Transcript

April 13th 1847 Addison Everetts Journal

Started at 5 p.m. driving Pres. B[righam] Youngs ox team. Encamped at dark 3 miles from winter quarters. Earley in the morning we ware visited by 4 Omah Haw [Omaha] Indians who demanded food[.] not receiving as much as they wished they drawed thare [their] Bows charged with steel pointed arrows at BroBrother [illegible] [Norton] Jacob's cow but being spoken to sharply they desisted, we started on and traveled until 7:00 P.M.[.] encamped for the night in company with Pres B. Young & Phineas Young, E.T. Benson, A.P. Rockwood and others. Some is taking on thare [their] Blankets and some on this 4 wagons then in company. The Main Body of pioneers having started some 6 or 7 days previous and encamped 15 miles from the fording place on the horn [Elk Horn]. we chopped down some brus[h] and Brows[.] our cattle quite thin. Some corn. we traveled this day 23 miles. 15th Started at 7 1/2 OC [o'clock][.] made the horn [Horn] in 2 hours[.] traveled By the side of my teams most of the way as Hornmany journeyed in order to urge on my team. Cros[s]ed the horn on a raft and proceeded to the main encampment[.] arrived at 4 OC.[.] found the Brethren in good spirits and variously employed[.] some setting tires and other kinds of tasks with work. Some fishing with a sane [seine], hunting &tc.

Friday 16, we were called together by the sound of the Bugle at 8 OC[.] Meeting called to order By Pres. B Young who stated the necessitiy of an organization for traveling to the Place the Lord had commanded us to goe [go], Said he felt the necessity of calling on the Lord which he did on the most rational and fervent manner I ever heard[.] he called on his Brethren the Twelve to advise us which some of them did. Brother G.A. Smith exorted [exhorted] us to draw our mind ful[l]y to the great and important subject of our Mission & keep our h[e]arts stayed on the God of Israel & Keep his commandments. H.C. Kimble also ex[h]orted us to praising God & Keepe the counsel Given us telling us how God visited the camp that journey from Kirtland to Missouri in 34 with a sore plag[u]e] in consiguence [consequence] of not harkening to council. H[orace]. K[imball]. Whitney spoke & said he understood in his h[e]art the great and Eternal Importance of our Mission[.] now felt it most deeply yet he had not language to exprrys [express] his feelings on the subject nor of the Eternal Consequences that would result from it. He felt to bless us in the name of Israel God. Brother [Horace] Whitney had come to bid us good By[.] encamped with others. It was then Motioned & seconded that we bee [be] organized into companies of hundred, fiftys and tens for organization[.] See Bro. [Thomas] Bullock journal. After the company of pioneers was organized at 12 OC we started and journed [journeyed] 7 miles and encamped for the night placing wagons in a semicircle So as to Bring them as near as possible and also to encircle our teams in the ring[.] we generally sought out a place on the Platt[e] or other rivers of shores of watter for our camping places and staked down our horses mules oxen So as not to let them wander of[f] in the night and fall in the hands of the Indians who war [were] on the alert to steal our teams. We cut down Cotton wood when ever we could find it as we could not take any great quantity with us in our Waggons

Satturday 17th we started at the sound of the Bugle and traveled 20 miles and encamped at 4 OC to remain until Monday morning. I would hear [here] observe that the country from Winterquarters [Winter Quarters] to the Horn is rowling [rolling] or hilly[.] the road we traveled was in the shape of a horseshoe[.] in order to keep on the divide ridige from the Horne to the Pawnee village is almost a dead level[.] the soil rich & the width of the valley is from 3 1/2 to 6 miles. It was stated By Pres B. Young that at the sound of the Bugle at half past eight in the evening the whole camp would attend prayers in our wagon and at five in the morning the camp would arise and attend prayers in our wagons Before leaving them. I was chosen one of the G[u]ard[.] the hull [whole] number was 50[.] Capt [Stephen Avon] Markham was chosen commander. We have to stand one half the night at a time and every other night. In consequence of our number rik required at a time[.] 18th[.] our attention on the Sabbath was given to the necessary Business of our camp[,] Browse our teams & prayers, &tc.

