Transcript

In the spring of 1858, a few emigrants from Denmark came to Omaha on their way to Utah. With this company was a man by the name of Rasmus Olsen, and step-mothers sister, Maren Pedersen Meilhede and their brother Peder Petersen Meilhede and wife. Olsen and Maren Meilhede were engaged to be married when they got to Salt Lake City. Olsen was quite well to do. He bought four yoke of oxen and a new Schuttler wagon and took us with them to Salt Lake City. The company consisted of six wagons with emigrants under the leadership of Iver N. Iverson a returning missionary of Pleasant Grove, Utah. And two Americans by the names of Chord,? and Clara. Chord was an elderly man. He had one yoke of oxen and a light wagon. Clara had a pair of mules and a light wagon. They were loaded with merchandize that they were taking to their homes in Utah.

Before we reached Fort Laramie we fell in with a company of soldiers going to Utah. They were a part of Johnston's army. We traveled with them till we reached Devils Gate on the Sweet-water. They were kind to us. They allowed us to camp just outside their picket lines. They often gave us groceries and they night-herded our oxen with their stock that they were driving loose. They had big mule teams.

Some of our oxen died with alkali which made the loading too heavy for those left. The emigrants had to leave some of thir heavy loading such as could be spared. Some new stoves were buried by the road-side and the places marked. I believe they were never recovered by the owners. After soosing [losing] the oxen, all who could had to walk.

I was twelve years old and the bigest boy in the company. The soldiers let me ride a mule and help drive loose stock. When we reached [the] Sweet-water the troops pushed on faster to Fort Bridger than the ox teams could travel. Father permit permited me to go with them. They offered to bord and take care of me till our company should get there. While there I heard some of the soldiers told who had boon [been] there the previous winter. How the "Mormons" had kept them at Bridger during the winter, and about Lot Smith with a small company of "Mormons" had burned a number of Government wagons and supplies back on the Big Sandy. Some of the soldiers said they did'nt blame the "Mormons" Others did. One of the soldiers we traveled with said he would take me back to the States and give me a home with him if I wished.

We arrived in Salt Lake City on the 20th of September, 1858. When we got there many of the people were away. Early in the summer the people had left their homes in Salt Lake City and north and mooved south into Utah County and further south owing to the army coming to Utah.