Transcript
Transcript for Smith, John Lyman, Autobiography and diaries 1846-1895, vol. 1, 26-31
Tues 10 Waiting for Dr. Richardson by his request[.] Good feed & fine day[.] Rolled on 10 miles & camped[.] Some distance to water & no wood
Wed 11 arrived at the Elk horn river about noon & drove into the Line.
12 Harnasing cattle[.] waiting for the artillery Co
16 Raised a Pole 50 ft high with a white flag as a signal of Peace to the Indians[.] comenced organizing the camp into hundreds & fifties
18 A[lfred] B[oaz] Lambson & Jacob Wetherby were attacted on the way from the horn to winter quarters by Indians[.] wether[by] was shot & died Soon after[.] buried on the <banks of> horn[.] I went alone & carried an express to winter quarters for Hosea Stout to come & be capt of the artillery[.] he would not
22 Mooved to the Platt[e] 15 miles. found the Bones of a man killed by Indians
23 15 miles & crossed shell creek & camped 4 miles from Loup fork 72 miles from winter quarters
24 8 miles
25 15 miles[.] wood grass & water plenty[.] heard [herd] the cattle evenings & morning & corrall them nights
29 Passed the old Pawne[e] Village[.] I went into Some of the old huts which were left standing. they were all burned except 2 or 3
1847
June They are built of Sticks & poles covered with dirt[.] in circle
July 1st Searched out a ford & Stuck Stakes to cross the Loup fork[.] I went a hinting [hunting.] Saw hundreds of antelope[.] they were very wild[.] Returned.
2 Doubled teams & crosed the River[.] I waded it Some 5 or 6 times[.] Drove toward Grand Island 5 miles[.] camped with out water & no wood. Rained for we were Verry dry.
3 2 miles[.] cut hay & strewed into a Slough to cross on[.] cattle drank verry heartily[.] water poor. Capt Sessions of our 50 killed an antelope[.] camped on Platt[e]. Bro. Snedaker & Martin dewitt in wrestling last evening[.] Dewit got his arm broke
5 Started at 10 oc[.] 15 miles found a board with this Inscription
(Apr 29) camp of Pioneers[.] Grasss Short but plenty[.] watch Indians[.] 217 miles to Winter Quarters[.] watch the trees near our encampment) The first traces of our Bretheren who have gone before.
6 Good roads[.] crosed wood river. Dusty Roads 18 miles[.] Saw Elk & antelope, & Prarie dogs
7 Slight Showers of Rain[.] 17 miles[.] camped on Platt[e]
8 Briged 2 Sloughs found 2 horses which Bro [Parley Parker] Pratt & taylor caught[.] Saw the 1st herd of Buffalo[.] 14 miles
9 1 Month to day Since we left Winter Quarters 262 miles & have Traveled 17 Days During the month.
10 6 miles[.] Stoped to wash & hunt Buffalo & killed 3 & 1 calf
12 had Some Buffalo meat for Breakfast & I think it verry Good[.] 14 miles on the banks of the Plat[te.] Level as far as the Eye can See
13 made 18 miles[.] the numerous Buffalo Trails makes it bad riding[.] 3 Buffalo killed
1847
July 14 I went out with others after a band of 4 or 5 horses which was Reported to have been See[n] but could not find them[.] traveling over the land ri[d]ges short[.] very dry[.] Returned to camp in Evening very tired. 6 miles[.] Found another Memento of the Pioneers dated May 10 a Letter directed to Send Rich or any one in authority &tc[.] no one Else.
15 Mad[e] 15 miles[.] no wood but Dried Buffalo Dung[.] it makes a good fire
16 18 miles[.] Saw Many Buffalo[.] about 20 lame near Running over our camp in the Evening[.] one Killed & brot into camp[.] I think we have seen 10,000 in a week
17 a heard [herd] of Buffalo crossed the River <in the night> making A Tremendous noise[.] we got up to see what was the matter
18 Lay by to wait for Bro Grants company[.] he having had a Stampede & lost 40 head of Cattle
19 Mooved 10 miles for feed
21 Lay by
22 Crossed some bad Sand hills[.] Kil 2 buffalo[.] Found another letter from Pioneers. Ind[ians] visited them[.] friendly
23 Indians visited us friendly[.] Some Trading done[.] they sung & danced we fired the cannon and the Indians Run away[.] Some of the Squaws looked very tidy[.] Fair & [sentence unfinished]
24 Pased Indian town which is on the oposite side of the River[.] they are anxious to Trade
25 Met Some men Returning from Pioneers[.] Received letters from them
26 Traveled over Sand hills 20 miles
27 20 miles[.] Indians overtook us.
