Transcript

The president Brigham Young with 150 men started the 10th of Aprel 1847 to seak a place to locate the Saints making the road as they went, the Brethren organized as folows Captens over 100ds and over 50ys and capt over tens and we started on the 13th of June. I had too [two] ox teems[.] one of my sisters, Marthy [Martha Allen], went with me[.] my wife [Delilah Emaline Andrews] and hir [her] was the only help I had to help me drive teem. I had 4 small children. The capt of the company of hundred I travild in ware A[braham]. O[wen]. Smoot[.] capt of fifty Russle [George B. Wallace], Capt of ten Samuel Turnbow. Now there ware on the road in all 600 waggons[.] my too [two] brothers not being able to get a fit out could not gow on and we had to part for the time beeing, the second night we reached the Elk Horn rivver which we found verry high and difficult to c[r]os[s] tho all got over and no serious acksadent.

The next night we campt at Lukefork [Loup Fork.] here we lay over till the back companyes came up. Here there was a young man got killed by indiany [Indians.] he was returning back to winter quarters with too ladyes with him and there was some indians came out from the brush and wanted one of his oxen which he refused to gave up to them and thay indians shot him and killd him. His name was Jacob wetherly.

We travild on then in regular order crossin the different watter coarses following the pyoneers trale[.] the streems was high and dangeros tho we had no bad luck, when we ware on the Plat[te] rivver the cattle took a stampeed and one company lost 80 head that they nevver got[.] our company stopt and went back to assist them up, we travild on the north side of the Plat[te] rivver. It was only a fiew nights after till the indians stole 6 hid of horses from our camp. We know it was indians by the bell beeing taken of[f] the beld horse and thrown down[.] when the bell was found then we knew it was indians. Here we stopt and done up some blacksmithing and one child died which ware the 2 de[a]th[s] in all the camps.

We then travild on crossing the north fork of Plat[te] rivver. It war verry difficult to cro[ss.] all got over safe[.] then crossed the south fork at laremy [Laramie] a trading poast [post], travild on one day the lay over and built a tar kill and made tar to greese our waggeons.

One more day brought us to sweet watter where one of my oxen tuck [took] suck [sick] and died next day. One other died that was at independance rock[.] at Devils gate another was sick[.] here we lay over too [two] days and he recoverd[.] many of the cattle were sick[.] it was owing to the payson [poison] on the watter.

Now my team ware so used up I had to put in some cows[.] I mad[e] one team of oxen for my wife and sister to drive and I put in too yoak of cows into the team I drove and a fine team it was[.] the cows all wanted to gow there own way and my job to controal them.

We met the president and the brethren that went a he[a]d as pyoneers [pioneers] at the pursific [Pacific] springs on there return[.] here we lay over one day and too nights, had a good meeting, they informed us they had found a good valley and had located a settlement which was good newse to us, Bro. Brigham preached and incouriaged us to go to the valley. Thay had layn up some log cabbins and lain out a foart [fort] etc. put in some seeds. Then thay started on there way to thare famelys at Cainesville [Kanesville]. We went ahead quite incouriaged, now I had been too [two] years and sea nothing grow to sustain human life.

When we got to Brigger [Bridger] a trading poast [post] the mountaineers told us we could not live in this valley we ware going to, it ware so coald [cold] and frosty. They offerd to pay one thousand dollars for one eare of corn matured in the valley, we travild on putting our trust in God. We reached the valley Nove. 25th 1847.