Transcript

We came to Utah in Captain Horne’s train of ox teams and when we halted for meals we used to hunt Buffalo chips to make fires to cook on. I[t] did not take us long to cook a meal, often we only had flour and water pancakes, with a change of water and flour cakes for variety. We had this diet quite frequently but still kept in fine condition. I cannot tell the names of some of the articles of diet we had and I think a cafe would have a hard time duplicating some of the dishes we served, but in spite of poor food and hardships we traveled on day after day.

We often saw Indians but they were always friendly, and were a great source of interest to me. I never tired of watching them.

The constant traveling for months and months became terribly monotonous after awhile and we eagerly looked forward to the time when we would reach Utah, the Land of Promise and our journeys end. How well I remember the day we reached the summit of what was called the Big Mountain. Oh, how good it sounded when someone said the great Salt Lake could be seen in the distance. The words were music in our ears and it sounded as though we were nearing home.

We all had our trials and troubles, our joys and sorrows while crossing the plains but I believe that God in His kindness was watching over us all the time.

When we had almost reached our destination and were rejoicing that our journey was nearly done, sorrow again overtook our little family, and my baby sister [Sarah Elizabeth Clayton] one year old, lacking just four days, was taken from us on September 13, 1861 in Parleys Canyon where the road used to leave Parleys to cross over into Emigration Canyon, and we buried her there.