Transcript

We spent a good dale [deal] more going up the River[,] the expences the time the Children wa[s] sick & we hade to pay the docter if we wanted him or not he was sent & we had him to pay[.] we hade a good bit of Money to spend on what we neded

Thare was a good many of the team sters that come doon from Utah[.] we was [ac]qu[ai]nted with some of thare folks & thay brout others & thay hade some sport at Night. then Robert got sick & the imagr<ai>nt trains cominced to move out & we could not gote [get] redday & we did not know what to do

Mrs Sanclair went to Bro Little & told him that she could not wate on us. then he hade it arenged [arranged] to go in the Wagon with another family

Then the Docter said that we could not go & when I asked him about it he said that is would be better if I did not for the Children would be ready to gote [illegible] <cold > we did not [know] what might hapen on the road[.] When I talked to Bro Little about it he said if I wanted to go he could fix it that I could go when I knew how to drave Cattle

Thare was a young man working for Samul Snider lived in Salt Lake hade a Saw mil in Snider valla [Snyderville] and the Man rode doon from Utah on Horseback & he helped to hird the Cattel all the way doon[.] And Mrs Little was to buy 3 youck of Cattle[,] Wagon[,] Chans & yocks & boose [A stall or a crib for an ox, cow, or other animal] for to hall in Loggs to the saw Mull [mill] with. And if I would drave the team he would like it for he could have the young Man for a Night Hirder. he said that he could gote along without him for the Capt<i>n had used him down & he would have to use him back

So it was satled for me to drave the team & thare would be only my family in the Wagon[.] thay would put 20 hundre[d] of Nails & the Man hade Bot [bought] of harnis for his Master. And all that we hade sas in our Wagon[.] we could gat it when wanted

We started from Florins [Florence] on the 10 of A[u]gust 1863 on Sunday[.] just as we all got & out on the road it comanced to rain[.] it just poured doon[.] that hade to stop all the teams on they gote in the Wagons til it quit[.] the Wagon covers all leaked thrue & the most of the Bade [bed] close [clothes] was wate [wet] thrue[.] we started <about> 4 oclock in the after noon[.] we travled about 5 milds [miles] then camp for Night & our close was not verry dry[.] we could make our beads in the Wagon on the top of the Nail kegs[.] we as not a bad a som that made thare bads on the ground

This was the first Night on the p[l]a<i>ns the next Mornin was a new for me[.] to find my Cattle[.] thare was about 5 hundred head in all & I had to find my 6 six head among the other[.] Boys hade brought thers doon from Utah & thay had all got aqunted with thears but I hade only seen mines for wone day[.] the most of the Boys new mine & thay would hallow to me when thay sen any of mine & the Boys[,] that is William & John[,] would drive it to me then I could soon yoke it up. after too [two or] three days I was all right. We hade a good many strea[m]s & Rivers to cross over – we goat along all right

It was very warm & Mother could not bare to ride in the Wagon & she would rather travel as ride in the Wagon. Robert was sick & Harret was little & thay had to be in the Wagon all the time[.] some tims William & John would stop in beside them but often thay would not

So I hade <to> attend to the team & them to after a wh while William could take the whife & walk alond side of the Cattle & I could site inside besides the Childrin[.] it was that way til we got to fort Larmay [Laramie.] the Night before we drove til 11 at Night to get to Watter & William drove from Sun doon til we stoped to camp & he caught cold that Night & was sick in the Morning

Then William cape [kept] gating worce all the time til he could not gat out of Beade alone[.] thay caled it the Moun[ta]in fevar[.] he never got much better til he got nerly to Salt Lake City[.] I had to take care of him to

the time that he was verry sick & could do nothing for his self we came to what thay call the Horse Show [Horseshoe] bend[.] thay < hade> to leave the River & go over a Mountin[.] up the wone side & doon the other[.] it was the longest it go up[.] it not so stee[p] going up as doon[.] thay all had to fix thar bracks [brakes] before thay started doon & take the lead Cattle[,] chain them behind to the hind axcle to make them hold back all thay would[.] every percon had to walk that was able to walk for thay did not know what might hapen going doon[.] wone hade to go a long way before the other started[.] I hade to tie Wagon cover & boos [bows] doon in the front in case the childrin shold rool out the fount [front.] it was worce then the blue ridge going to Ashlay[.] if any other Wagon had got away thare a Oaxen or too kiled or a Wagon brock doon

here I was with the same risk & three of my Childrin in the Wagon[.] I could not risk John for thare was anuf in the Wagon[.] thare was a young Man[,] wone of the hirders at Night & he was on horse back & he went along side of the Wagon & he made the Cattel that was behind hold some times nearly <all> of the Wagon[.] I <g>ot doon my Wagon gentler then any all right[.] Mother tramled all the time til we got doon then she hade to come & loock in to the Wagon to see if all was right[.] thay ware all afternoon gatting doon

