Transcript

I bought a Chigo wagon and two sets of harnesses complete for the amount of ten pounds of flour. . . . We left our wagons in charge of Thomas Blackburn and returned for a new supply back to Lathorps which we obtained and bid goodbye to Lathorp and family. We then started for Carson, Frank Deny accompanying us. We sold in Carson all that we wished to sell. The rest we kept for our trip homeward to Salt Lake. We camped here several days awaiting for Amasa Lyman and his company to arrive from the other side of the mountain. When he arrived with his company it amounted to twenty-five or thirty men[,] six wagons besides our own. Some of them with others they procured in Carson, and when we were all prepared we started across the deseret of 40 miles without water. Dear [dead] cattle and horses were strung for miles, with [which] the emigrants had lost. We crossed at the sink of the Humbol[d]t river and camped. The next day we proceeded up the river and two of our men namly John Gould and Farnum Kinyon were taken very sick in the afternoon of that day. They lagged behind the main company. A messenger was sent back to tell them to hurry up as it was dangerous to travel along [alone]. They said they were sick and came into camp unsaddled and layed down on their blankets from which they were taken[,] rolled and buried by sunrise The next morning they were taken with the Cholera and their cries through the night were very painful to hear. Dan Clark and myself, Amasa Lyman and Gould's father worked over them until they breathed their last which was about day-light. In the morning we rolled them in their blankets[,] a hole being dug[,] we layed them inside, side by side and covered them up, and after this gathered brush and burnt on top of the grave. During the night Amasa Lyman told us to open a keg of brandy of 5 gall[on]s to use on the boys who were sick and to drink as much as we could. We ate Sardine[s] and crackers with the brandy, which kept us from taking the desease which afflicted the boys. after the burial of the boys[,] I looked for my Mules and found my most valued mule gone from our herd and did not dare to go from camp to look for him as we were in a hurry to leave that place.

After traveling up the river before we arrived at the gravely ford, an Indian made his appearance holding in his hand an old pistol, that he wanted to narrowwap for a carivan. We said nothing to him, until the last wagon, which was George Billing's. he caught his riffle [rifle] and said: "Dam you, I'll narrowwap you." He shot from under the cover, not pointing at the Indian. At this the Indians commenced hollowing running and falling then arising and running in a zigzag manner. We looked on a rid[g]e a half mile distant. a great many Indians who showed themselves near the top of the ridge. We did not stop our train, but traveled a little faster until we came to the gravely ford about dark. We heard Indians following us on the right. We traveled on about 10 miles and camped without fire and a double guard was put around us. We saw no more of the Indians the next day. The camping places from this on to Goose Creek[,] at which we arrived after many days of travel, from thence to Bear River without any accident. We crossed the Malad on a natural bridge composed of cane and rushes. At Bear River Clark and myself ate the first Sardines since we left the place where our brethren died. We could not bear the smell of them previous to this time. We passed on from this towards Salt Lake crossing the Ogden River and the Weber river and arrived in Salt Lake City the morning of the 6th of October 1850 having left the City for our journey on the first days of the same months in 49.