Transcript

We had to wait about three weeks for the hand carts to be finished before we could start on our journey across the plains. There were about 125 hand carts and about 275 men, women and children in the company. Israel Evans was Captain and Benjamin Ashley [Ashby] assistant captain. Charles Neal was teamster most of the way. After a long and tedious journey on the plains, our food supply was exhausted and we had to live four days on buffalo meat without salt. We arrived at Salt Lake City Sept. 11, 1857. I further continued my journey to Lehi, and on the 24th of Sept., I returned to Salt Lake City and found Miss Annie England who came across the sea and plains with me. We were married the same day by Elder Israel Evans, Captain of our company.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** 

In 1866 I was called to go to the Missouri River with four yoke of oxen to bring the immigrants, making me three trips across the plains. While at the Missouri River, I met the two orphan children of my sister Ellen Eggerson who died and was buried at sea on the Fourth of July. Her infant baby died on the 21^st of July in Nebraska and was buried there.

I returned and brought with me my sister's little son [daughter], 2½ years old. When about four days out from the Missouri River, I was taken very sick and was not expected to live, in fact Captain Harden [Horton] Haight was about to leave me there and if I should recover I would be brought in on the Stage, but I begged the captain to bring me along with them, telling him if he would, I should recover and they brought me along.

And after traveling for about three hundred miles with good care I was able to drive my own team and got back all right.