The Miracle of the Quails at the Poor Camp

In September 1846, the 'Poor Camp'—consisting of the last, most destitute Saints who had been forcibly driven out of Nauvoo—were struggling for survival on the banks of the Mississippi River. As they faced starvation, thousands of quails flew into the camp, landing on tables and inside wagons. The birds were so exhausted or tame that they could be caught by hand, providing necessary food for the starving pioneers. Richards uses this to illustrate God's care for the Saints during their exodus.

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

October 9, 1846. A day of rejoicing. I arose with a severe headache, but it soon left me. About 10 a.m., a flock of quails flew into the camp, and some of them lit upon the wagons, and some on the tents, and others on the ground, so that the brethren and sisters caught them with their hands. It was a marvelous sight to see the quails in such abundance. Every man, woman, and child had quails to eat for their dinner.