Transcript

From this time until the 4th of June I spent in prepairing for the Journey. I went into Missouri as far as the town of Origon and purchased a load of wheat and got it ground at Mr. Holisters Mill on the nodaway. I got Some groceries etc. in fact I procured a fit out for one year of groceries Clothing etc. returned to the Bluffs fited up my waggon. assisted my father to fit up his waggon also and my wifes father. got a good team 2 oxen 2 cows 2 heifers 2 chickens 1 pig 1 Horse; My wife and Self and Started from Winter Quarters June 4th 1848.

the day be fore we Started I experienced one of the heaveyest Showers of rain I ever Saw for about one hour. we traveled on Crossing the Horn river on a raft whare we joined the Camp that led by Br. H. C. Kimball[.] it being organised we ware placed in Br. Isaac Higbees Company of about 60 waggons. My father [Jesse Pierce Harmon], Amos [Amos Washington Harmon] & Ancil [Ansel Perce Harmon], my wifes father and folks etc ware all along and when fairly Started I can truly Say I felt happy to find all of us once on the road for the valley in good helth and a fair prospect befor us and year’s provisions etc. my fathers Cow died one week out from winter Quarters[.] this weakened our team Some. Amos & Ancil drove a team each for Br. H. C. Kimball and got their board for it. we Journeyed along the Platte river for 600 miles Killing the wild Beasts for to Supply us for meat. one morning as we ware about to Start on our Journey a large Buffalo came near our Camp. all the large dogs and all the Small dogs ran out to bark at him and meney of the men and weomen Stood and gazed at the monster as he would hook and kick at the dogs, while Some of the more Courageous of the men ran out in the direction and I Soon followed with a rifle in hand and as he was running to ward the Camp I Shot and Brought the monster to the ground. he was Soon dressed and divided in the Camp and we with our fresh meat went on our way rejoicing.

I had given me charge of the hunting department and was comesary in dividing the game to the camp[.] Meney <a Sportive day we had and meney> a long tramp after the Buffalo and Antelope until our legs would git wearied looking for game or tracking them on the Sandy plains, wounding them, then in the chace, until the Sun would Sink behind the Rockey [Rocky] mountain range and we to our waggon repair. the night Creap on. the wolves howl and we by the range of Some promentory glittering in the pale Moons rays, gide the weary hunter to his home, with his venson.

One day while in a Chace had wounded a large buffalo and on approaching to near to the wounded animal he Charged with great velosity at my Companion while I Stood trying to Shoot. my Companion at the Quickness of thought jumped behind a tree, and then the dodging to keep the pine Sapling between them. after 2 or 3 desperate but fruitless attemps to Come in contact with my Companion, he ran off and when on an extensive plain turned round and Shook his head at us, as mutch as to Say Com on whare thare is a plenty of Sean room, but this we ware not anchous for and came of and left him.

While on the Sweet water [Sweetwater] we had Several long tramps after Buffalo[.] one day when the camp was leying Still, I went with 5 or 6 others[.] after tramping untill the Sun began to approach toward the western Horizen we discovered the object of our Search namely a band of Buffalo. we then Cast lots which 2 of us Should go and commence an assult. it fell on my Self and Ira Spaulding. after Crawling for Conciderable distance we keeping a Small bunch of greeswood between us and the Buffalo we Suceeded in giting with in rifle Shot[.] we then commenced our attact[.] both rifle Shots took affect[.] the wounded anamal ran a few yards and Stoped and we had to wait for him to die not dareing to approach him while he had life for he was rather a ferotious loking and acting Sort of anamal. we then dressed the buffalo[,] took each of us a back load and Started for our Camp and the Sun went behind one of the grey granate range of the Sweet watter Mts. and son its gilding rays upon the Snow covered peak gradually disappeards and the red Sky of the west turned grey like other parts of the Horison and the little Stars grew bright and twinkled in the distance. the moon cold and pale was watched as it began to Sink behaind those ruged peaks that a short time preveous had Concealed the King of day from our view, while we ware taking what proved to be a circuitous route. as we passed a long the hard beaten trails of the Buffalo the Smell of the fresh meat caused the wolves to howl and follow on our track. we after Clambering over one or 2 raged Cliffs and long! long! walk at last came in Sight of our Camp fires and after 2 hours smart walking came tired to our camp about 2 O’clock in the morning. and I had 40 lbs of good Beef for my day and nights work. one more Buffalo Story will wind up the Hunting Stories and leave me ready to go on over the rockey mountain range and wind my way into the valley that is to afford us a future home.

