Transcript

We disembarked on Thursday morning the 23^rd of April, taking the Train to Iowa City, via Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago and Rock Island. We arrived in Iowa City on the 30^th of April, having been seven days in transit, on our arrival, we found that the Trains to take the Companies across the Plains would not be ready for three weeks{.} one part of the Company was to cross with Ox Teams the other with Hand Carts, the Waggons and Hand Carts which were to come from Saint Louis would not arrive in Iowa City until that time. I obtained employment with Mr. Kirkwood who was then one of the Senators from the State of Iowa working on the farm, fencing large fields for corn raising being our chief labor for which I received one Dollar a day. As the time drew near for the Companies to start on the Plains, I watched very anxiously for an opening to drive a Team or any thing to be able to cross with one of the companies. On the evening of the day the Ox Train preceding the morning on which the Ox Train would start, Elder Jessie B. Martin came to me and said He had been appointed as Captain of the Company and wanted some one to drive His Team and wished me to undertake the labor. I was more than pleased to accept. With the money I received working for Senator {kirkwood,} I paid the Brethren who loaned me enough to pay my Railroad fare to Iowa and had some left with which I purchased a little outfit for the Plains.

We left Iowa City about the 20^th of May, with a Train of Eighty Waggons, two, and three yoke of Oxen to each waggon traveling about three hundred miles to Council Bluffs, crossing the Missourri {Missouri} River to Florence. Travelling on the North Platte River Route, on arriving or nearing the Wood River we commenced to see Herds of Buffalo, which continued every day until we reached the Black Hills. Travelling for three or four weeks through these Herds some days being so numerous passing from the Bluffs down to the River Platte, we were compelled to stop the Train to let them pass, and some mornings having to go out and shoot our guns to scare them away from our Cattle, which would sometimes become so frightened and Stampede both when out of the Yoke and when hitched on to the Waggons. One day three or four of our Company were killed in one of these Stampedes. We saw hundreds of thousands of these Animals. The Plains seemed to abound in game, Herds of deer and Antelope could be seen on either side of the Road most of the time while traveling and often Herds of Elk were seen on the Banks of the Platte River. My 21^st Birthday was passed on East Canyon Creek Sep 10^th. We arrived in Salt Lake City Sep 12^th having been near six months traveling since leaving my Home in England. I settled in Salt Lake City which has been my Home ever since