Zion's Camp expedition (1834) — Reuben McBride reminiscence and cholera outbreak

In 1834 Reuben McBride (June 16, 1803 – February 26, 1891) was among the roughly 205 men and families who volunteered to march with Zion's Camp, the expedition led by the Prophet Joseph Smith (with assistance from his brother Hyrum) from Kirtland, Ohio, to Missouri to assist persecuted Saints. McBride later wrote a reminiscence of his experiences with Zion's Camp (MS 8197) and kept a journal; his accounts have been cited in studies of divine intervention during the expedition. His writings describe the march of more than a thousand miles, personal experiences with Joseph Smith, the trials of the camp, and memories of divine providences that helped the company reach Clay County safely and encamp just east of Liberty near Brother Burget's residence.

The company included many who later became leaders of the Church — among them Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Wilford Woodruff. Despite the providences that had guided them across the journey, shortly after their arrival a cholera outbreak swept the camp. Contemporary reminiscences report that some eighteen or nineteen of the brethren died of the disease; those who died were buried at night by torchlight in an effort to conceal the fact of the outbreak. McBride's reminiscence and journal, as well as later recollections of camp members, record both the spiritual experiences and the severe physical trials (including the cholera deaths) experienced during the 1834 Zion's Camp expedition.