"Like the army of Israel of old, they had their
cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Out of the travail of Iowa
came the hymn that echoes down the generations, “Come, come, ye
Saints, no toil nor labor fear; but with joy wend your way."
Pioneer Stories - James Kirkwood
James Kirkwood - Willie Handcart Company
Let me tell you of James Kirkwood. James was from Glasgow, Scotland. On the trip west, James was accompanied by his widowed mother and three brothers, one of whom, Thomas, was 19 and crippled and had to ride in the handcart. James's primary responsibility on the trek was to care for his little four-year-old brother, Joseph, while his mother and oldest brother, Robert, pulled the cart. As they climbed Rocky Ridge, it was snowing and there was a bitter cold wind blowing. It took the whole company 27 hours to travel 15 miles. When little Joseph became too weary to walk, James, the older brother,
had no choice but to carry him. Left behind the main group, James and Joseph made their way slowly to camp. When the two finally arrived at the fireside, James, “having so faithfully carried out his task, collapsed and died from exposure and over-exertion.”
-James E. Faust
