Transcript

May 1858

Saturday 25^th Crossed the river to Florence to make preparation for starting Monday[.] found the Brethren making active preparation for starting

Sun 30^th rained this forenoon[.] Staid at Bro Binneys to Supper[.] slept in camp house[.] this afternoon out at Bro Davenports & staid there over night

Mon 31^st active preparations for starting[.] one team got ready & started out ahead

Tues June 1st to day Bro Clark rushed me to go to Crescent to get a horse for him[.] I went but the horse was not purchased so I came back & staid at the Kinneys[.] had the ague on the way[.] found the camp had all left & gone out a few miles

Wed 2^nd after breakfast I went to br pypers store & found the company now left a bundle[.] a James pyper came with me to the first division of the camp when we soon after started & soon came up unto the second division & all together made 14 miles & camped on the Horn river[.] a very heavy rain made bad road

Thurs 3^d last night another heavy rain[.] soon after starting we overtook three more of our wagons & after traveling 20 miles camped

Frid 4^th after breakfast started & came about 12 miles & nooned on the Platte[.] came on & crossed Shell creek & afterwards found a great deal of water to go through from the overflowing of Shell Creek[.] camped on a slough no timber[.] made 25 m[iles]

Sat 5^th started in good season[.] crossed a slough[.] soon after very deep water came nearly over the wagon bed & just at noon crossed another about as bad[.] nooned & dried our things then came on & camped on Loup Fork[.] made 18 miles[.] some returned teamsters from camp Scott passed us to day & some others came to camp this evening who gave us to understand their minds were that we could hardly get to Salt lake[.] they gave exagerated accounts of the number of troops placing them double the number they actually were

Sun 6^th came on in the morning & near noon met Col. Kane with an escort of Mountain boys who brought the correct news from the Valley[.] Governor Cumming had gone in & seemed disposed to do justice[.] Col Kane was leaving dispatched to Washington[.] we all nooned together[.] Bro [Hector C.] Haight read a letter from President Brigham Young & after dinner we came on to [.eno.] attended meeting just at night

Mon 7^th got sister Hough to bake some bread for us[.] we spent the day in crossing Loup fork[.] Just got over & camped near the river for night

Tues 8^th got a late start[.] drove on about 20 miles & camped on the prairie[.] organized by chosing H.S. Eldredge Captain[,] H.C. Haight Chaplain & J. W. Young Sergeant of the Guard[.] prayer [......] <to night>

Wed 9^th this morning started at half past 4[.] drove 3 or 4 miles & stopped for breakfast then came on about 10 m & stopped for dinner[.] a damp lousy day & the roads heavy making it hard for the teams[.] crossed a number of sloughs with water in, one of them near ¼ mile in width then came on about 19 miles farther & camped near night without water

Thurs 10^th started early & traveled about 12 miles & stopped for breakfast by [a..] all slough then came on about 6 miles farther & stopped for noon after crossing Prairie creek[.] after dinner came on [....] 10 m & camped on Prairie Creek over night

Fri 11^th came on about 12 miles to Wood river & in about 3 hours built a bridge & crossed then came about 12 or 14 miles farther & camped on the open prairie in sight of the Platte nearly opposite fort Kearny

Sat 12^th Came on 13 M & nooned on Elm creek & soon after starting Bro John Gleasons team ran away & came near starting the whole train[.] they ran about three miles & hindered us about two hours then we came about twelve m farther & camped on Buffalo Creek

Sun 13^th traveled 15 miles & nooned on buffalo Creek after crossing & this afternoon saw a train on the South side of platte[.] came about 12 m[.] got supper then went 8 m farther & camped on the prairie[.] feed poor

Mon 14^th Most of the day was hard traveling[.] roads sandy[.] traveled 25 miles[.] camped at a large clear spring of cold water

Tues 15^th started in good season & after traveling about 5 miles we saw some Indians coming towards us from the bluffs & soon after we came to their camp[.] these were about 30 of them[.] we gave them something to eat with which they seemed well pleased & then we left them & came on & nooned on the platte[.] this afternoon we drove till about 4[,] got supper & fed & drove on till after dark & camped on the platt[e] having made 21 & crossed a number of tall sloughs & one creek[.] very warm day

Wed 16^th crossed some sandy bluffs & some low marshy ground[.] hard road all day[.] passed quite a number of Indians[.] some of the horses got skared[.] camped on rattlesnake creek

Thurs 17^thCame on 31 miles & camped on Watch creek 3 miles above Ash hollow[.] passed some very sandy road

Frid 18^th came on 34 miles & camped near Ancient bluff ruins[.] passed 20 lodging indians

Sat 19^th Started early[.] passed the ruins[.] had some Sandy road[.] came on 30 miles & camped a few miles below chimney rock[.] saw one or two trains going down over the platte

Sund 20^th started & came 10 or 12 M & stopped to let the horses rest[.] had a meeting[.] very warm[.] there came up a hevy storm just as we were getting readyto start but it passed over without any injury to us[.] after we had started it turned & came back & gave us some rain which did not last long & we continued & camped near scotts bluffs

