Transcript

Apr. 24. Camped on the east side of the little mountain.

Apr.25. Camped in Parley's Park.

Apr. 26. Camped at the head of Silver Creek.

Apr.27. We reached Grass Creek and found good feed. Here we had to leave Brother A. Thorn sick with a family. He was badly afflicted with rheumatic.

Apr.28. We came up with the other part of our company who was from Box Elder county also Weber county. They came up through Weber canyon. Here we made a full organization by appointing a chaplain, five captains of ten and four night horse guards, two to be on duty at a time.

Apr. 29. Camped at the cave near the head of Echo Canyon.

Apr. 30. Camped on Sulfer [Sulphur] Creek one mile from Bear River.

May 1. We camped on the Muddy and continued down it until the fourth when we struck Hams Fork and camped.

May 5. Camped on Green River a little above the Jerry [ferry].

May 6. We forded the river, the water striking the box. One passed the place where Lot Smith burnt the wagons on Little Sandy in the time of Johnston's Army. We camped on Big Sandy.

May 7. We crossed it and camped.

May 8. We camped on Dry Sandy.

May 9. The wind was blowing very cold all day from the east. We camped at Pacific Springs.

May 10. We crossed the south pass and came over unto the Sweet water. Captain John Murdock's mule Church train camped a little above us, D.H. Wells, Brigham Young, Jr., and a number others going on a mission was with him.

May 11. They passed us and we camped on the west side of the rocky ridge on Sweet water.

May 12. Crossed the rocky ridge and camped on Allcolic Creek [Alkali Springs].

May 13. Crossed Sweet Water and camped five miles above the three crossings.

May 14. Remained in camp till noon shoeing oxen, then passed the three crossings and camped.

May 15. Camped 10 miles above Devil's Gate on Sweet water.

May 16. Nooned at Devil's Slide and went five below and camped.

May 17. While we were yoking up our cattle in the morning, Albert Baker, the associate captain rode fast on the outside of the corral of wagons and the ground sounded like it was hollow. The noise excited the cattle and they made a rush for the opposite end of the corral and started off at full gallup. They knocked down three men and some oxen and upset one wagon but did not do much harm. After we got started and was passing Independence Rock, the excited cattle again started to run but we soon got them stopped. We nooned on Grease Wood creek [Greaswood Creek] and camped on the south fork of the same.

May 18. We traveled all day without water till we struck the North Platte where we camped by the side of a large emigrant camp going to the northern mines. Old Captain Bridger, of Ford Bridger, was piloting them over a new road with about 100 wagons.

May 19. Traveled down the river to the upper bridge expecting to cross it but they wanted to charge us $3.00 per wagon to cross it. We went seven miles farther down and got the chance of crossing this bridge for 50¢ per wagon.

May 20. We crossed the Platte at this bridge onto the south side and here traded for some buffalo robes of a mountaineer and camped five miles below.

May 21. We crossed Deer Creek and went four miles below.

May 22. Crossed Boise Creek and nooned on Box Elder Creek and camped on Laperlay [La Prele] Creek. It rained on us in torrents, the water running all around us.

May 23. We camped on Labonty [La Bonte].

May 24. Camped on Horse Shoe Creek a little above the station.

May 25. We reached the Platte and camped 10 miles above Laramie.

May 26. We moved one mile and camped on account of the rain.

May 27. We passed Laramie and forded Laramie fork, the water running into the wagon boxes. We went thirteen miles down the river and camped.

May 28. Camped on Horse [Horseshoe] Creek.

May 29. Camped three miles above Scotts Bluffs [Bluff].

May 30. Passed Scotts Bluffs 50 miles below Laramie. Went 25 miles more and camped near Chimney Rock.

May 31. Went 25 miles down the river. The next day 24 miles.

June 2. It rained all the morning. We went 16 miles afterwards.

June 3. Went 15 miles and camped at Ash Hollow.

