Transcript

12th. June, 1856 on board the steamer Arabia on her way up to Florence with a company of saints under the presidency of elder John Banks.[illegible] I wrote letters to father and mother Cruikshank and brother George, and desire to remember Welling soon. I have been appointed to preside over the lower part of the Arabia, and hold fellowship meetings morning and evening. Bro. Ellis is my counselor, Bros. Banks, Church and Harris are our presidents. [illegible] We left St. Louis Mon. 2nd. Inst

6th. July, 1856. Encamped at Shell Creek. We left Florence Thur. 26th. June, 1856.

Wood River, 16th. July, 1856. An accident occurred among the Danish saints which has detained us here 30 hours. The health of the camp is good. We had a buffalo bull run right through our train on the 14th inst. This was a great sight. On the same evening a general meeting of the camp was convened by Captn. [Canute] Peterson. We have morning and evening meetings where we enjoy the fellowship of the Holy Spirit—all is well.[illegible] My dear wife is astonishingly well and bears up [to] accomplish all the duties which devolve upon her [and] help[s] me often with the cattle and wagon.

14th. Sept. 1856. Comfortably situated in our wagon 83 miles from Salt Lake City, with the two yoke of cattle still alive although one of them has been sick since we left Green River. As they are the property of Capt. Adams who has been the means of my crossing the plains, and who returned back from Ft. Laramie, leaving me all the provisions and the wagon and teams [illegible] until we reach the city, together with a N.Y. charter oak stove on the way to be delivered to me free of charge. I am very desirous that they should live and sell at a goodly price. [illegible] we hope to be able to keep up with [illegible] Capt. Peterson, but [illegible] shall take care of the cattle [illegible] not mine.

Thurs. 11th. Dec. 1856. Arrived at the City of the Great Salt Lake on the (20th.) day of September 1856. [illegible] All the cattle were alive. I drove three loads of wood from South Mill Creek Kanyon until conference, when I came to Farmington, leaving my dear wife comfortably housed in the 5th ward, from whence she removed in my absence to the house of Bro. and Sis. Biggs, near the Lion House, where she is now expecting daily to be confined.