Transcript

We were all very anxious to go to the Rocky Mountains with the saints, so while father [Thomas Alfred Judd] got his outfit ready mother [Teressa Hastings Judd] spent a great deal of her time praying that the Lord might open up a way for us to gather with the saints.

Finally on my 16th birthday May 9, 1849, we bid friends goodbye and commenced our journey west. We stayed at Council Bluffs one month. I drove a team across the plains for a widow and her little girl and they nearly drove me crazy with questions. Finally I told them that when we got to Emigration Canyon her wagon would tip over, she told me if it did she would tell Brigham Young. This was intended for a joke but lo and behold when we got to the canyon the wagon actually tipped over and broke the bows. I had a hard time to get it fixed but failed to find out if she told Brigham Young. We had quite exciting times on our journey, several stampedes one woman being killed, leaving a family of children. We had one cow in our team which was extra bright, in fact she was so bright that she used to hide in the willows to keep from being yoked up. At one time she became quite lame and my parents were very much worried but one night mother said she would put a plaster on the cow's hip and probably it would be allright by morning.

Well next morning when father went to get the cattle up he called out, "Mother, you put the poultice on the wrong hip," Mother said, "Never mind it's gone clean through," and sure enough Bossy was much improved.

Reached Salt Lake Oct. 15, 1849.