June 4. Went up Ash Hollow going on over the south Platte 18 miles and nooned. Here we found the river booming high and no way to cross it only having to ford and swim it. A number of the brethren that could swim went into the river to hunt a ford. They finally concluded that two miles above the old California crossing was the best place at the Buck eye ranch. The river was three-fourths of a mile wide. We commenced to cross at 4 p.m. In some places the cattle would have to swim. Then they could ford it while the wagons would float. We had to wade it holding onto our oxen. When we came to the deep channels after we had got about half way over, some of the teams had got down too low, coming too near to some of the Islands. In one of these places five wagons boxes floated off. We got them out the best we could. We succeeded in getting four out that night.

June 5. When we went to get the other one out we found that a burr had worked off and the wheel was gone and buried up in some hole and we could not find the wheel anywhere. We had to give it up. We got the wagon out and took it to pieces and loaded it up in other wagons and got a new wheel when we got to the Missouri river. We lost a few things. We were meeting about 200 teams per day going to the new gold fields in the north, many taking their families with them to get away from the war that was still raging. We went 15 miles and camped at the Lone Tree ranch.

June 6. Traveled 20 miles and camped 6 miles above Baker's Ranch.

June 7. Went 22 miles down the river and camped at Fremony [Fremont] Slough.

June 8. Went 25 miles. We passed the Cottonwood's military post and where the north and south Platte come together we camped three miles below this post on very poor feed.

June 9. We started at day break and went 8 miles and stopped till noon in good feed. We then went 12 miles.

June 10. Went 25 miles and camped 12 miles above Plumb Creek.

June 11. Passed Plumb [Plum] Creek and camped 2 miles below. It was raining hard.

June 12. Went 8 miles and nooned. Here we left 59 <head> of our weakest cattle to recruit up at a ranch till we returned. We left Brother Wm. Hall to take care of them. We camped below Hopeville, 10 miles above Kerny [Kearney] Post.

June 13. We passed Kerney and went 4 miles below and camped.

June 14. Went 25 miles and camped.

June 15. Nooned 11 miles below at the Junction of the road where it leaves the river 40 miles below, Kerney. We took the road leaving the river which led toward toward Nebraska City. We went 10 miles farther and camped at some springs where the captain and guards horses ran away. But the camp guard soon got them back.

June 16. Went 12 miles and nooned at the first striking of Beaver Creek. We followed down it 33 miles to where it emptied into the Big Blue river.

June 17. Camped at that point.

June 18. Camped on the north fork of the Big Pine.

June 19. Camped on Salt Creek.

June 20. Camped on Mimmeaha [Nemaha] Creek.

June 21. Went within four miles of Wyoming, the landing place for the Saints this season.

June 22. Some of the brethren went into see the emigrants, about 1,000 had arrived. The captain went in to get his instructions from Joseph W. Young, who had charge of this season's emigration.

June 23. I went to Nebraska City to get some blacksmithing done and <to> trade a little, but everything was very high on account of the war that was going on.

June 24. I went to Wyoming and stayed overnight.

June 25. Was helping to fix up some new wagons and making arrangements to get me a cook stove hauled through which I did.

June 26. Returned to camp and Joe. Rollands company had arrived and camped near us.

June 27. In Camp.

June 28. We moved our wagons to Wyoming and sent the most of our cattle back to the old camp. We then commenced to load up our wagons.

June 29-30. Still loading up.

July 1. I went to Nebraska City after a wagon.

July 2. In camp all day.

July 3. 800 more emigrants arrived at Wyoming. All the Utah trains had arrived.

July 4. We moved four miles out this time taking Platte road. We were very heavy loaded. We had 380 passengers and their baggage and provisions and 1,500 lbs. of freight to each of the 50 wagons.

July 5. I unloaded my 40 sacks of flour giving <one> to each wagon and returned for a load of groceries. I then took this load to camp and divided it up amongst the passengers to last them to Laramie.

