Transcript
Transcript for Henry Stocks diary, 1844-1870
18th May Sold a piece of cloth bought spade & axe & rope. this day we had to move to Mormon Grove 5 miles from here by ox & waggon.
19th May I was requested to dig a grave for one Sister Gardner from Preston one of the first in England & the first to die on this land or buried here
20th May Sunday went to Meeting[.] Elder Andrews preached in the evening the same[.] I felt much today, I wept with Joy and thankfullness to God
21st May got fire wood & c Comenced & dug a ditch of 27 yds long 1 yard deep in a slooping condition[.] a Bank the same size with the earth that was dug out for the bennifitt of the Poor Fund for nothing. every Man able was required to do the same. This is the first piece of Land enclosed for many miles of any importance[.] thousand & thousand of acres lies dormant[.] not a foot to mark the ground
1855 May 22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
29th
30th
31st May These past days I have been preparing for the Mountains as far as I could. We are waiting for oxen & waggons[.] Elder Snow is come here and giving us Necessary Instructions[.] Organised two companys for the plains[.] mostly of those that is paying their own Expences.
1st June & 2nd continuly engaged with something. dug another ditch 27 yds long 1 yd deep for another Br[other] to mend and make the two boys Boots.
3rd June Sunday attended three meetings[.] Elder Snow was giveing Instruction in A. M.[,] others in th P. M. & evening
4th June began & Planted Indian corn after the Plough with a few others
5th June Planting corn, my two Boys assisting me
6th June Planting corn my two Boys I may say three Angus, Moroni[,] Simeon.
7th June I am requested to commence & put in Garden Seeds[.] I accordingly commenced & Sowed Peas[,] Set Beans[,] sowed Lettice[,] onions[,] Turnips[,] Cucumber[,] Mellons[,] Squashes[,] Pumpkins[,] Kidnerbeans & C
8th June Continued my gardening various Sorts of Seeds.
9th June Continued to put in seeds forming Beds for Lettice & c. I had to put in seed not knowing what it was[.] I finished all my seeds to day. I may say that I am one of the first gardeners in Mormon Grove. I had to stand guard 4 hours last night to watch the cattle
10th June Sunday I ought to have stated that on the 7th June the first Company started for the Valley being properly organised[.] Captin [Captain] Hindly (then captin over guard) then captins over every ten Waggons about 100 souls in the ten waggons
June 11-12-13-14-15-16-17 Sunday---18-19-20-21-22-23-24 Sun[day] June 25-26-27th-28th-29-30--st of July Sun[day]-2-3 4 5 6 7 8th Sun[day] 9th 10th I have been engaged dureing these days in the Field & Garden[.[] I was apointed to suprintend the planting of the corn & puting in of gardin Seeds[.] I have been faithfull in the discharge of my duty[.] I have been useing the spade these ten days on the Farm. 27th June day of martyrdom of Joseph Smith 1844
1855 I have watched dureing half one night the Burning of Charkcoal[.] last day or two made tent pegs, ox Bow Keys, axe shaft or two, & c, there has been information to this effect that part of the saints would have to stop here for want of means & those that had paid in the most money must have first chance of going to <the> valley[.] a sep[a]ration of the camp took place[.] those going to be on one side of the Road, those stop[p]ing on the other side[.] I have of co[u]rse had to be on the stop[p]ing side, this was a great blow both to me & Family, & a great many others, but I soon became easey to do the best I could, either to go or stop. I here state it is not the faithfullness of men, nor the amount of labour they have done but it is simpley this, money is the object, but I say the Lords will be done either to go or stop, I have continued to work, & I have thought & still think we shall go. there is a little sickness, some deaths very sudden, of Cholrey [cholera]. hoeing peas, Beans Roding them & c about 2 days work. I have to receive Provisions for the remainder of the saints & delives [deliver] them out evry Satuerday
I have stated before that, J Hindley, Captain 1st of first company 7th June
2nd Comp[any] went about 14th June Capt[a]in Secrist organised same as the other
3rd Comp[any] went about the 18 June; Capt[a]in Seth Blair. Great sickness in this comp[any]
4th Comp[any] consist chifly of the P[erpetual] E[migration] F[und].
Company Captin Balentine [Captain Ballentine]. (wating for food[.] went 2nd July 1855
5th Comp[any] not large, chiefly Independents Captin Thurstin went from this place M[ormon] Grove 3rd July 1855
my Family along with myself went by this next.
