Transcript

Transcript for William McLachlan journal, 4 October 1863, 13-19.

The following is copied from the journal of William McLachlan. He left Scotland May 30th, 1863. The day he arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 4th 1863. Capt. John W. Woolley's Church Train.

Saturday 1st August, 1863. Wrote to my Father, also to Mother & Martha Filer during the day. In the night we had quite a heavy thunder storm; the rain soaked through the covering of the waggon [wagon] and wet our bed clothes.

Sunday 2nd August. Left camp early this morning and went down to Omaha landing for our luggage with a team. Returned to camp in the afternoon again.

Monday 3rd August, 1863. In camp all day. Commenced cooking our own provisions. Little George not very well. Sister Hawkes assisting Caroline to nurse the child.

Tuesday 4th August. Little George A. worse today. Gave him some medicine and administered to him that he might recover. Often thinking and talking about little Wm. Weather very warm.

Wednesday 5 August. Several of the waggons [wagons] in our camp left this morning to meet the steamboat from St. Joe's and get loaded with emigrants.

Thursday 6th August, 1863. Little George A. very ill. Put a mustard plaster on his body and afterwards a little olive oil.

Friday 7" August. Little George Augustus worse than yesterday. Had him administered to by Bro. Aldridge. Wrote a few lines for Sophia H. Ross to Wm. Fuller, Salt Lake Villa, Utah County.

Saturday 8" August. Witnessed a quarrel in camp this morning. Captain [John Wickersham] Woolley instantly put a stop to it. At 9-40 p.m. little George A. died. He struggled hard for some time for breath before he expired. Wrote a few lines to Benjamin Guiver, Senr., and enclosed them in a letter sent to George Thurgood by his brother Abram. Informed him of the deaths of little Wm. G. [William Gilbert McLaughlan] and George A. [George Augustus McLaughlan]. Was engaged as a teamster to drive a team across the plains.

Sunday 9" August. This morning we left camp and commenced our march across the plains. The body of our little boy I gave in charge of Captain J-W. Woolley as he was going to Florence; promised that he would put him in a deal box, and see that he was buried properly on the Saints burying ground. Camped in the afternoon at Little Pappieo [Papillion].

Monday 10" August. Went out early this morning in company with Edwd. [Edward] Thomas to herd the cattle. Rolled out about 11 a.m. Before all the teams got out of camp it commenced to rain quite fast. Thunder and lightening followed and lasted for about 4 hours. Most of the emigrants got wet through; rather a discouraging time for the passengers, some of them sticking now and then in the mud. Camped in the evening at dusk at Elkhorn, Captain J. W. Woolley called upon the Saints to gather into the centre of the correll to attend prayers, after which he appointed Joseph F. [Fielding] Smith our chaplain, Mallon Wyler assistant captain and Theodore Smith commissary.

Tuesday 11" August. Weather dry, but bad traveling, owing to the quantity of rain we had the day previous. Camped about 5-30 p.m. 2 miles this side of Fremont. Captain Haight [Horton D. Haight and] Rixs's [Thomas E. Ricks] trains close by us.

Wednesday 12" August. Left camp about 9 a.m., reached a slough or mudhole at 12-30 in crossing which most of the teamsters got wet. I myself fell down in the water. A few minutes before we camped in the evening a little girl named Maggie McHallam fell out of the waggon; one of the wheels passed over her head and leg breaking her thigh and injured her head. Camped 3 miles east of Shell Creek.

Thursday 13" August. Rolled out at 8-30 a.m. Weather pretty fine. One added to our number by birth. Camped a little way from Loupe Fork. Haight's train passed our camp at dusk in order that they might get across the fork first.

Friday 14" August. Before we rolled out this morning a merchant train passed our camp. Arrived at Loupe Fork a little before 12 o'clock; had to wait till the merchant train as well as Haight's train was ferried across. Several Indians came along side of our train begging. Got across the Fork about 5 p.m., and traveled 4 miles further on before we camped.

Saturday 15" August, 1863. Rolled out at 7-30 a.m. and camped in the afternoon on the Platte River at 6 p.m.

Sunday 16" August. Travelled all day and camped on the side of the Platte River at 6-30 p.m. Several of the boys caught some nice fish; had a pretty good supper.

Monday 17" August. Today we got close up to Haight's train; camped in the evening near the Lone Tree.

Tuesday 18" August, 1863. Kept close behind Haight's train all day; camped in the evening on Wood River.

