Transcript

Now this was a[n] unusel [unusually] rainy spring and the water coarses [courses] were very high so that we lay in camp on and about the Missouri River until the 4 of July when we left the grove 7 miles west of old Winter Quarters but while we were there I went and looked at the grave of my departed wife [Elizabeth Anderson Stout] which was so grown up with grass and weeds that I could scarcely dissignate [designate] it[.] we were in Alfred Cordens [Cordon's] company of fifty and I was in my father[-]in[-]laws [Miles Andeerson's] company of ten[.] now in consequence of the high waters we set out on the 4 of July to head the Elkhorn River which was overflowed from bluff to bluff so that we traveled 150 mile[s] out of our way to get round that River[.] we had to roll threw [through] Sand mud and watter over hills and threw trackless plains except [sic] by Indians and Buffalow so that when we struck the old road my teem [team] was badly used up[.] we came in to the old track nere [near] the head of long Island[.] I saw thousands of Buffalow at a time[.] they were like herds of cattle on the wide level prairies just as fare [far] as the Eye could see[.] we now traveled up the big Platt[e] River on the north side til we came to Ft Larrimie [Laramie] where we crossed the river then traveled up the south side through the black hills[.] we had to stop once and a while a few days to mend wagons and let our women wash[.] my he[a]lth was vary bad so that I had to hire my share of g[u]arding the stock[.] when we struck the sweet water [Sweetwater] at what is called Indipendence [Independence] Rock my wife was taken with the inflam[m]atory Rheumatism and was not able to get out of the wagon until we got to the Valley So that I had to cook for my family tend on a sick wife and 5 babes and manage my teem but stil[l] paid for my share of garding so we rolled on up to the north fork of the Sweetwater where my wagon broak [broke] down and I had to cash [cache] my frate [freight] and go and le[a]ve it which consisted of 20 big plows

we now set out again and rolled on til we came to big sandy [with]in 10 mile[s] of green River where our company collapsed and I came on with James Low[e] who was the capt of ten in the place of Anderson who had bin [been] put out[.] now br[other] Low[e] relieved <me> from e[i]ther standing gard or paying for it[.] we rolled on threw the Mountains and up and down the kenyery [canyons] til the 2^nd day of Oct when I rolled my wagon up to my brother Moseas [Hosea Stout's] house in G S L City. . .