Canute Peterson (1824 - 1902) Profile

Individual

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Canute Peterson

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Andrew Jenson, "Peterson, Canute," Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia

Andrew Jenson, "Peterson, Canute," Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, Vol. 1.

Andrew Jenson, "Peterson, Canute," Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia.

Canute Peterson autobiography, 1900, Church History Library

Canute Peterson autobiography, 1900, Church History Library.

First Presidency, Missionary calls and recommendations, 1877 - 1918

First Presidency, Missionary calls and recommendations, 1877 - 1918, September 9, 1891.

First Presidency, Missionary calls and recommendations, 1877 - 1918, March 16, 1901.

First Presidency, Missionary calls and recommendations, 1877 - 1918.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959, Vol. 1, Page 18, Line 754.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959, Vol. 2, Page 20, Line 754.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959.

"Release of Elders, Changes and Appointments for 1856," The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, 17, no. 49 (8 December 1855), 776-79

"Release of Elders, Changes and Appointments for 1856," The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, 17, no. 49 (8 December 1855), 776-79.

Scandinavian Mission history, 1855-1920, Church History Library

Scandinavian Mission history, 1855-1920, Church History Library, Vol. 2, Page 154.

Scandinavian Mission history, 1855-1920, Church History Library.

Anthon H. Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1900

Anthon H. Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1900, Page 215.

Anthon H. Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1900.

Camp of Israel schedules and reports, 1845-1849

Camp of Israel schedules and reports, 1845-1849. 1849 September 24. Page 1.

Camp of Israel schedules and reports, 1845-1849.

Canute Peterson autobiography, 1900, 19-25

Canute Peterson autobiography, 1900, 19-25.

<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">ON THE PLAINS</center>



On the 18th of April 1849. a company of 22 Saints left La Salle to come to Utah[.] In this Company were Brother [Henry] Sabe and his family, Mother [Anna Johanna] Dahl and her family (her husband, Brother Dahl, had gone to Utah the year before: and her son, Christ, had gone with the pioneers in 1847), Brother Shure Olson and his family. There were several young people in the company, among whom I may mention Sister Sarah Ann Nelson, Christ[ian] Hayer [Hyer], and myself. We had six wagons in our company.



A journey of about 200 miles brought us to Burlington, Iowa. We found the city deserted with the exception of the ferrymen and a few guards who were left to watch the city. The streets and porches had been strewn with new lime, because of the great Cholera epidemic.



We passed out of the city as quickly as we could and camped about 8 miles from there on a beautiful little creek.



When we came to Chardon Point in Iowa, Sister Sarah Ann Nelson was seized with a violent attack of cholera. The sisters did all they could for her relief, but it was of no avail.



I became impressed to go down into the woods on the creek and pray to the Lord for her recovery.



Here I earnestly besought the Lord that He would spare her life, and I became so filled with the Spirit of the Lord that I thought I hardly touched the ground while going from the place of prayer to the wagon.



When within a few rods of the wagon, I could hear her groan. I went to the side of the wagon nearest to her head, put my hand between the wagon cover and the wagon box, and placed my hand on her head and silently rebuked the Destroyer.



She immediately straightened herself out of the cramp, smiled, and told the Sisters, "I am healed."



She was well aware whose hand it was that had touched her. She had the disease no more.



There were a few others who were also attacked with the cholera, but when administered to they were healed. The last one attacked was an aged lady, Sister Lathrop. We administered to her. I was mouth. The Destroyer was rebuked and commanded to leave and return no more, which was verified.



We now traveled on in peace and safety and reached Kanesville, Here we found three companies preparing to go to Utah that Season. We joined Apostle Benson's company, which was the last one to start for Utah that season.



In order to have feed for our teams, we camped about five miles east of Kanesville. It was while camping here that Apostle Orson Hyde, According to previous arrangement, came about four o'clock in the afternoon of July 2nd and tied the knot of matrimony between Sarah Ann Nelson and myself.



Next day we resumed our journey and came to the upper crossing of the Missouri River.



