John Thomas Riddle (1803 - 1887) Profile

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John Thomas Riddle

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Duke, Jonathan Oldham

Duke, Jonathan Oldham, Vol. 1.

traveled on in company with Br. Maler and Adams and Br Richard Smith to the Bluffs were we stayed about a week and moved down to the lower ferry with Br smith and joined Br Steven [Stephen Chadwick] Perrys ten in David Bennetts 50 in James Paces 100



Crossed the Missouri and started on the 13 of June and traveled 12 miles and camped at a point of timber[.] this night brother [Luther] Warner was taken sick with the Cholera



14th. Capt Bennett thought it expedient for the company to move on leaving our ten to take care of Br Warner Who died the same day[.] after intering him as decently as circumstances would admit this evening we held a &lt;prayer&gt; meeting in which while I was speaking the spirit of the Lord came upon me[.] I rebuked the destroyer and prophesized that inasmuch as our company of ten would be faithful the destroyer should have no more power over us



15. moved forward to overtake the comp[an]y who had forsaken us in so cowardly a manner when the destroyer first made his attack upon us[.] we had traveled more than 12 miles before we met David Bennett the Captain of our fifty who informed us that our beloved Sister [Margaret Kennedy] Dana the wife of Charles R Dana had fallen a prey to the destroying plague and that several more were at the point of Death[.] at this intellgence consternation or the soleminities of death were depicted upon many Countenances and many hearts were uplifted to God in prayer that he would spare his people from the power of the destroyer[.] we Camped early this afternoon near Bennetts Compy and several of us were called to assist in intering Sister Dille the wife of David Buel Dille a Woman of a meek and quiet Spirit whose &lt;loss&gt; is greatly deplored by her relatives and friends[.] at this place which we called Cholera Creek five of our brethern and Sisters were buried but blessed be God the power of the destroyer is in a great measure stayed



17. Camp moved on 6 miles and Stayed to bury Br. Keyes at our noon halt who had died on the road[.] traveled 8 miles further and Camped at a point of timber[.] this night the Indians stole 2 horses which belonged to Henry Kinsley [Kingsley]



18 trav[eled] 16 m[iles]



19. 4m and stayed to wash



20 trav 18m Camped at wood &amp; water



21 this evening married G B [David B.] Dille and Sister [Louisa Hortt] Doffermire [Doffelmeyer]



22 trav 18m



23: 15m Camped on Clear Creek



24. 8m Came with Br Paces Company and camped on the bank of Platte River



25 washed here[.] Sister Malery [Mallory] died allso a Child of Lees



26 moved for this night[.] Br Karnes and a boy of Br Keyes making 11 persons[.] for several days we have passed 3 or 4 graves a day of our bretheren or Sisters[.] among them was our beloved brother T Kirk of Pisga



27 we this day passed a large Indian village and camped on the south Branch of Platte



28. drove 14 m an C[amped] on R[iver] Bottom[.] plenty of wood



29: 6m C on R B[ottom]



30 3m Sunday[.] had meeting was called on to speak



July 1st. passed a bad Slue [slough.] C on the paraire



2nd. 16m. bad water



3rd. opposite fort Kearney



4th. 15m. got wood by Crossing a slue on the River



5. 15m. C on the River



6. 11m. C on a branch of the river opposite timber



7 had meeting Sunday the 3rd. General Epistle of the First Presidency was read and the minutes of the Conferance was read. a good Spirit prevails in our camp



8. 12m. this mor[n]ing[.] for the first time we saw some Buffalo[.] Several Started on pursuit wounded one. did not get it



9. 20m. C 1½m. from River



10 drove 15 mile[.] C on R B near a Slue[.] plenty of dry willows[.] Camped in sight of a herd of Buffalo's[.] this night Sister Agnes Norde died of the bloody flux.



