Transcript

Arrived in Wyoming (near Omaha) July 3^rd after going by rail, and another steamer up the Missouri River.

There we were met by teams of Oxen and teamsters from Utah, preparitory to making an 1,100 mile trip, which I walked the whole way.

On this trip we experienced some severe trials and hard ships.

One night after the tents were all set up, and the camp was all asleep there came up a fearful wind, then rain in torrents, and every tent in camp was torn down, except the one we were in, with my sick brother (my brother was taken very sick on the way)

Our tent had been improvised from two quilts and staked down so firmly the wind could not get under it.

We forded rivers, which were cold and dangerous.

Crossing the prarrie [prairie] there was no fuel other than "Buffalo chips" with which to cook our little meals, of bread and meat, think of cooking your supper (after a long days walk) over a fire of "chips" with the wind blowing over the great plains, and some times rain to put the fires out, and go to bed with out any supper, get up in the morning at day light, every thing soaking wet, nothing to burn to cook your breakfast with, hook up the oxen and travel till noon, try to find some dry "chipps" to make a fire to cook dinner, in this way, before we reached the Mountain country, where we procured some sticks to use with the "chips"

Captain Joseph S. Rawlins, was in charge of our Company, which arrived in Salt Lake City Sept. 20^th. I was then 11 years old, twelve days before landing here.