When we arrived at Elkhorn River, about 30 miles from the Missouri River, we found to our great astonishment two large companies on the bank of the river. Brother George A. Smith was the captain of one, and Brother [Silas] Richards the captain of the other. These companies had not been able to cross the river, because the ferry had been left on the other side, and a heavy rain storm in the upper country had swollen the stream to the height of twelve feet. They had tried in many ways to get a rope to the ferry, but had failed.



The question was sprung as to who could and would swim across with the rope and fasten it to the ferry.



The thought came to me having had considerable practice in swimming rivers in Illinois, I volunteered to attempt this difficult task. Ira Sabe offered to assist me.



I fastened the rope around me and began to swim. When I was about one third of the distance across the stream, my partner then started in to help to pull the rope across. but before I reached the ferry, he began to give out.



When I saw this predicament, I knew that if I failed to reach the ferry, we would both be in a very dangerous condition. I therefore exerted myself to the utmost to reach the ferry which I did. In a moment I had the rope secured and began to pull Brother Sabe in after me.



The crowd on the opposite side had watched me with intense interest and became very anxious about our safety. When they saw our success in reaching the ferry-bonnets, handkerchiefs, and hats were waved, and a loud shout of joy went up from the crowd. We soon had the ferry boat in operation, and before evening we had quite a number of the wagons across.



After this, when there was any swimming to be done, I was generally asked to do it, and so became quite popular.



We then traveled in good peace along the Platte River, and had a prosperous journey for many weeks. There was an abundance of game, such as buffaloes, Antelopes, elk, etc. I was a lucky hunter, and brought probably as much meat into camp as most any of the men.



When we reached Independence Rock, we were met by Brethren from the Valley who had come to assist us on our journey. They had both cattle and wagons.



Brother Thomas E. Ricks was assigned to assist us Norwegians, which he did. Brother Ricks was just as kind and accommodating as any man possibly could be, and was a great help to us. He stayed with us until we reached Salt Lake City. He won our love and confidence which he has to this day.



When we came farther up Sweet-water, the weather changed and became stormy and windy and though we were uncomfortable at times, we made good progress on our journey.



When between the two last crossings of the Sweetwater, we were obliged to cross some high ridges, which were a part of the Wind River Mts. Our camp was then within seven or eight miles of the last crossing of the Sweetwater, a place called Willow Creek. Here we were blockaded by a tremendous snow storm which lasted about forty hours.



During this time we were all obliged to keep in our wagons. Christian Hayer [Hyer] was the first one to come out and make a fire, and I was the next to join him.



Brother Hayer and myself then started to go up the creek to find our cattle. We found quite a number that were yet alive but the largest number we saw in that direction had perished.



After returning to camp, we found quite a number of the people up, and they listened very anxiously to our report which was very discouraging.



Apostle [Ezra Taft] Benson, the captain of our company, Called for volunteers to go to George A. Smith's camp, which was within about three miles back on Strawberry Creek, to ascertain the situation there of both men and beast.



Brother Christian Hayer [Hyer] and myself volunteered to go. We started out afoot, and found it to be a very hard and tedious journey, because the snow was nearly waist deep. Our path lay over a ridge between the two creeks--But we found Brother Smith's camp and learned that they were situated in circumstances very similar to our own. Brother Smith was just then sending some of the strongest men to go down on Sweetwater to hunt up the cattle.



We then returned to our camp and told them what we had learned. While we were away, a number of our strong men had gone down the creek to Sweetwater to look for our cattle, and they were fortunate in finding the great majority of our cattle in quite a good condition, considering the awful storm. There was an abundance of large willows there which had served both as food and as shelter. Those of the cattle that had gone down the river, or creek, had fared much better than those that had gone up the creek.



When these brethren returned with this favorable report, our great anxiety for our welfare was much relieved. We camped in this place three days.



After gathering up all the cattle we could find, we then found that we were about 70 or 80 head short. This necessitated our yoking up and putting into service every animal that could do any work.



When we had travelled about ten miles, we came out of the snow to bare ground and next day we reached the Pacific Springs where our cattle had good food again. From there we traveled on and had good luck until we reached Salt Lake City, October 25, 1849[.]

