Transcript

We stayed all winter in New Orleans and sailed up the Rivor to st Louis then exchanged to another Boat up to Council Bluffs Kan[e]svil[le] and then mooved to Chicken Creek[.] there we bought a farm and raised a crop of Corn and Bacon [l]ive on as flour was 20$ a Barrl so we soon learned to live on Corn and Pork & Molasses[.] My Mother was a dellicate woman and father been put over alive as she thought made he vry sick and weak but we pulled he thrugh the next spring as the other Boys Richard the Old[es]t and two younger[.] I Concluded to go a head after much persuasion with John Bla [ page torn ] but Promised he would give me a 2 y[ear] Old [h]eifer for Driveing a team of Oxen across the Plains 1,000 miles[.] I was two Ancious to get to the Valley to notice I was geting nothing for my labour

I think its August when we landed in Salt Lake City . . .