Transcript

My parents left home, friends, country. and all for the sake of the Gospel & journeyed to zion, bringing with them my mother’s father Adam [Cotter] & four little girls. They having burried three of their children, two girls <3 and 5 years> & one boy two years, who was scalded to death.

As near as I can find out, we sailed from Liverpool England on the ship, "Hudson" (a sailing Vessel) in the month of May 1864 and were six weeks on the water. We were three months making the trip to Salt Lake City

We traveled with ox teams and were in Captain Warren Snow's Company, with about fifty teams or wagons in the company.

My father often told me when a child that he came near burrying me at sea as I was very ill.

He made the coffins to burry those who died crossing the plains. After leaving one town he walked back through the river water to his waiste & bought a board to make my coffin & waded back with it & put it under the wagon to keep it in safety till needed.

My mother was very ill all the way crossing the plains. She had gathered breasts & my father & her father walked on in front of the wagon & picked up stones that would have jared her had the wheels struck them.

My two sisters eight and ten years Fanny and Belle walked all the way to Salt Lake.

They remember my father diging two feet of snow away before he could pitch his tent.