Transcript for Canute Peterson autobiography, 1900, 19-25

DUP Pioneer History Collection

Mary Margaret Forquhar Cruickshank Morrison, reminiscences

"Mary Margaret Forquhar Cruickshank Morrison, reminiscences", DUP Pioneer History Collection, Page 4-5.

It would take too much time to enter into every detail that transpired during those intervals on our sad journey. Nevertheless in the spring of 1856 our faces still turning Zionward, we again commenced our journey from St. Louis, by way of Omaha, and from there crossing the plains by ox team. For six weeks we remained in camp at Omaha living in tents, waiting for the company to get ready. On the 26th of June, 1856 we commenced our journey across the plains. We were sixty wagons in all with Canute Petersen as Captain of our company. He was a wise and most efficient leader. During our journey our cattle stampeded five times. A young man from Denmark was run over and instantly killed, but otherwise there were no other accidents on the journey. On the 14th of July a herd of buffalo passed right through our camp. This surely was a great sight and as no accident occurred we were indeed very thankful for the preserving care which had been around us.


On the 23rd of September we arrived in Salt Lake City in good health and glad to meet many dear friends with whom we were acquainted before we left England.

Transcript for "Mary Margaret Forquhar Cruickshank Morrison, reminiscences," 4-5.

Jens Christian Nielsen, reminiscences

"Jens Christian Nielsen, reminiscences", DUP Pioneer History Collection, Page 55-56.

Now we commenced our journey across the great desert or plains and we got along all right. I had no trouble in driving the team as I had driven oxen before. When we came to the first river which was very deep it could not be crossed with teams. The wagons was took over on a ferry boat and the oxen and cows swum over and there was many men that like to swim that water. I was generally at hand to do all I could for the Saints. I did swim that river three times after cattle with my clothes on. That was all right but after we got everything across, I was ordered to stand guard in the night and given no opportunity to get dry clothes on. That was more than I could stand and the chills took hold of me and I suffered greatly for 400 miles in my driving work and sometimes I thought I would die. But I did get over it.


When I came to Salt Lake I was well. Now I am not keeping any journal but will say that we had our trials especially in crossing rivers and in the buffalo country. Many times our oxen stampeded. The man that I drove for was run over and picked up for dead. But he came to. Laid him up in the wagon the balance of the road. At another stampede a man was run over and died on the spot. Another time a hind axle was broke and no wheelright in camp so it fell on me to make an axle of a green cottonwood and I made it and Bro. Lee had blacksmith tools, so I got it all fixed up but that was a hard day for it happened on a sand hill and blowing almost a hurricane. We had many stampedes but those were the worst. Well the oxen began to give out, got tender footed and some had to be [blank space] some dying and the Saints had to unload their things on the plains and I saw some emptying feathers from their featherbeds. Then we had to dig wells for water for our stock and sometimes it was not good when we found it. I do not know how many oxen did die but some teams lost half. Our team I drove did not lose any but Follen's [Pollen's] wagon was an old light wagon two good yoke oxen, two cows.


When we came to Sweet Water there was snow on the ground and very cold. The Green River was quite cold for women to wade across and grass got scarce for our teams but I did not hear much grumbling. Many old ladys walked nearly all the way from Florence. Knude [Canute] Petersen [Peterson] was Captain of this company but left the English or one half the company at Laramie on account of grass not being enough for so large a company he took the Danish Saints and went on. Well that is all about crossing the plains, the reader may guess the balance. I will forever say that the Saints had much patience and would dance and sing around the campfires and bake bread with buffalo chips and praying, singing the songs of Zion.


SEPTEMBER 22nd—We arrived in Salt Lake City.

Transcript for "Jens Christian Nielsen, reminiscences", DUP Pioneer History Collection, Page 55-56.

Daughters of Utah Pioneers. DUP Pioneer History Collection.

"Funeral of Pres. Peterson," Deseret News

"Funeral of Pres. Peterson," Deseret News, October 20, 1902.

"Funeral of Pres. Peterson," Deseret News.