Wednesday, 19" August. This afternoon we had quite a thunder storm which lasted from 3-30 p.m. till dusk; the thunder roared tremendous and caused my cattle to stop all at once. Such a thunder storm I never before witnessed. Got wet through. Caroline not feeling very well. Camped on Wood River near Nebraska Centre at 4 p.m.

Thursday 20" August. Weather dry after the storm. Camped in the evening on the Platte River. Bro. A. [Alexander George] Sutherland came across from Haight's camp to ours and paid us a visit. Went back with him and saw his family.

Friday 21st August. Coming along we saw some antelope at a distance, and now and then the remains of buffalo. Travelled till about 8 p.m. Had a dry camp on the cut off; heard the wolves howl during the night not far from camp.

Saturday 22nd August. Rolled out this morning at 5 a.m. and camped between 8 & 9 o'clock a.m. for breakfast, where we could get water for the cattle and for cooking. Started again at 1 p.m. and camped in the evening about 6 p.m. on the north side of the Platte.

Sunday 23rd August. Died in camp this morning a little girl 2 years [Mary E. Tullidge] old belonging to Bro. [John] Tullidge. Very cold towards the evening. Camped at the junction of the roads.

Monday 24" August. Very cold till midday, after which we had it quite warm all the afternoon. Camped in the evening where we strike the first sand on the boarders of the Platte.

Tuesday 25" August. A few of our night herd went out at noon to hunt buffalo. Shortly after we had camped in the evening they arrived with large pieces of buffalo strapped on each of their horses. Camped 6 miles below the Pawnee Springs on Skunk Creek, 294 miles from Florence.

Wednesday 26" August. Passed the Pawnee Springs. Bros. Little, Cluff & Hill came up to us before we rolled out. Camped in the afternoon on the Platte River.

Thursday 27" August. Bad traveling for the cattle because of the sand hills we had to pass over. Lost one of our passengers this afternoon, a female. The night herds went back a little way in search of her, but could not find her. Camped at the foot of the Big Sand hill.

Friday 28" August, 1863. This morning 4 of our boys left camp in search of the lost passengers and travelled over 70 [blank space] but could not find her. Crossed Rattlesnake Creek and camped in the evening 5 miles this side of the Platte. Waggon upset today but little damage done.

Saturday 29" August, 1863. Nooned at Wolfe Creek, and traveled up the bed of the Platte River instead of going over the Big Sand hill and cut off. Captain Haight's train camped this evening this side of a large slough. Haight's train close by us on the other side. A Sister Brown gave birth to a son this morning, died the same day.

Sunday 30" August. Passed Ash Hollow this morning and nooned at Castle Creek where we took up some flour. Captains Haight's & Ricks' trains came up before we started and nooned close by us. Sister Brown's infant was buried here. Camped 14 miles this side of Ash Hallow.

Monday 31st August. Had some bad traveling through sand. Camped at the foot of the sand hill near the Platte River. 3 of our night herd went back again after the missing sister.

Tuesday 1st September, 1863. Passed Chimney Rock in the afternoon and camped in the evening opposite Court House Rock, a distance of 65 miles from Laramie, or 70 from Chimney Rock.

Wednesday 2 September, 1863. Nothing of any particular account to record only that we are doing well having fine weather ever since we left Florence with the exception of 2 days rain. Camped nearly opposite Scottish Bluffs, all in our train feeling pretty well.

Thursday 3" September. Warm and very dusty. Camped near the Platte 10 miles this side of Scots Bluffs; travelled about 25 miles.

Friday 4" September. Shortly after we had rolled out of camp our night herds came up after being away 4 days in search of the lost sister. They succeeded in finding her, and left her in charge of Captain Hyde. The same waggon that got capsized on Friday last had a wheel broke this afternoon. Camped in the evening on the Platte River.

Saturday 5" September, 1863. Camped this evening about 8 p.m. 4 miles below Laramie. Several Indians on horseback came round us just as we got into camp. Had to drive the cattle a long way for water. Wrote to Mother Filer. Captain Haight's train passed our camp at midnight.

Sunday 6" September. Passed Laramie about 10 a.m. saw an Indian grave. Passed Haight's camp in the afternoon close by where we crossed the Platte River for the first time. Camped in the evening at the beginning of the rocky hills.

Monday 7" September, 1863. Had very rough roads today, up and down hill all the time. Camped in the evening at Spring Creek, 35 miles from Laramie.

Tuesday 8" Sept. Camped in the evening at 8-30 p.m. close by the second crossing of the Platte River.

Wednesday 9" Sept. Crossed the Platte and nooned 2 miles this side of the Devil's Abodie Yard. Had a hurricane of wind, accompanied with a little rain before we rolled out of camp in the afternoon crossed the river again and camped this side in the evening.

