Transcript

In the meantime Sister Siddoway (the mother or Isabella) died in Pennsylvania, and the father found it a difficult task indeed to cross the plains with his three motherless children (Isabella, ten years, Richard, eight years and Robert, six years old). They left Florence June 7, 1860, in Capt Daniel Robinson's handcart company, which arrived in Salt Lake City Sept. 27, 1860. Isabella, who walked nearly all the way across the plains, gives the following brief account of the journey and her early experience in Utah: "The journey being longer than we expected, our clothing, shoes and provisions grew very scanty long before we reached our destination. Our shoes were so badly worn that at night, after a long day's walk over the rough ground, I would have to pick the pebbles from my little brother's torn and bleeding feet, as well as my own. When we were near Laramie, Wyoming, our provisions grew very short, so much so that each person was rationed to one-half pound of flour a day. Sister Hannah Lapish, one of the members of our company, had some jewelry she had brought from England with her. She took it to a trading post, and exchanged it for seven hundred pounds of flour, which greatly relieved our want until we were met by a relief party at Green River, sent out by President Brigham Young, with 2500 pounds of flour and 500 pounds of bacon which lasted us until we reached the Valley. We were very fortunate in only having one death during our journey, and that being a little child. After arriving in Salt Lake Lake City, we looked upon then almost barren country, and compaired it to the green fields and comfortable homes we had left in old England.