Transcript

Transcript for "Ann Sharp Galbraith, Pioneer of 1862," 1.

When I was nearly four years old my parents decided to immigrate to Zion in America. We were accompanied by my grandfather [William] Gill and my Uncle George and Aunt Elizabeth Gill as well as my older sister Lizzy [Elizabeth Sharp].

We traveled across the plains in the Horton D. Haight company[.] It was a long and tedious journey lasting 10 weeks and three days. My father [Francis Sharp] walked the entire distance of about 1050 miles across the plains although he was often sick. My mother [Ann Gill Sharp] had to ride part of the time because of sore feet. I suppose Lizzy and I rode most of the time. There were about 450 people in our company. There were twenty eight deaths in the camp and about 8 or 10 oxen died. We experienced all kinds of weather on the plains—hot, cold and warm; wind, rain, snow and frost. We generally had plenty of water but it was not always the cleanest or the best. Our provisions, flour, bacon and sugar were served out weekly but we had sufficient of them. Tea, coffee and soap were not so plentiful. Wood was also scarce and it was necessary at times to build our fires and do our cooking with buffalo chips.

There were usually 18 people to a wagon but we had only 13 in ours as it was smaller than the others. Adults were charged $40. each for passage, and children $20. Adults were allowed 50 pounds of luggage and children 25 pounds, all over that was at the rate of 20¢ a pound. The church allowed us while on the plains the following utensils: bake kettle, frying pan, camp kettle and coffee pot. These had to be returned when we got across the plains. (This [these] data was [were] taken from my father's Diary.) We arrived in Salt Lake City of Zion on Sunday afternoon Oct. 19, 1862. My father says it was the most beautiful sight since leaving Morley Hill, England.