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William Jefferson Packer

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Jenson, Olof, Autobiographical sketch, 3, in Olof Jenson, Family papers

Jenson, Olof, Autobiographical sketch, 3, in Olof Jenson, Family papers.

When we started for Salt Lake City, Peter Nebeker of Willard [Utah] was captain of the entire company.  There were forty-eight teams, and each team consisted of two yoke of oxen for each covered wagon.  Each wagon was loaded with merchandise and provisions, besides our luggage.  All those who were able to walk, were expected to walk all the way to Salt Lake City.  Mother [Martha Esbjorsson] and father [Jons Olofsson] rode part of the way and on the latter end of the trip, mother was sick and had to ride.  We boys walked all the way.
<p xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Carl Loveland and Charlie Valentine of Brigham, were night herders.  The oxen had to be herded as the Indians might drive them away.  But the Indians were friendly and came to us only once on the trip.  They wanted food, clothing, guns and ammunition.  The only thing we could give them was a sack of flour.  After accepting it, they peaceably left us.  When camping at night a corral was made using the wagons and arranging them with the tongues inside, with no opening at each end of the corral.  The                 object of the corral was to protect ourselves and enclose the cattle, when necessary, from the Indians.</p>
<p xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">William Packer of Brigham was teamster of our wagon.  We traveled on an average of ten miles a day.  Bread was made in Dutch Ovens and buffalo chips were used, at times, as fuel.  When fording the Platte River, the bottom was very uneven and it was necessary to put five or six yoke of oxen on a wagon, so that some could pull while others had to swim in places.  I remember the wagon box, load and all, was lifted from the gear and it floated down the river some distance before it was rescued.  As we young boys could not swim, we would cling to the rear end of the wagon box.  Mother was a small woman.  Consequently father had to hold to her or she would have been carried down the stream.  After reaching the other side of the river, we had to pause for a few days to dry our clothes.  The weather was good throughout our entire journey across the plains.  We saw herds of buffalo.  We reached Salt Lake City, Saturday, Sept. 29,       1866.</p>

Transcript for Jenson, Olof, Autobiographical sketch, 3, in Olof Jenson, Family papers

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