Historical Department journal history of the Church

Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008. Supplement after 31 December 1849: Page 11.

Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008. Supplement after 31 December 1849: Page 12D.

CR 100 137: Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008, September 20, 1856, Page 1-4.

Historical Department journal history of the Church.

John Powell autobiography and journal

John Powell autobiography and journal, June 1849.

Transcript for John Powell autobiography and journal, 1849 June-1901 April, 45-55

John Powell autobiography and journal.

Lever, W. H. History of Sanpete and Emery Counties, Utah

Lever, W. H. History of Sanpete and Emery Counties, Utah.

Madsen, Andrew, Autobiographical sketch ca. 1908

Madsen, Andrew, Autobiographical sketch ca. 1908.

About June 1st, President [Canute] Peterson gathered a company and we sailed on a steamboat to Winter Quarters, now Florence, Nebraska, where we began making preparations for the journey across the plains to Utah. While we were getting fitted out a number of us secured labor erecting a wall around a farm, and in about three weeks were fitted out. Our outfit consisted of sixty wagons and two yoke of oxen, with six to ten persons to each wagon.	
President Peterson was our Captain and appointed an assistant captain for each ten wagons. We started on our journey for Salt Lake City, June 10, 1856. The first day’s journey was a hard one. Some of our oxen were wild and we did not know how to handle them and consequently did not make much headway the first day. The following day we made good headway. It was very hot and our oxen became very tired, traveling with their tongues out, some of them getting overheated and dying. We were compelled to leave some of our supplies, owing to our heavy loads and this was taken off and left. After a few weeks journey we reached the unsettled[,] wild west, where the buffaloes were grazing in great herds.
One day there was a stampede and our oxen became frightened, rushing together, one outfit crashing into the other. The women and children became frightened, some of the wagons were broken and a few of our number were hurt and one man killed, which caused a gloom to pass over us. He was buried in a coffin such as we could prepare. We then repaired our outfits and journeyed on. A few of the buffalo were killed, dressed for beef and divided among our company.
Now and again the Indians were seen roaming from one side of the valley to the other and on occasions they would come to visit us. In order to maintain a friendly feeling, we would oft times give them some of our supplies and provisions such as we could spare. We were compelled to guard our oxen at all times when we were not travelling to prevent them from being driven away or stolen by the Indians. We were called together morning and night by the sound of a bugle to receive our instructions. Sundays, we had meetings and regular services were conducted, adding much comfort and pleasure to our journey.
Sometimes we had dances on the green grass and enjoyed ourselves as best we could. During the days while journeying along, nearly all of us walked except those who were sick and the smaller children. We went along laughing and singing the songs and hymns of Zion. We arrived at Salt Lake City, September 20, 1856 and on the entire journey of three months not more than a half dozen persons were seen outside of our own company. Not a house was seen from Elk Horn River, near Omaha to Salt Lake City, except a government post at Laramie, Wyoming, also a trading post about twenty miles therefrom and Fort Bridger also in Wyoming.
The only thing that attracted our attention was the various tribes of Indians wandering about, the herds of buffalo, deer, antelope, and now and then the sound of some wild animal and the howling of the lone coyote.
[Edited version of this autobiography also published in The Personal History of Andrew Madsen and the Early History of Sanpete County and Mt. Pleasant, Utah [1968], G5-G6.]

Transcript for Madsen, Andrew, Autobiographical sketch ca. 1908

Nielsen, Jens Christian, History of Jens Christian Nielsen, 1847-1888, 60-61

Nielsen, Jens Christian, History of Jens Christian Nielsen, 1847-1888, 60-61.

