Transcript

It was in the morning of August 13^th when we arrived in Omaha and in the evening of the same day when we pulled out. We were on a grass plot near where the train was to stand, I should about one hundred yards away. Before the people were allowed to board the train the agent came to me and said, I want to count your people before the train starts. "Yes Sir said I" "How do you propose to do it?" "We will several men about half way between the people and the cars and count them as they pass to the train." Well if the agent had known what the people had endured coming from Chicago to Omaha, he would never adopted that mode of counting. I was never so amused on the whole trip from Liverpool to that place. There were six passenger trained up in full view of the people. Six cars for nearly five hundred emigrants. I said to the people as instructed by the agent. "You must not go to the train until the agent gives the word." Every one with his food basket, grif and parcel, was ready and when the word was given. You never saw a greater stampede of people than occurred upon that occasion. Counting the people was as difficult as it would have been to count a heard of cattle in a stamped. Why the agents had to get out of the way or be trampled down. And they did get away, uttering and mutering imprecations oaths and threats, but the stampede continued until all were in the cars. The agent concluded to telegraph to a station ahed and instruct an agent to count the people while the train was in motion. I concluded we had reached the climax and that the fourteen persons who swelled our number, would certainly be caught. I did not feel responsible for the presence of these people on the train and therefore I had no right to put them off. The train pulled out from the Omaha station at 7 oclock P.M. It taxed our most patiencet energy for two hours to get the people quieted down and reconciled to their crowded condition. One disagreeable incident occurred, which mared our peace. Elder Spencer and brother Neil got into a disputation which resulted in a fight and as Spencer Struck Neil he fell back his elbow striking a young lady in the breast which caused her to faint. I succeeded in restoring quietud and repentance effected between the two assalents and we move on without any trouble worth mentioning and

arrive in Benton which was on the 16^th of August. Benton is the terminus of the railroad. Here the wagon company of Captain Gillispie from Utah was waiting our arrival. We were taken by Captain Gillispee out to his camping grounds where we remained in camp until the arrival of the luggage of the emigrants. We received the goods and

on the 23^rd we started out crossing over an unbroken country as a cutoff a distance of fifteen miles. As all the luggage did not all arive a few teams were detailed to remain until the rest of the luggage came up and then overtake the main company. Our first camp was at a small lake to which we arived quite late in consequence of sandy country we had to pass over and no road. A wheel of one of the wagons broke and had to be taken to Benton for repairs. The remnant of the luggage with the detailed wagons came up and

on the 26 we again persue our journey over heavy sand hills and camp in a beautiful Vally about 16 miles from Sweet Water. to which I gave the name "Round Valley"

The next day we go through "Whiskey Pass" and camp, on "Sweet Water" near the sixteen mile drive." Here we found a new Chicago wagon and boxes of goods on the ground strewn arround evidently the work of Indians. A new made grave near by. There were two men with the wagon when attacked by the Indians; one killed and the other made his escape to South Pass City as we afterwards learned. The Sheriff from South Pass with a small possie went to recover the goods and wagon, but he too was killed and most of his men. Fortunately we passed along without any molestation or even the sight of Indians. The first death occurred at Little Sandy. An elderly lady, Maria Clayfield, aged 70 years. We gave her as good a burral as it was possible.

On reaching Grass Creek near Bear river we were met by Brother Robert Salmon and Sister Margaret Hunter Salmon who came out to meet Sister Jane Hunter. As they were from Coalville where my brother Wm. W. was living and would reach there befor the train[.] I accepted Bro Salmon's invitation to ride with him to Coalville[.] Elder [Hiram Theron] Spencer also rode with us. We attended meeting in Coalville and in the afternoon W W took Spencer and I to the camp it having passed through Coalville in the morning.

Sister [Annie] Osborn died and was buried in the cemetery Sept 13^th 1868.

We had two deaths at Hardie Station in Parley's Canyon. That made four deaths in the company during the journey from Liverpool to Salt Lake City. From Hardie Station I walked to Salt Lake City in advance of the company. This was September 15^th 1868.