Transcript

In 1861, the year I was twenty years of age, I was called to go back to the Missouri River, and drive a team of four yoke of cattle, to get the poor, and bring them to the valley. The company was in charge of Joseph W. Young; but when we arrived at the Missouri, he remained there as agent, to fit up the other companies, on their way to the Salt Lake Valley. Ansel Harmon had charge of the company on the return journey. We made the trip both out and back without any great difficulty; and the next year, President Brigham Young was requested by the President of the United States, to send out a company of cavalry, to guard the mail on the plains between Salt Lake City and the Missouri River. I was with this company. We went back as far as Independence Rock, on the Sweetwater; and some of us went farther down, on the Platte. There we camped quite a while; and then returned to the South Pass, and camped there a while; after that we made our camp at Fort Bridger. While at Bridger, the Indians came in one night, and ran off a rancher's horse. He had his horses in a corral, but the Indians let them out. Lot Smith was our captain, so he took part of the company, and followed the Indians up north; I don't know just how far, but into Idaho. He could not travel nights, because there was no way to track the Indians, and thus they got away. They had fresh horses; but the company got pretty close to them, at times. After we had been out several months, we received word to return home.