Grant

  Returning from an English mission, George Davidson Grant along with William Kimball and other immigration agents spent the early part of 1856 making arrangements for the handcarters that were expected that summer from Europe.  His various tasks  included the actual  doing of or arranging for the doing of: purchasing land for the Iowa City Campground (Iowa state), making contracts to build the handcarts (100 as early March were contracted for and another 200 latter on), reawakening the former Winter Quarters, renaming it Florence (state of Nebraska) as the final outfitting point before their 1000 mile journey across the plains, building a warehouse there, making arrangements for timber and other fuel, arranging for ferrying across certain rivers, fencing fields, building corrals, and assembling equipment and tools, purchasing of mules and oxen as well as branding  and driving them to the two campgrounds.   All of this responsibility required him to travel back and forth between the campgrounds as well as into Missouri.  After a laborious as well as successful preparation project, Brother Grant made his way to his home in the Valleys of the Great Salt Lake (Tell My Story, Too, pg 438).  It came as a great surprise to him as he attended October Conference that the handcarters were in trouble.  With only two days into the Valley he made a determined commitment to be a part of the rescue wagons that were leaving the next day.  He was called upon to be the Captain of the group of men he started with.  When other rescuers turned back he would not believe that they were already dead but persevered until his express team found and reported their location.  He moved his six wagons and rescuers to Greasewood Creek to do everything they could to save George–fires, fresh water, warm water, cooking food, ane warm bedding and clothing (Pg. 250).    When the handcarters reached Devil’s Gate, President Grant raised an ax to a log hut and promised these freezing Saints that they would not be cold this night.  The logs tumbled to the earth with his swing and soon those logs were chunks that each family could contribute to a fire (Pg. 255).  He spent the rest of the trek taking care of or delegating all the necessities that were required to save those who could make it and to see that a decent burial was given those that did not.  George D. Grant entered the Valley on November 30 the day before his brother, Jedediah M. Grant, passed on (Pg. 304).  How grateful the handcarters, both the Willie and Martin Companies, and the Hunt and Hodgett Wagon Companies were to his very determined man of God who put aside his personal desires and spent six months making preparations for the handcarters and going to the Valley just to return two days later because they were in trouble, determined to find and care for them against all odds!  How grateful the author is to him as well and that men such as George still inhabit this marvelous gospel of Jesus Christ in our day. 

His son, George Wilson Grant, just 17 years of age, also joined the Rescue Party.  Born amongest mob persecution in 1838, he was well suited to preform Herculean deeds where it was totally necessary.  George was one of those who walked across the Sweetwater many times carrying the beleaguered Saints across that freezing  barrier that the handcarters could not muster the courage to walk through (Pg. 260).  He suffered from the ill effects of the frigid water during the short years left of his life.  He died at age 34 (Pg. 342).