Transcript

The next spring [1849] we went up the Missouri to the state of Iowa, and located about eight or ten miles south of Kanesville. Father bought two fine cows for $2.00 each. He also bought a fifteen-acre farm from which we cut sufficient wild hay to last until the next spring. Father and William then returned to St. Louis for employment, that they might get money enough to continue our journey. They worked there until the spring of 1852, and then returned home, in Iowa. Bringing with them two wagons and five yoke of cattle and one team of horses and provisions that we might continue our journey. We sold our farm and left there with six yoke of cattle and one team of horses. We crossed the river on a flat boat a few miles below the present city of Omaha, Nebraska. Where a company of forty wagons was organized with a captain over the whole group and a sub-captain over each ten wagons.

We were then in a wild country where we had to contend with the Indians and the buffalo. We would travel from morning until in the afternoon, and then camp early enough so we could herd our cattle and let them get a good feed before dark, for we would have to stake them with a short rope within our circle of wagons at night. In the morning we would again let them have a good feed before starting.

Shortly after we left Hyland Grove we crossed the Missouri River on a flat boat. The first day out from there one of the drivers did or said something which displeased the captain so the captain would not let him go with us and sent him back. His wagon was with the first ten wagons or in the first sub-company and father's wagon was back in the third sub-company of ten. The captain came back and asked if I would drive this wagon. Father left it up to me and so I went and drove the wagon.

The next river we crossed was the Elk Horn and then the Lewfork [Loup Fork], which we crossed the same day. We continued our journey over rough roads which the pioneers before us made and all the time we were guarding against Indians and buffalo.

When we were about six or seven hundred miles on the way across the plains we divided into four companies-ten wagons in each company, and putting one days drive between each small company. In this way we traveled on to Salt Lake City, and on into Provo. The captain, whose name was Isaac Bullock, did not wish to stay in Salt Lake City. I was still driving his team and so went on with them . . . .