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Louise Charlotte Leuba

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DUP Pioneer History Collection

Louise Graehl, reminiscences

"Louise Graehl, reminiscences", DUP Pioneer History Collection.

It was in the beginning of July that our tiresome journey across the plains was begun. We found out when we were ready to start that we lacked many things that would be needed on the road and that it would be difficult to procure them. Father had met some people that had discouraged him and one fine afternoon taking his trunk and his gun, he started for the village, where he had not been able to coax me to remain for I was afraid of the country, for there were so many apostates around, and I had not left my beautiful country to make my home anywhere outside of Zion.


That afternoon was a sad one for me, for I felt bad for my husband [George Louis Graehl] and didn't know how I could manage to travel alone with my children. The sisters came and comforted me promising that I would certainly be helped. But in the evening my husband came back having met a good brother who promised him that he would procure the desired articles, and so we resumed our journey.


We had been traveling a few days, I was in the wagon with my three little ones [George Louis, Marie Adeline, Fanny] when all at once we had a stampede. Our team composed of two yokes of oxen and another one, started running in the grass that at that place was about five feet high. Sometimes the wagons came near wrecking each other, then again the gay animals ran in different directions not seeming to feel any trouble at pulling their heavy loads. At last they were stopped, our companion losing one yoke of oxen that could not be found again. After such a scare we were glad to walk to camp, but it was not so easy for me for I had to carry my little girl in one arm and baby in the other and to find my way through the high grass I was very much afraid that I would trample on a rattle snake. Well, we arrived in camp at last; it was past dinner time. The good sisters came to welcome us and give us some dinner. But the next day and for quite a long time I could not persuade the children to ride in the wagon and as for myself I had to help father drive and I tell you it was a pretty hard job to help driving through a long summer day with a baby in my arms and another at my side crying to be carried too, but after a time we had no more runaways and the children rode in the wagon for I still had to help to drive and as little George wanted his mamma so bad and was always creeping to the front of the wagon trying to come to her, we had to tie him to the wagon so he would not fall out and kill himself and I think to this day he feels bad about it.


Well, we had many adventures in crossing the plains; they would fill a volume if we could write them all, but as the time is short I will only write about a few. My husband had not been well since we left the old country, and now he became worse and had to keep his bed in the wagon so I had to drive. That was alright for some of the sisters helped to drive sometimes but what made it hard for me was that we had a kind of yoke for oxen that were not strong enough. They were tied with buckstring [buckskin] strings that would wear out and break at any time causing me much trouble. Once, for instance, it was dusk we were a little behind the company when our yoke broke and our oxen ran away to camp about two miles off. There we were right in the road, obliged to stay alone until some good brother by chance meeting our oxen, had the kindness to come to our rescue. I could not light a fire for I had no materials so I sat on the front seat holding my axe in my hands ready to try to defend myself and dear ones from the wolves who were howling around, or possibly the indians. So I waited until midnight when some brothers came for us. They made a big fire to scare the wolves away and we slept by turn until morning.


Another time there was a river to cross, again it was toward evening and we were the last of the company. There was no one to help us as our captain was absent. "What are you going to do" called dear father from his bed. "I am going to drive right over and the Lord will help us." I answered, and we did it alright. At camp in the evening, the captain went around to find out who had helped sister G. Well, I think it was the last but one night before we reached Salt Lake City; it had been snowing and it was dark before we stopped for the night. That night I could not get any wood to light a fire nor could I bake my bread. The next day we mixed sugar with the flour and ate it raw. The same night a little child was born in the camp. The next day we arrived in Salt Lake[.] It was with a sad heart that I parted with many of our traveling companions who had been so kind and obliging to me in my trouble.


It was the last day of October, 1854 that we arrived and we immediately started in search of rooms in which to live.

Transcript for "Louise Graehl, reminiscences."

Daughters of Utah Pioneers. DUP Pioneer History Collection.

Graehl, Charlotte, "All in a Lifetime: Journal of Charlotte Leuba Grael," 9-11

Graehl, Charlotte, "All in a Lifetime: Journal of Charlotte Leuba Grael," 9-11.

