Hannah Clark's Survival of the Sweetwater Handcart Disaster
Published October 17, 2026 at 12:07 AM
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Young Woman's Journal Research
Hannah Clark, an English convert, suffered intense hardship during the 1856 handcart journey. Upon reaching the Sweetwater, she became severely exhausted, collapsed, and was near death from cold and starvation. In her delirious state, she witnessed the arrival of the rescue party from Salt Lake. An Elder administered to her, and she was found by her long-lost lover, Philip Mortensen. Despite her critical condition, she recovered and arrived in Salt Lake City in November 1856.
In Their Own Words
“Raise me up, Sister Neally. Let me see the sun sink once more. Oh. it sheds a glorious light—like unto the light of heaven, I think. What are those objects on the mountain there. Are they white birds? What is the matter?—that noise, those shouts? The rescuing party, did you say? Oh, God be thanked. He has answered our prayers at last. — The Young Woman's Journal 12:5”
Sources & References
The Young Woman's Journal, vol. 12 no. 5 (May 1901). L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University digital collections. https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/YWJ/id/10245 (account extracted verbatim from the collection's page-level OCR; research confidence: high)
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