When we came to the Sala<ra>tus Beds the Utah Boys told me about it & wone of them drove my team & I went a head & filled up a sack with about 1 hunder pounds[.] And I got 25 cents for some of it

Wone day wone of the p<a>singrs in the Wagon ahade of us[,] he started a hade of the Wagons in the Morning And he travled til we Camp at no[o]n[.] he came rite to the Wagon cra[w]led in & lay & never sade a word to aney wone. thay thought that he hade fainted with the heat & thay left him in the Wagon til Night to se if he would <com to> but he never[.] he just was the sam[e.] he was buried in the Morning

he was a Widdor [widower] with t[w]o Childrin[.] the Childrin felt verry bad[.] thay had a Ouncal [uncle] & his Wife with them[.] thay had just got marr[i]ed when thay left the Old Country

And the young Wife did not have much aqntins [acquaintace] with the Childrin

We seen wonst in Salt Lake City. she had no childrin of hit one [own] & she was proud of then [them]. this was about 5 yers after the Father died[.] they ware liven in the 20 Ward[.] thare Name as Smith[.] he was survayer[,] he work on the Ralrodas for a good many years

The next of any not[e] was the Captin told us all at Night to cook Bread for Noon for we could not have any fire the next <day> at Noon[.] then he told every wone in the Morning again so when we Camped at Noon thare was dry grass all over. some of it 5 or 6 feet high whare the Cattle had not ben[.] you could scarcly got around among it[.] after we hade ben thare a little while thare was a old imagrant thought he could not gat along without his tea so he tuck his knife & cut a little of the grass around[.] And lighted a fire & it sp<r>ade around in less then a Min Minint[.] the Cabtin [Captain] & the Night hirders saddles by chance was lying closs [close] by & thay crabed [grabbed] thare Blankets & started to fight the fire & thare otheare don the same & thay hade to fight hard to gate it out[.] thare was wone time it looked that it would be master & the Wind changed And turned the fire back whare it was burned[,] then thay soon got the far [fire] out

Then he went to the Old Man & wanted to know the reson that he did not obay councal. he said he was not going to do every thing he was told

And that [made] <him> mad & he told him if he hade [not] ben a Old man he would stamp him til he could not stand up[.] he told the Captin that he could not do it & struck at the Cabtin[.] at that time his Wife & to gron up Daughters came along & got hold of the Old Man ro [or] I do not know what might hapen

The Cabtin we<n>t & sit don a while til he got over his madness studing what to do. so he went to the Old Man that if it was not for the law he would turn him out whare he was[,] but he would take him to the first Staton it was u.S. staton & he would leave him thare

the girls & the Mother comenced to plead for him[.] he told them he hade no time to talk[,] it time the train was started[.] When we camped <at> Night after supper we hade prayers every Night but thare was some that did not go every Night[.] thay hade Bread to Bake & some hade other things to do but he wanted every wone to come to Meton [meeting] that Night[.] he never hade a great dale to say at the Metons but he had somthing to say to Night

Brothers & sisters thare is fue [few] of you relaised [realised] the parl [peril] that we was in to day at Noon. if it had not ben for the providence of God & turned the wind in ur favour whare would we have ben to Night[.] we would have ben awa[y] back thare with nothing[.] we could have saved our selves for we could got on to the ground that was burned but that would have ben all for when ever the Wagons started to Burne we could [do] nothing. then how thank<ful> we ought to be for preserving us & what we hade for if we hade ben left on the plains with nothing how we would have to suffer[.] then he wanted the papl [people] to thank the Lord in thare secred [secret] yrayers [prayers] for his good ness

Then he [told] them he was going to do with Mr so & so I do not no <the> Name and he want all to sa<s>tane him what he was goind to do so he tuck a vot on it & most all hands was up

then thare Brother Cleson [John Gleason] returning from a Misson he give a good gospel Sarmon & how the Lord hade watched over his fo popel [people] & taken care over <of> them wen it semed thare was & it was the same with us to day & how thankful we ought to be

After Meton the Wife & the too girls went to the Captin And even went down on thare bended knes to him for him to have masoy [mercy] on him for thare sake for he was not a Marmon & he had a little property in the old country & thay got him to sell it & come with them & he did not know anuf to be controled by thos that is plased over then. he got softned then & told them to wate to the Morning Meton. thay never was in so much hurray that they did not have time to pray

So after prayrs wa over he told them what I have rot [wrote] above & if he would come forth & ask the forgiveness fo [of] all the Company thay should forgive him

then he cam forth & said that he did not think on the evel til after it was doon & if thay wold forgive him this time he would promis never to do the same agon

