A Rescuer Dreamed of His Future Wife — and Recognized Her in the Handcart Camp

Before the rescue party set out from Salt Lake City in October 1856, a young rescuer named James Barnett Cole had a dream. In it, he saw his future wife. She was beautiful and wore a fur cap held on by a green veil or scarf.

He told his fellow rescuer William H. Kimball about the dream before they left for the plains.

When the rescue wagons finally reached the Willie Handcart Company at the Sixth Crossing of the Sweetwater River on October 21, 1856, Kimball spotted a young woman among the starving, snow-covered pioneers. She was wearing a fur cap — held on by a green scarf.

Kimball turned to his friend James Cole and said: 'There is your dream girl.'

The young woman was Lucy Ward, age 23, who had traveled with a group of young women pulling a handcart together. She had a fur hat that she habitually tied on with a green mantilla scarf.

James Cole and Lucy Ward were married by November 2 — within two weeks of meeting each other — and spent the winter together at Fort Supply near Fort Bridger while Lucy regained her strength.

The account is documented in the BYU Studies history of the Willie Handcart Company from records of both families.