Homer Duncan served as presiding elder of the Texas conference from April 1856 to May 1857. Few doors were opened to the missionaries; one missionary narrowly escaped being tarred and feathered. However, many of those who did join the Church wanted to move to Utah, so plans were made for an 1857 emigration. The Saints assembled in Ellis County, Texas (south of present-day Dallas). In addition to the emigrants, the company started out with over 1,300 head of cattle. They trailed their herd northward up the Old Shawnee Trail across the Red River past Preston. Reaching Fort Gibson in Indian territory in present-day Oklahoma, they trailed northeastward on the Old Military Road to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Territory. Upon arriving at this post, one of the women, who had by then sold all her cattle, wanted to leave the company and return to Texas to settle her affairs. Duncan persuaded her to stay with the company. They then headed northwest and arrived at Ash Hollow on July 29.
They were on the south side of the Platte River on the Oregon Trail. Their animals were still in good shape and the people were all well in spite of having to contend with myriads of grasshoppers that reportedly infested the trail all the way from the Missouri River to Fort Bridger. Before reaching the last crossing of the Platte River (at present-day Casper), the company divided. On August 17, one group, under the leadership of John and William Moody, was near Willow Springs and heading for the Sweetwater. Duncan, trailing behind with the rest of the company and the herd, was seen by an eastbound missionary several miles below the Upper Crossing of the Platte. The distance between the two divisions lengthened as they neared Utah. Moody's contingent reached Salt Lake City on September 14. Duncan arrived on September 20, together with a few wagons from a St. Louis train. There were no reported deaths.