Transcript

I started in Pres’t [Brigham]Young’s company of fifty, as comfortable as any other family in the crowd. I still felt a weeping spirit which I tried to conceal. A faithful teamster was employed to take charge of us & when I had been on the journey about two weeks, I began to revive, & look ahead. We all felt so much at home in our wagons & tents. The buffaloes roamed in herds over the plains; & altho’ it grieved me to see them killed, I loved their meat; & the children were happy & cheerful. Oh; the merry campfires; the lively songs; the friendly conversation; as we were seated around the blasing fires at night! Like an ocean the pararies rose before us! Six hundred wagons were generally in camp on the Sabbath days. The hills & mountains echoed with the psalms of praise that rose from the voices of the Saints as they assembled for worship on the Sabbath. There was little or no sickness in our camps. Before half the journey had worn away, I was as merry as any woman in the camp. My four young daughters [Ann Louisa, Ellen, Frances, and Lois] were made happy, having learned from those who came out from SL to meet us that news had reached the camp in the valley that their father was on his way home in company with the battallion men. on Sweet water the brethren met us with fresh teams, they cheer’d us with encouraging news about the prosperity of the saints in their new location, the crops were abundant, & peace & plenty smiled on their labors. Then did our hearts rejoice & we traveled on with high anticipations. In Sept we landed safely in the old Fort....