Transcript

John Harris History

In the fall started with a group of saints for Utah.  The hand cart [wagon] company landed in Salt Lake City September 10 1853.  The handcart company was under the direction of Jesse Crosby and came to Nainsville [Kanesville] crossed the river to Lone Tree Ferry at which place a very singular circumstance took place.  All the wagons had crossed but two, mine and another.  As we were crossing a gale blew the boat and our wagons two or three miles down the river below the landing and landed us in the woods among quick sands so that we could not get our wagons away.  One mile above town was an island formed of logs and brush making it impossible to tow the boat up.  We were in a helpless state and I went into the woods and prayed.  Before I got from my knees I felt an assurance we should go with the company so I went to the camp and told the other stranded members so.  They said it was impossible but while we were talking we heard great noise and rush going down the river.  We went out but it was so dark that we could not see what it was but in the morning we found it was the island so we towed the boat up to the landing and traveled with the company that same day and crossed the plains very comfortable.