CHAPTER XVI - LEE GOES TO SANTA FE

We got into camp the next day. After striking camp I noticed that
a tire was gone from one of the wagons. A few days afterwards the
mother of my first wife went down to a stream near by and caught
a number of fine fish; on her way back to the camp she found the
missing tire. It had rolled nearly three hundred yards from the
road, and was lying where it stopped.

The people began cutting hay and stacking it, so as to be
prepared for feeding our stock during the winter.

One night, in the latter part of September, I dreamed that Lieut.
James Pace, of Company E, Mormon Battalion, then on its way to
New Mexico, stood at my tent door, and said Col. Allen,
commanding the Mormon battalion, was dead. I saw him plainly in
my dream; after he gave the information he started back to his
camp, and later a man, who always kept his back towards me, went
from our encampment with him. I saw him and his companion, and
all they did on their way back to Santa Fe, their dangers from
the Indians, and all that took place. From first to last in my
vision the comrade of Pace kept his back my way. Pace's
companion, as affairs turned out, was myself.

The next evening I went, as was usual, with Brigham and Dr.
Willard Richardson, the Church historian, to attend a Council at
Heber C Kimball's camp. After the meeting was over and we were
going back to our tents I said to Brigham:

"We will find Lieut. Pace at my tent when we get there."

"How do you know that?" said he. I then told him my dream, and we
walked on.

When we got in sight of the tent there stood Lieut. James Pace,
just as I had seen him in my dream. This did not surprise me, for
I knew he would come. Brigham said:

"What on earth has brought you back?" He replied:

"Col. Allen is dead. The battalion is without a commander, and I
have returned by order of the officers to report to you, and ask
you who shall now lead us."

"Why did you not elect one of your captains?" said Brigham.

"The officers prefer to let Col. Smith, of the United States
army, lead us, if you will consent to it. But some of our men
object, so I came for orders from you."

The matter was taken under advisement by Brigham until next
morning. In the morning he came to me in my tent and said:

"John, how would you like to go back with Brother Pace and get
the remittances of the soldiers?" I said:

"My family is large, I have no houses for them; they are withou