A few days after the above circumstance as we ware about to leave the Buffalo Country it was thought nesesary to possess our selves of a full Supply of beef as we ware about to leave the last probable Source of obtaining Supplies of that kind. Early one morning as we ware Snugly camped on a rich bottom of the Sweet water, I set off in Company with Charles Chapman for the foot of the mountains whare we expected to fall in with a herd of buffalo. while my father & father in law followed on our trail with a pair of oxen and Cart, and a pack horse, we proceeded to the Spot whare we expected to find the game. the first herd that we supprised was chased by our unmanageable dogs[.] they dashed past us with the velosity of the wind and was so[o]n over the hills out of our Sight with the dogs in full chais. we advanced in quest of new objects and soon a large herd of cows ware in full view. we Surveyed the Situation of the ground with as mutch skill as a gineral would his enemys & Contrived our plan of attact and amediately commenced to put our plans into execution. from Some unknown Cause to us the monsters ware aroused from ther quietude and Commenced their flight but fortumeately for us their flight was in a direction favourable to us[.] we by Shifting in our position secreted ourselves in a cavity of the earth and as the herd ware dashing past us was partially brought to a halt by an obstruction in their path which afforded us a good opertunity that we failed not to ocupy[.] we leveled our rifles[,] selected the choice of the flock and brought each of us one to the ground[.] while dressing them an antelope come close enough for a target and I with a single Crack of my rifle aded him to our Stock of venison. by this time our team was in Sight and as soon as it reached us we ware readey and loaded on our 2 buffalo and antelope and Started for home whare we arived about the darkning and felt quite Satisfied and well repaid for our days work. the next day was Spent in curing our meat. we then proceeded on our Journey. but as we ware heavey laden and our teames light we made slow progress, but we patiently persued our Journey as fast as we could.

while Camped at the Paciffick [Pacific] Springs at the South pass of the rockey mountains about the 2ond or 3d. of September 1848 we encounterd a Severe Snow Storm. which on the higher peaks each side of us fell to conciderable thickness but on the loer table land the fall was lighter, which mostly disapeared in 2 or 3 hours after the Storm abated. the Storm had caused our cattle to ramble in Search of Shelter and they ware found about 12 miles distant Still rambling. the Emegrants frequently loose their cattle in Storms lik this and never see them again, but we ware fortunate in giting ours[.] we passed on again[.] while passing from Big Sandy over to green river my wifes father lost an ox[.] that is he died, having lost one a fiew days preveous. it reduced his team until he was unable to proceed furthur without help, but fortunately a number of teams ware sent from the valley and he was Supplied. nor was he alone in this Situation for some 30 or 40 famalies ware left without sufficient team to proceed with in concequence of being so heaveyly loaded[,] Short fead and emmence dust and Saleratus plains over which we had to pass. this deficientcy was Supplyed by the reenforcement from the valley and we ware again able to pass on fording green river passing along with out eny thing accuring worthy of note more than we ware cheerfull and happy laying by Sundays and holding meetings, the best of feelings prevaild and we ware begining to rejoice that we ware so near our Joureys end, whare we had a prospect of a season of rest after So severe a pilgrimage.

We gradually approached into rough a mountaneous Country. the hill sides partially Coverd with Cedars[,] Sage & other Shrubery[.] the elevation increaceing daly[.] at the highest place the road went was 7800 feet above the level of the Sea. the nights ware Cold and frosty. the days warm and Suney. and our anxiety daily increasing to behold our future mountain home. we continued to wind our way over the hills and down the Canions [canyons] crossing the rivulets Some times Shut up as it ware between two Mountains. and would travel in the Shade for hours togeather[.] after a Journey of one hundred and twelve days we about 11 O’clock A.M. on Sunday the 24th of September 1848 emerged form Emegration Canion into the open valley, which opened to the right and left in the Bright Sunshine, which gave it a golden hue, that made it look doubly rich to us after haveing been for the last 2 weeks Shut up between high mountains and passing over ruged ways.