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Show 265 By June 17, the day President Dame bad counseled his men to cease planting, there were fifty-four acres of crops in the ground and doing well. Martineau even termed them "luxuriant." The new settlers had planted wheat, corn, peas, beans, squashes, melons, cotton, sugar cane, hemp, flax, potatoes, "and a great variety of other vegetable," all of which were developing well at this point.^ Friday, the 18th of June, saw the men scrambling to recover their animals which had stampeded that morning. All were retrieved before dark, however. The 19th brought three Indians into camp with information that some men from the settlements would be arriving shortly. About noon George W. Sirrine and Charles Carter returned to camp carrying the mail, newspapers, and a copy of President 3 Buchanan' s proclamation. The men were gathered together, and the proclamation was read to them. The explorers had mixed feelings. They now knew with certainty that the object of their original mission was obsolete'!-all their bard labors and months spent__in the wilderness away from families and civilization for a few acres of grain and vegetables. But to their joy, it also meant they might be going home soon. Jesses N. Smith, the man designated by Colonel Dame to take command at Meadow Valley, arrived in camp on the evening of June 25, bringing five men with him. Smith was a young man-only twenty-three years old-but already he was a High Priest in the church and a counsellor to Dame in the stake presidency at Parowan. Smith had also been elected to a term in tbe Territorial legislature from Iron County. Born in New York state, he was a cousin to both tbe Prophet Joseph Smith and Apostle George A. Smith, and as a boy he partook of the sufferings and drivings of the Mormon people in Missouri and Illinois. Smith took leave of his home in Parowan on June 21, six days after receiving his assignment from Dame. He had no idea how long he would be required to serve. Accompanied by Marius Ensign, also of Parowan, he proceeded to Cedar |