Ancestor Story: George Q. Cannon and the Journey to California

George Q. Cannon is Beau's Third-great Grand Uncle
George Q. Cannon and the nineteen missionaries called on the gold mission traveled in a group led by Captain Smith. He was not a member (nor was most of the group) but he was a good man. They planned to travel the Spanish Trail. Eleven days into the journey, there was a change of plan. Captain Smith had been given a drawn map of a short cut due west. On the plus side, it was much shorter. On the negative side, there wasn't much water and there weren't many navigable mountain passes, and those that exist had to be precisely navigated. When apostle Charles C Rich, who was traveling with another company to California, heard the missionaries' change of plans, he left the safety of his wagon train and joined them. He felt inspired that if he didn't some or all of the missionaries would die on the trail.
The group soon encountered troubles. One day they traveled 32 miles and camped in a dry creek bed but could find no water. They were gloomy and despondent. The next day they only managed to travel three miles. Two days later, it rained. They turned their hats upside down to catch the water. They drunk from every rock with a hollow. Captain Smith told Elder Rich that the finger of the Lord was in this. Without this rain they would have perished.
They found no more water for a day and a half. That was when Elder Rich made an inspired decision. They were to go South - back to the Spanish Trail. Captain Smith would not turn. "He swore by the gods he would go straight ahead, if he died in the attempt."
Elder Rich and the missionaries turned South, which saved their lives. Captain Smith and his crew went on, finding no water. They became so thirsty that they killed a horse and drank its blood. Then all but 11, including Captain Smith, turned around. Captain Smith and the others who continued on lost their lives in Death Valley.
George later wrote, "I have always thought that his presence (Elder Rich's) with us saved us from many perils, and it is not too much to say that he was the means, in the hands of the Lord, of saving our lives."

George Q. Cannon: His Missionary Years, Lawrence Flake

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