ones, under Brigham Young and H. C. Kimball, with several subdivisions.'^
The first letters received at Great Salt Lake City from Brigham came twelve months after his departure from the valley, and were sent on in advance from the encampments. The excitement was great as Taylor and Green rode into the city and distributed the letters, without envelopes, tied round and round with buckskin thongs, and bearing the cheering news that a large body of brethren was on the way, and bring- ing plenty of food.^*
In June and July two small parties left the city to meet the immigration, and another in August. In September Brigham and the first companies arrived; and under the organization of the president and his two counsellors, Willard Richards and Heber C. Kim- ball, during the autumn months most of the brethren from Winter Quarters and other camps reached the valley. ^^
Before the expiration of the year, there were nearly
23 The first division consisted of 1,229 persons, with 397 wagons, 74 horses, 91 mules, 1,275 oxen, 699 cows, 184 loose cattle, 411 sheep, 141 pigs, 605 chickens, 37 cats, 82 dogs, 3 goats, 10 geese, 2 hives of bees, 8 doves, and 1 crow; the second of 662 persons, with 226 wagons, 57 horses, 25 mules, 737 oxen, 284 cows, 150 loose cattle, 243 sheep, 96 pigs, 299 chickens, 17 cats, 52 dogs, 3 hives of bees, 3 doves, 5 ducks, and 1 squirrel.
^^ As recorded in Mrs Clara Decker Young's very valuable manuscript. She shows now the first letter received, still tied with buckskin thongs.
'^'The first companies under Brigham arrived on Sept. 20th; Kimball's party reached the valley a few days later. At the beginning of August Lorenzo Snow, A. 0. Smoot, and others, with 47 wagons and 124 yoke of oxen, were sent from Salt Lake City to assist the emigrants. On the 28th of the same month a party well supplied with wagons and cattle was sent back to Winter Quarters from the camp of the president, then on the Sweet- water. Utah Early Becords, MS., 33. The companies under Richards reached their destination toward the end of October. Richards' Narr., MS., 38. In relating the incidents of his journey, Richards states that his was the last party to leave Winter Quarters during that summer. His men were ill supplied with provisions; feed was scarce, and many of the cattle died from drinking alkali \\ ater, so that he was compelled to yoke to the wagons even bis yearlings and his milch-cows. Many families, iucluding the children, were compelled to walk the entire distance; yet not a single death occurred. Id., 34-5. * The companies behind were kept well informed of the progress of those in advance. . .Sometimes a copy of the camp journal was written and placed in a notch in a tree, . . .sometimes in a post stuck in the ground; but whenever a large buSalo skull or other suitable bone was found, . . .some particulars were written on them.' Cannon, in Juv. Inst., xix
