. . . a company was organized and then a second one, and in the month of april 1858, I settled up my acounts, and prepared to leave for home[.] I purchased myself a horse two buggey harnesses, a new double gun, a colts revolver, a sword, and a bowe knife, two poinards for my Wives, and every thing that was needed for the trip, I took Passage on board the steam boat Florilda in company with Jacob Gibson, & Thomas Chamberlain, we shipped our horses on board the boat and arived at Florence Nebraska teritory in eleven days[.] we Continued there fiting out and waiting for Hector C, Height [Haight] and Company who ware fiting out in the upper country, thay arived however within two weaks, when we united, and are now readey to make our exit, on the first day of June,all things being acomplished preparitory for the start we make the best of our way toGenoa, over the new Milateny road we incountered heavey storms of raine acompanied by lightening and heavey thunder, the creeks become swolen and traveling become disagreable, however we made genoa all right within six days; when after resting a day the rear part of our company came up[.] we now proceeded to cross the north fork of the Platt[e] river, we caused our horses to swim the stream, thay came out all right on the opasite shore; we now ferreyed our waggons across on a small boat built for that purpose, when all ware landed safely on the bank of the stream our horses ware feeding, hapily we here met a company of mormon boys from Salt Lake City, escorting Col, Kane to the front[i]er[.] he had been to Utah on offical buisness relative to the troubles now pending, he was seated on an amount of luggage when a group of returning mishonaries gathered around him all ancious to learn something of interest from home and friends, I, stood in suspence for a while when no one took the liberty to introduce themselves for conversation for we ware all straingers to that worthy Janteelman, and knowing as I, did the great anciety that pervaded the hearts of all present as well as my own, I readily spoke out, saying [-], Colonol, we are a company of returning mishonaries from various parts of the earth, our families are in utah, and any information that you can give us relative to the conditions of things there will be thankfully received,” when all suddenly brightened up, and the Colonol replyed oh, are you ready; when one saide I [am] from the cape of good hope[.] another saide I ham [am] from England, when another saide he was come direct from Edinburrow [Edinburgh] Scotland[.] well saide the Colonol, you are a wonderfull people truly, and he Proceeded at once to narate to us the Condition of things in our dear mountan home, that our familyies would be taken care of, under the wise and Juditious care of President Brigham Young saide he, ‘your people never need fear, as long as he lives,’ he will direct you aright by his wise council, he saide the move southward was a political movement, but didnot define the design, which afterwards we all thuraly understood, but not until we had reached home, all was then made apparant, and so we thanked our noble friend for his kind information[.] he shook hands cordialy with us and bade us good bye, that day we ware fully organized numbering 13 waggons drawn by horses and mules and 40 men all in good health and spirits, and designing to make a quick trip of it we pushed ahead quite lively, when on the 26th we arived oppasite deer creek, where we stayed a short time and gained some information from an indian trader at the mail station, while tradeing for some bufalo skins, it was here saide that a peece was efected but we regarded this as rumour and unrelyable, we again pushed ahead lively for manny miles when we came up to some Indian encampments and shortly afterwards a party of Indian hunters came down upon us, from the hills north of us[.] thay ware by no means hostile but desired us to manifest our friendship towards them by makeing them a few presents such as we had of biskits [biscuits,] shuggar [sugar,] coffee &c and place them upon a blanket that the chief had spread down in the roade before the leadeing team[.] of course we understood all theese opperations and what it ment and we treated them to what we could spare, which thay devided equaly among them[.] the blanket was then taken up by his honour the Chief and our traine alowed to proceed over the road and threw their hunting grounds, with a shake of the hand as each team passed the Chief and a good a bye; wich we ware all thankful to [h]ear, in our daily travels on the north side of the platt[e] river we could see the Government traines hawling supplies for the troops that had gone ahead to murder our brethern and Sisters our Wives and children, oh, dreadful thought to Contemplate, upon how long will a Just god withhold his vengance on such a cursed Jentile [Gentile] race, as this my heart sickens while I think of the fearful condition of things, but on ariveing at Fourt [Fort] Bridger we learned that the dificuty was settled; and we soon met the peece commishoners Comeing down to Bridger in ambulances, this aforded us great releif of mind, we have 1,10 miles more to make Salt L. City and our animals are much faded, we shall now drive more moderate, as the blow to be struck is stayed, thank god for all his goodness, and his protecting care over his honest and much abused people,” we arive at home S,L, City Sunday July 11th 1858, I, found my house deserted, the windows ware boarded up, and my house incumpassed about with wheeds; and whild sunflowers