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by Erwin G. Gudde (Author)
Henry William Bigler, a Mormon pioneer, documented key moments of his life in pocket diaries that have become invaluable historical records. His writings capture his conversion to the Church of the Latter-day Saints, the march of the Mormon Battalion, the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, and the final settlement of the Mormon community in Utah. These diaries also detail his missionary journeys to Hawaii and his return to California to mine gold for the Church. Although Bigler never intended to publish his diaries, their significance emerged after his article in the San Francisco Bulletin in 1870 drew the attention of historian Hubert Howe Bancroft. Bigler subsequently wrote an extended journal for Bancroft, forming the "Bancroft Version," which became the most complete and cohesive account of the critical years from 1846 to 1848. This version, now preserved in the Bancroft Library, serves as the core of his historical narrative.
Bigler's diaries exist in several forms, each contributing to the preservation of his story. The "Huntington Version," stored in the Huntington Library, offers detailed but fragmented entries due to damage and its use as a scrapbook. The "Hittell Version," revised and published with historian John Shertzer Hittell in 1885, highlights Bigler's meticulous recollection of the discovery of gold, including his correction of Marshall's date of January 19 to January 24, 1848. In 1898, Bigler copied his diaries into a leather-bound "Ledger Version," now housed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' archives. Additional fragments, such as the "Day Book" and "Huntington Fragment," provide further glimpses into his observations. These various versions underscore the literary and historical significance of Bigler's work, offering detailed firsthand insights into pivotal moments in the history of California, the Mormon movement, and the American West. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1962.
