Transcript

We had an excellent journey across the plains after leaving the Mis[s]ouri River but our President was not very agreeable as a general thing however the Lord blessed us remarkable. At Council Bluffs we broke down a wheel of one of the wagons, my cousen John took it back for repairs which was the last we ever saw of him, he has written to me several times & in one of his letters told me that he staid in Iowa several years married there & finally moved with his family to Denver where he became Sheriff of the County, finally moved on some ranches & went into the business of stockraiseing, he was a large man and writes that he has a nice family, sent me several invitations to go and visit him.

We arrived in the Valley September _____1853 after a successful trip of ____ months _____ days & found my brother Joshua in a Salt box room (1) with a wife.