Sunday, March 8:
The growing concern of the spread-out nature of the Camp of Israel brought on serious discussion by Brigham Young and his Brethren of the Twelve Apostles at Richardson's Point. Some of the Pioneer Company were a few miles ahead. Many wagons were still back several miles on both sides of the Des Moines River. The whereabouts of some Saints who had left Nauvoo was even unknown. When some of the wagons proceeded a few miles each day, it often seemed without any order. More food and fodder were still drastically needed. The weather was not as cold as two weeks earlier, but the ground was wet, and since it was still the spring rainy season, the prospect of muddy roads lay before the camp.
President Young still earnestly desired that a few companies could make the journey to Council Bluffs, an Indian rendezvous point on the Iowa side of the Missouri River, by mid-April. There they would further prepare themselves for a journey to the Rocky Mountains in the summer. In a lengthy council meeting, it was determined that the Camp of Israel would be divided to allow for 300 men (without families) to prepare for an expedition all the way to the mountains and to put in crops that very year.
At Richardson's Point a worship service was held, the first real one since the Saints had crossed the Mississippi River. Elder George A. Smith of the Twelve and Elder Jedediah M. Grant of the First Council of Seventy spoke on gospel principles.
Monday, March 9:
This morning Brigham Young prepared a lengthy report to send back to the Church leaders in Nauvoo. He instructed Elder Orson Hyde of the Twelve and Elder Joseph Young of the First Council of Seventy to finish up the bottom floor of the Nauvoo Temple and then dedicate the edifice to the Lord. Brigham expressed doubts whether he would be able to ever return to Nauvoo.
Tuesday, March 10:
Rain started coming again in torrents this day. Some of the camp had intended moving on, but the rain delayed their departure. As it turned out, the delay lasted for an entire week with all the rain and mud.
Back on the trail, other wagons struggled on their way to catch up with the President's company at Richardson's Point. Many years after the event, Priddy Meeks reminisced about these moments: "It being a very wet spring and a great quantity of mud, my wagon got better instead of worse, so we kept rolling till we come to the ferry on the Des Moines River. I was astonished to see the number of wagons and teams waiting in their turn to cross the river. Now it looked like my turn would not come for two or three days, and it was dark and gloomy weather for camping out." So he went further up the river.
The Pitt brass band played in Keosauqua on the Des Moines River for a whopping $25, a sum that would greatly aid the Camp of Israel. William Clayton recorded, "One of the grocery keepers invited us in and offered to treat us to anything he had. We each took a little and then the next grocery keeper sent an invitation for us to play him a tune. We did so and he also gave us anything he had." Clearly the hand of Providence was manifest through these kind-hearted Iowans!
Wednesday, March 11:
Intermittent showers continued again, causing further delay and frustration for everybody. Sadly some cases of measles and mumps were discovered at Richardson's Point. The brass band returned the 10 miles to Keosauqua to hold another concert and earned another $20. Unfortunately some of the band members were sick as they performed. To make matters worse they weren't able to get back to their beds at camp until 3 a.m.
Thursday, March 12:
The assembling members of the camp at Richardson's Point were grateful for a day free of showers to dry out. A messenger returned from Nauvoo with news from Elder Hyde and all kinds of private letters to camp members. News spread enthusiastically about what was going on with the remaining Saints in Nauvoo.
Friday, March 13:
Sadly no one in the camp was able to strike out for the West this morning. It rained again in the night. The nearby creek became swollen and unfordable. Several cases of fever and cough were reported throughout the camp.
Instead of moving forward, Brigham Young counseled with his Brethren and made many key decisions: Sell some hardware and crockery for money or trade for more teams. This would also lighten the load. Send a letter to the Pioneer Company at Bloomfield about 10 miles southwest instructing them to procure more grain and stay there until the rest of the camp catches up. Take names of the men who would be assigned to go to the mountains that year. Thirty other men would then be allowed to go back to Nauvoo to obtain their families, but they were not to take their teams back, but rather they should obtain new teams in Nauvoo and bring them back to Richardson's Point.
Saturday, March 14:
Brigham Young decided not to send any wagons west this day. He received an unfortunate report in the morning that various groups that had gone ahead to do some scouting were spread out in multiple directions doing their own type of exploring and were devoid of any significant order. One group was already 45 miles ahead at the Chariton River.
