We started early in June and we was to meet the Captain & the main body of the train at the head of Echo Canyon. We camped on Silver creek & I came near getting hurt[.] the oxen I had on the wagon were rather wild & had not worked on the wheel as we called it & as soon as I unhitched them & the tongue dropped they started to run & the off ox kept kicking at me as it was still between them[.] I however got hold of the yoke clung to it till they slacked their Warship then I dodged out in front of them all right. Of course I soon learned how to prevent further trouble. The Weber river was very high & at Manston they charge a heavy toll & we have no money so we drove down 37 to Rockport up to Peoa & crossed the Weber on an old bridge with their running over it & all around it & went down to Warship on the other over very rough rocky road that never been traveled before by team. We intended to camp at Grass Creek but just we got to the Chalk Creek bridge some boys were coming with a bunch of cows & rushed them on to the old bridge to be ahead of our string of wagons. The bridge gave way & the cows & timbers were carried down the raging stream towards the Weber river[.] of course we camped right there. It was known that a new bridge was needed & new stringers were all in place ready to lay the new plank on. So next morning the new plank was laid & we crossed on it. Two days after we reached Cache cave at the head of Echo & joined the main part of the train. The men & teams were mostly from West Jordan, Cottonwood & Salt Lake. The Springville Provo Battle Creek & American Fork teams came up Provo Canyon & joined us at Heber. Now there was over 50 wagons & that many men besides the Captain John G. Holman[,] his assistant Chauncy Bacon & some 6 night herders. We laid over one day to get acquainted & get instructions as to our places in the train & what we were expected to do. The Captain warned us all to be very careful of our health. He said we are now starting out on a long & tedious journey that will take all summer. We have no extra men & every one of us have our part to do. One thing I especially remember[,] he said boys it will be warm days & cool nights traveling over the high mountain country[.] be sure to keep your coats handy so you can slip them on each evening as the sun goes down. We started on our journey[.] got over Bear river on bridge all right[.] Went over the Quakingash ridge[,] crossed the Muddy near Bridger & on to Green river which was a raging torrent a quarter of a mile wide. Three days before 6 men were drowned there by the ferry boat being up set & it certainly was a dangerous stream to cross. The wagons & men of course were taken over on the boat. But there was some 400 oxen & we had a job making them swim over to the other side. We finally drove them up the river to where there was a ripple or shallower place & the men on horseback forced the oxen into the stream & we on foot waded into the stream as far as we dare to keep them from turning back & of course the water was very cold & everybody had to get in up to the waist & stand there for hours. It took most of two days getting all the oxen over. There was several narrow escapes from drowning[.] one man was saved by getting hold of an ox's tail as he was being carried down the raging stream. another on a horse in swimming water[.] the horse turned over backwards with him and kicked him but others were near & helped him out. I tell you we were all thankful & happy when everything was landed safely on the other side. Men from the other train were still trying to find the bodies of their comrades. Some I think were never found although the river & its banks were searched for miles[.] Our train traveled on day after day on what was the original trail of the Pioneers[.] passed Big Sandy, Little Sandy & Dry Sandy & Pacific Springs & on to South Pass & Sweetwater which we followed down for nearly a week to Devil's Gate. From there we struck off to the right through Whiskey Gap & on to Rawlins on the line of the WP railroad. Some grading was being done there at that time. However we traveled on till we reached the North Platt near a railroad town called Benton. Here was very good feed for the oxen &
was decided best for us to camp right there until our emigrants came along. Some of the other trains went on to Laramie and got the emigrants that came in the earliest companies. We were the last-train going down & we had to wait for the very last company of the season & they did not arrive till the first of September. We had taken supplies of flour bacon & beans with us[,] enough to last us & our emigrants back home. But having to wait so long our stores would have come short. So Captain Holman took a contract to haul some hundreds of cords of wood to some of the railroad camps & us teamsters soon filled the contract & in that way raised money to buy all necessary supplies. The North Platte river was still quite high when first reached it & the best feed was on the other side of the river. So we had to take turns going over to herd the oxen[.] we used the horses to get over & back & they had to swim. That was the only time in my life that I ever rode horses in swimming water & I was lucky in always getting a horse or mule that was easily managed. Of course we had lots of leisure time while lying over on the river but we enjoyed ourselves very well when off duty sing songs or playing games & visiting other camps as they came along on the return journey with their emigrants on their way to Utah[.] In these trains I met several persons that I had worked with in the coal