Transcript

Transcript for Ruth P. Rogers autobiography and journals, 1850-1907

. . . I made arrangements with [William] Wallace Raymond and wife [Almira Cutler Raymond] to go with them to Great Salt Lake. My father mother and sisters were all getting ready to go

June 1st father started on the way[.] left me and daniel [Page] and Joseph [Page.] we expect to travel in one company[.] I am sorry that mother and my sisters were seperated from me and going such a hard journey[.] I knew it would be hard for mother and the distance great[.] they were traveling with ox teams.

 

Chapter Sixth

 

The agreement was, that I was to do the washing iron and coocking [cooking] for six persons and nurse his wife in her confinement

June 14th I commenced the journey this day[.] we traveled three miles[.] stayed three days near Musquito [Mosquito] Creek

18th traveled to the Bluffs near the Missouri River[.] stayed there and done our washing and coocking

20th at night Camped in a canyon[.] hard rain thunder and lightning

21st I went to a Welsh meeting[.] John Taylor preached

25th Crossed the Missouri River near Winter Quarters

Sunday 27th Stayed at six mile grove this day the People were Organized into a company and called the Springville Company Harmon Cutler the head captain of the company  Thomas Jenkins Captain of the first ten I traveled in his ten fifty wagons in the company a captain to every ten. 

29th Crossed the Elk Horn 

July 2nd Abner Brooks died of cholera

3rd Camped at Shell Creek on account of sickness in the company

4th same place held meeting three Children baptized the sixth very stormy thunder and hail the largest I had ever seen we crossed the [illegible] Fork very dark when we camped and raining water on the ground shoe top deep. 

July 7th three deaths of Cholera and a storm of hail 

July 9th Mrs Raymond gave birth to a son, raining all night 
23rd where we camped there was neither wood nor water 

Aug 3rd leave to Ash Hollow

Aug 9th the Cattle and people very thirsty about noon we came to a spring the captains had cautioned their companies about drinking too much water a young woman by the name Mary Moss died from drinking too much she was dead in one hour after drinking

10th Passed Chimney Rock 

11th our oxen stampeded about one Oclock five wagons to mend which took the most of the night

Aug 12th I was sick all day unable to work the Rattle snakes were very numerous and fears were entertained that the Cattle would be bitten we came to an Indian Village the Indians came to us on their horses with their Bows and Arrows told our Captain we should not pass until we gave them flour hard Bread Sugar Tea and Coffee they wanted a big heap we could not help ourselves they spread down their Blankets to put it in we were stopped about two hours it was stated they numbered about three hundred they were Sion Indians we traveled the most of the night we were afraid if we camped they would steal the cattle they run off one ox. 

16th Crossed the Platte River near fort Laramie the water came into the wagons the next day we camped took the things out of the wagons to dry

23rd we camped on Woodriver next morning my brother Joseph Wallace Raymond and James Newel went to hunt Buffalo when night came they did not return which made us very uneasy about them there was some poles fixed to the wagons and lighted lanterns hung upon them we were afraid they were lost we did not know what direction to go to find them at eleven oclock at night my brother came into camp his first words were give me some water and stretched himself upon the ground I gave him some water and he wanted more I told him he must not drink so much he said they had no had any water since they left camp. in the morning he said Wallace and James Newel were bringing a buffalo heifer they had killed and they had not tasted water to day had seen riding hard all day and nothing to eat he did not think they could get into camp unless some water was taken to them told where to find them and some men took a keg of water and went to them they saw two Indians while chasing the buffalo 

25th divided the meat when we were almost done eating our breakfast Captain Cutler got on to his wagon to see if his horses were feeding which were staked out a short distance from camp and to his astonishment there was not one to be seen nearly all the men started immediately to find them saw their tracks where they went into the river and mogasin [moccasin] tracks they were gone the the most part of the day and came back without the horses my brother Daniel went with them he got thirsty and drank bad water the number of horses stolen was seven only one left in the company they have never been seen or heard tell of since by their owners at night my brother Daniel had a severe attack of Cholera I with others were waiting on him most of the night 

31st Crossed Rattle Snake Creek

September 16th rained all day

17th my brother Daniel very sick camped at Green River snowing I was up with Daniel all night nursing him

18th very cold forded the River 

21st came to Fort Bridger 

28th crossed the Weber River 

29th a girl seven years old was killed by a wagon upsetting and a large chest of tools falling on her when she had been dead two days her cheeks were red. 

October 1st Snowing the roads very bad Mrs Raymond and I had to walk all day the cattles feet were sore three wagons upset to day. 

Oct 4th 1852. I arrived at Salt Lake City in good health Wallace Raymond and his wife treated me well there were very kind to me and my brothers we did not have one disagreement she was as kind to me as a sister could be under the circumstances.