28 Met 2 men on their way to the States from Oregon
29 20 miles[.] bad Roads & feed
30 Bluffs on the South side of the River look like ancient ruins in view of Chimney Rock[.] it looks like the chimney of a furnace
31 16 miles[.] camped oposite Scots Bluffs
1847
Aug 1st I with Some others went over the River & visited the Bluffs[.] Saw Laramie Peak 160 miles distant[.] killed 2 Mountain Sheep[.] did not get back untill midnight
Mon 2nd 25 miles over Barren Plains covered with prickley Pears
5 araived at Lariamie [Laramie] & crosed north fork of Platt[e.] old fort John is built of Sundried Bricks or adobies[.] it is falling into decay[.] the new fort is about 1/2 mile off[.] I did not visit it[.] it is Kept up by a few US Troops & Some traders trapers &tc[.] Saw an Indian that had been buried in a tree wrap[p]ed in his robe with his bow & arrows. camped 4 miles above the old fort & Stoped to it[.] Fine here[.] we Saw pine timber Just Entering upon the Black Hills[.] good feed & wood plenty[.] Some Bears in the neighboorhood[.] I took half a day & tried to get a shot at Some of them but could not
16 Have got accrost the Black hills & arived at the upper crossing of Platt[e] found a Bed of Stone coal[.] one of our oxen taken Sick & Died in 15 minutes
22 P P Pratt killed a Buffalo
24 Camped at Indapendence [Independence] Rock[.] 1 crossing of Sweet water & good feed & water
30 Some of the Return Pioneers camped near us[.] the Pioneers have laid out a city in Great Salt Lake valley
31 Crosed Rocky Ridge 10 miles. more Pioneers & Some of the Mormon Battallion near us on their Return to Winter Quarters after their families
Sept 2 Traded a gun to the Shoshoni Indians for a horse[.] crossed the South Pass[.] camped at Pacific Spring[.] the water Runs to the Pacific ocean
Sept[.] 4 met the Pioneer camp many of them Returning[.] Laid by[.] Met George A. & had a long chat about the future home of the Saints[.] had a meeting
5 Parted with the 12 & Pioneers & continued our journey[.] camped on Little Sandy. 8 miles.
6th 17 miles[.] Big Sandy
7 Green River[.] here we find currants plenty in their prime. Picking berries washing hunting &tc Resting teams
9 14 miles[.] Blacks Fork of Green river
10 7 miles to hams fork
13 Camped near Fort Bridger which is a Stockade fort containing about a Dozen log Rooms & corall for cattle[.] Inhabited by Mountaineers French & Indians
14 13 miles[.] 2 waggons Broke in the company
15 13 miles[.] camped with out water
16 found a good Spring 7 miles Bear River
17 heard from the valley[.] no news of Importance
18 3 Men from Pioneers[.] Report they have lost 50 horses by Indians
20 camped on Weber River
21 I turned my wagon over down a Bank about 8 ft caused by the Bank caveing off [.] My wife [Augusta Bowen Cleveland Smith] Just Saved herself by Jumping out on the off Side[.] it was about 10 oclock & quite dark[.] went on about 1/2 mile & left the waggon untill morning
22 Got the wagon up & loaded Bows Broken off chain crushed &tc
23 Ice an Inch thick. Bro Brinkerhoof [James Brinkerhoff] up set his waggon[.] went up a long mountain when on the Top got a view of a part of GSL valley[.] in going down the mountain Broke my waggon tongue[.] verry steep[.] mended wagon tongue & Rolled on in the night[.] Getting to camp Ran the off wheels in to a hole in crossing a creek & spilled all the things out[.] Augusta was riding in Fathers
24 Crossed the creek Several times[.] Broke an axletree of Fathers [John Smith's] waggon
Sept 25 doubled teams & took a waggon up little Mt[.] camped on top of Mt & Part at the Bottom[.] Bro O.V Spencer from the valley took the things out of the Broken wagon & we Rolled into the valley[.] the view that greeted our Sight was truly pleasant[.] Salt Lake in the distance the Saints fort in the Bottom & the prospect of Resting awhile from continual Travel