George Cunningham's Prophetic Dream: Rescuers in Blue Coats Appear Before They Arrive

George Cunningham was 15 years old when he left Scotland with his family in the spring of 1856 to join the Willie Handcart Company. The family sold all their small effects, traveled from Scotland to Glasgow to Liverpool, and sailed on the ship Thornton, arriving in New York. George wrote: 'How well I remember the first step that I took on American soil! How thrilled I was to be in the land of the free... I felt like thanking God for the blessing I then enjoyed.'

Before leaving Florence, Nebraska, George's family attended a meeting where sub-captain Levi Savage wept openly and prophesied that if the elderly and sickly took the journey at that late season, 'their bones would strew the way.' Despite this warning, the company pressed on.

The sufferings were extreme. Near the Sweetwater River, the last of their flour was gone. They were reduced to 3 ounces of flour per day. George wrote: 'I stirred my three ounces with some water and gulped it down.' He helped bury 10 to 15 people in a single day. Temperatures were so cold that all but five or six men in camp had been severely frozen. They boiled cattle hides, scorched the hair off, cut them into pieces to swallow, and described it as 'most delicious.'

George's 12-year-old sister Elizabeth collapsed and was left behind, believed to be dead. When their mother remembered the promise given to the family — that if they lived the Gospel, all members of the family would arrive safely in Zion — she and her husband returned to Elizabeth. They built a fire, wrapped her in blankets, and rubbed her body persistently. When hot water accidentally spilled on Elizabeth's foot, her eyelids flickered. They worked on her until she fully revived.

Near the 5th Crossing of the Sweetwater, with 18 inches of snow on the ground, George had a vivid dream the night before rescuers arrived:

'I dreamed that morning had come, the storm had subsided some and that we had started out on the road. I thought that I saw two men coming toward us on horseback. They were riding very swiftly and soon came up to us. They said that they had volunteered to come to our rescue... They were dressed in blue soldier overcoats and had Spanish saddles on their horses. I examined them, particularly the saddles, as they were new to me. I also could discern every expression of their countenance. They seemed to rejoice and be exceedingly glad that they had come to our relief and saved us.'

The next morning, with gloomy faces around the fire, George shared his dream. His mother declared: 'I knew it would come true, as he was promised that gift in his blessing.' George wrote: 'I was in the lead of the crowd, feeling quite inspired by my dream. At the approach of the rescuers I roared out, "See! See them coming over that hill!" They told me I was a true dreamer, and we all felt that we should thank God.'

The two men who arrived were Joseph A. Young and Stephen Taylor — both dressed in blue soldier's overcoats, exactly as George had seen in his dream.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

While laboring under those trials and afflictions I lay down one night and fell asleep. I dreamed a dream, that morning had come, the storm had subsided some and that we had started out on the road. I thought that I saw two men coming toward us on horseback. They were riding very swiftly and soon came up to us. They said that they had volunteered to come to our rescue and that they would go on further east to meet a company which was still behind us and that on the morrow, we could meet a number of wagons loaded with provisions for us. They were dressed in blue soldier overcoats and had Spanish saddles on their horses. I examined them, particularly the saddles, as they were new to me. I also could discern every expression of their countenance. They seemed to rejoice and be exceedingly glad that they had come to our relief and saved us. How joyfully I related my last night's dream in detail. My mother told them that she knew it would come true, as I was promised that gift in my blessing. And to our great pleasure every word was literally fulfilled. I can recollect that I was in the lead of the crowd, feeling quite inspired by my dream. At the approach of the rescuers I roared out, 'See! See them coming over that hill!' They told me I was a true dreamer, and we all felt that we should thank God.