Transcript
Transcript for Jones, Thomas Jefferson, Autobiographical sketch 1911, 1-2
A Short Sketch of life and labors of Thomas Jefferson Jones who was born 6
th
Sept 1838 in Pittsfield Pike County Illinois. lived in Pittsfield tell [till] 13
th
April 1852 when with my mother and step Father Isaac Turnbaugh we started for Oregon but beaing a Ladtter [Latter] day saint prevailed upon Father to go to Council Bluf[f]s and get into a mormen [Mormon] Company to cross the plains, it beain safer in a large Company of Saints on account of Indian troubles on the p[l]ains.
on arriveing at Council Bluffs we remained around in that district of country recruting ox teams till about the 30th May[.] we moved down onto the Mis[s]ouri River when a Company of Saints was organized by Apost[l]e Orsen [Orson] Hide [Hyde], making J[ohn]. Higby [Higbee]. Captain of th[e] 1st Independant [Independent] Company of saints to Leave the Missouri river for Salt Lake Valley <that year>. there was one Hundred wagons in this company. The company was divided in to tens. a cap[t]ain of over each 10 wagons <or families>. we was in the third ten Bro Farnsworth I think P.T. was our Captain
we commenced our journey across the plains on the 2nd day of June,
and made the trip to Salt Lake City arriving on the 13th of August.