Thursday 10" Sept. Camped 6 miles the other side of Deer Creek. 2 of our oxen died during the night, or early on Friday morning the 11th Sept.

Friday 11" Sept. 1863. Passed a telegraph station at Deer Creek where there were stationed 25 soldiers. We are now 400 miles from Great Salt Lake City and 630 from Florence. Camped in the evening a few miles below the Platte Bridge.

Saturday 12" September. Nooned at the Platte Bridge. Crossed over in the afternoon and camped in the evening on the Platte opposite the Red rocks.

Sunday, 13" September. Left the Platte River this morning. Nooned on Duck Creek and camped in the evening on Goose Creek. Passed Willow Springs in the afternoon. After we camped a meeting was held and Bros. Joseph F. Smith and Alldridge addressed us.

Monday 14" September, 1863. This evening we camped close by Devil's Gate, a distance of 337 miles from Salt Lake City having travelled in 5 weeks 700 miles.

Tuesday 15" September. Struck Sweetwater River this morning and camped in the evening below Split rock. Very windy all day.

Wednesday 16" September. Two children in our train died during the day. Rather cold. Passed a telegraph station in the afternoon on Sweetwater. Camped in the evening 3 miles above on Sweetwater.

Thursday 17" September. Frosty this morning and very cold. Travelled 24 miles and camped at 9 p.m. at the Warm Slough.

Friday 18" September. Still frosty. Camped in the evening at Barlow Springs. A good turn out at prayers; nearly all in camp were present.

Saturday 19" September, 1863. Rolled out about half an hour after daylight and travelled about 28 miles and camped this side of South Pass. Allen Davis shot an antelope this afternoon and gave us a piece.

Sunday 20" September. Had some antelope for breakfast. Camped in the evening on Little Sandy.

Monday 21st September. Weather pretty warm. Camped in the evening on Big Sandy.

Tuesday 22nd Sept. Nooned at Correll Hollow where the Government train was set on fire by Lot Smith and his company. Camped in the evening on the Big Bend 9 miles from Green River. One of my oxen left on the road marked Blackerst.

Wednesday 23rd September, 1863. Rolled out pretty early and arrived at Green River about 10 a.m. stayed here all the afternoon to feed and rest the cattle. Father Giles died about 2 p.m. and was buried in the same afternoon. Lost 2 knives here.

A company of brethren were sent out by President Young to Green River to meet the trains that had powder, as a company of U. S. soldiers were stationed near Ham's Fork to search the trains as they passed. There were 18 of the boys with mules from the City at Green River when we arrived.

Thursday 24" September. This morning about 8 a.m. they left Green River with their mules loaded with powder from Haight's train, on their mountain trail. We travelled over 20 miles and camped in the evening at Hams Fork.

Friday 25" September, 1863. This morning as we were driving up our cattle 25 U.S. soldiers made their appearance and requested both aliens and citizens to take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, which we did. He afterwards caused our captain, J. W. Woolley to take an oath that he had no powder or ammunition in his possession, only that necessary for his own protection and those under his charge. We then rolled out of camp and camped in the evening on Muddy Creek.

Saturday 26" September. Camped in the evening at Cottonwood Springs along with Jakeman's train.Sunday 27" September. Nooned today at Muddy Station and camped in the evening at Pioneers Hollow. It commenced to rain as we got into camp, Captain Woolley angry because the teamsters were reluctant in turning out to water the cattle.

Monday 28" September, 1863. Very cold this morning. Passed Canfield's camp at Quaking Asp Ridge Station. Nooned at Bear River Station, and camped in the evening at Needle Rock Kanyon [Canyon].

Tuesday 29" September, 1863. Nooned 6 miles Echo Kanyon [Canyon], and camped in the evening 6 miles from its mouth.

Wednesday 30" September. Camped on the Weber. Travelled quiet late.

Thursday 1st October, 1863. [No entry that day.]

Friday 2nd October. Camped to day on Silver Creek. My old waggon gave out and was left behind. Martha & her husband Meet us here from the city.

Great Salt Lake City

 

Saturday 3rd October, 1863. Watered our cattle at the foot of Little Mountain and camped 3 miles down the Kanyon [Canyon] on the other side. Caroline accompanied Martha and George to the city. Sunday 4" October. Arrived in G. Salt Lake City at 11-30 A.M. Caroline & Martha met me at the camping ground. George came down with his team and took our luggage to his house. We followed close behind, and found Mother rather indisposed when we got there. Went and had a wash at the Warm Springs.