11th. 10m. C 4m. from R by a beutifull Creek and springs of water



12. 14m[.] C on the same creek near a good spring[.] this night Sister Jane Russell died of diarea



13. 12m. C on R B 1½m. from the R[.] today Br Dille shot a Buffalo[.] carried home 50 lb[.] Ephraim Smith &amp; George Grin[n]ell each shot one



&lt;had&gt; service sunday[.] James Smith[,] Charles Dana[,] Sylvanus Hulett [Halett] killed one and brought 50 lbs to camp where upon Capt Bennett gave orders that none should go hunting without orders and not to kill anything withouta probability of getting the same home to camp



15th. 15m.



16th. 15 mile camped at the middle ford of Platte[.] here Ephraim Smith and George Grinell killed a deer



17 Crossed the River and went 4m. and C opposite the old fort.



18. 18m. C at the mouth of ash hollow[.] late this night Br Orson Hyde came to camp on his way to the Valley



19 moved 1m. to the River for the purpose of washing and setting tire



20th. 3 tens moved 5 mile[.] Br Dille's and Murdocks tens staying to finish setting tire



21 Sunday[.] when they came up we were called together for to hold meeting[.] when Br Bennett Called upon me to preach which I did[.] here a vote was taken to establish Br Dana in his office as journalist of the company



22nd. trav 12m. a sandy road C by the River



23. 16m. C by the R[.] good feed



24. 16m. C on R



25. 18m. Camped opposite C&lt;himney&gt; rock[.] had prayer meeting this evening



26 visited Chimney rock and trav 7 mil[.] C on River



27 <s>Sunday</s> rainey remained in Camp



28. 16 mile Camped between Scot[t]s bluf[f.] night cold



29 14m. Camped in R Bottom[.] &lt;this day had a sever[e] hail storm[.]&gt; good feed took right hand road to feed



30. 15m. Camp 1 mile from a trading house



31 14 mile Camped 3 mile from &lt;fort laramie&gt; an indian village



August 1[.] Crossed Loring Creek visited the fort[.] took the right hand road[.] Camped 4m. from Larimie [Laramie]



2nd. left the river crossed a mountainious country trav and C in a small creek of good water Called Cottonwood Creek



3 trav 10m Left the road and Camped on the river[.] feed good



4. &amp; 5 repaired waggons



6 Crossed horse Shoe creek 13m. Camped opposite red rock



7. 8m. C on a bottom near the river[.] feed good



8 our ten tarried behind the Com Setting tire untill 10 A m then went 5 mile[.] Killed 2 Buffalo



9 trav 16m C on the Labontie [La Bonte]



10 the Comy started on leaveing us again[,] one of our steers being missing[.] followed on about noon Camped ½ mile to the right of road at bason spring[.] wood and feed



11th. Started on came up with 3 waggons of Murdocks ten and camped with them



12 monday morning[.] started very early overtook Bennetts Comy before they started and was gratly hurt in my feelings at hearing that Bennett had proposed to take all the strong teams and move forward and leave the weak teams to come on as well as they could. we all trav on to deer Creek w[h]ere we all remained for 2 days



15 the Comy moved forward 10m C at Muddy Creek



16: 8m C on R Bottom



17. 14m Crossed the upper ford and Camped



18 Sunday Cold and rainey[.] 10m took the left hand road or new route and C on Platte Bottom[.] this was our last caming place on Platte River



19 very wet and cold[.] remained in camp



20 trav on to within 2 mile of willow springs



21. 7m Camp on a small Creek to the left of road



22 James and myself went to the Salerates Lakes and got a good Supply of Salerates and camped on Sweetwater



23 Some Brethren went to hunt Buffalo[.] James [Duke] was among them but when he returned to camp this evening he was very sick, with Mountain Fever. he was sick nigh unto death.



24 Camped this night at Devil's Gate.



25 Sunday. Remained in camp.



26 Camped on Sweet Water and crossed it twice.



27 Moved forward and camped on the Sweet Water [Sweetwater] at ford #3. Here James was so ill that we tarried behind on the 28th to give him a lobelia ameta. Bro. Richard Smith and family tarrying with us. We moved on in the evening 3 miles and camped with Bro. Riddle.



