Transcript

A brother in St. Louis by the name of [George] Dunford, a boot and shoe merchant with a large store on Broadway, found that I was about to go to Salt Lake City and sent for me.

He made a proposition to me that if I would go with him and take charge of his outfit, he would take my wife and I to Salt Lake City free. I agreed and we soon started.

In Wyoming he [Dunford] left everything in my charge, consisting of eight wagons loaded with hats, boots, shoes, and provisions, and a spring wagon for himself and family. He furnished the money. I hired the teamsters and had charge of everything while they passed as passengers to the Valley. [Most of the teamsters Isaac hired were Mormons on their way West.]

In Wyoming a good many joined us who were going to Salt Lake and in a few days we were organized as a company to travel across the plains.

I was appointed sergeant of the guard. Everything went pleasantly until we were about half way through our journey when Mr. Dunford began to find fault with me saying that I did not attend to his business solely as he had hired me to do, but instead, I had divided my attention in looking after the welfare of the Mormons and others who formed most of the company.

At last, within a few days drive of Ash Hollow, he got very wrathy with me saying that he would not go on any father [farther] and that I could quit as he had no more use for me.

I threw my little whip on the ground, saying that if that was what he wanted, I would quit. When the teamsters saw what I had done, they also threw down their whips. This was about noon.

He and his wife drove the teams into camp where a meeting was called. Mr. Dunford made his grievances known saying that he did not hire me to do anything but his bidding and did not want me to act as sergeant of the guard.

Finally, Dr. Henton, one of the company, made a motion that I.B. Nash be sergeant of the guard until we reached Salt Lake City. The vote was carried.

All voted except Dunford who acted as a crazy man. However, he was at last coaxed to go on.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly until we came to Ash Hollow. There, upon a bench about a mile from where we camped, a company of soldiers were stationed. Early in the morning, Dunford went to the soldiers’ camp.

Upon his return he told us that he had decided not to go any farther and that we, his teamsters, were discharged. He told me to bring the accounts of the teamsters and he would pay them off.

We were in a bad fix, thrown out on the plains with no way to go to the valley.

A meeting was called by the leading men of the company and it was agreed that we should be divided among the company and taken to Salt Lake City. They told me to get provisions as pay for the teamsters, but upon explaining the situation to Mr. Dunford and asking for the pay in the form of provisions such as flour, bacon, dried fruit, etc., of which he had plenty, he refused flatly saying that we could take out pay in legal currency or not at all.

I pleaded with him, but in vain. He had the advantage of us, as he had the soldiers back of him. I did not know what to do. I turned to some of the teamsters who stood near by and told them to cheer up, that we would get provisions some way. As I turned away, Mr. Dunford drew a revolver and said that if I touched anything that belonged to him, he would shoot me down. I told him that was a game that two could play at. He jumped before me, pointing a revolver in my face. It was cocked and his finger was on the trigger when a man by the name of Hall jumped and grabbed the revolver away from Dunford who cried out to his son Henry to run to his carriage and bring another revolver. As Henry was returning to his father a man who was sitting by the camp fire [campfire] knocked the revolver from his hand with a stick of wood. Soon after that, Dunford moved to the soldiers’ camp and we started on our way. Brother Blinbrook [Bolingbroke] and my wife went with Mr. [Erastus Foote] Hall. The teamsters were divided among the company.

After much trouble, we arrived in Salt Lake City . . .