Transcript

Transcript for Kuhre, Martin Petersen, Journal 1861 Jan.-1865 Sept., 45-48

July 1862

The first of July. I herded our oxen and our cow. I was not satisfied with our oxen and gave the brethren to understand it and they thence told me I could have my money back if I desired it. I concluded that I myself would get my wagon.

2nd. I went to Omaha in the morning and looked at some wagons but returned again without buying any.

3rd. I bought the one pair of oxen from the brethren and had to give $69.75 for them. I went out and looked at a cow but went back again without buying it.

4th. The jubilee of the Americans.

5th. I and my wife went out and got a cow and gave $15 for it.

6th. Sabbath. We wrote some in a letter home to Denmark and herded our stock.

7th. Nothing remarkable.

8th. Very strong thunder and two English brethren were killed by the lightning.

9th. Rain and we almost swam in water in the tents. I bought a wagon for $50.

10th. I set [blank space] on the wagon and sent the wagon to the smith's and bought provisions.

11th. I bought provisions and fixed for the journey.

12th. The same. We loaded our wagon and should have driven out to the camp but our oxen were gone.

13th. Sabbath. I went out and looked for the oxen and found them. We drove out to the camping place.

14th. We sent a letter to the post office for Odsherred to our mother. Our caw [cow] went away. I hunted it up and should have driven after the others but one yoke broke and I had to go to Florence and buy a new one. I came to the camping place the same night.

15th. We drove a ways and camped about noon time.

16th. We drove 10 miles and camped by Elk Horn River.

17th. We drove in the morning further. We met the Church teams in the afternoon. We drove 14 miles and camped.

18th. We drove a ways and camped.

19th. We drove 16 miles.

20th. Sabbath. We drove 16 miles and camped at Loup Fork.

21st. We were forded over the river. One of the oxen was lame. I filed it between the hoofs and poured some boiling tar in the sore.

22nd. The ox was very lame. We drove [blank space] miles and camped.

23rd. We drove 10 miles and camped. My beloved wife was all the time sick some on account of the hardships of the travels.

24th. We drove 20 miles. Our ox is yet considerably lame. We met some Church wagons. Lucy Sorensen died today. My dear wife is very sick. Protect her Oh Lord from sickness and death.

25th. I got the loan of an ox. We continued our travels towrd [toward]

26th. The same. Sabbath. We had rest in the afternoon. I am not as happy as I should be.

28th. We continued our journey.

29th. Soren Sorensen's wife died today. We drove 12 miles and camped. My beloved wife is better today, thanks to Thee O my heavenly Father for all thy mercy and compassion towards us.

30th. We continued our journey. Poor roads and many bad places to get over but in all everything went very well.

31st. The same. We drove over many bad waterfalls and up steep hills.

Aug. 1862

The first of August. We continued our journey.

2nd. Very sandy roads and warm but we got through the sand banks and camped on a green plain by the river.

3rd. Sabbath. We drove all day. Very warm and heavy sand.

4th. We continued our journey. All the time the same sandy road.

5th. We crossed a river and on the same sandy road.

6th. Sandy road and very warm.

7th. Same sandy road although it was better. We got to see the English company. They were camped a half mile from us. I was on guard at the oxen in the evening. From 7 to 9 hard thundering weather came up and lightning flashed a little way from me and it was like someone had hit me on the head with a club. I sank down and almost lost my senses but thanks to Thee, oh Lord, Thou spared my life.

8th. Sandy roads. A very big sand hill that we had to assist one another to drive over.

9th. Better roads but warm.

10th. Sabbath. We drove around the English company. They were lying in camp and we drove early in the morning.

11th. The road was some better but sandy now and then.

12th. I let the lame ox be shod but it did not seem to help. We drove 16 miles and held a rest in the afternoon.

13th. I borrowed an ox but it ran away at noon and I had to borrow a couple of others.

14th. My ox very lame. I took two strange oxen that were among the rest, but they soon came after them and I thence had to have my own again hitched up.

15th. I drove with my own oxen half the day and with Bro. Christain [Christian] Poulson's the other half. We passed an Indian company.

