"warm weather [ ] engaged in making rafts and getting our wagon over [ ] a great number of men have been taken sick within a few days [ ] the symptoms are violent pain in the head and limbs but generally does not last long till they gradually recover"
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Last night a large storm came up thus hindering their crossings of the Green River. They finally had to stop for the day because of high winds after crossing 14 wagons. Mountain Fever was going through the company, and many men were down with fevers and aches. Charles must not have written anything on the July 1st. Maybe he was too busy in raft building. He did make an entry on the 2nd, so I have given this post both dates. The Salt Lake Tribune in 1997
"Friday 2nd [ ] the day was more pleasant, and the ferrying continued more rapidly [ ] I got over the river before noon but remained very sick [ ] P M the Twelve had a council and decided to send 3 or 4 men back to serve as guides to the next company."
So, what is Mountain Fever anyway? There is an article written by Jay A. Aldous, associate professor in the department of surgery at University of Utah, School of Medicine. Charles diary was quoted on the second page. Perhaps the jury is still out on what exactly it was that made so many so sick and some deaths from it. The above article by Jay Aldous is interesting to read through, though. From Pioneer Heritage Gateways:
"The pioneers started to cross over the Green River. One of the rafts did not work very well because the logs were water-logged. They went to work, to construct another raft. The wind blew hard, causing the work to be stopped in the afternoon, and only fourteen wagons were brought across. They tried to swim the cattle across but had great difficulty. The second raft was completed by the evening.
More of the pioneers came down with Mountain Fever, including Clara Decker Young, John Greene, William Clayton, Ezra T. Benson, George A. Smith, George Wardell, and Norton Jacob. Those who had been sick the day before were much better, so it appeared that the violent pain and fever usually only lasted for a day. So far, about twenty of the pioneers had taken ill with the mysterious illness.
Samuel Brannan continued efforts to convince the brethren that California was the land of Zion for the Saints. He told them that John Sutter, of Sutter's Fort, wished to have the Saints settle near him in the Sacramento region. Brother Brannan tried to paint a bleak picture of the Rocky Mountain region by saying that he saw more timber on the Green River where they now were than anywhere on his route since he left California."
William Clayton was down with the "mountain fever". He must have been really sick because on July 1 and July 2, for the man of many words, this is all he wrote on these two days:
"Thursday July 1st [ ] this morning found myself laboring under a severe attack of the fever accompanied with violent aching in the head and limbs [ ] the brethren commenced ferrying but got only 14 wagons over on account of the very high wind"
