Lorenzo Dow Young diaries, 1846-1852 and 1888-1891, in Lorenzo D. Young papers, 1846-1894.
- Source Locations
- Church History Library, MS 1538
- Related Companies
- Brigham Young Vanguard Company (1847)
- Related Persons
- Ezra Taft Benson
- Clarissa Clara Young
- Edmund Ellsworth
- Nathaniel Fairbanks
- Eric McArthur Glines
- George Roberts Grant
- John Young Greene
- Joseph Hancock
- John Greenleaf Holman
- Luke Samuel Johnson
- Jesse Carter Little
- Orson Pratt
- Orrin Porter Rockwell
- Roswell Stevens
- Briant Stringham
- Harriet Page Young
- Brigham Young
- Lorenzo Dow Young
- Lorenzo Sobieski Young
- Phineas Howe Young
April 7 left winter Quarters with the Pioneers about 4 oclock in the afternoon[.] Came on about a half a mile and camped for the night[.] our family consisted of Six persons Bros [Bryant] Stringham, [….][,] Clarrissa [Decker Young,] Perry and [Lorenzo] Sobieska [Sobieski Young]
Thursday 8th traveled 6 miles and camped and waited for the rest of the camp to come up[.] Charles [F. Decker] and Vilate [Young Decker] and Lucy and Margaret Pierce came out to see us
Friday 9 staid in camp intil 1 oclock then hiched up and traveled 8 miles and camped for the night
Saturday 10th started early and traveled all day[.] had a hard days work
Sunday 11th started and traveled five miles and came to the horn [Elk Horn] and crossed over and camped for the night
Next morning
Teusday 13th this morning the Brethren commenced setting tire to their waggons[,] remaind in camp[.] Clara [Clarrisa] washed[.] I cleaned my wagon
Wensday 14th still remained in camp
Thursday 15th the Brethren returned to camp[.] they took dinner with us
Friday 16th this morning Bro Brigham organized the camp[,] gave good council[.] traveled 4 miles and camped for the night
Saturday 17th we had a severe cold night[.] it froze water an inch thick of ice[.] we traveled 7 miles and camped about 1 oclock[.] Bro Brigham finished organizing his camp
Sunday 18 remaind in camp
Monday 17[19]th started early and traveled 25 miles and camped for night[.] Bro [Jesse Carter] Little and [Orrin] Porter [Rockwell] returned from winter Quarters laden with lettersTuesday 19[20]th traveled 12 miles and camped for the night
Wensday 20[21]th passed through the Pawnee settlement[,] traveled 22 miles this day
Thursday 21[22] traveled onto the old missionary stand of the Pawnee Nation[.] I went and viewed the houses where they once dwelt but it looked lonesome and I thought those that were driven from there had suffered something as well as us[.] it is a pleasant location and poeple could live at home if they could be let alone
Friday 22 [23] traveled 5 miles and came to loup fork of Platt[e] River and camped for the night[.] 3 waggons crossed over[.] Bro [Orson] Pratt like to have drowned his horses
Saturday 23 [24] got up early[.] I got on to my horse and went and visited the ruins of the Pawnee village which was a splendid one but it looked desolate[.] I assure you it is beautiful for situation[.] I counted 30 skulls that lay on the ground to bleach beside a number of graves[.] my feelings were peculiar while—walking among the ruins[.] I picked up a skull bone and took to camp and showed it as a curiosity[.] we then commenced crossing the River and about 2 oclock all had crossed over[.] we then
Sunday 24 [25] this morning about an hour before day we were alarmed by the guard that Indians were upon us[.] the guard fired up on them and they disappeared
Monday 25 [26] traveled 16 miles and camped this night[.] Doct [Willard] Richards and Bro Little had their horses
Teusday 26 [27] traveled 12 miles the cattle and horses suffered very much for drink
Wenday 26 [28] I do not know any thing what transpired
Thursday 2[.] [29] we came in sight of Buffalo there was a great excitement
Friday 28 [30] traveled 20 miles and camped for the night
Saturday 29 [May 1] we see thousands of Buffalo they looked magestic[.] the Brethren pursued them and killed four beside five calves[.] we had a rich repast[.] Bro [Joseph] Hancock killed a Buffalo and laid by it all night[.] in the morning came into camp and got a team to bring in his meat but while absent the wolves had devoured th[e] most of it
