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Pioneer Camp of the Saints: The 1846 and 1847 Mormon Trail Journals of Thomas Bullock

Thomas Bullock; Will Bagley (Editor). Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 2001, 6x9 softbound, 400 pages. ISBN: 0874214181

"The arrival of the Mormons in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake is one of the major events in the history of the American West. Thomas Bullock was the official journal keeper of that Brigham Young pioneer company. Bullock contributed a vial documentary record of the Mormon church in the mid-19th century writing thousands of pages, yet he remains a relatively obscure figure in Western History. An intensely personal document, Bullock's account rises above its status as the "official" journal. He shares his doubts, his complaints, his personal assessments of his fellow travelers throughout the pages of the journal. This remarkable record presents in detail the daily reality of a journey that has become an American legend. From Nauvoo (Illinois) to Salt Lake (originally Deseret Territory, now Utah) and back to the Missouri River, Bullock's journals from September 1846 to October 1847 paint a colorful and personal picture of both the Mormon Trail and the suffering of the poverty-stricken Saints during their struggle across Iowa in 1846. This is the tale of a great exodus and a unique odyssey to the "Great Basin Kingdom". --Midwest Book Review

The official journal of the Brigham Young pioneer company was made available for the first time in this book. The arrival of Latter-day Saints in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake is one of the major events in the history of the LDS church and the West. Thomas Bullock, the author of this account, was the official journal keeper of that party of pioneers.

Bullock was the "Clerk of the Camp of Israel," an English scribe who is perhaps more responsible than any other person for the vast documentary record of the LDS church in the mid-nineteenth century. Though he wrote thousands of pages ultimately released under other menÆs names, he remains a relatively obscure figure in western history.

An intensely personal document, BullockÆs account rises above its status as the "official" journal. He shares his doubts, his complaints, and his personal assessments of his fellow travelers throughout the pages of the journal. This remarkable record presents in detail the daily reality of a journey that has become an American legend. From Nauvoo to Salt Lake and back to the Missouri River, BullockÆs journals from September 1846 to October 1847 paint a colorful and personal picture of both the Mormon Trail and the suffering of the poverty-stricken Saints during their struggle across Iowa in 1846. They tell the legendary tale of Brigham YoungÆs pioneer company-the beginning of a great exodus across the Plains and Rockies to the Great Basin Kingdom.

Life at Winter Quarters, the renowned "miracle of the Quail" at the Poor Camp on the Mississippi River, detailed accounts of buffalo hunts, dances and celebrations, and other trail events are recounted. Jim BridgerÆs famous meeting with Brigham Young and other leaders of the pioneer party was recorded in detail by Bullock. BridgerÆs comments on the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, the Indians, agriculture, and the West in general show the breadth of knowledge of mountain men like Bridger. The interview also gives evidence of the unanswered questions still plaguing the Saints as they neared their destination.

With maps, illustrations, bibliography, and index, this work is a major contribution to the history of overland migration, the LDS church, and the wider West. The book provides insight into the impressions of a devout European immigrant to the great American West. An appendix containing biographical data on Mormon pioneers is included.

"Historian Will Bagley provides introduction, explanation and editing for what is otherwise a first-hand look at the westward experience. . . . Bullock is an able journalist. He provides weather reports, road conditions (such as building up quicksand to make it passable), and personal descriptions of the illness and hardship that marked the journey. . . . Bagley, who also writes a column on Western history for The Salt Lake Tribune, adds this to his work with David L. Bigler, Army of Israel: Mormon Battalion Narratives." --Melinda Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 2001

"Surprisingly, until this book, the official chronicle of the events was never published....The book contains a bibliography, index, maps and illustrations and is a must have for any reader interested in the history of the development of the American West." --Mike Nobles, Tulsa World, 2001

"Will Bagley's fine editing work on Bullock's record joins those of William Clayton published by the Clayton Family Association in 1921 and Orson Pratt's diary published in 1947 in providing us with a story of the exodus of the Mormons . . . Bagley's copious notes are excellent, providing needed explanation without tedious detail. The book includes several helpful appendixes. One is a 'Biographical Sketch' of this group of Mormon Pioneers, and the fold-up map tucked neatly into an inside back cover pocket is a handy tool if one wants to follow the journal in some detail. This is not a monotonous day-by-day index of a long journey, but a worthwhile and engaging account for anyone who wants better to understand either the Mormon western experience or the wider picture of the American west in the mid-nineteenth century." --Martha P. Tayson, Indiana University, Utopian Studies, vol. 12, no. 2

"The text, with its explanatory footnotes, list of Mormon pioneers, and appendixes, would be a valuable addition to any Iowa historical library." --Bettie McKenzie, Montgomery County (Iowa) Historical Society, The Annals of Iowa, vol. 61, no 3, Summer 2002

"First published in 1997 as the first volume of the Kingdom of the West series, Bollock's journal of the trek west to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake was the official record of the Brigham Young pioneer company. He was the Clerk of the Camp of Israel, and wrote thousands of pages of Mormon history during the middle of the 19th century, but most of was ultimately published under other names and he remains obscure. Footnotes identify and explain references." --BookNews, Inc., Portland, OR

Strengths: Bullock's journals, Bagley's editing and notes. Weaknesses: Bagley's speculative commentary detracts from the book overall. Inadequate source cites.

Title: Pioneer Camp of the Saints: The 1846 and 1847 Mormon Trail Journals of Thomas Bullock

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