& 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]
~ Friday
Oct 5th We started 8 oclock & drove to Wells 8 miles to York 14, to Portsmouth 7, to Rye 5 miles & camped for the night
& at Mr John Drake we had a beautiful day to Journey. Expenses of the day $5.30 Distance of the day 34 miles
~ Saturday
6th We all arose bright in the morning & rode to Hampton 5 miles to Newburyport 10 miles to Georgetown 10 miles & spent
the night at Elder Nathaniel Holmes Elder Milton Holmes was at his father's house I truly felt to rejoice to once
more take these brethren by the hand we receieved every kindness & accomidations that heart coould wish I
with my family spent the night with Mr Samuel Holmes distance of the day 26 miles
~ Sunday
7th Sunday we spent the day at Br Holmes I met in council with Elders Nathaniel & Milton Holmes & James Tow-
nsend in the morning we next met all the members of the camp & organized ourselves into a company that
we might have order in the camp. I was chosen as their leader & Elder M Holmes as comesary Ebenezar
Carver as assistant our counsel was W. Woodruff M. Holmes N. Tholmas & E Carver. We then met
together with all the Saints & I once more was permitted to break bread unto them. I accompanied Br N
Holmes in the evening to visit Sister Dow who had fallen & injured her hip & we prayed with her & lade hands
upon her. We then returned to Mr Samuel Holmes & spent the night distance 4 mile
~ Monday
8th We took the parting hand with Elder N. Holmes & family & again started on our journey accompanied by
Elder Milton Holmes one with whom I had journied much before we rode to Andover 10 miles to Widow Wrights
& camped in a beautiful meadow distance of the day 15 miles
& family, Ebenezer Carver & family & a young man by the name of Alonzo Thurstin. From CamdenDaniel 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
~ Friday
Oct 5th We started 8 oclock & drove to Wells 8 miles to York 14, to Portsmouth 7, to Rye 5 miles & camped for the night
& at Mr John Drake we had a beautiful day to Journey. Expenses of the day $5.30. Distance of the day 34 miles
~ Saturday
6th We all arose bright in the morning & rode to Hampton 5 miles to Newburyport 10 miles to Georgetown 10 miles & spent
the night at Elder Nathaniel Holmes Elder Milton Holmes was at his father's house I truly felt to rejoice to once
more take these brethren by the hand we receieved every kindness & accomidations that heart could wish I
with my family spent the night with Mr Samuel Holmes distance of the day 26 miles
~ Sunday
7th Sunday we spent the day at Br Holmes I met in council with Elders Nathaniel & Milton Holmes & James Tow
-nsend in the morning we next met all the members of the camp & organized ourselves into a company that
we might have order in the camp. I was chosen as their leader & Elder M Holmes as comesary Ebenezar
Carver as assistant our counsel was W. Woodruff M. Holmes N. Thomas & E Carver. We then met
together with all the saints & I once more was permitted to break bread unto them. I accompanied Br N
Holmes in the evening to visit Sister Dow who had fallen & injured her hip & we prayed with her & lade hands
upon her. We then returned to Mr Samuel Holmes & spent the night distance 4 mile
~ Monday
8th We took the parting hand with Elder N. Holmes & family & again started on our journey accompanied by
Elder Milton Holmes one with whom I had journied much before we rode to Andover 10 miles to Widow Wrights
& camped in a beautiful meadow distance of the day 15 miles
"Journal (January 1, 1838 – December 31, 1839)," October 4, 1838 - October 8, 1838, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed December 22, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/gO6