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Show 146 wagon carried a,water barrel, pick, shovel, axe, implements and tools necessary for the three men of that mess,2 *9 Actually, there were one hundred animals in,the company.3° The wagons also carried all kind of seeds to be sown when the refuge was located. Brigham Young himself had sent a large quantity of sugar cane seed with specific instructions as to how and when it was to be planted. An offer to purchase molasses from them in the fall accompanied the seed.^ Dame received the package only a few days before leaving for Iron Springs. Unlike the Bean contingent of the expedition, Dame's company did not attempt to retain the original companies from each settlement. Instead, the twenty wagons were divided into two groups of ten with a captain over each ten. The men were not mixed, however. Each wagon mess was composed of men from the same settlement; hence, they knew each other. By a unanimous vote, William H. Dame was sustained as the president of the expedition. He then proceeded to nominate the following officers: James H. ifertineau, historian and topographer; Ross R. Rogers, sergeant of the guard; J. Ward Christian of Beaver, captain of the first ten; George W. Sirrine of Washington, captain of the second ten; Nephi Johnson, chief Interpreter; Samuel Sheppard, chaplain; and Thomas Durham, chief of music.3s All the nominees were sustained by a unanimous vote. The company, now fully organized, was designated the "Southern Exploring Company," as it was beginning its explorations south of George W. Bean's company. The men spent the remainder of the day making preparations to start in the morning. It was a hot.day, and many took the opportunity to dry meat. As it was Sunday, church services were held at eleven in the morning and again in the evening. There can be little doubt that these men were deadly serious about their |