Transcript

Transcript for Thomas Sleight diaries, 1857-1925

May 30 [1860] Left Florence with 30 waggns[.] W. Walling Cap[tain.] Camped at the papauin [Papillion]

31 Camped at raw hide

May June 1 Canped [Camped] at Barkers

3 2 Canped at Shell Creek[.] Child died belonging to [Hyrum Bowles] Morrs [Morris].

3 3 Canped at Cleaveland

3 4 Canped at looking Glas[s]

3 5 Crost the ferey at Genoa and Canped

37 [sic] Camped at the lone tree

15 travelling on Buffalo Creek[.] saw severall [buffalo.] tried to shoot some but they were to old

16 Canped on the platte[.] the wind raging tremendous

17 traveled till 10 o clock[.] met 34 wagons from Salt Lake[.] some missionarys begun for England held a Meetting then dismissed[.] yoked up and J Young Captain was on our road again

19 travelled to Skunk Creek and Canped

20 Met 2 Waggons[.] H Class Giddings and family [.] Canped on the platte[.] very stormey[.] T[w]o Baptized

11/21 Met quite a number of Soiux [Sioux] Indians[.] past their Lodge[.] did a little trading[.] quite Freindley[.] very heavy roads[.] sand hills[.] Camped on the platte[.] had a dance

22 met severall Indians[.] Came to some very heavy sand hills[.] Californay [California] train past us[.] Camped on the platte

23 Crossed severall creeks[.] one [Bab.l..ng] Creek[.] eat dinner on [..it…] platte[.] small Ceader trees on the South side[.] cloudy day[.] Camped on the platte

Sunday 24 Came to some Rock Bluffs[.] traveled till noon then stoped for the day[.] good feed for the Cattle[.] Very heavy rain at night

25 Monday Cloudy Day[.] Came to some very heavy sand hills[.] had to double teans[.] Crossed before dinner[.] Canped on the platte

26 Cloudy day[.] past a few Indians and their tents[.] some traiders with them[.] past Ash hallow before dinner it being on the south side[.] stoped for dinner[.] past Castle ruins[.] our stock doing well[.] Camped about 3 miles from the platte—dug well for water

27 Very warm and Cloudy[.] past some very heavy sand hills[.] had to double teams. Camped on the platte

28 rain in the morning[.] past high Bluffs on the right hand side[.] Chimney rock in sight[.] fine in the afternoon met five wagons returning from Salt Lake[.] Camped on the Platte 25 miles from Chimney Rock

29 fine day[.] Mostly good road[.] got opisite Chimney rock[.] I should judge wither about 3 miles[.] it is on the south side of the platte[.] it is quite a puculiar site[.] any amount of alkali around here[.] Camped about a mile from the platte[.] a cool breesie from the south[.] thunder storm in the night.

30 warm day[.] past [9] California wagon[s.] past some lodges of Indians[.] did a little traiding[.] Camped on the platte a few miles east of Scotts Bluffs [Bluff] of Larimie [Laramie]

Sunday July 1, 1860 Past Scotts Bluffs before noon[.] good road[.] very hot in the afternoon[.] thunder shower in the evening[.] Camped at a spring about 2 miles from the river[.] good feed[.] full moon[.] Larimies Peak in sight

2 pleasant day[.] Camped on the platte.

3 heavy winds[.] reached Larimie within 4 miles

July 4, 1860 Cannons rouring from the fort[.] Several of us fired our guns in honor of the day[.] past the fort Carny [Kearney] in the morning[.] Looks a nice place[.] very warm[.] some of the boys went to the fort[.] past a few miles and Camped in a bend[.] health of the Camp good.

5 Travelled over some very rough road[.] broke Bro Tannys [Tenney’s] wagon[.] we comemced to travel the Black hills[.] drove almost all day[.] very hot[.] camped on the platte[.] some traders lives here[.] feed very poor

6 Laid by to day mending wagons[.] some Californians past us

7 roads some better[.] traveled all day without feed[.] very dusty[.] Cold in the morning[.] Camped on nice Creek[.] some Indians here—and traders picked up a man that was left yesterday

July 8 Sunday Travelled half a day[.] reached the platte[.] turnd our stock on the other side of the river to feed[.] little rain in the evening, a good road[.] Cold in the morning[.] reached some rugged Bluffs in the afternoon and struck the platte[.] feed scarce[.] rain

10 hot in the middle of the day[.] some very rough mountains[.] Came to the platte again[.] crossed the river

11 some very heavy sands[.] came to a low bottom on the platte[.] Cold in the evening

