GEORGE WAHSHINGTON HANCOCK--PART 5

 George W. Hancock–Payson Pioneer
Part 5
From California to the  Great Salt Lake Valley

    Again the volunteers took up their march and George and Charles with Co. C. under the Command of Lt. Rosecrans went north to Cajon Pass near where San Bernadino now stands to guard the pass from Chief Walker and his band of Utes.
    During their stay at Cajon Pass, they not only were alert for the Utes and Spaniards but word came to them from the commanding officer to be on the alert for a surprise attack from the volunteers from Missouri who were still their enemies. Although, they were serving under the American flag in the same cause for the protection of all American subjects.
    The Missourians had prejudiced the Spaniards as well as the Indians against the Mormon boys and had incited them to robbery, cruelty and murderous conduct, but to no avail, none of the Battalion boys were harmed by their enemies. On 22 April however, Lt. Pace with 27 noncommissioned officers and men were assigned to go to Cajon Pass and relieve Co. C. and Co. C was ordered to "March with all diligence to the Los Angeles" Military headquarters.
    Co. C. left at once and on the 9th of May and  Gen. Kearney arrived at Los Angeles from Monterey and on the 10th he addressed the Mormon Battalion. He dwelt at some length upon their arduous journey, their patriotism to the government and their obedience to orders. No Commander ever did or ever could eulogize or give greater amount of praise to any corps of veterans than was given this little band by the commander of the army of the west. He sympathized with them in the unsettled condition of their people, but still thought the boys should re-enlist for another year. In conclusion he said he would take pleasure in representing their patriotism to the President of the U. S. and in the halls of Congress and give the Battalion the justice and praiseworthy conduct merited.
    The boys took part in the celebration (first) ever held in Los Angeles on the 4th of July. At sunrise the entire command assembled in the fort which the Battalion had helped build. The Star Spangled Banner was played by the New York volunteers band while the colors were being raised. Nine cheers were given for the stars and stripes and then Hail Columbia was played by the band, after which 13 guns were fired by the first dragoons. The companies then marched back to their quarters. At 11 a.m. the command was again called out under arms and the dragoons and the Battalion paraded inside the fort. The Declaration of Independence was read and then Hail Columbia was again played by the band. Col. Stevenson then gave a speech giving the fortification the name of Fort Moore in honor of Capt. Moore who had died. The band they played Yankee Doodle followed by patriotic song by musician Levi Hancock of the Battalion and then a march was played by the band. The Mexican trouble was about over and their time of service for the Battalion had expired. The officers of the army tried in every way for a re-enlistment but the general inclination of the boys was to follow the advice of Father Pettegrew who showed the necessity of returning to the Prophets of the Lord before going any farther.
    On the 16th of July 1847 at 3 o'clock, the five companies of the Battalion were formed according to the letter of the company with A In front and E in the rear, leaving a few feet of space between. The notorious Lt. A. J. Smith then marched down between the lines in one direction and back between the lines, then in a low tone of voice said, "You are discharged." This was all there was to the ceremony of mustering out of service this veteran corps of living martyrs to the cause of their country and religion. Thus the Mormon Battalion-- a ram in the thicket-- was discharged.
    On the 17 and 18 the companies drew their pay of $96.00 for the years service and in four days, on the 20th had been organized to travel home in companies of hundreds, fifties, and tens, the modern Israelitish custom. Thus organized they left the shores of the Pacific in Los Angeles on the 24th of July 1847 by coincident on the same day the Mormon Pioneers entered the valley of Great Salt Lake. Thus the prophecy made by Brigham Young was fulfilled. Not a shot had been fired at the Mormon boys-- their greatest battles were fought with wild beasts and hunger and the Battalion had been honorably discharged "about 800 miles from where the saints were then located."
    The members had conducted themselves in such a manner that it called forth attention and admiration of the whole United States and is a chapter in the history of this Nation which cannot be ignored by the bitterest enemy and today as if by way of monument the Sante Fe railroad marks the old trail of the line of march of these fearless Mormon volunteers. Their hardships endured from Council Bluffs to San Diego is but one chapter in this arduous march-- equal hardships were endured on their return trip from Cajon Pass to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, nor was this the end of the chapter for George, for the story of his hardships continues to the banks of the Missouri River back again over the trail to Council Bluffs.
    From Los Angeles, George and Charles Hancock in company with their fellow comrades journeyed once more up the coast of the Pacific to Cajon Pass and on through this mountainous region north to Sacramento, which at that time was but a fort, and then on to Sutters Fort where gold was discovered. George brought home gold from Sutters Fort and had a ring and bracelet made from it.
