each time he railed against me, and the last time he ordered
me out of his house. When I went out he followed me and
was very angry. When he came up to me, about eight rods
from the house, he fell dead at my feet, turned black and
swelled up, as I saw the serpents do in my dream.
His family, as well as ourselves, felt it was the judgment of
God upon him. I preached his funeral sermon. Many of
the mob died suddenly. We stayed about two weeks after
Akeman's death and preached, baptized Mr. Hubbel and his wife, and then continued on our journey.
CHAPTER VI.
MAKE A CANOE—VOYAGE DOWN THE ARKANSAS RIVER—
SLEEP IN A DESERTED TAVERN—ONE HUNDRED AND
SEVENTY MILES THROUGH SWAMPS—FORTY MILES A
DAY IN MUD KNEE-DEEP—A SUDDEN LAMENESS—LEFT
ALONE IN AN ALLIGATOR SWAMP—HEALED IN ANSWER
TO PRAYER—ARRIVAL AT MEMPHIS—AN ODD LOOKING
PREACHER—COMPELLED TO PREACH—POWERFUL AID
FROM THE SPIRIT—NOT WHAT THE AUDIENCE EXPECTED.
WE concluded to go down Arkansas river and cross into Tennessee. We could not get passage on the boat,
because of the low water, so we went on the bank of the river
and cut down a sound cottonwood tree, three feet through,
and cut off a twelve-foot length from the butt end; and in two
days we dug out a canoe. We made a pair of oars and a
rudder, and on the , we launched our
canoe, and commenced our voyage down the Arkansas river,
without provisions.
The first day we sailed twenty-five miles, and stopped at
night with a poor family who lived on the bank of the river.
These kind folks gave us supper and breakfast, and, in the
morning, gave us a johnny cake and piece of pork to take
with us on our journey.
each time he railed against me, and the last time he ordered
me out of his house. When I went out he followed me and
was very angry. When he came up to me, about eight rods
from the house, he fell dead at my feet, turned black and
swelled up, as I saw the serpents do in my dream.
His family, as well as ourselves, felt it was the judgment of
God upon him. I preached his funeral sermon. Many of
the mob died suddenly. We stayed about two weeks after
Akeman's death and preached, baptized Mr. Hubbel and his wife, and then continued on our journey.
CHAPTER VI.
MAKE A CANOE—VOYAGE DOWN THE ARKANSAS RIVER—
SLEEP IN A DESERTED TAVERN—ONE HUNDRED AND
SEVENTY MILES THROUGH SWAMPS—FORTY MILES A
DAY IN MUD KNEE-DEEP—A SUDDEN LAMENESS—LEFT
ALONE IN AN ALLIGATOR SWAMP—HEALED IN ANSWER
TO PRAYER—ARRIVAL AT MEMPHIS—AN ODD LOOKING
PREACHER—COMPELLED TO PREACH—POWERFUL AID
FROM THE SPIRIT—NOT WHAT THE AUDIENCE EXPECTED.
WE concluded to go down Arkansas river and cross into Tennessee. We could not get passage on the boat,
because of the low water, so we went on the bank of the river
and cut down a sound cottonwood tree, three feet through,
and cut off a twelve-foot length from the butt end; and in two
days we dug out a canoe. We made a pair of oars and a
rudder, and on the , we launched our
canoe, and commenced our voyage down the Arkansas river,
without provisions.
The first day we sailed twenty-five miles, and stopped at
night with a poor family who lived on the bank of the river.
These kind folks gave us supper and breakfast, and, in the
morning, gave us a johnny cake and piece of pork to take
with us on our journey.
"Autobiography 1882 Leaves from My Journal," p. 27, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed December 12, 2024, https://arts.wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/QM7