16th. My ox fell in front of the wagon a little way from the camping place. I got one as a loan to drive the wagon up with but the other one would not rise. At last it did rise but we could not manage to get it to move from the place so it was impossible to get it along so I had to let it go to a tradesman for 2 [blank space] and five weeks back I had paid $35 for it to Joseph Young, the Church agent for oxen and wagons.

17th. Sabbath. We drove 4 miles and thence held it as a day of rest. We had meeting.

18th. We drove 14 miles without water or grass. Steep hills and rocks. At one place we had to assist one another up with double teams for every wagon. I bought a young ox from Christian Poulsen and shall pay for it when I get home with 24 dollars. Oh God bless him for his goodness towards me.

19th. We drove 12 miles. Considerable hilly roads and some rocky but not so much as yesterday. I had to [blank space]

20th. We drove 18 miles without water or grass and camped along the river and drove the oxen accross it. We had to go over in the evening and lay over there all night in order to hold watch. Some rode over and some waded the river up to their breasts.

21st. We held a day of rest today.

22nd. Good roads. We drove 19 miles.

23rd. Very hilly and rocky and sandy roads. We camped at 2 in the afternoon and rested.

24th. Sabbath. Some sandy roads.

25th. We came to Indians and camped in the afternoon.

26th. All the time Indians.

27th. A high sand hill which we had to help one another over. We camped by a station. Many Indians followed us.

28th. We held as a day of rest. We had considerable visits from the Indians.

29th. We drove a ways and took rest in the afternoon by a place where there were a few gardens and a small brook with water.

30th. We drove 23 miles without water or grass.

31st. We crossed a river. It was very warm. On our way we passed Sweetwater.

Sept. 1862

The first of September. We drove 21 miles.

2nd. Continuously warm. We drove over the river three times.

3rd. Drove over the river twice. Drove 20 miles without stopping.

4th. Very cold. We drove 10 miles. Very hilly roads.

5th. Considerable hills and rocky. We drove over the river once. Accross from us in north [sentence unfinished]

6th. My beloved wife is sick. Oh Lord restore her.

7th. Sabbath. We drove 25 miles without water. My wife is very sick.

8th. My wife is well according to circumstances.

9th. We drove over the river and camped.

10th. We drove 12 miles to Green River and camped.

11th. We drove over Green River. Very strong stream and the water reached our wagon beds but we got safely over. We drove 16 miles and found an excellent camping place.

12th. In the morning the Brethren Lyman and Rich reached us and Bro. Van Cott accompanied them. Rain all day and we had to lie still.

13th. Very bad roads on account of rain. We drove 11 miles.

14th. We drove 25 miles.

15th. Great deal of rain and hail and very bad roads. Two [blank space] fell and dies.

16th. The roads better. We drove down a very steep, long rocky hill.

17th. We drove over Bear River.

18th. We drove through the mountains and camped in Echo cañon [Canyon].

19th. We passed through narrow mountain passes.

20th. One of our oxen was gone. We searching [searched] for it without finding it. We took a cow and hitched it up and drove a long way after the company in expectation of the ox that strayed away. We drove behind all day. Came to a little town and we passed a camp by a river and fed our stock and boiled some of our new potatoes. We came to the camping place late in the evening. Our ox was not there.

21st. Bro. [blank space] was buried in the morning. The company drove and I remained with my wagon in order to return and hunt for my ox. I tried to have a horse but could not get any. I went 15 miles back and found my ox in the evening but it was very wild and was running around in the woods. At last we got it in with a man's cattle in the corral. I was lying in the hay during the night and got hold of the ox but it ran away from us in the morning again.

22nd. I ran after it the whole forenoon and got it in the corral again. I took it and led it out again and reached the Church train. It got unmanagable and I had considerable work with it, but got it in the yoke and let it pull till evening. It was tied to the wagon during the night and thus it was a little more acquainted with it when we yoked it again in the morning.

23rd. We drove another road. I took my ox and came happy home with it. We drove out ten miles and up with the Church wagons that were camped and we camped with them.

24th. We were lying still together with the Church wagons.

25th. We drove along as the Church wagons should lie still. We caught a wagon that was driving alone and we made company.

26th. We reached Salt Lake City.