Transcript

My father, my two small brothers, Richard age 8 and Robert age 6, and myself being 10 years old, left Florence, now Omaha, in Daniel Robinsons [Robison] Hand-cart company for Salt Lake City.

The company was composed of 233 persons[,] 43 carts, 33 oxen and 10 tents.

The journey being longer than we expected, our clothing and provisions grew very scanty long before we reached our destination.

Our shoes were so badly worn that, at night, after a long days walk over the rough ground I would have to bathe the pebbles from my little brother’s torn and bleeding feet as well as my own.

Nearing Laramie[,] Wyoming our provisions were very low, so much so that each person was rationed to one half pound of flour a day.

At this point Sister Hannah Lapish, one of the members of our company had some jewelery that she brought from England which she exchanged at a trading post for seven <hundred> lbs. 700 of flour. This so greatly increased our food suply and lasted us until we were met by a relief party at Green River

The party was sent out by Brigham Young with 2500 lbs of flour and 500 lbs bacon, which was sufficient to satisfy our needs until we reach[ed] Salt Lake—

We had only one death during our entire jour[ne]y that of a very small child.