Monday 19th Started at Seven OC journe[ye]d 21 miles and encamped on the bank of a slue [slough][.] the Captain of the Boat and the sane [seine] had started in advance of us for the purpose of fishing for the camp at 5 OC P.M. we halted for the night and found the Boat already on the ground with a full supply of fish for the hull [whole] camp. Xxxxxxx Some of the Brethren shot some ducks as we came near the slue [slough] in traveling. Wednesday 21th [21st] Started at Seven OC A.M. putting the ox teams in advance of the horses and mules[.] Expecting to pass the Pawnee village this day and thought it Prudent to do[.] at 10 OC we espied some Pawnees coming towards us they met us and shook our hands cordial[l]y as if we ware thare old friends. But when we had past thare [their] village a half Mile we halted for dinner and to water our teames. And while thus imploud [employed] some forty or fifty visited our camp[.] we took the precaution to place a g[u]ard out as soon as we halted, for the purpose of preventing thar [their] thefts on our property. The head Chief attended by some of his Wariers Visited our camp and called at Pres. B Youngs Waggon and received some preasents [presents] but he was verry Ungrateful for them. He vociferously cried out. Heeps! Heeps! [Heaps] More and refused to shake hands with Pr B Young and signified his displeasure at our traveling through his land[.] gave its srill [shrill] blasts to the Breeze & we ware rapidly in motion pursuing our journey. We halted after going some twelve miles and encamped on Loop forks at the junction of a small Branch of the same. We hear [here] placed out a g[u]ard of 50 men ten of which took mules and advanced some 20 rods and staked them down and lay beside them for the purpose of detecting the Indians in time to notify the camp in case they should make an attack on our camp in the night or for the purpose of stealing our horses[.] we observed thare [their] fires some too miles off but they did not trouble our camp this night. I would here observe turned out our teams to graze and cut down cotton wood trees to Browse on through the night taking sure to place them within the circle formed by our wagons staking them down with iron and wooden stakes. Traveled this day 20 [here are two lines from the previous page at the top and bottom of each page of journal; it is repetitive and has been left out of this transcription]

Thursday 22 At the sound of the bugle we started and traveled on table land gradually sloping to the east and south. Halted at noon on a large creek with a swift current and while our teames [teams] ware [were] grazing we [illegible] the steep banks in order to our save [safe] crossing. Purs[u]ing our journey in the afternoon we came in 1/4 past 5 OC at the Pawnee Mission hourses [houses] formerly occupied by Wm. I Dunbar having traveled 20 miles this day. Here we found a long stack of hay and plenty of corn fod[d]er and some 10 or 12 bushels of corn belonging to Br Shumway he having camped here last fall for his winter quarters but was counseled to remove to Winter quarters whare [where] the main body of the church ware [were]. Here also Br Case had spent [2] years in [illegible] in the imploy [employ] of the United States government. The Mission houses remained but the farme houses were burnt By the Souix [Sioux] Indians last winter as well the Pawnee town Some 6 miles abouve [above] on the Banks of the Loop Forks.

Friday 23 In the morning Pres B. Young and I with others started to look out a good place to ford the river. They returned abo[u]t 11 OC when all the spare hands ware called for to goe [go] on ahead of the wagons and grade the Banks on the most time we got our teams be ready and Started at 10 minits [minutes] past 12 OC[.] we arrived at 4 OC at the place of fording and found Brother John Higby and Tarlton Lewis and others wading the river to find the shallowest place for fording the river[.] Then Brother Orson Pratt Brother Wilford Woodruff and one of H[eber]. C[hase]. Kimbles [Kimball's] wagons passed over the first and found the quicksands to make it difficult to ford with full loads. So we concluded to wait until morning and Build some rafts and use our leather Boat to lighten our wagons[.] traveled that day 6 miles[.] encamped for the night on the Banks of the river &tc a mile above the ford, we sent some men to g[u]ard the wagons above mentioned acrost [across] the river this night[.] one of Pres B. Youngs horses got strangled in his halter.

Saturday 24. The men appointed Built too [two] rafts[.] others tooke out part of thare [their] goods and carried them across in the leather Boat which others doubled thare [their] teams[.] crossed the river with out any difaculty [difficulty][.] the sands in the Bead [bed] of the river packing so as to make it easier for the last teams than it was for the first. The rafts we Built we did not use having all in safty [safety] reached the opposite side of the river at 3 OC. We proceeded on our journey 4 miles and encamped for the Sabbath, we placed our wagons as usial [usual] and placed our g[u]ard on the out Side as well some inside to see to the cattle. At the Brake [break] of day some of the g[u]ard discovered som[e]thing creeping up and at first supposed it to be wolves but afterwhile discovered that they ware [were] Indians.. The g[u]ard fired at them and they arose and fled. When xxx six Indians ware discovered Lurking about the camp to steal our horses the alarm was amediatiely [immediately] given By Collonel [Stephen] Markham to the whole camp[.] we arose took our guns and went outside our circle and remained until daylight no more Indians were seen.

Sabbath 25 attended to the duties of the camp and in after part of the day held a meeting and received some good instruction from Pres B. Young[,] W.C. Kimble [Kimball] G[eorge]. A[lbert]. Smith and others.

Monday 26 At the Sound of the Bugal [Bugle]we started on our journy [journey]