Bodily, Robert, Journal, in Library of Congress, Collection of Mormon diaries [1935-1938], reel 2, item 4, 9-11.
- Related Companies
- William Budge Company (1860)
- Related Persons
- Robert Bodily Sr.
- Robert Bodily Jr.
- William Budge
- Nephi Johnson
- Christian Wittwer
—we took the boat to Florence the Outfitting place of the L D S Emegrants[.] here we rested for some time allowing time for more Emigrants to arrive enough to form a Company large enough to be safe against Indians and for the emigrants to gather their outfits such as wagons Cattle Horse Cows & ct[.] by this time some of our Company began to run short of money so much so that some could not proceed farther without assistance[.] So my Father having some money He assisted those that were in need some 5 or 6 familys[.] well the time finally came for us to start so we were Organized with W[illia]m budge as President and A man by the name of Nephi Johnson as Guide and Captain[.] we pulled out to the first watering place when one of our peoples little children [either child of Christian Wittwer or Heinrich Baers] took sick and died[.] there being little chance to get lumber to mak a Coffin so Father took the box Carreing his big bass fiddle and made use of it as a Coffin[.] after all was over we again started on our Journey[.] it sure was a Commicall looking outfit mooring along[.] the oxen were awkward and the drivers seemed to know less than the oxen about that kind of work[.] often you would see a man on each side of the team herding them along, but as a general thing the land was level so we got along pretty well[.] the days were long the feed was good and plenty of water so we would get unto [into] Camp early and just before Camping time you would see people Gathering buffaloe Chips wich was dried cow and buffaloe dung that was in place of wood[.] there was little or now wood along the platt[e] River to make a fire of for Cooking purposes[.] there were a great number of buffaloe[.] you Could see Hundreds of them feeding a short distance from the road[.] there were also plenty of Antilope a small animal a good deal like a dear and when it jumps it would show a white spot on its back, as we travaled along we would see a peice of paper that some earlier train had left telling when they had passed along and sometimes you would see a new made grave where some poor soul had been laid to rest Caused from different Hardships endured while on the way for it surely was a trying time for all