Transcript

. . .and I came to Utah in 1856 with the Hand Cart Company. Brother Willey [James G. Willie] was our captain, Millen Atwood was his councilor. We were almost pioneers for we had to travel thru sunflowers and sage brush for many miles.

. . . .we came to the frontiers which were called Iowa Camp Grounds. We stayed there several weeks, while our hand carts and tents were being finished. Oxen drew the wagons that brought our provisions and tents; and our clothing to last the journey, which was over one thousand miles, was brought on our hand carts. The rest was brought the next season by the Walker Brothers.

After we had proceeded quite a distance on our journey, we lost quite a number of our cattle which drew the provisions. Some supposed that they were stampeded by indians or buffalo. We met several tribes of indians going east to war. It was in the year 1856, when Colonel Babbit was doing business with the United States Government. Babbit and his teamsters were massacred. They were a day or two ahead of us with a train of goods which was seized by the indians. We met a tribe of indians with an interpreter, who told us all about the circumstances, but we were not discouraged. We traveled on and felt that the Lord would protect his Saints, and so He did, and although we passed thru many trying scenes His protecting care was over us. After we left Iowa, we traveled about one hundred miles and came to Florence. By this time we had grown accustomed to traveling and we made better headway, but thru losing our cattle and having to camp on the plains for several weeks, it threw us late in the season and made our provisions short of the latter part of our journey.

We left England May 2nd, and got into Salt Lake Valley on November 5, 1856. I am thankful that I was counted worthy to be a pioneer and a Hand Cart Girl. It prepared me to stand hard times when I got here. I often think of the songs we used to sing to encourage us on our toilsome journey. It was hard to endure, but the Lord gave us strength and courage. Yes, the Lord has multiplied blessings upon my head, and I praise His Holy Name and pray that I may be worthy of the many blessings that are promised to the faithful. After we had traveled about seven hundred miles our provisions being short, our captain bought up all the biscuits and flour that he could get in Laramie. We had to live on short rations and it became very cold. A number of our older people died. Sixteen were buried at one time. Traveling as we were with scant clothing and lack of sufficient food, we suffered greatly from the severe cold and snow. On account of the loss of cattle, it became necessary for each hand cart to take additional load, but each taking a share of the provisions that were left.

We waded thru the cold streams many times but we murmured not for our faith in God and our testimony of His work were supreme. And in the blizzards and falling snow we sat under our hand carts and sang, “Come, Come, Ye Saints, No toil nor labor fear, but with joy wend your way. Though hard to you this journey may appear, grace shall be as your day,” etc. Only once did my courage fail. One cold dreary afternoon my feet having been frosted, I felt I could go no further, and withdrew from the little company and sat down to wait the end, being somewhat in a stupor. After a time I was aroused by a voice, which seemed as audible as anything could be, and which spoke to my very soul of the promises and blessings I had received, and which should surely be fulfilled and that I had a mission to perform in Zion. I received strength and was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and arose, and traveled on with a light heart. As I reached camp I found a searching party ready to go back to find me, dead or alive. I had no relatives but many dear and devoted friends and we did all we could to aid and encourage each other. My frosted feet gave me considerable trouble for many years but this was forgotten in the contemplation of the many blessings the Gospel has brought to me and mine. A young man whom I had kept company with in England but would not promise to marry, as I wanted to be free, died enroute and was buried on the plains with many others.

When we were within about a hundred miles from Salt Lake our captain had a dream that a company was coming from Salt Lake to meet us. Brigham Young got a lot of our brethern to come and meet us with provisions, buffalo robes and blankets. You may guess the joy that was in camp the day they arrived. We were near Fort Bridger when they met us, we rode in the wagons the rest of the way, but we had walked over one thousand miles. When we got near the City, we tried to make ourselves as presentable as we could to meet our friends. I had sold my little looking glass to the indians for buffalo meat, so I borrowed one and I shall never forget how I looked. Some of my old friends did not know me. We were so weather beaten and tanned. When we got near Salt Lake Valley, President Young with a company of our brethern and sisters came out to meet us, and bade us welcome and when we got into the city we were made very comfortable until we met our friends and relatives. There were many things that would be interesting, if I could remember them in their proper order. While we were traveling thru the United States the people tried to discourage us by telling us there was famine in Utah, that the grasshoppers had eaten up everything and that there had been a grasshopper war, etc., but we traveled on, trusting in God.