Montblack wrote:
("cjcampbell" wrote)
My great-great grandfather, Eli Campbell, walked from Iowa City to Salt
Lake when he was three years old.


How much of that "walk" was beating feet out of town?


In his case, none of it. He was only three years old. :-)

Actually, Iowa City was an important re-supply point for both Mormon
and non-Mormon pioneers headed west. Some members of the church who
were leaving Nauvoo and Winter Quarters were assigned to remain in Iowa
City to establish a camp there for future wagon trains. Eli's family
was one of these and stayed in Iowa City as missionaries assigned to
assist wagon trains headed to the Salt Lake valley. Eli was born in
Iowa City during this time. When his parents' mission was completed
they continued west. Eventually the family settled in Idaho. You can
read about them in an old book, "Notable Men of Idaho" that was
published around the turn of the 20th century. It was a sort of
forerunner of "Who's Who."

It was a rough life. Eli became a teamster carrying freight between
Ogden and Boise. His father, Daniel, carried mail and worked for Orrin
Porter Rockwell, Brigham Young's bodyguard who was responsible for all
kinds of church security in those days. Daniel Campbell's
responsibility included acting as an Indian agent for the church,
overseeing trade and settling disputes with pioneers. There is a story
about how one time he was being pursued by hostile Indians and he rode
his horse across a river near Idaho Falls to safety. It was difficult
as this happened during the spring melt, with chunks of ice coming down
the river. He apparently never fully recovered from the ordeal. The
Indians were evidently after his horse and the mail.

Generally, the church had good relations with the Indians and counted
on alliances with various tribes in times of crisis. It could not have
done this without men like Daniel Campbell.