Day in the Life

Oct 15, 1846

Journal Entry

October 15, 1846 ~ Thursday

15th
Oct
15th
1846 An arrow piercing a heart
This was a serious day to me, I took
my ax and went into the woods to cut
some board timber in company with
two other brethren while falling the
third tree I steped back from the
tree several feet but when it fell it
shot back of[f] the stump several feet
& bounded and struck me in the brea-
st & knocked me several feet into the air

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Autobiography Volume 2 circa 1865
Nearly two weeks later I took my axe and went into the wood to cut some board-timber with two of the brethren. While falling the third tree I steped back from it several feet but when it fell it shot back of the stump and bounded and struck me in the breast and knocked ^me^ several feet into the air against a standing oak and the falling
Autobiography Volume 1 circa 1842-1865
On the while with the Camp of Israel building up Winter Quarters on the west side of Missouri River then Indian Country, I passed through one of the most painful & serious misfortunes of any of my lifife. I took my Ax and went 2 1/2 miles onto the Bluffs to cut some shingle timber to cover my cabins. I was accompanied by two other men and while falling the third tree I steped back of it some 8 feet whare I thought I was entirely out of Danger but when the tree fell their was a kocrook in the tree which struck a knowl and shot and ways back of the stump and bounded & the but of the tree struck me in the breast & knocked me several feet in the air against a standing Oak and the falling tree followed me in its bound & caught me against the standing tree and I came down between the two trees one falling & the other standing but before reaching the ground I was cleared from between them & struct upon my feet it badly bruised my ^left^ thigh the whole length of it & my hip. Also my left arm It also broke my breast bone into & 3 ribs on my left side it also bruised my lungs vitals & left side in a shocking manner. After the accident I sat upon a log untill Mr John Garrison went a quarter of a mile & got my horse, notwithstanding wI was so badly hurt I had to mount my hourse & ride two & a half miles over an exceding rough road & had to dismount twice in consequence of mirey places my breast & vitals was so badly torn to peaces that each step of the horse went through me like an arrow I continued on horseback untill I arived at Turkey Creek on the North Side of Winter quarters I then became exhausted & was taken off & carried in a chair to my house I was met in a thee street by Presidents Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball W. Richards ^& others^ who assisted in carrying me to my waggon & family before laying me upon my bed they laid hands upon me & rebuked my pain & distress in

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.

October 15, 1846
Wilford severely injured by falling tree while cutting logs to build his family a cabin: breaks breastbone, three ribs, suffers internal injuries.

Oct 15, 1846