Transcript

I came across the Plains with my parents when five years old and one brother Joseph and a sister Jane.

They started from a little place called "Florence" just out of Iowa on June 30th 1863 arriving in Salt Lake City September 4th 1863 in Captain [Alvus H.] Patterson's Company being 63 wagons in all.

When my parents crossed the plains it was for me to care for my one year old sister while the older ones prepared the meals, one day while we were playing house and using bones of dead animals for the walls of our house we children all wandered away to the River. being very fond of wading we all took part enjoying ourselves forgetting about the baby in our care, when my mother noticed us that the baby was not to be seen called for me, I running back found that she was alright. We being frightened as the Indians were in very close quarters with us and were very bad and many children had disappeared before.