Transcript

July 5; We staid two days in Kanesville. Purchased provisions.

July 6; Found several of our shipmates in the camp and were organized. Mr. John Brown appointed captain of the whole. We mustered twelve wagons with four others of the brothers to take charge of ten wagons each, subject to the orders of Mr. Brown.

July 7; Started on this last division of our long journey at six P. M.. We are now in the country of the Omahas.

July 8; Ferryed over the Elkhorn [Elk Horn] river in safety.

July 9; Crossed Elkhorn. Very hard days travel.

July 10; Halted all day to repair wagons, washed our dirty linen.

July 11; Very sandy roads but got along very well.

July 12; Exceeding hot. Nine wagons have overtaken us now. We number 54 wagons.

July 13; Proceeded onward as usual.

July 14; We are now on the plains. In the Pawnee country. July 15-16-17-18 same as before.

July 19; We remained in camp repairing damages to 20 wagons. This day at half past two o'clock, Sister [Esther] Kempton died. She came with us from London.

July 20; Crossed the Loup Fork. All safe.

July 22; Bad sandy road. Heavy traveling.

July 23; Crossed three deep ravines going down to Wood river.

July 24; The hottest day we have had, so encamped by the river.

July 25; We traveled quite slow on account of the weakness of the cattle.

July 26; Came near to Fort Kearney. Bought an ox. He cost 30 dollars.

July 27; Sunday, remained in camp. Prayer meeting in the afternoon.

July 28; Came in sight of buffalo, numbered ten thousand in a single herd.

July 29; Met three wagons from Salt Lake. We are still ahead of Elder Pratt's Company, Which left Kanesville two weeks before we did.

July 30; Much bothered with buffalo which are numerous.

Aug. 1; Ahead of us is Sister's Whitaker and boss, shipmates.

Aug. 2; Passed Elder Phelp's Company.

Aug. 3; Had a splendid fast meeting. Many testimonies.

Aug. 4; [John] Kay got his wagon tongue broke.

Aug. 5; The country wild and romantic.

Aug. 6; Met a company of returning Californians. They had passed through Salt Lake City.

Aug. 7; Passed mant [many] old graves. One kied [died] in August 1849.

Aug. 8; Very pleasant traveling all day.

Aug. 9; Phelp's company overtook us. All well. Saw Chimney Rock. Scenery grand.

Aug. 10; Sunday meeting as usual.

Aug. 11-12-13; Good traveling.

Aug. 14; Heavy rain. The sioux tribe were encamped near us.

Aug. 15; Indians with us all day Dresses of the women nearly covered with bead work.

Aug. 16; Bought one yoke of oxen for which I paid 65 dollars.

Aug. 17; Sunday, Compelled to travel to find grass for cattle.

Aug. 18; A very hard road all day. Got twenty miles. Camped at eleven o'clock.

Aug. 19; Remained in camp all day Sister [Emma] Sharkey gave birth to a daughter.

Aug. 20; Very beautiful country but very dusty.

Aug. 21; Horrible roads[.] Camped by a river side.

Aug. 22-23; Very bad traveling, much sand.

Aug. 24; Sunday. Bro. [Preston] Thomas preached on the Gospel of Christ.

Aug. 25; Traveled 10 miles and encamped by a river.

Aug. 26; Remained in camp all day setting tires.

Aug. 27; Sister [Hannah Skelton] Henderson [Terry] died today at noon. She left seven children.

Aug. 28; Crossed the Platte. Some of the shoshones, that numbered 3000 were on the Sweetwaters 20 miles from us.

Aug. 29; We are now among the Rocky Mountains.

Aug. 30; Very sandy roads. Camped by the Sweetwater.

Aug. 31; Sunday. Sermon by Elder G[eorge]. D. Watt.

Sept. 1; Saw the snow capped mountains. Had one ox die.

Sept. 5; Remained in camp all day to give the sick oxen a rest.

Sept.6; Comfortable traveling all day. Crossed the Sweetwaters.

Sept. 7; Crossed a rocky ridge called the Devil's river four times. Backbone very barren country.

Sept. 8; Met the mail from Salt Lake with it was Dr. Bernhisel, the Utah delegate.

Sept. 9; Cattle strayed, made late starting. We came to one of the springs and camped.

Sept. 10; Remained in camp all day. Mrs. [Martha Ann Covington] Norton had her leg broken by a dick [kick] from a cow while milking.

Sept. 11; Pretty looking, traveling all day. Camped on Pacific Creek.

Sept. 12; Very heavy sandy roads all day.

Sept. 13; Sunday. Lovely morning. After breakfast, Walter[,] William and Derrick went out for game but obtained none.

Sept 15; Game among the timber today. Near Green river.

Sept. 17-18; Still heavy sandy road. Three oxen died.

Sept. 19; Arrived at Fort Bridger. Purchased 40 lbs. of very fine beef. Got 3 lbs. of potatoes. Traveled to Muddy Fork and camped.

Sept. 20-21; Very romantic scenery all day. Mostly ascending until we arrived at the rim of the great Basin. Sister [Mary Shepherd] Derrick was delivered of a fine little girl this morning at 1 o'clock. Ursula Derrick Rumel. We had gentle incessant rain all night to our very great comfort as the dust has been almost choking us for the last three weeks with a continued west wind.

Sept. 22; I lost another ox today by poison. As I feared my dear girl's labor came on during the night and at daybreak a little grandson was born to my great joy. The children are all overjoyed.

Sept. 25; We had this day a view of Salt Lake Valley from the summit of the mountain 7245 feet above the level of the sea. We were met by several men with teams. One man, Mr. Gadbury from Camden Town, had been in the valley two years. The descent off the mountains was awful steep and dangerous for about four miles. I took our little stranger in my arms and walked the distance. Mrs. Derrick's daughter did the same by their babe so the two ladies in the straw were the only ones who remained in the wagons. No accidents occurred. We are now at the entrance of a narrow defile between rocks. Measuring 811 feet perpendicular in height with serpentine streames running through it, Which we shall have to cross nineteen times.

Sept. 27; In about an hour after starting, we came to a deep ravine over which was thrown an apology for a bridge. No accident. We arriver [arrived] at Brown Creek, so named after our Captain, one and three fourths miles from this. We came to a clear spring of water and camped for the night. Mrs. Derrick doing well. Eliza[beth] suffered gas from the roughness of the road.

End

Sept. 29; Rose this morning with thankful heart that our travels were nearly over at least we hope so. After breakfast, and looking after my two patients who are doing better under the circumstances than might have been expected, and the babies first rate, I ascended the hill before uw [us] and had my first view of the city which is laid out in squares, in blocks as they call them here. Each containing ten acres divided into eight lots. Each lot having one house. Stood and looked. I can hardly realize my feeling, but I think my prevailing ones were joy and gratitude for the protesting [protecting] care I have had over me and mine during our long and perilous journey.