Transcript

Transcript for Richard Dye, Autobiography, reel 2, box 2, fd. 2, item 7

I remained there [Richard Dye was living at this time in Boston, Mass.] untill the 14[th] of April 1858 when Elders James McCleary and David McIntosh missionaries from Utah started for home and I came with them. We came by way of Albany, Buffalow [Buffalo], Cleveland, Toledo, Ohiho [Ohio], Chicago, Ill. thence to Davenport, Rock Island to Iowa City. That was the finest Railroad West. There we fitted out for the West. We were 30 days traveling from Iowa City to Council Bluffs. it rained every day from the 19[th] of May to the 19[th] of June. Crossed over the Missurio [Missouri] River to Omaha stayed there a few days. removed to Florence and stayed there untill July 5 [th] 1858.

We left Florence on the 5[th] July 1858 there being a small company of Danish Saints ready to start, in all we had 9 wagons some with Oxen and some with mules. under Captain [Iver] Iverson of Battle Creek, Utah County. Made fairly good progress. We made it a rule not to travel on Sunday, but we broke this rule 2 Sundays. The first time we had a wagon tip over in a creek and a Woman and two Children were nearly drounded. one of the Children was labored with for several minutes before it showed any signs of life. the trunks and other things in the Wagon were on the top of the Child and we had to lay over on Monday to dry the clothes. The other time we traveled on Sunday we broke an Axle of a Wagon and that delayed us a day to repair. after that we concluded to rest on the Sunday. At the north Crossing of the Platte River we came up with the rear companies of Johnsons Army. there were two Battalions, one under Major Paul and one under Major Whiting. The sutler of Major Paul['s] command was in need of a teamster and sent a man across the Platte River to our Company (we were on the South side and they were on the North). I told him I was wanting a job. note. I will here say that there we 7 adults in the wagon I was with. I had paid the Brother who was bringing me $90.00 in gold at Iowa City and we had commenced on our last 100 pounds of Flour at Laramie so us three young men hired as teamsters and hearders. I drove 5 yolk of oxen, I was to have 1 dollar a day and board. I got along very well, although I had never drove any cattle before. When we got to Fort Bridger the Command was ordered to go about 35 miles South and then travel West and explore the Country and locate a road so as not have to travil through Echo Canyon. we came on the South side of the Range of Mountains and came down Chalk Creek—to the Weber River thence South and down Provo Canyon to Provo City, where we arrived on the 19[th] of September 1858. There I was paid off and I came to Salt Lake City.