Transcript

Transcript for "Abner Blackburn reminiscences," 12-13.

"20 of April 1847, started for ft Larime [Laramie] to strike the California road. crost over to the So. Platt[e] pased the old st Vrain station from thence to the east of Lapord (?) and on to ft Larime here we fell in company with Brigham Youngs Pioneers going to look out a place for The Saints to make a make a home in the far west, and we journeyed on with them passed through the black hills crost the south platt. an come to the sweet water river camped at Independence rock, a huge mass of granite which covers several acres of ground. with hundreds of names marked on its huge sides a short distance above here is the Devils gate."

"Brigham Young went ahead of us one day to examine the place the Lord shew him in a vision and sur[e] enough he found the identical land marks in his dream. They had all the wind work done before we come to this place. The 24 of July 1847 is they day they celebrate of their arivle in the valley of the Great Salt Lake."