Robert David Roberts (1837 - 1925) Profile

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Robert David Roberts

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David and Catherine Uch Thomas Ap Richard Roberts family record and temple book, 1880-1920

David and Catherine Uch Thomas Ap Richard Roberts family record and temple book, 1880-1920, August 1948.

<center xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Logan City February 15th..1901</center>



In peruseing over my record book I find that I omited recording the time that I went to Florence to meet the immigration.



In the year 1862 there was a call made on Cache Valley Stake for thirthy Wagons with four yoake of Oxen to each Wagon[.] seven Wagens was equeped in Logan[.] the teemster's names are Morgan Evans. James Denings. Sidney Dible. Barnerd Sandford [Hanford]. William Ricks, Fredrick Goodwin. and Robert D. Roberts. About the first of April we geathered togeather and camped about a mile South of Millviel at the food [foot] of the hill that raises to go on the bence as you go on the road South to Hyrum or Paradice[.] we staid here some over a week to recrut the teems as there was good feet [feed] and to find that we had every thing necessary for the journey and wait for the road to dry as it was quite muddy[.] the snow was not all off where it had drifded in the road



We were loaded with Tithing wheat at Wallsvile for to take to Brigham Young's Mill which was South East of Salt Lake City little above the Penatencery on the crick



When we got down as far as Ogden bottoms below north Ogden we learn that Ogden bridge was washed away[.] we had to stay here untill there was a ferryboat put in the River to ferry us acros[.] The water was very high this year[.] we stayed here some over a week[.] it took us a month to get to Salt Lake City[.] by this time we were recruted with thirty teems from Weber County and Henry W. Miller from Farmington Davies County for our Captain[.] we now numbered sixty wagons[.] we took our march through Parly's Canyon through Parly's Park and down a Canyon to Weber River[.] we swome our Cattle acros and ferryed our Wagons[.] it was about ten miles above the mouth of Echo Canyon[.] we followed the River down to the mouth of Echo Canyon[.] we had to wade through snow water most every day[.] it was quite dificult to cros some of the streams[.] Bare River we ferryed and swom the cattle across[.] on arivein at Hamsfork we found that we had to build a bridge to cros it[.] the River was away above its banks[.] here we found a company of imigrants waiteing for some way to get acros[.] The next day I belive some party come there loaded with timber to build the bridge[.] We was here about two weeks working on the bridge[.] we had to float willows for some disdant to make a road to the bridge[.] the ground was very soft and under water[.] the water was very cold and the weather quite cold at times[.] we arived at Green River[,] I ferried our Wagons and swom our cattle acros[.] one Ox was drounded belonging to Seath [Seth] M. Blair[.] we was one month comeing from Salt Lake City to this place one hundred &amp; sixty miles from this on we had no hinderance[.] We had about 2388 bounds of flower for our supply to come back[.] we left a part of it in an over land Station on sweet water[,] the other part at a Station by the uper bridge below the uper crosing of The Plat[te] River[.] arived at Florence about the first of August[.] There was a company of four or five men and one women with a Wagon and a band of horses traveling nearly all the way down[.] thay were from California going back East



On the 8th of August we start on our return homeward loaded with sixhundred and sixtyfive immigrants with thire supply of provetion for the journey[.] some of us was loaded with flower[.] I was loaded with flower[,] others with Pork and groseris[.] we were very heavely loaded[.] we had to wade through every crick and River to get every Ox to pull its share of the load[.] our cloaths would be wet and get dry on us[.] some times as soon as our cloaths would get dry we would have to wade through another crick[.] with the work we had to do on our way down in wading through snow water[,] some of us had to suffer in bed with Rhumatisam all winter[.] I was one of them[.] We arrived in Salt Lake City October 17th[.] the company had considrable sickness of which twenty eight died

Transcript for David and Catherine Uch Thomas Ap Richard Roberts family record and temple book, 1880-1920, 1948 August, 67-69

David and Catherine Uch Thomas Ap Richard Roberts family record and temple book, 1880-1920.

Handcart Veterans Association. Handcart Veterans Association scrapbook, 1906-1914, folder 6

Handcart Veterans Association. Handcart Veterans Association scrapbook, 1906-1914, folder 6.

"Handcart Vets Hold Reunion," Deseret Evening News

"Handcart Vets Hold Reunion," Deseret Evening News, October 3, 1907.

"Handcart Vets Hold Reunion," Deseret Evening News.

Historical Department journal history of the Church

CR 100 137: Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008, October 2, 1856, Page 12.

Historical Department journal history of the Church.

Roberts, Robert D., [Reminiscences], 80, in Joel Ricks, "Memories of Early Days in Cache County," in Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Salt Lake City, Utah, Scrapbooks

Roberts, Robert D., [Reminiscences], 80, in Joel Ricks, "Memories of Early Days in Cache County," in Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Salt Lake City, Utah, Scrapbooks.

