Henry W. Sanderson autobiography, 1884-1889, 75-80.
- Source Locations
- Church History Library, MS 1903
- Related Companies
- Warren Foote Company (1850)
I bought one yoke oxen paying $50.00[.] returned home & bought 4 or 5 head cows then went energetly to work prepareing to emigrate to the Valley[.] Father Sanders had left an old wagon & I purchased another & with Some assistance repaired them up[.] I made Ox bows & wagon bows & excellent ones[.] hired Br [Jared] Porter to make yokes[.] he being on experenced hand we laid in our Supplies & was ready to Start with others that were going from our neighborhood[.] I was to have the yoke cattle although I did not claim them but I had three cows two of which I yoked up the day before we Started letting them run in the yoke[.] but for fear that they would get into trouble tied their tails together & at night when I went to take of[f] the yoke forgetting the condition of their tails let the near one out of the Yoke & being on a Steep Side hill She Started down draging the other with her & I had to Speedily cut the bush of tail in order to Separate them[.] I had in my team 1 yoke Oxen & yoke cows].] John had for a team three yoke cows[.] in a few days made leaders of my cows & my worst trouble with them was that they were to ambitious[.] when organised Warren Foot was Captain of one hundred & O[tis] L[ysander] Terry Captain of the fifty that we traveled in[.] I think that Jared Porter was captain of ten[.] this was the year 1850[.] the Cholerea was bad & a portion of the Journey was performed in Sorrow & much mourning[.] the first death with that decease was in our hundred was in the other fifty from the one I was in but as we camped within a mile or two of each other I visited the camp & was there at the burrial & was censured by Some for thus exposeing myself[.] Sickness Soon assailed our camp[.] persons would take suddenly Sick & in a few days hours be dead[.] but think sickness had abated by the time we reached Laramie[.] the desease Seemed to be in the air & their were some nights that I would go to bed Sick & could hardly avoid vomiting & as that was the way Cholera commenced I would exercise all the will power I could Command[.] say nothing to my wife for fear of frightenning her[.] had a tea Kettle filled with tar at our heads[.] would fumigate with that to counteract the stench in the air & when my wife got to Sleep would get up and walk around with the guard until my Sickness would pass of[f.] do not know how many at in the evening & arose early in the morning & started expecting that I would reach my destination that night but was disappointed in the endurance of the horse[.] when I got between the two mountains east of Salt Lake he tired out & I was compelled to Camp for the night[.] I made an early Start the next morning & after traveling a short distance daylight comeing on I noticed on ahead Wolfs at a carcass one hundred yards or more from the road that I was traveling[.] they were large & white Such as were called the Buffalo wolf[.] they looked so near of a Size & color that I counted them eight in number & rode on giveing myself no more concern about them until I came even with them[.] when I happened to cast my eye that way & was Surprised to see them comeing towards me in as good a line as a company of Soldiers all abreast[.] that was something new in my experience[.] I threw myself from my horse took rest across the saddle & snaped without dischargeing the gun[.] it being a flint lock I thought the fault was in the flint[.] took out my pocket knife & pecked the flint[.] snapped again[.] the Wolfs still comeing on very deliberately[.] I suppose I snapped the gun two or three more times[.] they came up within ten or twelve steps of me then turned to the East[.] I then took time to examine my gun & found that the primeing had been jolted out of the pan the powder being fine & the pan not shetting [shutting] very close[.] I primed & gave them a parting Shot wounding one & breaking up their soldierly ranks[.] I have thought that if I had have run they would have given chase & made a Serious affair of it; I arrived at Father Sanders place 12 miles South of Salt Lake City on Jordan river & he went & met the Company[.] David Sanders had been left with my team[.] I remained at my mothers until the company got in[.] I then turned the Oxen over to Father Sanders leaveing me three cows & no team.