Transcript

On July 24, 1868, we started to Utah. We traveled by immigrant train for the first week, then we came to the terminal of the railroad where men from Utah were waiting with ox teams to take us across the plains.

We arrived in Utah in September, 1868. It took six weeks and three days to make the trip.

Our company consisted of covered wagons, each drawn by two yoke of oxen. Our captain was . . . [William S. Seeley] of Hyde Park, Utah. There were two families in our wagon. Most of the wagons carried two families.

The women and children rode and the men and boys walked or rode with the men who were hauling supplies for the company.

Father paid for our trip and our provisions before we started to cross the plains. We got our supplies as we needed them.

There was a herd of beef cattle along and they killed a beef twice a week and each family was given meat according to the size of their family. The women and children slept in the wagons and the men and boys had beds under the wagons. The men took turns herding the cattle and oxen at night. There was a captain over the whole company and then a captain over every fifty, then others over each ten men. Everyone knew his duties and worked unitedly with the others. There was never any trouble.

When we arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, we rested for three days and then went on to Smithfield.