Transcript

. . .The Lord had shown me in a dream, the spring previous, where to dig to get our fit out; so my boys and I went to work and obtained eight hundred dollars in eight weeks.

Having thus obtained means for our outfit we took up our line of march for Great Salt Lake City. After crossing the Mississippi, I was appointed captain of the company which was composed of Mormons and Gentiles. We continued so organized until we got to Kanesville, where we arrived in May, safely and doing well. We were then organized into Captain W[illia]m. [Madison] Walls' company, and I was appointed "Captain of Ten."

We left the Missouri River in June, en route for Salt Lake City. We had a great deal of sickness and death by cholera on the plains.

On the 12th day of July I was driving my first team, when my son Peter, aged about three years, fell out of the wagon, and the wheels passed over his breast and bowels, so that he only lived about one hour. We made him a coffin and buried him on a little elevated spot of ground, and we then proceeded on our way.

We arrived in Salt Lake City, September 17th, 1850.