12 Past Deer Creek early in the morning[.] there is a ferry here and a few houses[.] it is on the South side of the platte[.] heavy sandy roads through the day[.] stormy through in the evening[.] past a Poisan [Poison] spring[.] Camped by the platte

13 laid by to rest our stock and ourselves[.] hares and rabots in abundance

14 heavey sandy roads[.] past the lower platte Bridge[.] Camped in a bend of the river[.] good feed[.] here we got some Saluratus[.] excellant quality. Past Poisen Spring

15 [-] 8 [Clo…] Past the upper Bridge[.] sandy road[.] Camped on mineral springs

16 Good roads[.] made a long drive[.] reached Greace wood [Greasewood] Creek[.] good water[.] past Willow springs at noon[.] cow a little sick, past several persons from Utah and Oragan [Oregon],

17 heavey sandy roads[.] reached Independence rock at noon[.] went on the top of it[.] Camped by a rocky mountain west of Devils Gate

18 very dusty[.] Camped on the sweett water [Sweetwater.] the sun tried to shine its face this morning but failed[.] some thing intervened between us and it looked curious

19 good roads[.] crossed the sweet water twice in the afternoon[.] there is a trading post here. we Camped in side [site] of the rocky mountains[.] good feed

July 20 Indians[.] Laid by for the day[.] heavy thunder in the afternoon[.] rain at night

21 eat dinner on the sweet water early[.] heavy roads in the afternoon with much rain[.] Drove in the rain till night[.] came to some spring water and Camped for the night[.] heavy rain in the night[.] past Ice springs [.] there is two [- -] one going to East the other west[.] we took the west road.

Sunday July 22 fine morning[.] drove before breakfast[.] the Country roling[.] past a small stream early in the morning [.] Camped in a small valley[.] good feed[.] snow on the Mountains to the right.

23 fine day[.] Country roling[.] drove till reached the sweet water about one o clock[.] laid by for the day[.] good feed

24 fine day[.] past a station where the old road comes in Where is two of the morm[on] boys here from stock trading. Camped about 5 miles from the Pacific Springs

25 Started from the Summit of the rockey [Rocky] Mountains[.]travelled a few miles and eat dinner at the Paciffic [Pacific] Springs[.] started again at 12 o’clock and reached Willow Creek at ½ 10 in the evening[.] heavy rain in the afternoon and night [.] roads good[.] feed scarce

26 travelled 5 miles and Camped for the day[.] feed poor[.] very showery

27 still on the desert[.] after a short drive crossed the big Sandy[.] made our way on till after noon[.] Camped on the road[.] A merchant past to day[.] give us news from the trains behind[.] all well[.] fine day[.] feed scarce

28 Travelled and struck the big Sandy about 10 o clock[.] Travelled up it a few miles and Camped

29 Sunday the first ox died at this place in our train[.] made Green river about 1 of o clock [.] feried over[.] faira [fare a] dollar a waggon[.] made almost 10 miles past the ferry[.] Camped on the bluffs

30 Monday struck Blacks fork 15 miles from Green river[.] past Ham[’]s fork[.] Camped on Blacks fork

good roads[.] made one drive to blacks fork

August 1. 1860 good roads[.] came within four miles of Fort Bridger—

past fort Bridger early in the morning[.] pretty place[.] stoped for dinner few miles past it[.] four of the boys stays here to work[.] Eight men and 2 wom[en] started to the City with a sick girl[.] weather pleasant

3 hard days travel[.] ascended to the highest point on our travels between the atlantic and the Pacific[.] Camped in a bottom[.] nights very Cold

4 travelled about 2 miles and Camped for the day[.] feed good[.] two of the boys from Salt Lake stade here to feed[.] we traded a little[.] showery at midday[.] a fine cow died

5 Sunday fine day[.] met severeal of Uncle Sams men and Waggons[.] struck Echo Kanyon a little after noon[.] travelled a considerble distance[.] roads good[.] we left another dead cow at our Camp ground this morning

6 fine day[.] Captain Stokay past us with 8 waggons loaded with goods[.] got out of Echo Kanyon a little after noon[.] the people at this Station told us of a different route so we changed our cours and Camped about 3 miles up[.] good feed up the river

7 travelled up the river past several farms [.] camped at the mouth of 3 mile Kanyon [Canyon]

8 rough roads up the kanyon[.] past the summit reaching parleys park about noon[.] excellent feed[.] travelled on some [… full] roads[.] Camped at the foot of the little mountain very late

9 very hot[.] down hill all the way[.] rough roads[.] reached the Great Salt Lake City about 4 o clock