Transcript

The train ran until we got to St. Joseph Mo. and from there we sailed up the Missouri River to Florence, Nebraska. We stopped here until 5 July, 1863. We had bought wagons, oxen, and provisions to last us until we came to Utah, and Salt Lake City. When we started that was indeed a task, most of us had four oxen for each wagon, and we had never drove oxen before, but Captain [John R.] Young told us what to say, but they could not understand our language. Away they went and the teamsters after them, and we made a bad start. But the Captain and the guards went after them on horse back and soon brought them into line, and the next day we did better.

Some thought they had too big a load, and many valuable things were unloaded and left there on the plains. One day in August our oxen took fright and ran away; three people were killed by them and one wagon was broken. Two men were burried in one grave, and I helped to bury them. There were no coffins but they were dressed and burried neatly. By this time we were good teamsters, and after this we had good success.

We were six weeks crossing the Atlantic Ocean. We landed in Salt Lake City 12 September 1863, and heard Brother Brigham Young preach and shook hands with him . . .