Individual

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William Davis

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Kirk, Leedham, Journal

Kirk, Leedham, Journal.

[June] 23, We were called on to give our names (that is) if we intended to go by the Church trainsJune 24 I went and gave our names and ages etc they told me I would be held responsible for the whole of the names I gave in to this I did not dissent, they told us we would get rations such as Flour 7 lb Sugar 1 Tea 2 oz Dried Apples 8 oz Coffee 3 oz each Adult for week and they called on us to pay over to them what cash we had got as they could lay the money out to advantage and we would get credit for the same, I went in afternoon and got a ticket for rations and went and got a week's rations as we had finished up the whole of our provisions in the morning, Nothing of importance during week	 
Account of Provisions etc received during our stay at Florence and accross the Plains
<blockquote xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">1861 June 24. 45 lb Flour 10 lbs Bacon, 5 lb Sugar, 10 oz Tea, ¼ lb G Coffee, 2½ Dried Apples July 2—16 lb Flour 3. 3 lb Bacon, July 4—Cup of Sugar—&amp; Cup of Tea 5. Flour 35 lb &amp; Tent &amp; Poles 6—Bacon 3¾ lb, 7th Sugar 8 lb, Bacon 6 lb 8th Salt 1 lb, 9th Dried Apples 2 lb. Coffee 2 lb 10 Tea 5 oz. 12th Flour 26lb, Ham &amp; Bacon 6 lbFor use of whole waggon 7th Small Boiler</blockquote>
Sunday Jun 30, We were told to organize and select the parties we prefered to travel with us in the waggon across the plains as the Authorities had determined to put from 11 to 13 in each waggon (vis) 11 Adults or 13 if there were children amongst them, and there would be 50 lb of baggage allowed to each adult free, across the plains, and if under 8 years and above 6 months half that and half rations etc accordingly, under 6 months nothing, We agreed with Wm Griffin and wife, Wm Davis and little boy, and John Bryant, wife and two children in all we were 10 adults and 3 children, All over baggage was to be charged at the rate of 15 Dollars if paid for in Florence, and 20 Dollars if not paid in advance for 100 lb to be paid for as soon as possible after the Saints arrived in the valley, our cooking utensils all were allowed
July 1, We packed up our baggage and took and weighed it we had 240 lb which was 10 lb under weight for which I was very thankful as I did not want to have any over weight for I looked at the charge and how I would pay it, we got a waggon and put our things in it and now were quite ready to quit Florence which we did and traveled some three miles and then encamped waiting further orders there were about 56 waggons in our Company, Our Captains name was Joseph Horne, our Chaplins name Johnathan Smith, our Bishops name Brown, the Secretary or Scribe Stanforth and our teamster Eli Kilbourne, 
3rd Br Joseph Young sent a man and a note stating that he wanted 6 men to go to Florence to assist to herd cattle and other work and John with some others voluntered to go and they went with the man and he agreed to stay and come on with the last company, they were to have their rations and be taken to the Valley free, a very good thing for him as he would be free from debt when he got there
4. There was a dance in the camp in celebration of the anniversary of American Independance it was kept up with good Spirit untill a late hour.
Sunday July 7. Elders Lorenzo Snow one of the twelve Gates, McAllister, Joseph Young and others paid us a visit in the evening McAllister sung us a portion of one of the Songs of Zion, Br Snow gave us a short sketch of the history of the Church at the time of its sojouyrn on and arround the spot our camp occupied and pointed the localities of Some of the Camps the Saints under the guidance of the then First Presidents (namely) President Brigham Young, H.C. Kimball etc this was to us very interesting and also he gave us some very good instructions in regard to traveling matters appointed Cap Horne chief grumbler to the whole camp etc and also above all things blesset us in the name of Israel's God, Br. Joseph Young also spoke very encouragingly to us he Said he had done all in his power to provide and make us confortable with provisions, cooking utensils, tents etc And the Lord had abundantly blessed us and had him also regarding the short time he had had to provide everything for so large a number as were crossing the plains this season he exhorted us to be patient and forbearing one to another and obedient to our leaders, and also the women especially the young ones to leave off the company of the Gentiles and keep themselves from contamination he also gave us his blessing and said if we would do as the men who were placed over us told us to do not one of us should fall by the way etc, They went and visited the other two camps, and gave similar instructions our camp was the No 2 Camp and one company was afterwards organized, which made 4 Companies of Church Emigrants or Such as were assisted by the Church teams with provisions to cross the plains, our Company was the largest and there were about 600 individuals in it, There were Several independant Companies (that is) such as found their own teams, waggons, provisions etc, 
9th We rose up early and got breakfast and took up our march after stowing our cooking utensils, tent, beding etc in the waggon those who intended walking started and went on before the waggons according to the instructions before given and under the care and direction of a man appointed for the time and who is termed Marshal we went on about 10 miles and stoped at a small creek called Ranch No 1 here we were to camp for the night, this I may call our first days journey,
10. We again took up our rout as on the previous day and traveled about 8 miles and stoped at a place called Elkhorn here a pretty large river runs called Horn river we stayed at this place days to wait for the other Companies as the Companies were directed to travel pretty near each other so that we could assist each other in case of emergency as the Indians were at war amongst themselves and also with the whites and news had come in that they had plundered one or two trains of some property,
11. Cap [John R.] Murdocks, No 3 train came up and encamped about the same place Cap [Ira] Eldridges [Eldredge] company No 1 had just left in the forenoon fishing and Shooting was the order of the day during our stay at this place and Several parties did well in the game and many of the Saints had a treat of either fish and fowl, here was plenty of wood for cooking etc which had to be fetched a long way at the other two places we had camped at before.
Arrived Sept 13, 1861 Salt Lake Valley

William Davis

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