Transcript

So we wher on our way to Utah in Jhon [John] Murdock & hatch Company & we had Somthing to eat & plente of Senery & fresh ari[air]. When 2 weeks out we Came to a wire [very] depe [deep] & wide rever[.] they had to ferre the wagens[,] all of us over but that could walk had to wade fram the ferre[.] in the I Shallow wather a women & a girl came to gether to dry land & Sat down to wait for the wagens then left my Shose [shoes] & Stocking waded out to se if the wagins wher caming[.] not yet so I Came bak & the women both wher gon & So wher my Shoas [shoes]. I herid [hurried] & to catch them but not til knight did I find them. why did you take of shoes & not the Stockings, dont you Say I take them with me and was ther but you to no one pasedt [passed] me[.] She was going to meak [make] it hot fore me So I had no Shoas but I found Some old coats & pants at old camping pleaces & Mother mead me Some cloth shoes for it was to ruf to go baire footed. I Shure found we had theves along.

now we was in the plat [Platte] river co[u]ntry plenty gras [and] wather [water]. but after that Sometims we had to take wather to last over a day. for we got in hils & mountins ther was lots of Bufelows & lots of heads wher the hurd bin kild—Som years.

now we rested on the 24th of July the dansed & lots of fun. the a few dasi [days] after we herd that the a[w]ful battle of gittisberg [Gettysburg] had bin fought. thare Saw Some In de ans [Indians] & white men to with lots of cattle & harses [horses.] then had rane [rain] for 2 days[.] a man having 2 cows liding [leading] them tok cold. him & family Slept in our tent[.] one knight after we all had gon to bed a big storm Came up[,] blu the tent over then the Sik man caled for a drink[.] wife whent for wather but when She got it he died. & the tent being flat ontop of us all & raning[,] mother & I had to hold the tent all knight to keep us dry[.] then in the morning they burid the man[.] A week after a ladi died & left 3 children[,] the oldest girl & I always walked together & it was sad for that girl[.] They only had him to dig a Shallow grave one evening at dark. & the wolfs howling all knight. & 3 children died in our Camp crosing the pla[i]ns[.] after this we Saw more indians one evening. Some came & wanted traid poni[e]s for white children[.] All got frigtend & hid the little once [ones] in the wagans under bed clocs [clothes].

the next knight we wher not far fram ft. larme [Ft. Laramie.] now oure captins every evening after Super on the inside Surkle [circle] of our Camp to prair [prayer] we wher all requisted to be there & also to hear the program for next day. well this girl that was with that women & tok my shoas [shoes] she stayed by the Camp fire this tim[e] out side whiel prair [prayer] was on. then 2 indians Came tok her to put her on a hors. but she Skrimed [screamed] & kikt them[.] all our men ran & Saved[.] wel She did not Stay outside no more. Then they india[ns] got mad Stampeded the Cattle that they ran away. Then the Captin put Sam [some] men on gard & Same to keep a big fire all knight then ward [word] cam that they found ox & cattle to put one yoke to each wagan. then all had to Start waking at 3.

in the mor[n]ing wil [while] we got away & we walked until 2 in the afternoon[.] then knight gards had fo[u]nd the rest of the Cattle[.] now we got into a raf [rough] hills contry [country.] a wheel brak[e] on one wagan. & at noon we campt at 2 Springs[.] then a te[a]mster came to take wheel of a wagan to go & git the boken wagon in[,] then they started to fight. becos one man did not want his wheel taken of[f] his wagan. then a young man having 2 hors Shoos in hand thru them at the men & cut one mans fase [face] open. then Troble began[.] we had to Send for the Captin to Stop the battle but that man had to leve camp or the danish would have kild him.

then one day one of the boys wanted to find out [if] he could Skari [scare] the cattle like the indians did. He sukseded got them runen with the wagans[,] one left the road & upset[,] brok a girls arm[,] then one of the knight gard saw it & came & stopt them. at one time we got into satrates [salaratus] contry[.] then we got to chimny rok [Chimney Rock] & devels [Devil's] gate[.] I whent away up on them roks[.] o it was a grand Site to Se that mountin Split intow to let the river run thru. then we paset over. Same hie [high] place for it frose our watear in a[u]gust . af[ter] we got to bad wather we had to hury from ther to Save the Cattle[.] then we got [to] Green River. we past one wild part wher indians wher burid up in trees. O how I Should like to Se Some of that co[u]ntry now[.] now we are Soon to be in ako [Echo] canyan wher the old & young men kept ghanstens [Johnston's] army from coming into the wally [valley] til they came in piseble [impossible.] we wher nerly 2 days coming thru to weber. now mother was better[.] She had ben So Sik She had ween[ed] the the baby bef[ore] we got to forth briger [Fort Bridger] & our Captin was So kind to give us milk to feed him or he would have died & him & I are Stil her but the rest are gon. 1931[.]

now we rested a day to cleen up. then we whent thru wannship [Wanship] into silver crick [Creek] canyon into Som medows[.] hear we cam[p]t at knight.

then next day Started down parl[e]ys Canyon[.] camt at hardes Sawmill[.]

the next [day] we turned overer the mountin to com down Emigration canyon. wher the wagans Sliding down into this Canyan. I & the girl that lost her mother we left & walked on for wher told we Soon Shold Se S.L. [Salt Lake] but when we came out of the canyan we Saw a load of wo[o]d ahade & 3 or 4 bildings to right & my frind wonderd if that [was] S.L. I said lets Se if the[y] woud go ther but it did not[.] it whent west & we followd til we got wher the Salt lake brure [brewery] now stands. hear we Sat down but we Saw no City & we wher tierd & hungery. A wamen came & gave us Som green piches & Some wather[.] then about 3. P.M. our wagons Started to come & we landed on the 8[th] ward square.