Transcript

We again packed up what possessions we could take and we joined the Bishop Edward Hunters Company. In our company was all of our children, Lyman and his wife Harriet Bateman, Charles, Joseph Moroni, William Lewis, my wife Nancy Elliott and myself. There were at least 183 people in our company.

The first night out we were surrounded by dense underbrush. It was almost impassable. A suitable place was found for camping. Our wagons were put in a circle formation with the cattle grazing inside the circle. We just had a young baby boy that was born March 22 of this year and the first night we stopped my Wife Nancy held the baby in her arms all night long.

Before long, the oxen got frightened and they ran away. A search was planned. Our son Charles who was nin[e]teen years old was chosen to go look for the oxen. Charles left with a prayer in his heart to begin the search. The sun was just setting when Charles saw the oxen's footprints and followed them to a nearby farm. He found an old farmer taking care of the oxen. The old man said it was too late to start back home and he asked Charles to stay overnight. In the evening they talked. The farmer had a young daughter named Sara Ellen Loveless who Charles became acquainted with. The next morning Sara left with Charles and they brought the oxen back to our camp. Everyone in camp was so happy to see them and sure happy to see they had brought the oxen back to camp. Before we left to finish our journey west, Charles and Sara were married and she joined our company.

At night, everyone was happy and sang songs and the men would teach some teachings of the gospel. At night the wagons and harnesses were repaired. The journey out west was long and tiresome. We arrived into the Salt Lake Valley October 13, 1850.