Transcript

We sailed on that River [Missouri] a couple of days and landed in Wyoming from there we crossed the plains with ox team's. We stayed there about five weeks, we had some trouble to get the oxen and wagons nessary to take the journey to Salt Lake Valley.

Finally one morning we were called out and told if we would reduce our freight to fifty lbs. to a person we could all go. We were three in family, and we had three hundred pounds. so I started to sell and give away what I thought we could best spare, all good clothes, and bedding until we only had 150 lbs. We thought we were alright then a few days later we were called out again, and informed we would have to raise money enough for provisions to last across the plains for our family, and it would take fifty dollars. Then I sold all we had of value as my watch and gold rings, my fine Sunday clothes, and overcoat till I had the $50.00 soon after that we were ready to start.

Our company consisted of about fifty wagons, four yoke of cattle to each wagon most of them were young Steers, we put a yoke of broke ones in lead, we traveled about five miles the first day increasing a short distance each day.

About the 17^th of Sept we camped near Fort Laramie. It was after dark a short time after we had gone to rest we were called up and told the Indians were driving off our cattle. We did not sleep much after that. The next morning their was 22 head of cattle gone. We crossed the creek, and camped in a better place. Some of the men were sent out to hunt for the lost stock. They got some of them back[;] after two days we started again. We traveled all that day and the next. Sept 22 we had to travel a long distance to get to water. My wife became very tired, we got behind the train[.] our boy stayed with the wagon's[.] the train finally reached a creek[;] their was lots of thick brush along it. A lot of Indians were hid in the brush.

When the boys drove the cattle to water[,] five of them were wounded by the Indians; then every man in camp came out with their guns and frightened the Indians away. At that time my wife and I were about ½ a mile from camp and some of the Indians came to-wards us and with a big yell started to shoot at me while one Indian took my wife on a horse and rode away with her. I was hit by four or five arrows[--] the last one hit in my right hip. I pulled it out and dropped it thinking it was all out, while the whole arrow head was left in the hip bone. It left a running sore. The Indians thought me dead so they left. I crawled to camp on my hands and knees with out assistance. I carried the arrow head in my side for a year and eleven months. I finally found out there was something left in the wound so I got Dr. Anderson in S.L to take it out. It was three weeks after I was shot before I was able to get around with a cane.

All the bodily suffering passed through for nearly two years was but small compared with the Anguish and sorrow for the loss of my wife. I have often stood by the workbench with the tears running down my cheeks. I can never forget my boy seven years old who was all I had to live for.

We reached Salt Lake City the first part of November half starved and with out clothes.