29 Traveled 7 miles and overtook the camp who were waiting for brothers Bennett, James and Rufus Smith who had gone out the day before and had not returned.



30 18 miles. Camped on Sweet Water.



31 James continued very sick so we traveled in the rear of the company. Camped on Sweet Water.



Sept. 1st. Traveled over the mountain and camped on the Sweet Water.



2 Traveled behind the company. Bro. Smith accompanying us.



3 Stopped for the night where the camp made their noon halt. Brothers Stevens and Elisha Malery [Mallory] staying with us. Passed Twin mountains 1 mile and took the right hand road to find a camping place and found the camp on Sweet Water so stayed with them.



4 Nooned at Pacific Springs and took the left hand road which was the new route and camped on a small to the left of the road. feed good.



5 Traveled 22 miles and camped on Big Sandy.



6 Crossed the creek near our camping place and struck the [text missing] in 2 miles. Drove 10 miles and camped on Big Sandy. Feed poor and sage for fuel.



7. 18 miles. Camped on Green River 1 mile above the ford. Here was James Pace's 50.



8 Had meeting. Bro. Pace called on me to open the meeting and speak to the people.



9 20 miles. Camped on Black Fork.



10 moved 5m up the Creek



11. 15 mile Camped on Black Fork



12. 15m Camped opposite fort Bridger



13 Took the new route or right hand road and C on a creek in a Valley after coming down a Steep decent



14. 5 teams had the priviledge of going ahead of the train because our teams were weak[.] C on Sulpher Creek



15 came up with the Comy on Bear river but with the consent of the cap passed on and C on yellow Creek



16 trav 10 mile and C in Echo Kanyon [Canyon] where we were overtaken by the train



17 trav with train and C near [...] fork of Weber river



18 moved 6m camped on Weber were Paces 50 were[.] this evening had a dance



19 camped this night on Kanyon [Canyon] creek



20 trav 10 mile and camped



21 lost many of our cattle and did not start till late[.] got upon the mountain at sun sit and had for the first time a view of the Valley of the great &lt;Salt L&gt; and decended the mountain that night[.] it was quite dark before we got down the Mountain[.] we camped 13 mile from G S L City



22 we got into the Valley early in afternoon and camped on the bench, w[h]ere if it had &lt;not&gt; been so misty we should have had a good view of the City



I now feel to give thanks and praise the God of Israel for his goodness unto me and my family in bringing us into this place to be associated with the best men of the Earth and also that my son James is recovering his health and that according to my faith my cattle have been preserved.

Transcript for Duke, Jonathan Oldham vol 1

Duke, Jonathan Oldham.

DUP Pioneer History Collection

The Life of Isaac Riddle

"The Life of Isaac Riddle", DUP Pioneer History Collection, Page 2.

. . . when Father returned [from his mission to Kentucky] in 1850 and saw how well the family had been cared for and the good condition our belongings were in, he said: well, boy, it's now for Utah.


We began the journey in July, crossing the Missouri the 12th day of that month, this was in the summer of 1850. I was then 20 years old and was one elected, by the company with which we traveled, to hunt wild meat. When we struck the Platt[e] river we followed the old trail of the California gold hunters, a company on it's way to the Golden Gate had journeyed along that way a few weeks ahead of us and the trail was marked here and there with the newly made graves of it's members who had died with the cholera. It was not long before this dread disease struck our company and quite a number were taken away by it. Father took it but he had had it once before and directed Mother and myself how to take care of him. He suffered much but by our ministrations and our prayers he recovered.


On the 15th day of September we reached Salt Lake City, a small village, there were a few log cabins, adobe houses, sage brush and myriads of black crickets that ate up all the green stuff that grew.

John Thomas Riddle

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