chime ridge or Redemption Hill and mine on the north
