Transcript

Transcript for Charles Negus Carroll life sketch, Library of Congress collection of Mormon diaries, 1935-1938

{Pages 7-8}

June 18, Organized in companies and preparing to start across the Plains. Orson Pratt wash [was] chosen President. Horace S. [Alondus De LaFayette L.] Buckland Captain fo [of] fifty Elder S.K. Chaplain.

June 19, Went to Weston to purchase supplies for my journey. Rained very heavey in the evening.

June 21, I remained at Salt Creek some of the families started out.

June 22, Went on about 15 miles farther on today.

June 23, several persons died in camp this day.

June 24, moved several miles further on today.

June 25, Sunday Held meeting at 4 P.M. sacrament administered by Elder Wells.

June 26, Waiting for the remainder of company to come up.

My father's records break off here, perhaps from illness, sorrow and discouragement or not having the responsibitility of his home company since joi[n]ng the main camps as they were scattered among different camps. Or part of the records was lost we cannot be sure, however he continued his journey with his two remaining children. Little George [Carroll] was stricken and died with the same dreaded disase, Cholera[.] On July 1834 [1854], and one lonely little grave was left by the wayside: two weeks journey from that other wilderness grave. Ah the agonized father was bereft of the small confort [comfort] of feeling that the litle fellow lay beside mother, brother, and sister.

Many times I heard my father repeat the sad eqisode [episode] in his life. He would say "A likely little land [lad] was George", then tell us how he would say about the oxen, crawling under then winding in and out among there legs, entirely unafraid and the oxen seemed to understand and respect the friendliness of there little charge.

When he was stricken and in a gre[a]t agony he looked up into the fathers face and said, "I don’t want to die but I guess I will have to." Poor little lad the sad memory of the recent past was still fresh in his mind, for he was still grieving ans [and] calling for mother when death over took him. He was buried beside the sweet water.

My father felt very ill but continued his journey, with his one remaining child. He did not recover his full health or strength during the rest of the long and to him weary journey. He drove an ox team walking most of the way across the plains, having daily to learn [lean] bravely on the yoke of his oxen for support. But he arrive safely in the Valley reaching Salt Lake City, Sept. 29, 1854, without work anong [among] strangers in a strange city, one helpless little child, with wife and babies burried enroute. Did he now recall the words or was it prophecy of Elder Phillips, "Brother Carroll the road to Zion will not be an easy one for you, but an uphill climb every step of the way."