158 Years Ago TODAY - October 28, 1856

158 years ago TODAY - October 28, 1856

RESCUE for the MARTIN HANDCART COMPANY

Crossing the Platte River on October 19, 1856, in the area of present-day Casper, Wyoming, had sapped the last remaining strength of many in the Martin Handcart Company.   Fourteen people died that night.

  For five days they struggled along in the wind and snow but were able to go only ten miles, eventually becoming snowbound for six days in the area of Bessemer Bend and Red Buttes.

During those six days (between October 24 - October 29) 
56 people died, many of whom were men who had given away their ration of food to their struggling wives and crying children.  

As a result they were too weak to endure the harsh conditions.

On Sunday, October 26, John Rodwell, a 55 year old man in the Martin Company, told of a dream he had that they would all be rescued within two days. 

 

He told of seeing ". . . three Californians, wearing blue soldier overcoats, riding mules or horses.  They . . . told us of teams and relief from the valley . . . " 

 

For 2 days this dream was the talk of the camp and gave them hope for a rescue.

 

The following night  Elizabeth Horrocks Jackson also had a dream in which she saw her husband Aaron, who had passed away from exposure the night after the company crossed the Platte River. 

 

In the dream Aaron appeared to her and said, "Cheer up, Elizabeth, deliverance it at hand."

Meanwhile, three express riders had ridden east from Devil's Gate, still searching for the missing handcart company.  After a day and a half of hard riding, they spied a shoe footprint in the road as they neared Bessemer Bend.  They rode hard and soon found the camp.   

Abel Garr, Daniel W. Jones, and Joseph A. Young, who was clothed in a blue soldier's overcoat and riding a white mule, rode into camp - just as Rodwell had dreamed and confirming Elizabeth Jackson's dream.

 Their joy was inexpressible and tears coursed down their cold, gaunt cheeks.

This was the last good place to camp before the trail would leave the Platte River for a difficult span of 40 miles with little water.

 

 

Because of the number of deaths, this part of the journey was described by one member of the Martin Handcart Company as

"one long funeral march."