Transcript

Transcript for Zollinger, Jacob, Reminiscences, 13-14, in Ruth Zollinger, comp., Jacob Zollinger family genealogy

August 8, 1862

Our company consisted of sixty teams and wagons. We were among the six outfits independently owned and we traveled together. We were the last company to go west. At first all went well, then the roads became dusty with eight to ten inches of dust in some places. Progress became slow, feed scarce and the cattle began to lose flesh. Some of the people became sick and had to remain in their wagons. A wagon following our wagon was driven by and Englishman and his wife. She fell asleep and fell under the wheels of the heavy wagon killing her instantly. They stopped and buried her and then went on.

On the 7th of September, Sister [Anna Willemann] Wintch [Wintsch] died. A few days later a child of Michlaus [Niklaus] Jakobs died, and a son of Jacob Neaser, and October 1st, a man from England passed away.

THE INCIDENT OF THE DEAD INDIAN at FORT LARAMIE

While passing through a grove of cottonwood trees along the Platte River, Ferdie [Ferdinand Johannes Zollinger] and his chum, Henry Mathes, noticed something tied in a buffalo robe hanging in a tree. Out of curiosity, Ferdie climbed up to investigate. To his astonishment he found a dead Indian. The stench made him sick.

Following the incident of the dead Indian, my brother Ferdie joined the rest of the family my mother, my two sisters and his wife, Louisa [Meyer Zollinger], with what was then called the Mountain Fever. He never walked another step until we arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. My father, sixty three, drove the two cows and gathered wood for the fires each morning and evening as he walked along, so you may guess that most of the work was left to me. I hired a German woman to cook for us and care for the sick. I got a youngster about my age, 17, to help me with the oxen each morning and evening. Each evening a circle was made with the wagons, the oxen unyoked and kept confined to the inside perimeter, giving better protection against the Indians. I had to put up the tent, set up the stove and make the fire in addition to milking the cows and go after the water which was usually some distance away. With the assistance of a neighbor, the sick had to be carried back into the wagon and so it was day after day.

Approaching the mountain terrain and on to the south pass, having an elevation of 7550 feet, we moved through snow and experienced very cold temperatures. Many froze their feet. One man, upon reaching the Salt Lake Valley, had to have his toes amputated and on the 5th of October a man named [Jakob] Looser [Losser] died. A day or so later, the Bachofen baby died at birth.

Our travels took us across the Sweet[water] River several times. We had to carry some of the people across this river on our backs.. There was five inches of snow on the ground so you might guess the water was very cold. When we reached the Green River the snow was gone. We came down Echo Canyon and camped a number of miles south of what is now Coalville, on October 27th. I forgot to unyoke one pair of oxen and the next morning they were gone. Someone had stolen them, but we managed to keep going and on the 30th of October we arrived at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Many people came to see if any of their relations were in our company. One man came all the way from St. George, Utah.

On the 31st, we drove into the city and we camped in Emigration Square. The cattle were turned out to graze in the church pasture but being so late in the year the feed was about gone. Thirty five people had lost their lives in our company.