Transcript

Tuesday june 1 we left Florents [Florence] and started to cross the plains. Some waggons came later on so at last we were a company of 13 waggons, 33 brethern, 46 horses and mules. Several times we had to cross the river.

June 6 we met some brethern who came express from Utah. They told us from B. Young that we had to be careful, because soldiers, indians and mountaineers were inimical to us. Same day we arrived in Genua [Genoa] River Settlement which is established by Mormons. Here I found my brother-in-law Thuesen and we were so Happy, from him I got a gun with powder and 12 bullets,

June 7 I left and crossed Platte River which is really wide, we got over in a barge and the horses swam.

June 8 we travelled till the afternoon then we gathered together and we decided that Eldrige [Horace S. Eldredge] is our captain, [Hector C.] Haight assistent, I. W. Iversen Guard and G. as clerc.

June 11 we came to a wide River, there was no bridge so we had to swim and that was a hard job. We met some indians who was friendly and we gave them some food. We met some federal provisiontrain on our way.

June 19 we shot an antilope and we got some meat. When we arrived at the campground we found 2 wheels from a hand-cart. They came at the right moment because we had no firewood.

Sunday june 20 we rested for 6 hours and we had a meeting. Andersen [Jansen]was sick so Poulsen had to help Hoier [Hoyer] and I was the cook

june 22 we came to Fort Larami[e], the road was hilly and sandy,

june 26 we came to a bridge over River Platte. We sold some meat and bisquits and got 2 buffaloskin for $4 each and 4 bread. 2 waggons went forward and we came to Sweet Water. June 30 we saw the mountains with snow, the road was good and we went about 40 miles a day.

July 2 we reached the highest point of America. Several times we went on till 11-12 in the night and started again at 2-3 am.

July 3 we crossed Sandy River

july 4 we came to Big River, where we met 13 waggons (apostats) among them was rope—maker Andersen from Norway, we stayed overnight near Green River which we crossed by boat, each crossing cost $6.

July 5 we came to Fort Hamis near River Motte where we saw the first soldiers[.] we passed the bridge which the soldiers made. We started in the morning at 3

july 6 we came to Fort Bri[d]ger (about 600 soldiers) it is a beautiful place with bare plains, we met some who brought news from Utah

july 7 we crossed some high mountains where it was difficult to travel, we saw beautiful valleys where the road is good

july 8 we met 20-30 brethern who went to Bri[d]ger for goods. The old brother Madsen was buried here. We saw 50 mules from Zion.

July 9 the route was hard because we had to cross the high mountains from where we could see Salt Lake. We went down the longest hill we have ever seen, we had to cross several little rivers and in the evening we arrived to Salt Lake.