From the Improvement Era, October 1943 –

Men of Iron

By James P. Sharp

The pioneers often referred to the year 1857 as the one with nine months hard winter and three months late fall. An entry in Church Chronology reads:

“Friday, November 6. Five hundred animals perished from cold and starvation around U. S. army camp on Black’s Fork.”

Late in October that year Brigham Young paced back and forth in his office. He had to find some one to ride to Fort Bridger, one hundred fifteen miles to the east, with a message to Major Alexander, who was in charge of Johnston’s Army at that time. His trusted messenger, Porter Rockwell, was away on other business. Whom could he send that would be reliable? He needed some one that was not afraid of cold, deep snow, and the rebuffs that would be met at the camp of the enemy. He had to send some one, for officers Taylor and Stowell, of the Utah Militia, were prisoners at that post. Suddenly he stopped walking and called to a man in an outer office, “Get me Adam and Joseph Sharp immediately.”

Adam and Joseph were Mormon converts who had come from Scotland some years before. They were hardy men who had worked in the coal mines in their native land and in the rock quarries since their arrival. He knew he could trust these sturdy men to go through the deep snow and face the almost unbearable cold.

When they arrived, he told them what he wanted done and asked when they could be ready to leave. They answered as soon as they could saddle their animals. He told them to get ready and to call for the papers before leaving.

It was mid-morning when the two rode away with two sealed envelopes, one for Major Alexander, the other for General Daniel H. Wells, who was in charge of the Utah Militia in Echo Canyon.

Up Emigration Canyon they rode. Then over Little Mountain and up Big Mountain, where the snow was deep, and the wind was blowing a gale. They had selected their horses for their ability to wallow snow instead of for looks or speed. The sun had set when they reached Ogden’s Fork (East Canyon), and it was dark when they arrived at the Weber River. Slowly they plodded on until they reached the camp in Echo Canyon, where they presented their letter to General Wells, who read it, ordered supper for them and beds made in his tent. But they explained to him the urgency of their mission, and he ordered two fresh horses saddled for them. By the time they had eaten their supper the horses were saddled. They mounted and rode on.

The canyon breeze was terrible to face as it cut unprotected parts like a sharp knife. Morning found them on the Bear River, where they stopped a short time to let their horses pick at the dry grass along the bottomlands.

When possibly one mile from the Fort, they distinctly heard the bugler sound the mess call. The sentry stopped them and called a soldier to escort them to headquarters. When they arrived, an orderly took their message and left them sitting on their horses out in the cold wind. They dismounted, removed their buckskin windbreakers, and swung their arms to restore their circulation. A lone soldier returning from the mess tent stopped to watch and then began to throw insulting remarks at them. They paid no attention. Others stopped until there were ten. Then the first one, seeing he had plenty to back him, walked up quite close and made an insulting remark about Brigham Young. Joseph seized him, lifted him high above his head, and threw him into the others, knocking four or five of them down. The two men squared off ready to fight the entire army, if necessary, but at that moment the orderly appeared with their answer, and they were soon on their return journey with a feeling in their hearts that now they could fight those soldiers with a clear conscience. How differently it might have been had they been given a bowl of warm bean soup.

Two a.m. and back at the camp in Echo Canyon. The general was waiting and had supper ready to serve them. After the meal was over, they insisted on having their horses brought out and saddled. The general objected, but they won out and were soon riding down Weber River.

Shortly after noon two tired horses, and two very tired, cold men rode out of the mouth of Emigration Canyon and up to where Brigham had his office. They were shown in. There Brigham sat, deep in thought. Presently he said rather gruffly — “Well, what’s the excuse? Too much snow or too cold?”

Slowly Adam, with fingers still numb with cold, undid his windbreaker and brought forth the answer. Brigham looked at it, started to tear it open, but dropped it on the table before him. His eyes were rather dim, and his voice was trembling when he finally said, “Forgive me, brethren. I was too eager to take snap judgment on you. How was it possible for you to get back so soon?”

“Well, you sec, Brigham, you told us it was important so we never stopped to plant flowers in them snowdrifts along the trail,” answered Joseph.

Brigham arose. That short sermon had brought him back to himself and now he was the wonderful man everyone loved so much. He shook their hands and said, “It takes men with constitutions of iron to accomplish what you have done. Now go home, get some hot soup, go to bed, and stay there until you are fully rested and some day tell me how you did it. Now the Lord bless you,” The men walked away fully repaid for their efforts.

It is doubtful if this story would ever have been told had there not been a celebration the following summer where men vied with each other in marksmanship, rock-drilling, weight-lifting, and similar contests. It was while one of the contestants was having considerable trouble lifting the rock that Adam said, “Joey, why don’t you get in and show him how to toss that rock around?” “Joey” looked at him but never answered a word.

This angered Adam’s Scotch blood, for he said, “Remember the time out at Bridger when you picked a big soldier up, raised him high above your head, and tossed him away like he was a feather, and you did it when you were half starved and chilled to the very bone. Why won’t you do it now?”

Joe looked at him and said quietly, “Sometimes the Lord gives a person added strength to meet any emergency, just like he gave us courage and strength to face that terrible cold in Echo Canyon.”