Transcript

We were 12 days on train to St. Joe, Missouri, 3 days on steam boat to Omaha or Florence 6 miles away or above. We laid in camp 2 weeks waiting for the teams from Utah to load us. While waiting a Mrs. Ottinger bought a team and wagon, two yoke of oxen and one of cows, hired a driver to drive. She took me along as chore boy, then loaded her wagon with herself, her daughter, a mere child, her son George, my grandmother, and my cousin Mary, her daughter. I of course walked to Fort Laramie, about half way. Then Lewis Hoffris left us and hired out to the telegraph line builders. Sis. Ottinger wanted George to drive the team. He would not but told his mother I knew more about oxen than he did. She asked me to drive, which I did through the black hills and on the Hamsfork [Hams Fork] east of Bridger.

We arrived in Salt Lake City Sept. 24, 1861.