June 15, 1856 Sunday the most of us went to the Emigrants camping ground of the Danish Saints. There was dance to 10 o'clock p.m. and then we went back to Omaha (Florence a new place) and I began to hunt for a place for myself, Maria, and her sister Else. Did not find any for myself but Brother Morten Lund would like to take Else.
June 16, 1856 I hunted work but did not find any.
June 17—I got work in digging a shelter, together with A. Fredericksen, and to June 21 made $9.00 and I got work again by the 25th made $8.00.
June 25, 1856 Came Brother N.L. Christensen from camp and said I could get to drive a team and that way work my way through, and by paying Bro. Samuel Lee $30.00 he would take Maria, and Bro. Lund would take Else with for nothing. So I made haste in getting ready as the emigration was to start the next morning. Now $30.00 was very near all my money and I needed some boots and clothing. What could I do? Bro. Christensen said to me if you do not take a girl with you it will be hard for you to get one when you come up to Utah, but there was no time for me to hunt a girl and go into engagement, so I concluded to try my luck. This Maria was very anxious to get up and I paid the $30.00 for her without any engagement whatever, nor a word on my money.
June 26, 1856 Got a wagon, got my things packed off and left Omaha for Florence camp ground and I got a place to drive English Brother F. Pollens' team and paying the $30.00 for Maria to Lee's English family.
Now we commenced our journey across the great desert or plains and we got along all right. I had no trouble in driving my team as I had drove Oxen before. When we came to the first river, which was very deep, could not be crossed with teams. The wagons were took over on a ferry boat and the oxen and cows to be swimmed over, and there was not too many men that liked to swim that water. I was generally handy to do all I could for the saints. I did swim that river three times after cattle, with my clothes on. That went all right, but after we got everything across I was ordered to stand guard in the night and given no opportunity to get dry clothes on. That was more than I could stand and the chills took hold of me and I suffered greatly for 400 miles in doing my work. It was hard and some thought I would die, but I did get over it. When I came to Salt Lake I was well.
Now I am not keeping any journal but will say that we had our trials, especially in crossing rivers and in the buffalo country many times our oxen stampeded. The man that I drove for was run over and picked up for dead, but came to but laid up in the wagon most of the balance of the road. At another stampede a man was run over and died on the spot. Another time a hind axle was broke and no wheel-wright in camp, so it fell on me to make an axle out of a green cottonwood and I made it and Brother Lee had blacksmith tools so we got it all fixed up, but that was a hard day for it happened on a sand hill and was blowing almost a hurricane. We had many stampedes but those were of the worst. Well, the oxen began to give out, got tender footed and had to be shod, and some dying and the saints had to unload their things on the plains, and I saw some emptying out the feathers from their featherbeds.
Then we had to dig wells for water for our stock and sometimes it was not good when we found it. I do not know how many oxen did die, but some teams lost half. Our team I drove did not lose any, but Tollins wagon was an old light wagon with two good yoke oxen.
When we came to Sweetwater there was snow on the ground and cold, and Green River was quite cold for women to wade across, and grass got a little sscarce for our teams, but I did not hear much grumbling. Many old ladies walking nearly all the way from Florence.
Knute Petersen was the Captain of this company, but left the English, or one-half of the company, at Laramie, on account of grass not being enough for so large a company. He took the Danish and went on. We, that is all about crossing the plains. The reader may guess the balance. I will however say that the Saints had much patience and would dance and sing around those camp fires and bake the bread by the buffalo chips, praying, singing the songs of Zion.
September 22, 1856 We arrived in Salt Lake City and I left Brother Pollen, the same staying in Brother Reiser's home that night.

Transcript for Nielsen, Jens Christian, History of Jens Christian Nielsen, 1847-1888, 60-61

Peterson, Canute, Autobiography 1900, 140-41

Peterson, Canute, Autobiography 1900, 140-41.