July 6. I then went back for my load of groceries to take across the plains. The reason that I did not have any passengers was that I had been cooking for the captain all the way down and we had slept together in going down and he wanted me to still cook for him and the Logan boys, eight of us altogether, so I had my wagon more to myself but it was filled to the top. I could hardly find a corner to lay down. The captain slept with Hans Munk upon a load of flour where there was more room.

July 7-8. The clerks were settling up with the emigrants.

July 9. They finished up with them and we moved four miles.

July 10. Went to Weeping water, 25 miles.

July 11. Made one drive. We had a very heavy rain.

July 12. Went to Salt Creek.

July 13-14. Traveled over a very rolling country.

July 15. A woman and child died in camp.

July 16. We buried them six miles below where the road comes down onto the Platte Bottom.

July 17. Nooned on Clear Creek.

July 18. Made but one drive.

July 19. A woman died in camp 60 years of age.

July 20-21. Traveling upon the Platte Bottoms.

July 22. A son was born in camp. We came to the Junction of the road where we left the river road going down.

July 23. We camped 25 miles below Fort Kearney.

July 24. Another child died in camp. We camped four miles below Kearney.

July 25. Passed Kearney and camped 10 miles above.

July 26. We came up to our cattle at noon where we left them going down. They had done well. We remained here for the night.

July 27. We camped two miles above Plumb [Plum] Creek.

July 28. We traveled 23 miles.

July 29. Another woman died in camp. We camped 17 miles below Cottonwood's military post.

July 30. We passed the post and went 6 miles above and camped after dark.

July 31. It was a very hot, dusty day. We only traveled 15 miles and camped on Fremont Slough.

Aug. 1. Camped two miles below Baker's ranch.

Aug. 2. A man passenger died in camp.

Aug. 3. We camped at our old camp ground going down, one mile below the Lone Tree ranch.

Aug. 4. We passed the place where we crossed the Platte going down and camped three miles above. We concluded to go by way of Jul[e]sburg thinking it to be a better road.

Aug.. 5. Another son was born in camp. We traveled through some very heavy sand and camped four miles below Julsburg.

Aug. 6. We crossed the river at Julsburg very well by doubling teams. the water struck the box in one place. We traveled 5 miles afterwards and camped on Pole Creek.

Aug. 7, Sun. We remained in camp the forepart of the day to let our cattle rest. At noon as we were yoking up our oxen, a mule from a little camp near us which had been traveling with us for protection, had been snake bitten a few days before and it came to the corral and jumped over the chain that had been fastened from one wagon wheel to the other to keep the cattle in. As soon as it jumped over it gave a big groan and died. This frightened the cattle and they made a rush to get out of the corral. They tipped over one wagon and broke an axle tree and a tongue. This was about all the harm done, we had to stop the rest of the day to fix up our wagons. The most of the emigrants had started on before us so they were out of the way or some of them might have got hurt.

Aug. 8. We traveled 18 miles in the afternoon. As we were traveling the fore part of the train got to running away but the brethren were lucky in soon getting them stopped. The hinder part of our train was behind a divide so we did not see it nor our cattle partake of the spirit.

Aug. 9. We traveled 10 miles and nooned by the side of a large freight train that had been up to Laramie and in coming back had lost 75 head of their cattle out of 600 in eight days by Bloody Murrin, and some trains going to Utah with freight had to leave a portion of their loading at Laramie on account of their loss of stock and we had lost several head and quite a number were sick. Our captain and Reuben Collett and Warren Childs started back to Julesburg to telegraph to Pres. Young in Salt Lake City to get his mind about going the Pole Creek route, as we believed it would be better to go that way as there would be less dust and more feed on that route. We remained in camp that day.

Aug. 10. We moved camp five miles and waited for our captain and his guard. They came back at dark but he could not get his dispatch through on account of the Indian disturbances back on the road. The operator would not take time to send it, so we had to go it on our account. The Indians had taken a small train of 15 wagons, killed the men and took two women and three children and run of a large amount of stock about the Cottonwood's station and some other depredation reported. The next Church train to us was 60 miles behind us.

