Transcript

We remained in New York a few days and then went by steam boat to Albany and from there by train to Omaha. Six miles by team brought us to Florence (Winter Quarters) where we remained until the company was ready to cross the plains. William Budge was our Captain. On our way across the plains we were followed for several days by two hundred Indians in all their finery and war paint, who were going to make war with another tribe. We had to be very circumspect in our dealings with them. They were always trying to trade ponies for some of the girls. Finally every body had to contribute and make up a big present for them of flour, bacon, sugar and everything else they fancied and then they rode off and left us. We were three months on the plains and suffered the usual discomforts of wading streams, tramping over sand hills, getting torn to pieces by prickly pears and tormented by mosquitoes. The latter were so bad at one time that no one in camp could sleep for three nights. I remembered one man, who was not a Mormon, but who had come to please his wife, was determined the mosquitoes should not have all the honors and did his level best to make sleep impossible.

We arrived in Salt Lake City early in October.