Transcript
Transcript for "Our Nebraska Correspondence," [Unidentified newspaper], in Scrapbook No. 7, 188, Historian's Office, Historical scrapbooks 1840-1904
Since last I wrote the HERALD, you correspondent has visited "still further west," or rather that portion of the frontier lying between this place and Fort Kearney, or, if the reader will refer to the map, that portion of Nebraska Territory lying between the Elkhorn and Wood rivers.
We, that is our party of five, composed of one frontier Irish speculator, full of life and fun; one returned Californian, a good camp hand and companion; two Ohio boys and your humble correspondent, desirous of seeing life still further west and affording the HERALD'S readers still more information concerning our western frontier, started some twelve days since from this thriving town with a good team of four grays and a black "spike" for the land of Indians, buffalo, antelope and deer. We traveled over some of the ground celebrated in history—or rather our country’s romance—by Irving and Fremont. We camped on old camping sites of Mormons, traders, trappers, Californians, &c. Our camp season was a pleasant one. . . .
A few days after and some six hundred Mormons passed on westwardly to the valley. They will probably meet the return train of disgusted Mormons. About one half of this train was a "hand cart" train. To each cart, upon which was about three hundred pounds weight, were from three to six persons—a majority of them were women and girls—tugging away on drag ropes, toiling along over their one thousand mile jaunt firm in the belief that the firm of Brigham and the Almighty would amply repay them at their journey’s end. I humbly trust there is a reward for these poor deluded foreign followers of a sensual religion. I asked one of the members, a resident of the Valley, what would be the effect upon the popular pulse and arteries of Utah if Uncle Samuel should send out troops to bring the Mormon church into the great fold of the church of the stars and stripes? "Let 'em come and be d____d to 'em. Mormons can fight, and we are strong in the valley, and there are many willing hands in the States to assist us in our hour of need," said he; and on to the valley he passed.