Transcript

Active preparations now commenced to carry into effect the colonel’s orders, and by 4 O’clock of the same day we had collected invalids, fifty-six, one big government wagon, four yoke of poor cattle, five days’ rations and two dressed sheep as food for the sick.  Our loading for the one wagon consisted of the clothing, blankets, cooking utensils, tents and tent poles, muskets, equipage and provisions and all invalids who were unable to walk.

With some difficulty I obtained a spade or two and a shovel, but was provided with no medicine or other necessities for the sick except the mutton before referred to and only five days’ rations to travel nearly three hundred miles.  Thus armed and quipped we commenced our lonesome march retracing our steps to Santa Fe.  We marched the same day about two miles and were visited by Captain Hunter and others at night who spoke words of comfort to us and blessed us, administering the Church ordinance to the sick and bidding us Goodspeed.  They left us the next day.

We resumed our march, camping in the evening near some springs.  One yoke of oxen got mired in the mud.  We took off the yoke when one got out.  The other we undertook to pull out with a rope and unfortunately broke his neck.  Our team was now too weak for our load.  In the night Brother Green died and we buried him by Brother James Hampton whom we had buried a few days before.

What to do for a team we did not know.  This was a dark time and many were the earnest petitions that went up to our God and Father for divine aid.  The next morning we found with our oxen a pair of splendid young steers, which was really cheering to us.  We looked upon it as one of the providences of our Father in heaven.  Thus provided for we pursued our march.