Transcript
Transcript for Rigby, William Frederick, [Autobiographical sketch], in Joseph Eckersley, Journal and reminiscence A record of the dealings of God with me Joseph Eckersley 1842-1884
We here got out-fit to go overland on the Same Route our Pioneers traveled for the Rocky Mountains and I was Selected to Drive A team Consisting of 2 yoke of oxen and A yoke of Cows which was quite A task for me as I did not know how to Select my team from the herd nor what to say Either to Start or Stop them[.] But we had as Good a Man for our Captain I think as ever crossed the Plains of the Name of Magar Jake [John] Brown who [h]as Been at this Date of writeing 1884 Bishop of Ple[a]sant Grove in Utah County for Maney years and [h]as Still Proved to be to Good Kind Bishop as he was A Good Kind Captain to us[.] A
good Captain
I Drove the Second Wagon and Got along very well considering my inexperance [inexperience] and to Kanesville in 3 weeks and 4 Days and we got our Supplys for the trip over the Plains and I Still Drove my team till I got to Green River when Captains Brown and Harmon whos train where [were] traveling in Consort and we being out of Provisions the[y] called for Volunteers to go to Salt Lake City with Letters President Brigham Young for teams and Supplys to help our Companys in as the teams where Poor[.] this was the Last of September and me and Nine others volunteered to Carrey our Reding Guns and Letters and Walked A Distance of 179 Miles in 5 Days and Arrived in Salt Lake City in President Youngs office and Shook hands with Brigham Young for the first time about 20 Minutes Past four on October 5
th
1853 and I think it was one of the happiest Days of my Life[.] for to me it was the Dawning of New Era in my Life in Good Many Respects for I had full Confidence in the Gospel and in Prop[h]ets and Apostles being in this C[h]urch and Being Duly Called of God and to [
three words illegible
] and See and hear them Seemed to Make My Joy complete
[Note: Edited version of this sketch printed in Our Pioneer Heritage, 20 vols. [1958-77], 4:248-49.]