Transcript

In 1851 we started for Utah.  Then we came to Canesville [Kanesville], and had to lay over for two are three weeks on account of high water.  After we crossed the river we either had to lay over are go a round to the head of the other stream what was called the Elk river and the plat [Platte] river.  So our Captain though[t] we would follow the Company that had gone.  We had a rough time of it had two are three stampedes, tipovers, And had to build bridges to cross the waters with.  Once we built a bridge had to go about three miles to get timbers got it finished and getting The Teams acrossed when the water begin to raise just as The last wagon was over, The bridge went down. 

We traveled on ‘till we struck The plat river.  we was only 250 miles on our journey and we had traveled 550.  There was a judge coming to Utah and had a wagon that marked every mile.  He passed us on the forth [fourth] of July so when we struck the plat river we knew just how many Miles we had traveled he had marked it. 

Out on Green river we met a wagon coming loaded with Potatoes my brother and some other man had loaded them and got some one else to bring Them.  Before he got to us he sold them to the Companys ahead of us so when he reach our Camp there was not only about a pan full a piece for us and I thought I had never tasted any thing better.  I cooked once out of them and keep the rest to eat raw.  When we got over the big Mountain between the Mountains we did not have a bit of flour are bread so we went to some of the Companys and they were all about in the same fix.  And we did not succeed in getting any.  So I shook the cracker sack and let the Children eat the crumbs then we went to bed.  In the Morning one of the Neighbor heard that we did not have any flour and brought a pan full to the Camp.  His name was John Eless [Elliss] and have never forgotten him.  It lasted till we reached Salt lake City.