Sunday, Feb. 15:

President Brigham Young finally was prepared to cross the Mississippi with his wagons. He had wanted to leave earlier to take command of the Saints already camped at Sugar Creek, but the press of business had delayed him. Rather than wait another day, even though it was the Sabbath, President Young started his journey. Others of the Twelve Apostles who were in the Nauvoo vicinity and who had not yet left accompanied President Young. Only Heber C. Kimball stayed behind to transact even more business. The prophet recorded in his journal: "We traveled on four miles, when we came to the bluff. I would not go on until I saw all the teams up. I helped them up the hill with my own hands. At dusk started on and reached Sugar Creek about 8 p.m., having traveled nine miles. The roads were very bad."

Monday, Feb. 16:

With the Twelve Apostles gone from Nauvoo, even more of the Saints hurriedly prepared to cross the river. They wanted to be with their leaders and feared being left behind. At the Sugar Creek encampment, President Young assumed leadership of all operations. In his journal he wrote: "I was very busy in organizing the camp on Sugar Creek, Ambrosia township, Lee county, Iowa territory, where there was plenty of timber and water." When he returned to the camp, he reported that he acted "the part of a father to everybody." The night was clear and cold.

Tuesday, Feb. 17:

At 9:50 a.m. the men at Sugar Creek assembled near the bridge to listen to President Young. He arose on a wagon and ceremoniously boomed: "Attention! The whole Camp of Israel!" Thereafter the Latter-day Saint pioneers called themselves by this designation. Repeatedly they made analogies of Old Testament stories and prophecies to their own epic journey in the wilderness.

President Young instructed all to be organized into companies of tens, fifties and hundreds. Willard Richards was sustained as historian and William Clayton as clerk of the Camp of Israel. That evening was severely cold. The Mississippi began to freeze.

Wednesday, Feb. 18:

President Young spent the morning giving additional instructions at Sugar Creek. The captains of hundreds were to raise money in their respective companies and then send messengers to buy cloth for tent ends and wagon covers. The duties included preparing roads, looking for camp grounds, digging wells and locating hay and corn for purchase.

After dark no man should leave the camp. The police would post the day and night guard. Every family was to call on the Lord night and morning at every tent or wagon. "We shall have no confidence in the man who does not."

In the afternoon the Pioneer Company roster was finalized.

Thursday, Feb. 19:

This proved a terrible winter day. The wind blew steadily from the northwest accompanied by a wet snow that fell to the depth of about 8 inches. The storm raged all day. Elder Willard Richards recorded in his journal, "The evening was very cold, which caused much suffering in the camp, for there were many who had no tents or any comfortable place to lodge: many tents were blown down, some of them were unfinished and had no ends."

Friday, Feb. 20:

The weather became even colder. Ice formed on the edges of the Mississippi River and considerable ice floated on the river. The apostles voted to buy 300 bushels of corn to feed the hungry in the camp as many Saints had left Nauvoo without taking enough food as they had been instructed. Already the corn, potatoes, turnips and other vegetables and grain that had been part of the "tithing" had been consumed by the camp.

Saturday, Feb. 21:

The cold remained, but there were no storms. The clerk recorded in the camp journal, "The saints in camp were patient, and endured all their privations without murmuring." It was decided to purchase more bushels of corn, straw and hay from Iowa farmers and to find a place to grind the existing corn and wheat and to store the flour. Food shortages became a pressing concern.

Sunday, Feb. 22:

Brigham Young had been in Nauvoo since the previous Thursday evening finishing up necessary business. This Sabbath morning he addressed a meeting of the Saints in the temple. The second floor room was so crowded that the weight caused the truss floor to shake and settle. The meeting reconvened in the nearby grove with over a foot of snow on the ground. In the afternoon, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and John Taylor started back to Sugar Creek. Brigham wrote in his journal, "The ice was running in the river so there was no possibility of crossing, only with a skiff which we accomplished with difficulty and danger, the skiff being very heavily laden, and arrived at camp at 7 o'clock."

In the afternoon general meeting, Elders Orson Pratt and Amasa Lyman of the Twelve discussed the health, comfort, success, peace, prosperity and salvation of the camp in an effort to help the general membership understand their duties more precisely.

Monday, Feb. 23:

President Young met in a significant council with the Twelve and the "captains of hundreds." The brethren decided that soon the first group of Pioneers would leave, possibly the next day. Captain Stephen Markham was instructed to lead a scouting party ahead to find a good spot for the next encampment.

Tuesday, Feb. 24:

The thermometer plunged even lower reaching 12 degrees below zero F., highly unusual for this late in the year. The whole camp suffered. Because of cold and snowy conditions, the council decided not to send the first company of 100 ahead. A baby son was born to the John Redding family.

President Young learned that the bitter cold weather had caused the Mississippi River a few miles north of Nauvoo, Illinois, and Montrose, Iowa, to completely freeze.

Wednesday, Feb. 25:

The morning was even colder than the previous day, but as the sun was shining and the sky clear, the Saints in the camp arose cheerfully. At the camp meeting in the morning Bishop George Miller reported that work opportunities to chop cord wood and split rails were available in Farmington about 20 miles to the northwest on the Des Moines River.

Late in the morning Captain Charles C. Rich arrived from Nauvoo and reported that he had walked over the river on the ice and that a few wagons had crossed the ice north of Nauvoo. Although harsh winter conditions were nearly unbearable the Lord providentially helped some of the Saints cross the Mississippi quickly and safely.

Thursday, Feb. 26:

At 6:30 a.m. the camp arose to a chilling temperature of 2 degrees F. below zero. Camp leaders chose not to move the tents in the camp nor to send any more wagons further west because of the bitter cold. Meeting in council with some of the apostles in the evening, President Young concluded to write and ask the governor of Iowa to allow the Saints to stop on public land in Iowa to raise a crop this year.

Friday, Feb. 27:

The cold continued and conditions at Sugar Creek worsened because of the biting wind. A few more wagons arrived from Nauvoo, having crossed the Mississippi on the ice.

Saturday, Feb. 28:

Bishop Newel K. Whitney arrived with precious wagonloads of Church equipment and historical material.

President Young somberly reflected on the events of this cold and dreary month. He praised God for raising up an ice bridge across the Mississippi. There were now about 400 wagons heavily loaded in the camp, but only teams for about half of them. Furthermore, as President Young observed, "a considerable number, regardless of counsel, had started in a destitute condition, and some others, with only provisions for a few days."

Sources: History of the Church 7:585-603; Church Chronology, p. 29; Ensign to the Nations, pp. 6-11.