Rescue of the 1856 Handcart Companies

by Rebecca Bartholomew, Leonard J. Arrington, Leonard Cornwall, Rebecca & Arrington

Book Overview

Thirteen years before the railroad was completed, some 2,000 Utah-bound immigrants discovered at Iowa City that they could not afford the rigs and teams necessary for the remaining overland trek. So... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0941214044
• ISBN13: 9780941214049
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Signature Books
• Length: 72 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A short and specific history of the handcart rescue

The Rescue of the 1856 Handcart Companies describes the attempt to gather and deliver aid to the struggling Willie and Martin handcart companies in the winter of 1856. Using an impressive number of primary sources, it briefly describes how much aid the Utah colonies were able to scramble, then how difficult a feat the rescue companies achieved in bringing that aid to freezing, hungry immigrants. The background history is described only briefly. The drama of the event has led other accounts to be emotionally moving, but this work focuses on the logistics of rescue. The stories of the handcart immigrants themselves are only afterthoughts in this history. For readers who already know the overview, this work provides some new and interesting details.

Handcart rescue documented

"Rescue of the 1856 Handcart Companies" by Rebecca Bartholomew is a short academic publication documenting the rescue of the stranded Martin and Willie handcart companies. The body of the book is just over 40 pages long. There are several pages of end notes and a biographical listing of all known people in the rescue parties. This is probably not the first book you should pick up concerning the ill-fated Martin and Willie handcart companies. If you are new to the subject, I would recommend the historical-fiction novel "Fire of the Covenant" by Lund. If you are already familiar with the basics of the story, then this little book makes for a nice read. It helped me round out my understanding of the rescue. I had not realized how many people and how much material (food, clothing, wagons, ...) and how much time were spent in the rescue. I am glad that I read the book and I recommend it to those who already know the basics of the story and want to find out more.