6th Comp[any], started on 1st Aug 1855[.] nearly all belonging to the P[erpetual] E[migration] F[und] Company, Milo Andrus was Captin,
this was the last sent out. arrived in the Valley[.] 24th Oct. (Makeing the Journey in 12 weeks.
there was another Comp[any] started before us but I cannot give the date. Capt[a]ins name was [Charles A.] Harper. another Lug[g]age Train or Comp[any] whose Captin['s] name was [Isaac] Al[l]red.
28th the distance from place to place I here insert. started from Vulcan Foundry Newton Lancashire England
Vulcan Foundry to Liverpool by Railway, 0018 miles
Liverpool to Philidelphia [Philadelphia] by Sea 3500 8 weeks
Phil[aldelphia] to Pittsburgh by Railway, 0350 miles, 1 day
Pitts[burgh] to St. Louis by Ohio River, 1200 miles
St. Louis to Atchison by Missouri River, 0500 miles
Atchison to Mormon Grove by Ox Waggon, 0005 miles
Mormon Grove to Salt Lake Valley, 1200 miles, 1 week
[Total] 6773 miles
July 11th-12-13-14-15 Sun[day]. this last week I was hoeing up corn peas Beans & c watching cattle half one night, giveing out Provisions assisting to yoke cattle. I now have to state that we expect to move on to the Valley[.] a meeting has been called and Captins of tens chosen & c. one Elder Slack was one, He ascked me if I had chosen who I was going with, I said we would go in [h]is ten. we had in past days trav[e]led in Liverpool conferance & I thought we should be comfortuble.we started on this long and teadious Journey on the 1st Aug 1855 we moved on well considering our unbroken cattle & c we reached the Blue River (100 miles from Missouri River,)
70 miles further is little Blue River next is Platt River. Ash Hollow -next is Cart House[.] this is a large formation of Rock & Sand[.] it stands alone & is 200 feet square & 800 feet high[.] on its top is like a large dome, next object of atraction is Chimney Rock, it may be seen 30 miles distance, its Base is 300 feet in diameter & tapers off to within 100 feet of top[.] it then becomes square, 50 feet diameter & is a solide shaft of Rock 100 feet makeing altogether 400 feet high.
next is Scott's Bluffs 3 miles of rock to be seen in shapes of castles & c,
next Fort Larimie [Laramie] 625 miles from St. Joseph mo [Missouri] mile & half from Platte River
Laramie Peake 100 miles from Fort Larimie [Laramie] can be seen 100 miles[.] its altitude is 11,000[.] near sweet water River is a number of Salaratus Lakes half mile square
next is Independance Rock situated on north side of Sweet water [Sweetwater] River[.] 216 miles from Fort Larimie [Laramie] composed of solide granite stone covers an area of 5 acres 400 feet above the surrounding Land this name was given it by a Partey of Americans which held a Festavel on its top on the 4th of July in remembrance of the American liberty in[s]cribed the above name on it[.] its altitude is 7,489 feet.
I should have put down the date of Birth of the Child a little sooner.
Louiza [Louisa] Jane Stocks was Born 21st Sep 1855 about 9 oclock A. M. was a beautifull morning was all over in about an hour & then proceeded, was about 3 miles from the Platte River about 70 miles from Fort Larimie [Laramie]
a fine healthy child Mother never had a better time, was assisted by Margy [Mary] Strickland[.] truly the Lord Blessed us according to our position
Louisa Jane Stocks was Blessed by Milo Andrus on 28th Sep W[illiam]. G. Mills & myself assisting in the ordanence) on the Top of Independance [Independence] Rock. a grand blessing was pronounced on her[.] for these favours I am truly thankfull
Passed Devils Gate 28th Sep meet some Breathren from the Valley
Passed over Devils Back Bone on 4th Oct (a most awfull mounting of stone) came on a dredfull storm of snow this night
On 6th Oct passed over the deviding ridge betwixt the Pacific & Atlantic, waters divide here runs contrary to each other 7048 feet above the sea
About the Sweet water [Sweetwater] many of our cattle died 230 miles from the Valley.
Cross Green River on 11th Oct 168 miles from the Valley.
arrived at Fortbridger [Fort Bridger] on 15th Oct (Mormon Fort)
Weber river 21st Oct short of provisions
this last hundred miles is the worst part of the Journey, a long steep Hill we had to go up 5 or 6 miles long & very steep.
another Hill called the little Hill Very steep
We Arrived in the Valley on the 24th Oct 1855 8 o clock at night