Transcript

We landed in New York harbor July 19, 1863. From New York we went directly to Florence, Nebraska, and were met there by some men and boys with ox teams and big covered wagons from Utah ready to take us across the plains. I passed by [sic] seventh bir[th]day while enroute to the valleys and understood some degree the trials and heartaches of the long wearisome journey.

To add to our sorrow on the way, we were called to part with one of my brothers [Willard Oliver Clark] by death. We gave him the best burial we could with what we had at our disposal, but the sadness of leaving him in his lonely grave by the wayside can only be imagined.

Our company was in charge of Horton D. Haight. I walked most of the way. My sister [Sarah Ann] and [I] would make a little arm chair to carry a little Healey boy that was in our company. (He was coming from England with father, his mother was already in Alpine). We reached Salt Lake Valley on October 8, 1863 and remained in the camp ground for two weeks.