Transcript
Transcript for William D. Kartchner reminiscences and diary, 1878-1884, 27-32
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.