So the Cabtin put the vot & thay all voted to forgive hi him. thare was 4 persons in the train that Morning that fealt happy & he cape [kept] his promis

The <next > death was an Woman that came from England[.] she hade ben sick the most of the way with the dirahs [diarrhea.] the next truble that we hade was at grean [Green] River it was talagrafted [telegraphed] to Salt Lake Sity that <a> train thare was too or three Wagon lods of pauder [powder] & thay ware afread the Mormons would kill all the jantils [Gentiles] that was at Camp Douglas[.] And the Solders was to take the poder from the Mormons

When some of them came along at Noon when we camp the Captin tuck them in to his tent for dinner the pouder Wagon crosed the River & went back in the Mountins and unloded the pouder in to Sacks & loded them on pack Mul<e>s & gout of thrue the Mountins

We just crosed the River & camp for the Night[.] the River was not verry deap[.] it was prity <wide> it was a good crosing[.] the teams going doon hade to cross in the farry [ferry] Boot [boat.] if we had needed to cross in the Boot we would have <ben> over a day in crosing[.] all the pasagers [passengers] rode thrue in the Wagons thay went right thrue the wone after the other all right

When we started in the Morning & went a little way on the road a Company of Sholders [Soldiers] came from Hams fork for to sarch the Wagons for pouder

the pasangers hade all to stand by thare Wagons to Shou them what was in thare Wagons

When thay came to mins [mine] it was loded with Keggs but it was Nails & fish that was in them they <see> had [sentence unfinished]

Thay stoped us nearly a half day[.] some of the pasangers thought that thare would be some trouble but thay left us all right & got <no> pouder. If any wone had 1 pond can it was all right

William wis sick all this time[.] some times we thought he was going to dia[.] Robert was not better ether

When we was coming doon Echo Canyon thare was a Sister that come from Jonstoon [Johnstone] whare we left in the Old Country[.] she died thare & thay brought hir along to Colvalla [Coalville.] When we camped at Wan[s]hip at Night those that was liven thare [came] to see if thay [k]new any of the emagraints your Mother was all wase [always] on the look for what she could see So thare she came acrose Sister Baits that crosed in the Caraven with is [us.] she was in Pennsylvana [Pennsylvania] whe[n] we left[.] She had to come to our Wagon to see the Childrin

then she went home & brought about a half bushel of nise pottatoes[.] that was the best thing that [we] had for a long while[.] we hade to cook some tha Night & thare was some others could help us to

She came along again in the Morning before Sunup with a young Chikin for the Children[.] Mother cocked [cooked] part of it for Brackf<ast>[.] William & Robert could eat a little of it[.] they seemed to comence to gate a littel better after that[.] When we came thrue Coalvalla An[d]rew Jo[h]nston was intending for us to stope thare with him but thay ware not at home thay ware at Salt Lake Sity[.] Mrs Jonston got bate [bit] with a Scorpin & thay hade to go to Salt Lake City to git the bite cut out

When we gote to Sniders the <man> that was Night hirder went home to Sna<d>ervalla he told his master about me[.] he came doon to whare we was camped[.] he wanted me to stop thare with the famly that thare was no nead to take them any further whe[n] thay sick[.] he hade a Hous that I could go into & he would send a man into the City with the fraight that was in it

Mother thought she would like to go in to Salt Lake City thare was some folks that she would like to see[.]

Bro Snider said that was all <right> we could <go> into the City And i could i bring them back in his Wagon that I had brote acrose the plans & he was going in to Confarince in a day or too & he would see me thare

We went a fue [few] Mildes & camped for the Night[.] the fead was good & the Cabtin wanted the Cattle to got filled up before thay went into the City

We hade to go over the little Mountin & go doon Emigration Canyon. for the road was washed out in Parlays Canyon[.] We Camped before we went up the Mountin fore to go up in the Morning when it was cool

we got up all some had to be halped up thare was too three teams that caled them selves indapedent [independent] becaus thay hade thare one [own] Cattle & Wagon but every Mountin & River we come to thay hade to be helped[.] When we got out the <Canyon> & sta[r]ted dwon the binch [bench] & look doon on they City & the Lake we thought the sight was grand[.] And the joy that we felt for we had hoped & prayed for th[i]s for 14 years & now it was in sight

We got into Salt Lake City on the 4 of October 1863[.] we had just 8 weeks from the time we left til we reched the City. the trean drove to Emigrationl squire[.] When we got in thare Bro Sa<n>clar had a Wagon to take our things & his doon to a Hous that he had rented in the third Ward[.] he tuck the family doon thare