<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Letter written at St. Louis May 17, 1856</center>
I will leave St. Louis on the 20th with a large company, so you see I have a great deal to do. I feel glad for the confidence the Brethern place in me. And I know that I have not an enemy among the Saints, for all those who have come across the Sea with me, wish to go with me to the Valley. I think if the Lord blessed me as He has done, I will bring you a stove. I will bring you some dried fruit, and Peter a knife and Sarah some candy, and also the book. Kiss Peter and Sarah for me and I will pay you when I come home.
Letter written at Ft. Laramie, Aug. 13, 1856
My family I am bringing home consists of 267 souls, 52 wagons, 260 head of cattle, and 9 horses. Now if you can beat that I think you have done well. We have had 3 deaths, and 2 births, so the loss is about one.
I must tell you one thing I have not told you before. And that is about myself. I am very much plagued with rheumitism in my hips so that I limp considerable when I walk. I can say that I am broke down in my body, but not in Spirit. I am glad to tell you that I am broke down for the Kingdom’s sake. I have been faithful on my mission, and the Lord has blessed me more than many of my Brethern. I hope to see you about seven week’s from now, If I am prospered in my journey. The wind blows too much for me to write. Tell the children I am more than half way across the plains, the grass is poor, buffaloes plenty, Indians plenty, I will tell you more when I come home.
I will now draw my writing to a close. May the Lord bless you and all I am in duty bound to pray for.
From your husband in the new and ever-lasting Covenant. Canute Peterson

Transcript for Peterson, Canute, Autobiography 1900, 140-41

Pett, James, [Autobiography], in Marble, B. Glen, comp., Mormon Marbles: Roots and Branches [1977?], 71-74

Pett, James, [Autobiography], in Marble, B. Glen, comp., Mormon Marbles: Roots and Branches [1977?], 71-74.

