Transcript

In the early spring of 1859 the folks gathered together what things they could carry, leaving the furniture in the house for Uncle Joe, who had recently married into the Barnett family. A small company of us came out by train from Philadelphia to Council Bluffs, Nebraska and then to Florence, Nebraska. This was the outfitting point for the saints. While there we saw the first hand-cart company pull out singing cheerfully as they passed. When we were out a few days we passed them on the way and they had worn off some of their enthusiasm and were down to the real thing. We were delayed there about three weeks waiting for the Church cattle to come. Daddy finally became tired of the delay and decided to go out and find some busted “Pike-Peak” traveler or a farmer and bargain for his cattle. He finally secured two yoke of cattle, a muley cow and a wood-axle wagon. All of the saints were required to buy their cattle and wagons through the Church Agent, so Daddy had hereby broken one of the rules. At the next meeting, the Church-agent Brother Jos. Young made a long and strong talk about those brethren who were so smart and penurious that they were going over the heads of the authorities and disobeying council, etc. Daddy knew that he was the guilty party refered to and after the meeting he went to Brother Young and taking out his purse from his pocket he emptied the small amount that was left into his hands and said: “There I hope that will satisfy you for I have given you all I have with a long journey before me, but I promise you that you will yet see the day when you will come to me for charity.” I am informed by good authority that this came to pass, since Daddy was in business in Ogden.

Finally after outfitting and loading the stove, tinware, feather-bed and other practical things suitable for a new country, and things which mother had insisted upon bringing along, and making us quite heavily laden, we pulled out with James S. Brown as our Captain. Daddy was chaplain over our small division. I remember but little about the journey across the plains. I remember walking once with mother and crossing a small stream while holding to her hand. Again when near Fort Bridger I fell out of the wagon. I was put in the front of the wagon on the feather-bed and the motion of the wagon gradually worked me forward and I finally fell on to the tongue of the wagon and then down to the ground. Fortunately the wheels passed on either side of me or I should not have been here to tell the story. A couple of soldiers came along and I remember them picking me up. It is reported that they said: “Here is one of those damn Mormons, now you cant kill then with a ten ton wagon.”

When we finally neared Salt Lake City, we camped long enough to clean and dress up. Mother put on me my new velvet suit and I am reported to have remarked: “My! Brigham wont know me, will he mother?”. We arrived in Salt Lake City on August 18, 1859 tired and dusty but very happy after a long but successfull trip under good guidance and the Priesthood. We were met there by William Strong and his sons, relatives of Daddy’s, who packed us into his white top spring wagon and with a good span of horses cantered away while his sons drove our cattle. The change was an inspiration; the spring wagon, the horses, the clean road, the shade and the ride after the long walk was a little taste of heaven.