Transcript

On the ninth day of August we left Wyoming[,] Oteo [Otoe] County[,] Nebraska, with our load of freight and Emmigrants, (English, Scotch, German, &c.) bound for our lovely Utah. When we had been on the road a week or ten days, we occasionally met some of the ranchers of the Platte river with their family’s , on account of an Indian uprising. They the Indians having killed some of the settlers along the river, but as saw but few Indians, but numbers of deserted ranches, of ourselves we care but little

One instance I think should be recorded. A brother Alexander Adamson, not having he said as much luggage (by weight) as his contract, as he understood it, saw a large iron pot at one of the ranches, and thinking it no harm, brought it along.

When Captain Hyde heard of it, he persuaded him (Adamson) to carry it back, and sent one of the night guards on horseback to render what assistance nescessary to enable Bro Adamson to do so.

When we arrived at Julesburg, the place we crossed the South Platte River when it was up and we were coming down, we found that the bottom or bed of the river, was a large sheet of as pretty a building sand as I ever saw. while shining and sharp or gritty, the water ran only in a number of small streams. we doubled and waded, the sand allowing the wagons to sink enough to make it very hard pulling.

Again on the West side of the river, at the mouth of Pole creek, I began to feel as though we were soon to see what I will call our much loved Utah, and a pushing Spirit, pervaded my being, and while I realised that our teams could be overdriven, I seldom, if ever, thought we had come far enough when night came

Our immigrant Saints were[,] I suppose[,] like other folks, good, bad and indifferent; (IE) A trip like they were on developes our integrity, or lack of it, but I know of none that I do not entertain a friendly disposition. one young lady, I became especially attached too, name Elizabeth Brown, as I became a favored suitor, I had the satisfaction of seeing that I was not the only one, that aspired to her smiles of approbation.

While we were fording the river (South Platte) a distance of perhaps a quarter of a mile below us, another train was encamped. all but one wagon that was in the river yet, I could hear a swear word once in a while as it appeared to us when they broke a chain. they had the longest string of cattle I ever saw attached to a wagon, some of our boys said afterwards, they had twenty eight yokes on, and still fast as we rolled out of sight and I have never seen the South Fork of the Platte river since.

The saints (immigrants) expressed disappointment as some of our boys, undoubtedly myself were not perfect.

Captain Hyde, said they expected perfection, of others, but were not perfect themselves, If that was so, I find by my own experiances human nature is apt to imagine, we are better than they