Transcript

About 200 left Kanesville, 5 July 1852, mostly members of the McOlney Branch in Pottawattomie, Iowa. The McOlney Branch was located about one and a half to three miles north to Kanesville at a place called Bluff city. The company was supposed to number 250 families each. This company was called the 14 company or the John B. Walker Company.

Myself and wife [Mary Byington Southworth] and four children were assigned to Captain Daniel Mark Burbank. My four children were: Chester, Joseph, Laura and Sarah. In this Walker company was another Southworth, Cragun and wife. The three Capts. as I remember, John Myers who settled in Panguitch, Utah, Davis McOlney who settled in Lehi. The other two I have forgotten. All were men with families. The organization was completed the 25th of June 1852.

We crossed the Missouri river the 30th of June 1852 but did not all get together until the evening of July 3rd/ 1852 and spent the 4th of July celebrating our National Holiday. We were a company of devoted Christians, having prayer morning and evening, putting our trust in the Lord each day and thanking him at the close of the day for our day of safe travel.

Elkhorn river is where the actual treck began. We crossed the Elkhorn river by rafts pulled by oxen, some of the horses swam across. Beginning at North Platte we established camping proceedures. The mules and horses were tied inside the wagon circle at night. No one was to leave the camp without permission. The indians set pra[i]rie fires all around us, they were so close our faces and clothing were black from the flying ash.

Register Cliff was a resting place with good water and good grass. Farson is where we crossed the little Sandy.

Fort Bridger, an army post. Here the Pioneers spent a day repairing wagon wheels and making general preparations for continuing the treck. Here we caught mountain trout, enjoying the opportunity to clean up and rest.

Our oldest daughter Susannah, who had married John Palmer at Oregon, Holt Missouri, had a daughter born 22 Sep 1852 at Black Fork in the Sweet water, Wyoming.

Sarah our second daughter married Captain Daniel Burbank as he had lost his wife near Sweet Water Nebraska along the Platte river. We were unfortunate enough to have cholera break out among our members, we lost 13 with cholera. Sarah was just a young girl but was unafraid to render help. She prepared the boy as best she could. Abigail Burbank died 20th July 1852 and was buried not far from the trail. Sarah and Daniel Mark Burbank were married by Capt. John. B. Walker the 10th of September 1852. Capt. Burbank had three children, one boy and two girls.

The John B. Walker Company entered Salt Lake Valley the 5th of October 1852.