Transcript

The Spring of 1846 came & I lerned some Mormon's was going West from the 6 Mile Prairie & John Brown from the nine mile my brother had some Blood hounds & we did take Real Comfort hunting the Rock Coon. Untill this company was making preparations to start to the Rocky Mountains which exercised my mind gratly finily Brother Crow heard that I was used to Camp life & came to See me and offered me a wagon & half a team & me to furnish the other half & haul1000 pounds for him which caused my brother to truble feearing I was going to Leave again I told him I would Rather be a Mormons Dog than to stay in that country when my People had been Robed Pilliged Murdered & now Exterminating orders issued for them to leave the United States & the first days of March 1846 we Started in what was known as the Mississippi Company crossing at St Louis & traveled up through Jackson C.o. M.o. to Indipendence and soon after organized our C.o. with Wm Crosby Capt. about the middle of June we arrived at Grand Island on the Platt River wheare according to Previous agreement had been Made for Prest Brigham Young & Pioneere Camp to Meet us Not finding them after waiting one week we concluded to go Southwest between 2 & 3 hundered Miles & wait for we was at the End of our Instructions were we arrived at the Pueblo on arkansas River we found Small Farms of Corn cultivated by Indians mostly & traiders who had Indians Squaws for wives of whom we Bought Corn & prepaired for winter Quarters building a row of log houses on the opposite Bank of the River from Fort Pueblo when we had about completed the houses a detachment of the Mormon Battaloin Composed of the Sick & Disabled under Command of Capt. Brown & Capt NelSon Higgins Heareing of our Camp on the Arkansas was Sent by Col. Cook to our camp for a change of Diet as we was traveling Emagrants & would have Cows & plenty of Milk which was advised by the army Serjon [surgeon] by whom we lerne the cause of Prest Youngs Delay he having Borrowed teams & wagons when about to leave the Misouri River as Pioneers to Seek a home for the Saints was Called upon for them by the owners was thus hindered until the Spring of 1847 when the Lord opened the allow me to retract alittle & Go Back to Camp Pueblo when it was determained to winter Bro Robert Crow by Council of his wife Brooke his obligations to promise me and wife with Provisions & turned us out of his wagon and withheld Provisions I Made a camp under a Large Cotton wood tree to the Mercy of in an unsettled country John Brown a Cousin of Sister Crow gave us some flour & Bacon & Blesed us & Said we Should have Supplys in some way[.] on the 17 of august 1846 our first Little angle Daughter was Born under that tree under these Destitute circumstances Not knowing whear Succor was to Come from to Make Br Browns Promasas [promises] fulfilled[.] But when she was a week old a messenger was sent from Bents Fort 80 miles below for a BlackSmith & the man Bought a horse for me to Ride & I Recomended James Harmon as Jim Smith who accompanied us[.] we Started Next day leaving My Young wife & babe to the Kindness of Cathrine Holladay Now Relic of John Holladay Sen two days Hard Ride to the Fort our first day out we Incountered a Large Grizzle Bear & after a Shot apiece from J Harmon & My self we broke him down in the Back he run towards us dragging his hind Parts when Harmon Draw his Pistol & finished him by this time Mr. Longlad's mule had taken him 3 hundred yards from the fuss[.] our arrival at Bents Fort was welcomed by Mr Holt the Bushway of Fort or Boss[.] I went to work & made what is Known in Shops by the name of Stake horn in lieu of anvill on which Br Harmon welded the hub bands & other small work while I welded the tire's & set them & other hevy work[.] the work was mostly for the U.S. army under Command of General Carney then under way for the scene of action the Mexican War[.] We worked until Late in the fall most of the time at $2.00 Each per day we Lay hard & Slept Cold so that I had another attact of Rhumatic & Returned to Pueblo Sick with my money with which I was Enabled to buye Corn & an old wagon During my absence the Part of the Mormon Battalion who was sick under Command of Capts Brown & Higgins had come to our Camp & Built a Rowe opposite our Rowe of log cabins for winter quarters & Placed over the doors signs for sport over Bro Durfee's Mess Door was [illustration of a figure 8 with a line and marks drawn through it, representing an auger] ouger with words Fools Killer office on inquiry found above instrument was used for Boreing for Simple Barber Poles taylor & others[.] I found them witty & talented the Soldiers anoyed Capt Brown by writing Poetry Calling Capt Brown the old Linn Mall & draping near his quarters[.] one night an alarm was given that 500 Spaniards was close by marching into Camp tap of drum was heard from Jim Stuarts Drum Calling into line Command was given to Capt Higgins whose