Having arrived at Council Bluffs and waiting for a chance to cross the Missouri River, which was difficult that season on account of very high water as it overflowed the bottoms from bluff to bluff, hundreds of emigrants was waiting for the water to recede so that they might cross. And time went on and we were eating up our stock of provisions pretty fast that we had laid in for the journey and the season advancing, it being now July 20th. I concluded to stop over for another season and let my brother John take my share of the outfit and continue the journey with his family as he had quite a family of boys and girls. So after waiting so long they crossed the river and started out on the plains and reached the Valley in September. And I stopped at Council Bluffs and had to remain there for three years through sickness and other causes. I found work at my trade with fair wages from $1.50 to $2.00 per day and had made a little money. I was taken sick with chills and fever (which was something unknown in my native land) and winter coming on fast and it looked very gloomy, and after a while my wife and son, Henry, was taken down with the fever and we were all down together with not a great abundance of this world's comforts. We had to lay sick altogether in the same bed in a little old log cabin that had been deserted by the Mormon people, and as we all lay sick in bed, part of the roof of the cabin fell in upon us during a rain storm, which added nothing to our comfort, but I was compelled, sick as I was, to get out of bed and move our bed to another corner of the house and put something over our heads to keep the storm off. Once in a while, some of our neighbors would come in to see us and prescribe for us, as we knew not what to do as we were strangers in a strange country. But in the course of a month or six weeks, we recovered from our sickness and moved into the city of Council Bluffs and I remained in very poor health for about a year and a half. I could get out to work occasionally and make a little money so that we could live, and after I became acclimated to the country, I began to prosper and everything that I needed seemed to come to us by an overruling Providence for the balance of our time in the Bluffs which was one year and a half. I done some work for a man and took a wagon for my pay and then I got a yoke of oxen from another man and I earned some money in helping to build a flour mill on the river just across from where the city of Omaha is now. 
And in the spring of l855, Nebraska was opened for settlement and times were good and in the spring of 1856, my wife, Mary, gave birth to a fine daughter on March 14th, 1856, and we named her Mary Elizabeth after her mother and Aunt Elizabeth Sheler. 
And as the season opened we made preparations to cross the Plains and we crossed over the Missouri River in July and there was an old couple by the name of Rose (that came from Birmingham, England, where I did) and they wanted me to take them across the plains in my wagon, which I did, he paying me $20.00 for the privilege. We were then at old Winter Quarters (now called Florence) in Nebraska. The Indians occupied the country then. We waited for several days before we could get started, and we could only find about ten families of English speaking people to form a company, that not being enough to travel through an Indian country, and as there was a Scandinavian company about ready to start, we asked the privilege to travel with them which was granted, making 46 wagons all told. And Canute Pedersen [Peterson], who had just returned from a mission in Denmark, was appointed Captain of the company, which appointment he filled to the satisfaction of all concerned, as he proved himself to be a man of good sense and judgement. And after his arrival home was appointed President of the Sanpete Stake of Zion. And now begins a journey a thousand miles across plains, hills and mountains to Salt Lake City, a country that the Indians had full control with the exception of the United States. They had three forts on the way with soldiers there to protect the immigrants and the United States mails, which was carried by the Pony Express from Fort Leavenworth in Nebraska to California. And the country was inhabited by white men, Salt Lake City excepted. Indians, buffaloes, wolves and coyotes with other game such as deer, antelope, ducks, geese, and sage hens were plentiful. In starting out the first day we made but very little headway, for driving ox teams was a new thing to nine-tenths of the immigrants. A few of us had driven oxen before, and we English speaking people traveled together and understood as also Captain [Canute] Pedersen [Peterson] could talk good English, and sometimes he desired that we should bring up the rear and at other times take the lead. But I shall never forget the first weeks travel. The Scandinavian Saints harnessed their oxen something after the manner we harness our horses, and as neither oxen or their drivers was hardly broke in, it was amusing to see the start of the train of 46 wagons, and to most of the teams there was as many drivers as there were oxen. Each driver had a rope tied to the hornes of the ox to hold him in line, as the oxen did not understand the language yet and did not know when to stop, to come here or go there, only as he was led by the rope. The Captain had drove oxen before and he gave them lessons daily so that at the end of a week or ten days, the drivers could give the word of command and we began to make better time. At first we made from four to six miles per day, and after that from six to twelve miles per day, and kept increasing until we made twenty miles per day, which was considered a good day's drive for oxen. The first day in the evening when Ben Hamtion, Sr., was taking his wheel oxen off the tongue of the wagon, they made a jump and knocked him down and injured him severely and it laid him up for four or five weeks and someone else had to drive his team for him. And after traveling about three weeks, we had crossed the Elkhorn River and the South Fork River, which are tributaries of the River Platte. We had arrived at Wood River and there being no bridge and no ford, we had to go to work and build a bridge before we could cross. So we selected a place and felled some trees that was growing on the bank right across the river and then laid poles and brush across the trees for covering and so passed over. And it was here that we saw the first buffalo, this being about 200 miles out on the plains. And here the Captain appointed six men to hunt game for the company (I was one of the party selected) as we needed to obtain all the eatables we could get as our company was made up of the laboring class and mostly poor people. We were making good headway at that time, but as we neared the buffalo country, our cattle would get scared and stampede. (runaway), and it was here on Wood River we had the first stampede and we had them occasionally until we got into the Black Hill west of old Fort Laramie. And one day in July they broke and run away and as a young man from Denmark was trying to stop his team, he was knocked down and killed right there, and had to be bured there on the plains without a coffin or any mourners for he was alone. He left his father and mother in Denmark. He was going to the Valley to make a home for them, but it was ordered otherwise. And as we traveled on, we came into immense herds of buffalo. For three days we had to have guards out with their guns to keep them from dashing through the train and stampeding the cattle. And after laying in a good supply of buffalo beef, we then took and jerked and smoked it and moved on a few miles out of the way of the buffalo and stopped to celebrate the 24th of July by corralling our wagons for the day and had a variety of amusements by way of dancing, songs, eating, picnics, speeches and having a good time generally. And while the dancing was going on, myself and Joseph Hawkins slipped out behind the carrel (as we had been told by the Captain to stop shooting any more buffalo) and took our guns along with the intention to kill a buffalo calf to take with us on our journey. So we took for the hills and about a mile from camp we came across a bunch of them and there was a calf among them, so we both shot at the calf but missed it. We were hiding behind a ridge and they run off a distance and stopped and I followed them behind the ridge. They did not see me and I made another shot at the calf but missed it. The distance, I should guess, was about 150 yards, but I hit a two-year old heifer, and she fell dead, and we packed what each one of us could carry and went back to camp unnoticed as dancing was still going on, and that was the last buffalo that was killed by us. That was on the 24th of July, 1856, and the next day we resumed our journey and reached the crossing of the Platte at Fort Laramie, and then traveled up the North Platte and here we stopped and set some wagon tires and shod our cattle, as some of them were getting foot sore and here in the hills among the timber we found ruffled grouse (what we call pine hens in Utah) and after that we found plenty of sage hens and jack rabbits, and the Indians would bring dear and antelope meat and trade with us. This was on the Sweetwater [Sweetwater] and South Pass country, and here at South Pass is the backbone of the Rocky Mountains. The streams change their course, running west instead of running east, which appeared strange to novices. And after crossing Big and Little Sandy, there we encountered the first snow storm, being about the first of September, and coming to the Green River, we found a good ford and crossed over and camped, and next day we came to Old Fort Bridger, named after an old Indian trader, Jim Bridger, who offered President Brigham Young a thousand dollars in 1847 (when the Pioneers were passing the Fort coming to the valleys of Utah) for the first ear of corn they could raise here and declared they would starve if they came here as it was a perfected desert with no rain or moisture. And we traveled on over hills and hollows and came down to the head of echo canyon, and there a little incident occurred of a serious nature. As one of the teamsters was driving his team carelessly along not paying any attention to a short bend in the trail, allowed his team to come too close to the edge of a deep gulley and over the wagn went and turned upside down with his family in it, wagon and contests on top of them. A hole was made and we went to work and took the wagon away in short order, and found that they had come off better than we expected; no bones broken but badly cut and bruised, and the wife almost scared to death. And getting hooked again we made the Weber River crossover and began to ascent the Big Mountain and down and over the Little Mountain down into Emigration Canyon, and soon we had a beautiful view of Salt Lake Valley and came down and camped on the 8th Ward Square, that being September 28th, 1856.

