Transcript

[June] 31 ^st started for the Plains[.] went only a few 100 yards and stoped to make things ready.

July 1^st Sunday fine day got our guns and learned our exercise

July 2 Monday started for good to cross the Plains[.] The camp moved 12 miles and stoped by a creek. fine day both well[.] saw a ox eaten by the river

July 2 Tuesday. Made a start 9 o Clock[.] went 12 miles

July 3 moved 15 over plain land.

July 4^th moved 12

July 5 12

July 6 8

July 7 Sunday camp stopped and observed the sabbath.

Ju 8 moved 25 miles[.] bad water but good grass for the cattle.

9 15 miles

10 12 miles

11 14 miles

12 moved 15 miles

13 12 miles

14 arived at Sandy river[.] good water [original text in Pitman shorthand]and [original text in Pitman shorthand]

15 Sunday stopped at day not so well

16^th moved 20 miles[.] all well came A

17 moved 15 [original text in Pitman shorthand] ancient looking place

[original text in Pitman shorthand] 16 [original text in Pitman shorthand]

19 [original text in Pitman shorthand] 15 [original text in Pitman shorthand] I got lost and delayed us some time

20 moved 1 [original text in Pitman shorthand] saw Hundreds Buffallo we [original text in Pitman shorthand] the 2 men[.] 6 lost[.] shot a Buffallo

21 moved 20 miles[.] saw thousands Buffallo[.] fine country. Eat some Buffallo for the first time[.] arrive at the Platt[e] river

22 Sunday not being much wood we removed early 10 miles farther

23 went 18 miles saw fort Carney [Kearny] a great Indian trading place

24 moved 20 miles up[.] lots of Buffallo and Fish

25 18 miles fine land.

26 18 miles.

27 [original text in Pitman shorthand] 20 miles[.] A hundred [Pitman Shorthand] very heavy

28^th [original text in Pitman shorthand] 15 miles.

29 Sunday we moved 12 miles.

30 moved 14 miles[.] saw lot of Buffallos every day and also Wolfs, hares bears snakes and number others. I have been bad in health[.] for 5 days I was extremely bad.

31^st we camped all day and some of the brethren went to shoot Buffallos

August 1^st Moved 16 miles.

[original text in Pitman shorthand] 2^nd moved 25 miles[.] came to the river Platte where we have to cross it being ½ mile a broad, saw the first indians since we started, several of their squaws came in our camp a begging. I looked at their features and took stock of them

August 3^rd In the morning we crossed the river and camped on the other side untill afternoon, when we moved on over a large hill towards another river called the South Platt[e] and camped at the South Platte[.] got a quanitity of Cherrys [cherries] being my fathers birth day. I made a large pie and some coffee and drunk my fathers health on the fourth

5 Sunday stoped all day by the river platt[e]

6. 8 miles very rough sandy road.

7 10 miles still a rough road

8 15 miles road better

9 15 miles barren land

10 16 miles

11 5 miles stopped <saw Indians sioux> at Rouby Dods a indian trader.

12 Sunday went 17 miles. Pleasant road with one exception

13 went 16 miles[.] good road[.] got cherries and currants in abundance also on the previous day

14^th went 16 miles good road[.] got some currants and camped near the river[.] 2 sisters died that had met with accidents[.] one had got run over her chest [Caroline Abderholder.] The other [Isabella Vest Race] was shot through her arm which caused her death[.] it occured through carelessness leaving the gun loaded in the wagon with a cap on it and her [original text in Pitman shorthand] and it [original text in Pitman shorthand]

15^th went 10 miles and rested 2 hours[.] then went 4 miles and saw a many indians camped [illegible] miles from fort Laramy [Laramie]

16^th passed Fort Laramy [Laramie.] camped 6 miles other side of Laramy [Laramie] all day. Bands of Indians came all day 500 at least [illegible] paid 30 Cents for a pound of biscuits[.] a woman got shot[original text in Pitman shorthand]

17^th went 15 miles over the Black Hills[.] saw a camp of [illegible]

18^th moved 15 miles over the hills[.] very ruf country[.] it was dark long before we camped[.] brother [illegible] over took us

19 Sunday [illegible] in the morning several in the [illegible]

20 went 21 miles [illegible]

21 went 15 miles [illegible] badly hurt

22 went 12 miles[.] The road from Laramie [illegible] is very ruff. My foot much better[.] I walked near all day[.] camped soon in the day[.] Elder [illegible] took his leave on us and went forward.

23 went 9 miles[.] camped at a nice creek[.] sage creek[.] my foot better allmost.

24 went 16 miles[.] came to the platt[e] soon in the day. all in good spirits

25^th went 12 miles[.] camped at the side of the Platt[e] where we had to cross. a beautiful place[.] everything necessary for man and Beast.

26 Sunday went 8 miles crossed the Platte in the morning[.] a very rough bad road[.] Tremendous mountains

27 went 16 miles rough country [original text in Pitman shorthand]

28 went 24 miles[.] traveled from [illegible] in the morning to 8 at night. came to the sweet waters [Sweetwater] and camped by the side of Independence rock[.] 332 miles [illegible] valley

29 went 8 miles and passed [illegible]

30 went 20 miles [illegible]

[illegible] 10

[illegible] 18

[illegible] went 23 miles

[illegible] 4 went 14 miles

Henry Clegg [illegible] [original text in Pitman shorthand]