Transcript

From New York to St. Joseph, Mo.[Missouri] on the railroad, from St. Joseph on steam boat to Florence, Neb[raska]. the origional "winter quarters." My wife [Emily Emma Brown Teasdale] raised in refinement, bore up bravely without murmuring. The experience of this voyage journey was indeed new but most valuable. We had one of our children, who was at the point of death, healed by the power of God in a most miraculous manner. At Florence I was detained to assist in the emigration, and labored under the direction of Elder Jacob Gates who had charge of the provision department etc. of this seasons emigration. I was clerk and book keeper. We stayed until the emigration was through and joined the last company crossing the plains that season. Captain Sextus [Sixtus] E. Johnson had charge Elder Jabez Woodward [Woodard,] Chaplain and I clerk or recorder of the company. I and a companion[,] for we had a wagon between us, drove two yoke of Cattle across the plains. This experience was very interesting. We arose early in the morning, had prayers, breakfast, packed up, yoked up cattle and rolled out. At noon we rested, had dinner[,] fed and watered animals, yoked up and continued our journey until evening, when we supped, had camp prayers and prayers in secret, sat round the camp fires baking bread singing hymn songs, and relating fragments of experience. On Sundays laid over and held services. We had a swiss choir along with us that sang very sweetly. We arrived in Great Salt Lake City, as it was then called, in the Fall, after a variety of interesting experience incidents.