voice trembled & was noticed by all that it furnished fun for days to Come[.]the company of Spani[a]rds Proved to be a band of Elk[.] the Sick soon began to amend from their black Leg Desease after Eating Milk & Mush a while for which they or changed their Pickeld Pork & other Rations which was a blessing to us[.] it was at this Place that Corporal Stephens fell from his anamal & died[.] in one week after we burred him in a Cottonwood Bark Coffin in the honors of war it was hear Wm Casto Deserted Capt Brown was intending to go himself in pursuit But was advised to Desist & Ebenezer Hanks & John Steele was Sent & found him Some 40 miles after some persuations Returned with them Court marshaled & Sentenced to haul wood for Camp[.] some days During the winter my wife went in Snow Knee Deep many times to the Grove 100 yards & carried a lim[b] from the Cottonwoods for fuel during My Confinement with Rehmatic[.] During this time we received word that Prest Young & Pioneers would start from Mo River Early Spring & we was to intercept their Co. at ft. Laramie & preperations for the journey made Bussiness for all[.] I Repaired my wagon Seting on the bed before I could stand on my feet My wife carried the parts of wagon to me needing Repair although kind friends helped us Get Ready[.] Some time in April we was Ready to Start & Bro Sebert Shelton furnished a Second Yoak of oxen for me I was yet unable to walk & Jackson Mayfield & Bro John & LaSander woodert or Woodworth hunted my team & yoaked them day after day[.] in a few days I could set out by the wagon toung [tongue] & by means of a Small vise scrued to the wagon toung I by the use of files done many jobs of white Smithing for the bretheren allso fit up one pare of Spurs had fourged [.] arrived at the CachelyPoo River a tributary of the Platt[e] River Amasa M. Lyman one of the twelve & Thomas Woolsey was sent from Pioneer Camp with a message from Prest Young to us met us on the above River[.] on Meeting them Brother John Hess Ran Embraced & Kissed Amasa for joy[.] When our Camp arrived at Laramie the Main Road we was three days behind the Pioneer Camped & traveled about that Distance until we reached Salt Lake City. Except Prest Youngs Health was Poor his wife & three or four others then lingered on the Road that we camped at up within a few Miles of his camp[.] Thomas S williams of the Soldier or our camp for we wear all one Camp had appropriated one of Tim Gasdles Horses & made a present to Prest Young tieieng the horse to Prest Young's carriage Tim being present told Mr Young's You must secure that horse or he will go to my Band[.] is he yours Yes Sir was the Reply Mr Young Loosed the horse saing that is whear I want him go[.] we traveled a day or two behind the Pioneer Camp & arrived in Salt Lake City 27 & 28th July 1847. Prest B Young & H. C. Kimble & other men of notoriety was our escorts & Bid us welcome we moved into Pioneer Camp on the temple Block & soon conformed to the General Rule of Being Baptised for Remission of Sins[.] My wife Margaret Jane was Sick with the Mountain fever when we went to City Creek & was Baptised By H. C. Kimble & was confirmed with all our former ordinations & Blessings Pronounced upon us we was directed to Build a fort Surrounding 10 acres of Land[.] we ploughed a Narrow Strip outside of the Line Desined for the wall & turned on the water & tramped it with the oxen & made adobies & Built the out Side wall verry thick with occational Port Hole[.] we drew our Lots or Space inside to build our houses my house was The third House North of West Gate old Fort a Liberty Pole was Erected on the East Side of the Middle of the Fort

. . . Burr Frost was the first Black Smith who put up Shop & worked[.] My Shop was the second in the valleys which was on the East Side of The Fort & tools furnished by Thomas S. Williams who never paid me a cent for my winter's work in that shop.

Spring arrived we was to farm as we had traveled by tens fiftys & hundreds the Land our ten Drew was on a high benck 6 miles S.E. of the city and our Captain John Holladay Sen asked permission of his Capt for us to locate 3 miles futher south at a large spring[.] it was granted & soon we moved out thear Built a Row of Small Houses & fenced a field[.] My Rhumatism had now settled in my ankles & feet & I stood on my knees to do the ditching my portion of that fence[.] During this time our Bread Stuff give out we had our Last ox killed an old favourite of Mine I could Not Kill myself, it would be like killing one of the family So my neibour George Sparks Saw My Predickiment & went & killed him Saing to me you had better Skin that ox for he is dead which was verry Poor Beef but was verry Good Boiled with Thistle Roots I gethered dayly[.] our Last Bread was of a Bushel of wheat I Bought of our beloved Bro. P. P. Pratt Sen who had Refused a ten dollar Gold Pice & took one ton of Hay of me for it[.] we could obtain No more for Love or Money.