Transcript

My father and his family left Nauvoo in the year 1846 traveling westward through Iowa and came to Utah in 1847 in Jeddy Dyer [Jedediah] M[organ]. Grant's company the father of President Heber J. Grant. While crossing the plains the weather was extremely cold and inclement and the people suffered a great deal from improper shelter. The roads were muddy, the wagons would mire down and the chains would break but we kept on. Many people died from exposure, my mother dying at Mt. Pisgah. My father and a brother died at Winter Quarters from scurvy and blackleg where approximately 600 others died from the same terrible disease where great chunks of flesh would drop off from their feet and legs.

While encamped near a stream called Big Horn, about twenty miles from Winter Quarters, the camps were organized in a more systematic order. When 100 wagons would arrive prepared for the journey they were organized in companies of one hundreds, fifties and tens. At 5 o'clock each morning the bugle would sound as a signal for every man to attend prayers before leaving his wagon. Then the people would do their cooking, eat and feed their teams, etc. until 7 o'clock when the bugle would sound again and the train would move on. At 8:30 P.M. the bugles were sounded again when all would have prayers in their wagons and be retired by 9:00 o'clock. Each night the wagons were arranged to make a great oval correl and the cattle and horses were tied inside this circle to prevent them from being stolen by the Indians. The pioneers were constantly on the alert to protect themselves for from attacks from the Indians as the Indians had made several attempts to steal cattle and provisions. However, in general the Indians showed a xxxxxxx friendly spirit toward the Pioneers. There were seven companies that followed westward in 1847.

The pioneers traveled through Echo Canyon and East Canyon over Big and Little Mountain into Emigration Canyon, and then into Salt Lake valley.