We remained there [Iowa City, Iowa] for about three weeks, and during that time were compelled to live out in the open air, as no shelter of any kind could be obtained. We were very anxious to get started on our journey. Edward Bunker, had charge of our company of about 300 souls. We had no wagons so were organized into a hand cart company. Our equipment and supplies were very limited. Twenty people were compelled to sleep in one tent in order to give shelter to every one. We had six wagons drawn by oxen, which carried our tents and provisions. Each family had one and sometimes two hand carts, in which they carried their bedding, and ration of food. There were eight in our family and we had two carts. About June 24th 1856 the company started on its memorable journey across the plains.
 On our first day we traveled three miles when we were overttaken by a very bad storm. We made camp on the bank of a small creek, the wind was blowing terribly, and we had to cling to our tents and poles to keep them from blowing away, but in spite of our efforts some of the tents were blown down. In a short time the rain came in torrents, accompanied by thunder and lightening. The water rose over the banks of the creek, and flooded our camp, and was a foot deep around some of the tents. We had few clothes except those we had on, the rest having left behind to be sent on later. So that we had to lay over the next day to dry our clothes. This was very trying for our first experience. We resumed our journey the next day, with 300 miles to march before reaching Florence. The journey was very hard on us as the hand carts were hard to pull, and our rations were very scant. We had to make three meals on half of a pound of flour until we got to Florence, then we were allowed a pound a day. The first river we crossed after leaving Florence was called Loup fork, and after leaving it we had ten miles to go before we could get water. The sun was burning hot and it seemed to concentrate on the trail between the tall grass growing on either side. This grass grew from five to eight feet tall. The suffering from heat and thirst was something terrible, and some of the people became so exhausted, they gave up and stopped by the way. Some of the company got through, and they returned with water to those left behind, which revived them so that they could go on. After leaving the Wood River, we came into the buffalo country, where we saw thousands of buffalo in great herds. We were able to kill some of them thus adding to our provision. While traveling through this country we were unable to get wood to burn, and were compelled to use buffalo chips. 
 We were unable to keep the fresh buffalo meat very long as we had no salt to preserve it. We crossed the Platt[e] river at Laramie. Some thirty miles this side of Laramie, we woke up one morning to find six inches of snow on the ground. We remained in camp until the sun had melted the snow a little, and then resumed our journey, feeling very down hearted, as the road was very muddy, which made the carts hard to pull. After crossing the upper place on the Platt[e] river, we went to the Sweet Water river, and camped near Independence Rick [Rock], from there to Salt Lake was 800 miles and I was compelled to walk the entire distance barefooted as my boots were no good. 
 In the Black Hills we met Parley P. Pratt, and company going east, probably going on missions.
 From Fort Bridger to Salt Lake we were allowed less then a half a pound of flour per day. We arrived in Salt Lake City, October 2, 1856 after a perilous journey which I shall never forget.

Transcript for Roberts, Robert D., [Reminiscences], 80, in Joel Ricks, "Memories of Early Days in Cache County," in Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Salt Lake City, Utah, Scrapbooks

Roberts, Robert David, Autobiographical sketch, in Robert D. Roberts, Papers of the Roberts Family Association

Roberts, Robert David, Autobiographical sketch, in Robert D. Roberts, Papers of the Roberts Family Association.

On April 9, 1856, my father and his family in company with others left Wales to go to America. 
We left Liverpool, England, on April 29, 1856, in the Sunders Curling, a merchant sailing vessel and after a very tempestuous voyage arrived in Boston May 24, 1856. Within a couple of days we boarded the railroad train for Iowa City, Iowa, the then western railroad terminal of the United States. 
After remaining there about three weeks, we started across the great plains of America with a company of hand carts. (Captain Edward Bunker's Company.) 
arriving at Salt Lake City on October 2, 1856. This hand cart journey was a very severe and trying experience in which many lost their lives… 
During the journey to Salt Lake City I was the guide of and assistant to my Uncle John, who was nearly blind, for which service my Uncle John paid my fare from Wales. Uncle John died in Salt Lake City a few days after our arrival on account of the hardships of the hand cart journey.

Transcript for Roberts, Robert David, Autobiographical sketch, in Robert D. Roberts, Papers of the Roberts Family Association

Roberts, Robert David, Family record, 1854-1921, fd. 2, 7

Roberts, Robert David, Family record, 1854-1921, fd. 2, 7.

I shall give [a] little of our history from the old c[o]untry untill the present time as corect as my memory will serve me.
We started from North Welas [Wales] Meirionethshire [Merionethshire] Parish Festiniog Bethania in the year 1856. April 9th 
on the 10th arrived in Liverpool and on the 19th we went into the ship S[amuel]. Curling. which was on the 20th to start her Journey acros the Atlantic[.] This journey was very ruff the Sea was raising like mountains and tosing the Ship in every way. 
May 24th we arrived in Boston on the Continant of Amarica [America.] in a day or two we took the Rail Road Cars to travel from here to Io[w]a City[.] We was about eight days on the Rail Road and staid here nearly three weeks[.] after this we took our journey acros the blains [plains] to Utah with the hand-Carts and arrived in Salt Lake City October 2nd[.] This journey was very heart [hard] because we did not have half enough to eat for the support of our bodys and very heart [hard] work to draw the handcart[.] we staid here for a few days, my father and family went to Farmington 18 miles North of Salt Lake City.

Transcript for Roberts, Robert David, Family record, 1854-1921, fd. 2, 7

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