It was during the month of July that our pilgrimage across the planes was to begin. We found out when we were ready to start that we lacked many things and it would be difficult to procure them at that time, so my husband [George Louis Graehl] suggested that we remain there until we could obtain them. Some persons had discouraged him from leaving under such conditions, so one afternoon after he had coaxed me to remain there for the present and come later on, to which objected, he took his gun and trunk with him and bid me goodbye and started back to the village. The reason for my refusing to remain was on account of their being so many apostates in that vicinity. I felt I had not left my native land and comfortable home to cross the ocean and remain outside of Utah away from the main body of the church. That afternoon was a sad day for me for I did not know how I could travel along with my children. Some of the sisters came and comforted me, promising that I would certainly be helped, but my husband returned in the evening having met some brethren who promised to procure the needed articles for him. We resumed our journey, leaving our dear little girl behind in an unmarked grave. 
We had been traveling but a few days—I was sitting in the wagon with my little ones when all of a sudden our animals stampeded, Our team consisted of two yoke of oxen and one mare on lead. Anyway they all ran at a fearful speed through the open rugged Prairie—through grass that was about five feet tall. One oxen while running come close to another team causing them to stampede also. They ran zig-zag through the grass and over rocks and boulders. Sometimes the wagons would collide and it appeared for a time as though a general smash-up was inevitable, but they finally came to a halt. During this adventure one yoke of cattle belonging to the other outfit broke loose from the wagon and were never found again owing to the dense vegetation. After having such a scare, we were glad to walk to camp, but it was a very tedious task for me for I was obliged to carry my little girl in one arm and baby [George] in the other. It was also very difficult to find my way through the high grass. There were also snakes among the grass which frightened me very much. It was long past dinner time before we found our way back to camp, but the saints came to welcome us and gave us our dinner. 
On the following day I could not persuade the children to ride in the wagon and it was a long time before they were induced to do so. For many days I helped my husband drive the oxen, holding a baby in one arm and another crying and clinging to me as we drove along. In that way I spent the long summer days for months at a time, and I can assure you it was very tiresome and we were often entirely worn out when we arrived in to camp at night. Sometimes the children rode alone in the wagon while I assisted my husband drive the outfit. Little Georgie wanted his dear mama so badly and was always crawling to the front of the wagon in order to see her, we had to tie him in the front of the wagon to prevent him from falling out and probably killing himself. We had many adventures while crossing the plains, enough to fill a volume if I would write them. My husband had not felt well since we had left the old world—had become worse and was obliged to remain in bed in the wagon so I was obliged to the oxen all alone. Some of the sisters often helped me so I got along fairly well, but we had a kind of yoke for our oxen that wasn't very strong. It was tied with buck skin strings that would wear out and break apart quite often which caused me much trouble. Once, for instance, just at dusk, we were a little ways behind the company when our yoke broke and our oxen ran away to camp about two miles distant. We were obliged to remain there all alone at the mercy of prowling bears, too, and savages until our oxen were observed by chance by a member of the company as they came in to camp, when parties were sent out to our rescue. I could not light a fire because I had no matches in my possession, so I sat on the front seat of the wagon holding an ax in my hand ready to defend myself and family against any intruders, and thus I waited until eleven o'clock P.M. when some of the brethren came for us. We made a big fire to frighten the wolves which had already gathered around us, and took turns sitting up to keep guard until morning. 
On another occasion there was a river to cross—it was just beginning to get dark and our outfit was the last of the company. There was no one to help us as the Captain was absent. The last team was crossing. "What are you going to do?" asked my dear husband from his bed in the rear of the wagon. "I am going to drive right over[.] the the Lord will help us", I answered—and I did and crossed over in safety. At camp that evening the Captain inquired who had assisted sister Graehl across the river but no one had even thought of or assisted me which surprised the Captain very much.
The last night but one before we entered Salt Lake Valley it had been snowing and it became dark before we encamped for the night. I could find no wood with which to make a fire, so could bake no bread. We retired that night without supper. 
The following morning we mixed flour with sugar and ate it dry. 
We arrived in Salt Lake City two days later, October 31, 1854. It was with a sad heart that I parted with many of my traveling companions who had been so kind and obliging to me during that long and troublesome journey.

Transcript for Graehl, Charlotte, "All in a Lifetime: Journal of Charlotte Leuba Grael," 9-11

Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008

Historical Department journal history of the Church. Supplement after 31 December 1854: Page 14.

Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008.

Robert Campbell company report

Robert Campbell company report, August 1854.

Transcript for Robert Campbell company report, 1854 August 22

Robert Campbell company report.

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