& went to the mouth of the canyon to visit them & take minutes of
their organization. President Young arived at 1/2 past 10 oclock
& organized the company by appointing A. O. Smoot captain
W^m Miller Captain of the guard Elder Benson Chaplain
James Ure clerk. He gave them some instruction concerning
their Journey, & gave them his parting blessing. Br J. V. Long
reported his speech. W Woodruff took a list of the names of those
going to the States & found them to be 36 in number

Professor Pratt goes to to Liverpool to take the place of Franklin D.
Richards Hon G. A. Smith Delegate from Utah is in route for
Washington. He in connection with Hon John Taylor will urge
Utah's claims to be numbered with the states. Elder E Snow is on
his way to take the presidency at St Louis & publish the Luminary
Marshall Haywood & others is on an official trip to washington they
left in good spirits. I returned to the city & still found all
the clerks busy making out the papers for Hon G A Smith I slept
till midnight in the office I wrote a letter to G A Smith &
sent him a package of papers most of the clerks remained all
[FIGURE] night to get the Cencus papers ready

April 23, 1856 ~ Wednesday

23rd At 8 oclok this morning John Sharp starts as an express
with the cencus & other papers to Hon G. A. Smith I spent most of
the day at home

April 24, 1856 ~ Thursday

24^th John Sharp returns to day Brought me a letter from
[FIGURE] Hon G. A. Smith I spent a part of the day in the office we had
a hard snow storm in the fore part of the day peach & Apple trees
in full bloom snow soon melted

April 25, 1856 ~ Friday

25^th A vary cold day raw winds. I went into the field planted
15 square rods of potatoes I was quite unwell through the night with
pain in my left side.

April 26, 1856 ~ Saturday

26^th I am unwell this morning I am broaken out all over my
body my family think it is the measels but I had the measels
when I was a boy. I spent a part of the day at the office. During
the evening I broak ouat all over with sumthing resembling the
Hives I Just begin to understand what it is that is making me sick
I had an ox die on the 21^st it was supposed that he died with poison he was
mortified while assisting in skining him i scratched my wrist
sufficient to innoculate myself with the poison which is now begining
to affect my system

April 27, 1856 ~ Sunday

27^th Sunday I was quite unwell & did not Attend meeting the
cut upon my Arm began to gather poison & turn dark

April 28, 1856 ~ Monday

28^th [FIGURE] I have been a marked victem as an attack
for the power of the destroyer from my infancy up to the present
day. I have faced Accident, misfortune, & apparently death so many
times & in so many shapes & forms from my childhood through
life thus far that it has become a proverb with me to say that
there has seemed to be two powers constantly watching me & at work
with me one to kill & the other to save me thus far the power to save me
& preserve my life has prevailed. How long I shall be blessed with this
preserving power & care time must determin. I have never untill now