Mon 21^st came on about 10 miles & moved then came nearly as much further & got supper camped near the river when there was plenty of wood to cook with[.] saw 4 or 5 trains going down on the other side of the river[.] also a few Indian were in Sight on the other side[.] we then came on till after 11 o clock & had to camp without water & very little grass

Tues 22^nd got up our trains early & came on about 5 miles & camped near the river & found wood water & grass[.] some Indians came to us while we were eating breakfast who were camped on ahead[.] after breakfast we came on and passed them & came on & nooned[.] About 7 M below fort Laramye [Laramie.] passed it came on 10 or 1l M & camped in the Black Hills

Wed 23^rd started this morning & came on 11 or [12] M & nooned on the platt[e.] soon after starting I saw 2 Elk but they got away from us[.] we came on about 12 m & stopped for supper at cottonwood springs then drove on about 9 m & camped at 11 o clock on the open prairie without water[.] teams quite tired

Thurs 24 started soon after 4 o clock & drove on 9 miles & got breakfast near a creek with little water[.] after leaving there we came to the river in 1 mile & supposed we would strike it again soon but drove on near 25 m before we came to it[.] horses quite tired & very thirsty[.] we found good feed & let them rest til 5 or 6 o clock[.] then came on about 5 miles & camped in good season on the river

Frid 25 came on about 2 m & came to the river then some six or seven in our rough mountainous country & came to the river & nooned[.] had a very good road for a no. of ms[.] took supper near the river today[.] came over some very sandy road & camped

Sat 26^th after driving 6 or 8 m we came to a mail station at the mouth of Deer creek & the company stopped & traded some with the traders[.] we then came on & had some very sandy road till supper after which we had quite a good road till we camped for the night[.] the road keeps near the river all the way along here

Sun 27^th came on 9 m to Platt[e] bridge[.] stopped & traded a little then came to the upper ford 3 m & nooned[.] then some 16 m to Mineral springs & camped

Mon 28^th after breakfast we came on 13 miles & nooned near Willow spring[.] there were some mountaineers in camp[.] after dinner we came 15 m to Greasewood creek & took supper here and met two families from the valley Beaubrer & Hoops[.] we then came 10 or 11 m & camped on Sweet water river A M near Independence rock

Tues 29^th came on past devils gate & nooned on sweet water then took supper about 10 M farther then drove 10 m further & camped on sweet water[.] feed poor[.] passed a train of goods going up

Wed 30^th started & soon passed some California emigrants[.] came on to two crossings of the sweet water[.] came on [.] m further & took supper[.] we took [- - - -] came on 12 miles further & camped without water [.] poor feed

Thurs July 1^st started at half past 9[.] came on 3 or 4 miles[.] found some water then moved on some 6 or 7 m farther & camped for breakfast on Muddy Creek[.] came on 10 m farther & got dinner then 10 m farther came to sweetwater[.] there Sidney & I stopped on the bench[.] had a storm during the night

Frid 2^nd came on 14 m & stopped for dinner on the sweet water within 2 m of south pass[.] came on over only [10] m [.] stoped for supper without water[.] cam 10 m farther[.] stopped at 12 o clock[.] plenty of water[.] poor feed

Sat 3^d came on 10 m & nooned on little sandy creek[.] then came on 13 m further & camped on Big Sandy Creek

Sun 4^th came on 10 m & nooned on Big Sandy[.] Joined a company of apostates from the Valley. then came on to [-] tobrt[.] camped for 2 hours[.] got supper then ferried over and cam on 2 m & camped on the bench where there was good feed

Mon 5^th started about half past 2 o clock[.] came on 12 m to Blacks fork & stopped for breakfast & then [- - - - - - - - -] & nooned [- - -] then camped [- - -] on the muddy[.] poor feed

Tues 6^th Started at ½ past 7 o clock and came on about 10 m and stopped for breakfast [- -] then came 13 m farther to fort Bridger [- - - -] then came 2 m and stopped at [- - - - - -] before the camp[.] started [- - - -] to leave us behind & they go on ahead into the valley and make the best of our way in so we staid over night

Wed 7^th came on 4 m & nooned at [. . . . . . . . .] came on 7 m farther & camped at [- - - - -] a couple [- - -] [. . . . . . . gir.] soldiers staid <in> with

Thur 8^th came on 7 m to Bear river[.] baided [bated] a short time then came on 5 m farther & nooned[.] then came 11 m farther to Cache care at the head of echo Kanyon [Canyon] & camped[.] met quite a number of teams going out on the road of [...] goods for Livingston & Kincaid.

Frid 9 ^th this morning while we were eating breakfast a larg number of [- - - - - - -] after which we hitched up & came on 15 m down Echo Kanyon [Canyon] & nooned[.] then came & crossed over Weber river & camped for the night[.] good feed for horses

Sat 10^th came on 12 m & nooned on E[ast] Kanyon [Canyon] creek[.] then came on & camped for the night at West foot of Big Mountain[.] hudsons horses were so tired we did not get in till 12 o clock

Sun 11^th Started in the morning and drove 14 m and arrived in GSL City having been absent about 2 years & 5 months & traveled near 10,000 miles