pioneer

Wagons for Fleeing SaintsJohn Carling and his son Isaac worked at making and mending wagons for the Saints who were being driven from Nauvoo. The mob violence became so intense that the Carling family decided to leave with the main body of saints. Brigham Young sent Heber C. Kimball to inform John that if he would stay until all of the Saints had been provided with good outfits, not a hair of their heads would be harmed. They remained as requested, though some wives complained that they would all be killed. “The morning they were to leave, they were counseled to get to the ferry boats before the mobs were astir, and upon arriving at the ferry, the captain hurried them onto the boat and admonished them to be quick because they could see the mobs coming. Some were on horses, and others were running, but all with guns in their hands, and they were cursing. As the saints left the shore, they could hear the leader of the mob ordering his men to shoot. But as the men came to the shore, they stood still. It is told by some that two shots were fired but they missed the people in the boat.”