Person:Eliza Carter (5)

Early in 1838 William F. Carter and Eliza Ann, who had recently married James C. Snow, set out together for Missouri, driving an ox team. The graphic story of that trying journey is thus told by Eliza Ann.

"It was cold weather and we suffered much with the cold, but we traveled until we came to Terre Haute, Indiana, and one of our oxen died, leaving us with one ox, so we were obliged to stop. We had no money, no house to go in and we got the privilege of going into a horse stable and I cleaned it out and was glad to get into a place out of the storms. After stopping in Indiana a few weeks Hyrum Smith's company came along, and he being acquainted with me said to me, 'If you will ride in my baggage wagon I will take you along and you can drive the team and the men can walk.' I said I will do so. We traveled until we came to Jacksonville, Illinois; there one of Hyrum Smith's horses died and he had to leave us. There was a branch of the church near by but he did not leave us peniless amongst strangers, without home or friends but he called for the President of the branch and told him to let Brother Snow preside over the branch as a missionary and to feed and cloth us until the Kirtland Camp Company came along in the fall, and he did so. The President's name was Merrick, the brother that was killed at the Haun's Mill Massacre in Missouri. While we were there in the branch I looked out, and behold: there came my brother William with the one ox that we left behind. He had made a harness and tackled him up and the one ox carried his wife and three children to Missouri,and when I saw him I rejoiced to see him have so much faith, but the Gentiles made all manner of fun of him. They said 'There goes a d-- Mormon with one ox.' but he got there just the same; and Father Joseph Smith said it should be in the annals of his history. After that the Kirtland Camp came along and we went to Missouri with them. We went into an old log house that we could poke a cat out between the logs and there my first child was born: it was the 30th day of October in the year 1838. Sarah Jane who became the wife of Marshall Kinsman and afterwards wife of President Joseph Young. It was cold and snowed every day and the mob came into Far West the very day of her birth, and we were much excited. I could not keep the midwife long enough to dress my child, Sister Diantha Billings was her name, well known among our people. The mob was blowing horns and firing guns all night long.We were without bread or anything to make bread of, but by the help of the Lord we were preserved by the brethern giving up their arms and promising to leave Far West. We left for Illinois in the month of February of the following year. There were three families to one wagon and one span of old horses, we took turns in walking. There was Brother Winslow Farr and wife, Gardener Snow and wife and James Snow and wife. We traveled all day and at night lay down at a camp fire as we had no tent."