Transcript

During the winter of 1855-56 an uncle of mine, Elder Joseph France, returned from his mission in England and remained with us during the winter. I was baptized by him in Canasaga creek, near Whitney's Crossing, township of Burnes, Allegany county, New York, April 12, 1856, and a few days later we were on our way by train to Great Salt Lake valley; we joined the migrating Saints at Iowa City, Iowa, where father procured two yoke of oxen and a wagon; with this outfit we accompanied the first two divisions of hand-cart companies under the guidance of Elders Edmund Elsworth [Ellsworth] and Daniel D. McArthur, and crossed the State of Iowa to Florence; at this point the company was divided, my father traveling with what is know as the first hand-cart company under Elder Edmund Elsworth [Ellsworth] as captain. Although I was only sixteen years of age, I took my turn standing guard with the men. I was also chosen as one of the hunters to aid in securing meat from the vast herds of buffalo that were traversing the plains in those days. I also aided the hand-cart people in crossing the streams, after filling father's wagon with women and children, and then continued our labors by carrying the remainder across the streams on our backs. For several hundred miles my father and uncle were sick, and the care of two wagons and four yoke of oxen and other camp chores depended upon me. We landed in Salt Lake City in the latter part of September, and I assure the reader that the following October conference was a great treat to me, to behold Prophets and Apostles and sit under their teachings.