Aug. 11. Another freight train from Laramie passed us which had lost 50 head of cattle out of 300 in eight days and they said another company behind them had lost about the same amount and the ranch mens' cattle were also dying very fast. The captain thought from all the reports that he could gather, it would be best to take the Pole Creek route. We went on 2 miles to the forks of the road where it turned off to go to Laramie 40 miles above Julesburg. We went on the Pole Creek route trusting in the Lord for our best good.

Aug. 14. A child died in camp.

Aug. 15. We crossed the right hand fork of the creek 75 miles from the forks at the road and 115 miles from Julesburg. We traveled the right hand fork going 14 miles without water.

Aug. 16. We had to camp all night without water. It had sunk again for 18 miles.

Aug. 17. We started an hour before daylight and went 10 miles and stopped for water and then traveled on some more.

Aug. 18. We came over to the head of the left hand fork of Pole Creek and camped at Chyann [Cheyenne] Springs by the ruins of camp Walbock 180 miles from Julesburg. We had another son born in camp.

Aug. 19. We noon on Chyann Summit at some springs on the left handside of the road. We afterward came on top of the summit and beheld a fine looking valley lying beneath us and the two Laramie forks running through it and several high mountains around it with everlasting snows laying on them. We soon descended down to the big Laramie fork and camped making 25 miles.

Aug. 20. We traveled 16 miles without water when we came to the little Laramie fork and camped.

Aug. 21. We passed where the mail stage road turned off the left going by Denver City. We traveled 7 miles and nooned on a dry creek. There had been water there not long before. In the afternoon we traveled 6 miles across a very rough, rolling, rocky bunch and then came down a very steep rough hill, then went one mile across the bottom to Cooper Creek and camped.

Aug. 22. We traveled 10 miles over some very rough country and the wind was blowing the dust hard in our faces. We nooned on a small creek two miles south of Rock Creek. It rained in the afternoon and we remained in camp.

Aug. 23. The wind was still blowing very cold but the rain had settled the dust. We crossed Rock Creek and it was well named for it was a very rocky country all around that part. We camped up with a company that had gone the north Platte road to Fort Laramie and when they had got to Laramie their cattle commenced dying so fast that they thought they would turn back. They came over to the Pole Creek and followed up it. In the afternoon we had some very rough places to cross. We got over into the big Medicine Bow and camped one mile below the ford.

Aug. 24. We crossed it and 6 miles farther we passed fort Hallick, seven miles father brought us to the head of Pass Creek and nooned, then followed 9 miles down it to the crossing of little Medicine Bow.

Aug. 25. Went 10 miles and nooned without water. Afterwarad went 6 miles to the north Platte and crossed it and camped. We drove our cattle two miles up the river to good feed.

Aug. 26. Our cattle were driven up to camp and it was supposed that some were driven off by some tracks seen across the river from the herd. We soon yoked up our cattle and found that five were missing, the number that were tracked away. We soon unyoked again and the horse guards and all the horses in camp that could go, started on their tracks and followed them back in the road about 2 miles and then went down the river and crossed back onto the same side of the river as they drove them from and the tracks of two horse men following them. It had been some men living at the station that had a little hay cut and they wanted pay for damages and they took that plan to get it. After we got them back the captain offered them two head of oxen but they refused the offer and wanted $500.00 damage for three tons of hay as they called it and as the captain refused their request they said they would go to Fort Halleck and bring on the troops and force their demand upon us. We hitched up about 4 p.m. and traveled 16 miles and camped after dark on Sage Creek on very poor feed. We put eight men on guard with the cattle at a time in place of two as before.

Aug. 27. We traveled 10 miles and camped at the Pine Grove spring station. Here we expected to be attacked by the troops if these unjust ranchers could induce them to hearken to their story, but no troops appeared.