Transcript for Pett, James, [Autobiography], in Marble, B. Glen, comp., Mormon Marbles: Roots and Branches [1977?], 71-74

William Morrison journal

William Morrison journal, February 1851.

12th. June, 1856 on board the steamer Arabia on her way up to Florence with a company of saints under the presidency of elder John Banks.[illegible] I wrote letters to father and mother Cruikshank and brother George, and desire to remember Welling soon. I have been appointed to preside over the lower part of the Arabia, and hold fellowship meetings morning and evening. Bro. Ellis is my counselor, Bros. Banks, Church and Harris are our presidents. [illegible] We left St. Louis Mon. 2nd. Inst



6th. July, 1856. Encamped at Shell Creek. We left Florence Thur. 26th. June, 1856.



Wood River, 16th. July, 1856. An accident occurred among the Danish saints which has detained us here 30 hours. The health of the camp is good. We had a buffalo bull run right through our train on the 14th inst. This was a great sight. On the same evening a general meeting of the camp was convened by Captn. [Canute] Peterson. We have morning and evening meetings where we enjoy the fellowship of the Holy Spirit—all is well.[illegible] My dear wife is astonishingly well and bears up [to] accomplish all the duties which devolve upon her [and] help[s] me often with the cattle and wagon.



14th. Sept. 1856. Comfortably situated in our wagon 83 miles from Salt Lake City, with the two yoke of cattle still alive although one of them has been sick since we left Green River. As they are the property of Capt. Adams who has been the means of my crossing the plains, and who returned back from Ft. Laramie, leaving me all the provisions and the wagon and teams [illegible] until we reach the city, together with a N.Y. charter oak stove on the way to be delivered to me free of charge. I am very desirous that they should live and sell at a goodly price. [illegible] we hope to be able to keep up with [illegible] Capt. Peterson, but [illegible] shall take care of the cattle [illegible] not mine.



Thurs. 11th. Dec. 1856. Arrived at the City of the Great Salt Lake on the (20th.) day of September 1856. [illegible] All the cattle were alive. I drove three loads of wood from South Mill Creek Kanyon until conference, when I came to Farmington, leaving my dear wife comfortably housed in the 5th ward, from whence she removed in my absence to the house of Bro. and Sis. Biggs, near the Lion House, where she is now expecting daily to be confined.

Transcript for William Morrison journal, 1851 February-1889 August, 14

William Morrison journal.

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