Transcript

In camp on creek, near Red Hills, west 63 miles from Ft. Laramie, Aug. 17, 1847.

To Bro. B. Young,

The camp is enjoying good health, no cases of sickness at this date, and no deaths have occurred. Two births. We number 155 souls. The names of men capable of bearing arms and of performing other camp duties are as follows: Edward Hunter, Alva Keller, Henry Heath, Wm. W. Potter, Berry [Burrill] A. Covington, Nathaniel M. Dodge, Henry Tuttle, Jacob Foutz, Jacob F. Secrist, Henry I. Doremus, Samuel Merrill, Isaac Leany, William Leany, William Sceare [Scearce], Leonard Stump, John A. Wolf [Woolf], Abraham Boswell, Vinson [Vincent] Shirtliff [Shurtleff], Hobert [ Hubbard] Tuttle, Lemon Brunson [Leman Bronson], Albert G. Fellows, Wilmer Brunson [Bronson], Wm. Fellows, Fredrick Bainbridge, John McBride, William K. Rice, Newton J. Hale [Hall], Mc Bride, D. M. Thomas, Henry Thomas, A. W. Collins, Robert D. Covington, Thomas Warrick, James Matthews [or Mathis], John Thomas, Philemon Thomas, John Robertson, John Lowery, Justus Seelye [Seeley], Wm. S. Seelye [Seeley], Jastus [Justus] W. Seelye, [John] Henry Wilcox, David Seelye [Seeley] James Young, John Young, Ithamer Sprague.

The sisters who had husbands and/relatives in the army were Catharine Ann Owens, Mary Ann Hunter, Louize [Louisa] Calkins, Sarah Dodge.

There are also in this company; 50 guns, 7 pistols, 246 1/2 lbs. powder, 138 lbs. shot, 394 lbs. lead, 59 wagons, 247 oxen, 12 horses, 3 mules, 95 cows, 38 sheep, and 3 hogs.

As to our teams, they are not so good a plight as we could wish. The loss of cattle in Grant's company has made it necessary to take from our teams to supply that loss. A few of our cattle (oxen) are failing in their feet and have died, owing to the want of competent teamsters. Small accidents occur almost daily, and we think that none of our teams or perhaps very few of them will be in a condition to return to Winter Quarters In In the present condition our cattle, we think, if we reach the place of our destination with them, it will be as much as we shall expect.

Our cows, with a very few exceptions, are put in the teams.

We say, in conclusion that if a few additional teams could be furnished us, they would/assist us very much on our journey.

 

Edward Hunter, Capt. of Hundred,
Jacob Foutz, Capt. of Fifty.