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April-]une 1850 Howard Stansbury joined the Gunnison crew on November 18, and it is quite possible that the captain became acquainted with John Hudson at this time. Certainly Gunnison and Carrington had ample opportunity to get to know the school teacher at Fort Utah during their five weeks' operation in Utah Valley. Stansbury may have made the decision at this time to hire John Hudson as the illustrator for the next year's exploration of Great Salt Lake or at least knew that he might be available for such an assignment.22 Settling down for a winter of "plotting maps" and "making up" the field notes marking the fourteen triangulation stations com- pleted south to Utah Lake, the military officers also enjoyed the unique experience of observing Mormon customs and becoming friendly with church leaders. Thereafter, these men were among the strong supporters of the Saints in interpreting Mormon theology and beliefs to people in the East. Gunnison's book on the religious doctrines and practices of the Mormons was, of course, the most noteworthy result of these observations.23 The only event to intrude on the rather placid and even passage of wintry days in the City of the Saints was the expedition under Lieutenant Howland, already described, to aid the Mormon settlers at Fort Utah in their battle with the Ute Indians. After the ten-day sortie against the natives of Utah Valley, Lieutenant How- land, accompanied by F. R. Grist, left for Cantonment Loring on February 22, 1850. The departure of Grist, who had been the offi- cial artist of the Stansbury expedition throughout 1849, left the opening which John Hudson was hired to fill."" As Stansbury and Gunnison began their preparations for the final task of surveying and exploring Great Salt Lake, they could contemplate the evidence observed earlier concerning the ancient body of water of which the lake was only a remnant. In October of the year before, while at the head of Spring Bay, Stansbury had noted that much of the surrounding area had "without doubt been at one time covered with its water. The Doctor [Blake] counted in 22 Ibid., 18 November. 23 Ibid., 2, 15 January; Lieut. J. W. Gunnison, The Mormons, or Latter-Day Saints, in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake . . . (Philadelphia: Lippincott, Gambo, and Company, 1852). 24 Gunnison, Journal, vol. 3, 22 February. 123 |
