Transcript
Transcript for William Scearce diary, 1847 June-September, 1-5
Left Winter Quarters 14th of June, 1847, and proceeded to the [Elk] Horn 27 miles; rafted over the wagons, five hundred and forty in number.
June 18th. On being curiously organized in a company of tens, fiftys, and hundreds, struck the north fork of Platte and traveled up the same.
The fifth of July fired two cannons, before reaching the Missionary Station.
July 6th. Passed the old Pawnee village now in ruins. Saw no Indians. Traveled. We were 20 miles farther up and crossed over and struck across for the main Platte and reached the same opposite grand Island. 56 (?) Saw two buffalo. Travel up from the Platte, which is beautiful, wide sheet of water very shallow. The hunters began to kill some antelope which abound in this region. Cold wind.
Elders Taylor and [Parley P.] Pratt captured two stray horses supposed to have strayed from the Oregon Company on the 14th. Some buffalo are killed on fifteenth. Numerous herds of buffalos appear in many directions and our hunters killed several at night. Capt. Grant’s cattle took fright and ran off.
Saturday, July 17th. More buffalo killed. Camped at night on the beautiful Platte, desitute of any timber. Company alarmed at night by bellowing of vast herd of buffalo on the opposite side of the river.
Sunday, July 18th. Held meeting at 11 and 4. After meeting a number of youths were baptised and confirmed and many children blessed. Some letters are received from the pioneers.
Monday, July 19th. Remained in camp for the purpose of hunting the lost cattle of Capt. [Jedediah] Grant’s Company. Several buffalo were killed and some antelopes found and drove in three oxen from south side of the river, supposed to have strayed from the Oregon company.
Tuesday, July 20th. Elders Pratt and Taylors companies removed 7 miles up the river to get better grass and receive a contribution of oxen and send to Capt. Grant’s Co.—29 travel on a short distance. This day 7 or 8 buffalo were killed and brought in. Immense herds appear on both sides of the river.
July 22nd. Resume our journey. Several wagons are crippled. At night Capt. Smoot’s Co. came up and are encamped near us.
July 23rd. Rain in the morning. Camp moves on to where P. P. Pratt is encamped. All encamp to await Capt. Grant’s Co. to come up. Are honored with a visit from a band of Sioux, both men, women, and children. In the evening they entertained us with a dance and some of our people returned the compliment. Capt. Grant’s Co. is not yet come up.
July 24. Capt. Grant’s and all travel on. Indians accompany us. Much traffic with them for robes and skins. A heavy rain at night.
Sunday, 25th. No traveling today. Early in the morning Brother Phineas Young and El[l]sworth and others arrive in camp from the pioneers, which much rejoiced our hearts to see them and to hear from the brethren ahead.
July 26th. Started our journey. Ascend the sand bluffs and cross several small streams and encamp at night by fifties.
July 27th. Started early. Crossed large creek. Made good day’s travel. Good feed at night.
July 28th. Start early. Heavy thunder shower lays mostly to the south of us. Encamp at poor feed.
July 29th. Very cool. Reach a sand bluff and cross several deep sand beds. Camped at night opposite Jardes Mountain. Good feed.
July 30th. Start early. Tolerable good road. Encamp at night opposite the Stone Steeple. Good feed.
July 31st. Start early. Tolerable good roads. One of our wagon tires came off. Stop and put it on. Weg it on. Very warm. Tolerable good feed. Encamp on the the river.
Sunday, August 1st. Remain in camp. Take a walk in the evening. See first white bear, also a gang of antelope.
August 2. Start early in the morning. Pass the beautiful Mission Bluffs on the south side. A wagon tire came off. Stop to wedge it on. Get in camp late.
August 3rd. Make a good day’s travel. Encamp at night. Good feed. Work all night. Set five wagon tires.
August 4th. Made through deep sand. Encamp at night. Poor feed.
August 5th. Stop at noon. No feed for the cattle. Go a short distance and encamp to wait for some that were behind. Poor feed. Trade some with the Indians.
August 6th. Made a late start. Cross the river at Laramie. Go a few miles. Encamp. Put us a coal pit to burn some coal.
August 7th. Remain in camp to repair wagons and travel a short distance to get feed. Encamp early in evening.
August 9th. Remain in camp. Put up a coal pit to burn some coal.
August 10th. Remain in camp and repair wagons.
August 11th. Start on. Pass the Warm Springs. Stop at noon on a high ridge. Little feed. Camp at night at the [text missing]
August 12th. Start early. Some bad road to pass. In the evening camp at night with Rich, Grant, and Harns companies at the Hot Springs. Remain in camp to repair wagons. [Abraham O.] Smoot’s company came up at night. Had lost 12 head of horses by the Indians.
August 14th. Go on six miles to camping ground. Good feed.
August 15th. Burn a coal pit and remain in camp to set tire and shoe oxen.
August 16th. Three bears and an antelope killed.
August 17th. Move in a short distance. Bad road. Poor feed at night.
August 18th. Make good day’s travel. Lost one of my cows by her thigh getting broken. Rough roads. Poor feed at night.
August 19th. Make a late start. One of the brethern upsets his wagon in a trench. Stop early in the evening on a large creek. Pretty good feed. Wet evening.
August 20th. This day muddy road. Reached the Platte about 10 A.M. Travel about 10 miles. Good feed on north side of the river.
August 21st. Made a late start. Cross a creek. Good road. Encamp at night. Drive cattle over river to good feed.
Sunday, August 22nd. Travel up to the cross place. Cross and camp. We take four oxen on the river. Several cattle are taken sick by drinking the slew water, which is strongly impregnated with mineral substances, but by careful attendance none of them died.
August 23rd. Start early. Travel to the water. Encamp early. No wood and poor water. I went out hunting. Saw one antelope.
August 24th. Late. Capt. [Vinson] Shurtleff went in advance of the Company. Went past the feed and camp where there was no feed or much water. Travel 4½ miles.
August 25th. Late start. Heavy fog. Travel a short distance. Capt. Grant killed a buffalo.
August 26th. Start early. Travel through hard sand. Cross a beautiful creek. Deep sand continues to Sweetwater, where we encamp and remain on the 27th to rest our cattle.
August 28th. Go on and pass Independence Rock. Travel ten miles and encamp. Good water and good feed.
August 29th. Start early. Rough, heavy sand road. The teams got alarmed. Run some distances; break an axle. Stop and repaid [repaired]. Encamp at the river.
August 30th. Go through some deep sand. Pass the two chimneys. Encamp on the river. Good feed. Distance and miles.
August 31st. Remain in camp. I wait for Brother Taylor.
September 1. Start late. Cross the creek. Water three miles. Travel nine miles. Encamp on the Bear River.
Sept. 2nd. Travel seventeen miles. Poor feed.
Sept. 3rd. Travel 8 miles to good feed on the river.
Sept. 4th. Remain in camp. Bro. Taylor preaches in the evening.
Sept. 5th. Travel 15 miles to a branch of the Sweet Water [Sweetwater] and on this way discovered some of the Wind River Range of Mountains capped with snow.
Sept. 6th. Travel 7 miles to the last fork of the Sweet Water. Good feed.
Sept. 7th. An outfit arrives from the Twelve and Pioneers, requesting us encamp until they meet us. Agreed.
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