"One of the inducements held out by the government, was to discharge them, with their arms in Mexico, which was done. When he (McCord) arrived in Utah, October, 1847, he found his family not here, and was prevented by the church authorities from going after them; and was not permitted to leave until January following. When he reached his family at Winter Quarters, Missouri, he found no preparations made for their being forwarded to Utah, and there were none made afterwards. (Signed,) ALEXANDER MCCORD. "_Territory of Utah, ss._ "Alexander McCord, being duly sworn, says that the facts set forth in the foregoing statement by him subscribed, of his own knowledge, are true, and those set forth upon information and belief he verily believes to be true. (Signed,) ALEXANDER MCCORD." "Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 4th day of May, 1864. "THOMAS J. DRAKE, "_Associate Justice U. S. Sup. Court, Utah_." By this operation, Brigham must have realized the neat little sum of $10,000. This enabled him to fit out an expedition to explore the country west of the Rocky Mountains. Accordingly, in the spring of 1847, with one hundred and forty-three of his tried adherents, he made the journey to Salt Lake, where they arrived July 24, 1847. A colony was at once established, and a part of the number left to commence farming operations. Brigham, with the remainder, returned to "Winter Quarters." Here he found the people on the point of starvation, while fevers and the cholera were rapidly thinning their ranks. Brigham at once commenced alleviating their suffering, and in the excess of their gratitude, these poor deluded creatures did not see that he was the cause of all their misery. Young was now ready to enact another scene in this Mormon drama. He was ruling the church in the capacity of President of the Twelve Apostles. He desired greater power; he wished to occupy the place of the Prophet of the Lord. This was the more difficult, as the people venerated the memory of Joseph Smith, sanctified as it was by the remembrance of his cruel and untimely death. Brigham knew well the extent of this feeling, and that it would be impossible to supplant Joseph in their affections, and extremely difficult to occupy his position. But his plans demanded that he should be in form what he was in fact,--the absolute head of the church. He resolved to execute a brilliant _coup d'état_, and risk the consequences.