Aug. 28. We started at daylight and traveled five miles and halted for breakfast, when the camp nearly caught fire by the large sage brush catching fire. We crossed Bridger's Pass and camped at Sulfer Springs station in the Muddy making 20 miles.

Aug. 29. Traveled 10 miles down the Muddy and nooned, then followed it 7 miles farther, then turned 4 miles into the hills and camped without water but good feed.

Aug. 30. We traveled 15 miles without water when reached the Barrell Springs and camped.

Aug. 31. After going four miles farther we passed the Dug Springs station. We then had to travel 18 miles again for water at the next station at the head of Bitter Creek 90 miles from Green River. We went 2 miles down this creek and camped. Another woman died, 60 years of age.

Sept. 1. Went three miles down the Creek and turned up the south fork four miles to good feed and camped.

Sept. 2. We again struck the road we had left.

Sept. 3. Started at daylight, traveled 11 miles and nooned at Rock Point springs station. Went 10 miles and camped on good feed four miles above Salt Wells station.

Sept. 4. In the afternoon a very heavy thunder storm over took us and we halted for a short time during this storm another son was born. We passed Rock Springs station and camped 2 miles below making 20 miles. We had good feed again.

Sept. 5. One of the men that had the damages against us at north Platte passed us in the stage going to Fort Bridger to try to get the troops from there after us, as they had failed to get them from Fort Halleck. We went 16 miles which brought us to Green river and nooned at the ford. We then forded it and on going up out of the river, George Langley broke the hind wheel of his wagon all to pieces. We loaded up his wagon into other wagons then tied a pole under his and traveled three miles farther. We lessened our guard to four at a time.

Sept. 6. We traveled 10 miles and struck the Blacks fork where the mail stage line turns off to go past Bridger. We followed up Blacks Fork one mile and stopped the remainder of the day and fixed up the broken wheel.

Sept. 7. Still followed up Blacks Fork 22 miles farther which brought us to the old Pioneer road at the crossing of Hams Fork where I once stood guard all night, where we camped on the same piece of ground that we did in going down. We only lost three head of oxen on the Pole Creek route. The Lord greatly favored us by sending great showers of rain a head of us to fill up the Bitter Creek where it so often sunk in ordinary times so we did not suffer much for water for such a big train and we knew nothing of the road. We saved a great many cattle by coming that way.

Sept. 8. We started up the Muddy and went 24 miles and camped after dark.

Sept. 9. Two women died of dysentery. We went 20 miles and camped one mile below the station at the old ford of the Muddy on the Bridger road.

Sept. 10. We sent two men to Bridger to learn what the news was of our persecutors. The brethren learned that the commander of the fort would do nothing till he should get orders from Col. Conner at Camp Douglas, Salt Lake City. He sent for an order but got no answer so our persecutors had to return home without anything. We nooned at the Pioneer Ridge, after traveling one mile in the afternoon. We met with a very bad accident that happened to Brother Martin Wood just returning from a mission to England. Brother Wood was driving a team at the time loaded with 4,000 lbs. of stoves. At noon he fixed up a foot board, but not making it safe and as he started out he got up to ride with his feet upon this board and in going down a little incline he lost his balance and the board tipped throwing him in front of the wagon, and both near wheels passed over his neck nearly killing him on the spot, but we took him along a short distance to Sulfer [Sulphur] Creek near Bear River. We watched over him all night and he felt like he would recover.

Sept. 11. We left him at Bear river station, and Benjamin Garr with him to help take are of him. He appeared a little better but we learned afterward that he died in three days after we left him. We camped at our old camp ground, Cache cave.

Sept. 12. I was called to drive the same team after the accident. A child died in camp. We camped two miles above the mouth of Echo Canyon.

Sept. 13. Camped at the head of Silver Creek.

Sept. 14. We got on top of the little mountain after dark and camped on it.

Sept. 15. Arrived in Salt Lake City and unloaded our freight and passengers that wanted to stop in that part of the country. The rest we took along to our part of the country.