Transcript

April, Friday 30^th The teams came in and it was decided that we should leave tomorrow, Joseph W. Young Jr. came in to give instruction and it had been decided that Bro John Berrey [Berry] should be our Caption [captain] accross the plains. Went to Sister Birds and made . . . her girl a pair of boots. Slept as before

May, Saturday 1^st Made ready a[n]d about 5 o’clock left Florence with the last team[.] Bro & Sis Howlett also Sis. Bird were very sorry at my leavin and I feel to say may God bless them for their kindness to me.

Some of the boys staid in town all night[.] We went out about 3 miles and then camped for the night by the side of a small crick and where there was some grass for our animels. Bro [Martin Luther] Ensign was Cap. Of the guard and for the 1^st time in my life I went on guard from at 9½ till 12 with Bros [William] Brown[,] [Peter] Roberson [Robinson] & [Thomas] Phillips. We had about 40 animels to tend but we manishd them all right. Turned into one of the wagons with Bro [Thomas W.] Russell and slept pritty well. Sone after we turned in it commenced rainy and continued all night.

Sunday 2^nd Very wet. After taking breakfast and fixing up some little, I got into the wagon and done some little jouriln which I think will have to be the last while crossing the plains save it be a memorandum I shall take with pencil.

Provo June 23^rd Wednesday Through the blessing of almighty God I once more take up my pen to write some little after a safe journey accross the plains & having had the unspeakible pleasure of viewin[g] the lovely vales of Utah.

I will now try to give a brief account of my travels since I last wrote and will commence by saying on

Monday a m the last 3^rd of May the comp[a]ny of Elders gathered together & rol[le]d out about 9 oclock. We trav’l’d to Elk horn river & encamped but I shall not be able to give a daily account of my journy and will therefore say we arrived at Genoa on Friday evenin where we met with the American Com. Of Elders & carried untill Monday p m when we left and partily crossed the Leaup [Loup] fork r[iver

On Tuesday we all cleared the R. and overtook the American Com. About 10 miles on the road. We were all well and entered upon our journey with good spirits and faith in our God that he would protect us on our way. All things went well with us. We passed Fort Ke[a]rney in the night and about the 27^th met Col. Cane [Kane] with an escort of the Mormon boys[.] Amongst them was Howard Egan who brought us some news from Utah. & instruction how to proseed.

On Sunday the 30^th we passed F Larima [Fort Laramie] in a very heavy severe hail storm but saw no one to molest or make us afraid.

Monday 31^st Passed thro’ the black hills & enc[amped] in a hollow by a small creek.

June We met a co of our boys from the valley about the head of sweet water & learned from them that the Saints had left the City of G.S.L. and all the Northe[r]n settlements and were gone South. And that Col. John[t]son with his troops intended to start for the City on Monday the 14^th and repare to the se places designed assigned for their quarters without any delay whatever in the City, And a treaty of peace had been effected by Col. Cane [Kane] & the commissioners between Uncle Sam & the Mormons. Nevertheless we thought it wisdom to shun the troops and therefor took a Northen route from the big bend on Sandy and cross Green river about 25 Miles up from thence round the country and struck the head of Eacho [Echo] canyon on Saturday the 19th p m[.] Found but few of the troops had passd and that the genrl. command was about 12 mile behind. We took an early start on Sunday and passd one com. Of soldiers with the sappers & miners from N. York buildin bridges . . .he. & repareing the roads. Also a large train of heavy wagons. They all look quite amased at seeing us pass them as bold as lions & about the time we were passed them all our eyes were atracted and our hearts fired by a magnifficant view of the fortifications built by our bretheren on the rocks & lofty peeks. The whole scenry presented an irresistible force also much skill on the part of the builders and the advantage they had over their enemys.

We met some few apostates on their way to the states.

On Monday the 21^st about 6 p m we rool’d into the fine and mutch famed City Salt Lake which far exceeded all expectation

[Edited typescript version of this journal also available at Church Archives in Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 23 June 1858, 20-21. Scanned images of diary and text transcription also available on "Trails of Hope: Overland Diaries and Letters, 1846-1869" web site, http://overlandtrails.lib.byu.edu/]