mines in Scotland. John Livingston, Wm. Wilson & James Elliot among the rest. Of course we were very glad to see each other but they had to go on with their train. I met an old Scotch lady named Osborn who had been an invalid for 20 years but she had a very great desire that her body might be buried with the Saints in the land of Zion. That was her great ambition & to get her daughter who was with her settled down among the Saints. The Dear old sister was very frail but she had faith that she would live to reach the valley which she did. She died at Grass Creek & was buried in the Coalville cemetery & had a LatterDay Saint funeral & a nice coffin to lay her body. While we were lying over on the Platte river we were right in the midst of an Indian country & the Indians were worked up to desperation as they could see the railroad being built right through the heart of their country. So of course we had to use every precaution by herding our oxen night & day & guard our camp each taking turns guarding & herding. We had 2 excitements while there. Along in the summer the boys herding used to bathe in the river. There was another company camped higher up the river who also herded their oxen on that side of the river but we were careful not to get the herds mixed. Their men had been bathing & let their oxen get right close to our herd. So they ran in naked to separate them & our herders just caught sight of them as they were going over a point and of course thought it was Indians driving off a bunch of our cattle & came as quick as possible & gave the alarm. In less time than it takes to tell it every horse & mule was mounted by some one armed & equipped & off they went but of course soon learned it was a false alarm & came back[.] another time the oxen when the herders were careless or asleep crossed to our side of the river a mile or more below camp & started on the run. Some of us saw the dust. Knew it was our cattle & of course thought the Indians were driving them. Another big excitement & men on every horse in camp were following that dust in a very few minutes. & they went some 20 miles before the horsemen could <[h.ad]> the cattle had almost run themselves down but no Indians were seen. Of course we learned to be on the watch more closely after these 2 scares. Willard Carroll one of our Heber boys was taken down with Mountain fever & was very ill for some 3 weeks but we nursed him & attended to him the best we could[.] he got well & strong again before our emigrants came on. I don’t recall any other illness among the teamsters all the time we were gone. The mails were very uncertain in those days[.] in fact we did not get any letters or papers all the time we were gone & the folks at home did not get our letters either.
About the 1st of Sept. our emigrants arrived on the train. There was no station so we drove our teams alongside the trains & got the luggage belonging to the emigrants into our wagon[.] not however coming near to having a stampede our oxen did start to run when the whistle of the engine was blown but we got them stopped without any serious damage. Our emigrants were Scandinavians & of course we had a little trouble to understand each other for a time but we soon got to understand each other fairly well. I had 13 persons assigned to my wagon with all their belongings & they sure had a log of pots pans kettles & dishes of almost every kind. It took a day or so getting everything arranged ready for the journey. Of course we were hearing quite often of the Indians killing people[,] Sometimes ahead of us & sometimes behind us. Mostly however they were men traveling not more than 3 or 4 together & mostly miners[.] Rawlins’s horse train with emigrants traveled as near to us a possible & all were continually on their guard to prevent the Indian's from taking any advantage of us in any way. So in that regard we had no trouble. We of course could not travel so far each day as we did on the way down[.] usually 16 miles was a good days drive. Of course the emigrants had to walk if they possibly could as our teams had all the load they could haul with the bedding tents cooking outfits of the passengers. Prayers were had every morning in the corral before the oxen were brought in the morning & instructions at the same gathering. All that possibly could were expected to [be] in attendance[.] of course all had to stand up but the services were short. In this way we wended our daily journey towards the setting sun. However sickness a sort of Disentery broke out among our emigrants & strong healthy looking people mostly grown men died in a very few days after being taken ill. Some 15 persons died almost within that number of days. I helped dig the graves & cover up the bodies of a number of them. It seemed very sad to have to leave them by the wayside in shallow graves & without coffins & travel right on never to see their resting place again. This of course was very sad for the near relatives & friends. Of course we all tried to be cheerful & to cheer up the mourners & those who were downcast. I am pleased to say my 13 men women & children all came safely through to Salt Lake City. With it all we had some good times around the campfires when we got so we could talk a little Danish & they could talk a little English. Our oxen stood the journey fairly well[.] some of the oxen got tenderfooted & had to be shoed. As we came back Green river & the other streams were very low & could be forded easily. We were some 25 days on the way arriving in Salt Lake City near the last of Sept. There we unloaded our emigrants & bid them farewell.