Transcript

We had a variety trip from New York to Iowa City, which was the terminus of the railroad. Here we waited until very late in the summer for our hand carts to be made. Some of the brethren became very much alarmed on account of Sisters and children. Levi Savage expressed himself very much concerned. However late it was, we got along alright from Iowa to Wood river, where we had some bad luck, losing 14 head of our oxen. Soon after that we became very short of provisions, by the time we reached the last crossing of the Sweet Water [Sweetwater], we were entirely out of provisions and the fact that the snow was 2 feet deep did not lighten the burden on our minds. We stayed there 3 days before relief came, and many died with hunger and cold. 14 were buried in one grave at Pacific Springs. My brothers Thomas and John were badly frozen, sister Elizabeth died early in the journey. We arrived in Salt Lake City in the latter part of October 1856.