Transcript

We left Florence on the 23rd of August, 1856, arrived in Salt Lake City on Sunday, November 30th, about 1 o’clock at noon. We had a pleasant journey until we got to Larramie [Laramie] when it began to be cold and provisions scarce. Travelled along very slow.

On the 8th of October we crossed the river Platte for the last time. We had a very heavy heavy hail storm that day and the river was very high and the water very cold. It was all I could do to stand it. My woman [Mary Durham] and her sister Eliza [Morton] crossed it sticking hands or they could not have stood up in it at all. All the sick that could walk at all had to get out of the wagons and walk through the river, some of them falling down in the river several times, not being able to stand up in it being so weak. Camp crossed and travelled about 1 mile and then camped about midnight it commenced snowing and continued until sundown the next day. We travelled about 5 miles and camped. Snow about 12 inches deep. Stayed there 5 days. Buried some 12 persons while we stayed, Brother and Sister Pusil [Samuel and Margaret Pucell] among the number, travelled on about 12 miles through the snow and camped. Both wagon trains camped along with us, concluded to s[t]ay here until we heard something from the city. Weighed up our provisions and found we had enough to last us 8 days full rations, so we all agreed to go on half rations. That would be 8 oz. flour per day and no groceries. Stayed 5 days. About sundown of the 5th day Joseph A. Young, Brother Garr and Jones came into camp with the good news that there was lots of flour some 60 miles ahead which caused us all to rejoice. Travelled on the next morning.