    After leaving Sutters Fort, on the 24 of August 1847 they received the first word from the saints they had had since leaving their loved ones more than a year before. The messenger brought the news that the saints were settling in the valley of Great Salt Lake and that 500 wagons were then on the way to their new location. One can hardly imagine the mixed feelings of hope and fear, joy and thankfulness of these gaunt worn soldiers at such news. With this news their eager feet pressed on over the hills and deserts of California, climbing lofty peaks, enduring thirst again, sore feet, tired bodies and weary brains hoping and praying for deliverance. From the grass of the cold, lofty Sierra Mountains, they crossed the southern part of Idaho in feverish search of the Oregon Trail on and on to Fort Hall and turned their course south to the valley of the Rockies.
    On this homeward trip they encountered grave hardships; their food supply became exhausted and to sustain life they took the pieces of old raw hide from their saddles and scrapped and boiled it into soup. Some of their comrades died on their return and with sorrowing hearts and yet not knowing when the same lot would befall them the worn plodders buried the dead and pressed on eager to forget the past. Their trail crossed the last camp of that ill fated Donner Party, which scene haunted their waking hours as well as their sleep. Such was the horror of the scene that these boys felt that death would loose its dread if they could blot from their minds this tragedy and the existing evidence of their final fate.
    Food and water became exhausted. Hope was gone and life was slowly leaving their wasted frames. On this vast stretch of Salt land death walked by their side and mocked their ceaseless hunger and stared into their unseeing eyes. Finally a spark of faith was fanned in the soul of George and he begged his companions to renew their hope and seek God with him on their knees. George, the 21 year old youth knelt with his companions and offered up a prayer for deliverance and asked God to spare them that they might again be united with their loved ones At the close of the prayer he said, "Now open your eyes and look ahead and you will see water.     All eyes were eagerly focused, their waning vision and in the distance a little green speck appeared through the blinding whiteness of the desert salt. If they could but reach the spot of vegetation they knew there would be moisture and so they hastened their weary feet but with slow progress and after many hours of weary travel they finally reached the maple bush and beheld a spot of green grass. They threw their exhausted bodies to the ground and with their hands dug into the soft earth at the root of the bush until they came to soft mud. Lying on the ground they pressed their parched tongues to the life giving cool mud and thanked God for moisture.
    When somewhat refreshed they arose and surveyed their surroundings. Not far away a little spring of water was trickling into a tiny pond. On the banks of this pond wild birds from the desert had come to drink. As if these birds had been sent, they fearlessly stayed and were easily killed with sticks. They were quickly dressed and cooked over a fire and eaten by these gaunt youths and they were refreshed and strengthened and felt that their prayers had been heard.
    The boys remained in this spot for two days and ate and drank and rested and prayed and then resumed their journey. They had little preparation to make with no packing to do when getting as their only possession was a mule. This one lone mule escaped the fate of his fellow beasts of burden for they had either died of thirst or starved or in the name of human sympathy had been killed on the way. This mule was their favorite and a pet of all the company and so was at this time turned loose on the desert with but small chance to long survive on the scant grass and water at this spring.
    The boys continued their journey on foot over desert and mountains and after many weary marches with scant food finally reached the Oregon Trail, and traveled south to Fort Hall and on south with increasing hope and courage until at last they reached the valley of Great Salt Lake.
    Upon their arrival in the valley they camped in an old shack rudely constructed by some former traveler and on the morning as they awoke to their great surprise stood the old faithful mule with his head at the door of the shack. He had faithfully and patiently followed his friends to their destination to the valley of the Rockies. They thought he would surely die, but he did not as he lived six years from that time and proved to be a useful and faithful servant and was loved by all during his remaining days.
    George and Charles finally reached Salt Lake the first part of October 1847, tired worn and emancipated and disappointed to find their parents not yet in the valley. The boys decided that one of them should go back to Missouri and help the family across the plains the following spring and the other one should remain and plant crops and make a home for the Hancock family upon their arrival.
    
Upon his arrival George possessed but one dollar. He paid this for an ax and then went into the woods and cut down trees and build a log house and move his stepmother and family of five small children from the wagon which had been their only home and which had sheltered them from the wintry blasts of 1846 (1845?) and the burning sun of the summer of 1847 (1846?).

In the spring of 1848 George met and fell in love with Betsey Jane Fackrell daughter of James and Amy C. Fackrell, Mormon refugees from Bertrand, Michigan, who were now living with the saints at Council Bluffs. After a few brief months of courtship George and Betsey Jane were married on 14 May 1848 in the Bertrand branch camp of the Latter-day saints in Pott. Co. Iowa. At the time of their marriage George was 22 years old and Betsey was 24. George took his bride to the Hancock log cabin home and the next day, 15 of May, Betsey's family started upon their journey across the plains. George spent the next year in hard labor preparing an outfit so he could go west and join the saints in the spring.