Sunday 30 [May 2] staid in camp until five in the afternoon then hiched up and went 2 miles on account of feed for our cattle and horses
Monday May 3 staid in camp all day[.] the Brethren went to hunt Buffalo but discovered a party of Indians in ambush and they returned to the camp[.] fitted up the old cannon[,] fired it off so that they might know we was on hand
Tuesday 4 started and traveled in plattoons on account of the Indian[.] about noon we met a United States Trader and stoped in our waggons and wrote a line back to our friends
Wensday 5 this morning is a beautiful one and the first thing that met our eys was a herd of Buffalo they looked splendid[.] the weather is fine but the feed poor[.] we had to camp in an unpleasant place before night on account of fire
Thursday 6 started before breakfast traveled 4 miles along the Platt River then bated our teams and travled ten milds futher[.] the Buflow tried to git in to our drove of cows and Br Brigham and Br Heeber [Heber] rode after them and had a verry hard chase in which Br B lost his spiglace [spy glass.] we camped on the bank of the river in a bad place[.] th bufalow come neer our camp
Friday morning found a broken exeltree in one of the wagons put in another and started at ten oclock[.] drove 4 milds along the river and found no feed[.] th plains are lined with bufalow[.] I hav no dout but I hav seen to day at one sight more than 2 two thousand at one glance of the eye[.] Porter Rockwell with 2 others went back and found Br Bs glass[.] we camped about 4 o clock in a beautful place found some grass for our teams[.] the bufalow are so tame that we are troubled to keep them a way from ourr catle[.] we had to stop our teams once to let them pas[.] Hariet [Harriet Young] has not injoyed the day[.] she has bin verry sick with the teeth ache[.] I laid hans on her when we stoped and she got beter and the Brotherin all seem in good sperits[.] it has bin a day long to be remembered on the acount of the romantick seens [scenes] that has transpired[.] a s Young Buflow caf came in to cam[p] which seemed determined to stay with us[.] yesterday we found one on the peraria and we left it and before we got out of sigt alarg woolf came upon it and caried it off[.] aperintly with mutch eas but it looked verry cruel[.] Br little is now talking about his family[.] his helth is improving[.] we had to camp where the feed was very short and poor
Sunday 9 this morning traveled 4 miles and camped for the day[.] I was very sick all day in consequence of taking the scent of a dead Bufalo[.] there is a great many dies of poverty[.] Lorenzo [Young] gave me an emetic and I got better[.] It is a lonesome country to me to travel through[,] there is no flowers and little or no timber
Monday 10th traveled ten miles[.] Bro Phineas [Young] killed a Buffalo and an atntelope and shot a Duck this day but the feed is poor and our cattle cannot travel but little ways in a day[.] we are saving Buffalo wool[.] Bro Luke Johnson was the first one that started it
Teusday 11 the weather is fine we traveled 8 miles and camped about 3 oclock in an unpleasant place for the teams were tired and began to lag
Wensday 12 we have a southeast wind and the dust is troublesom[.] traveled 8 miles and stopped to bate our teams then came on 4 miles and camped for the night
Thursday 13 cold and unpleasant but find better feed for our cattle this morning[.] shot 2 ducks[,] traveled 12 miles and camped for the night[.] made a lively fire of Buffalo chips[,] made a dish of coffee[,] fried some cakes and had a luxurious meal[.] we are at the junction Bluffs of the Platt River
Friday 14 had a thunder shower for the first since we started on our journey[.] started at 11 and traveled 4 miles and stopped to bate them[.]
Saturday 15 cold and rainy this morning crossed the Bluffs which was tedious on account of the sand[.] we are well supplied with a variety of fresh meat such as Buffalo[,] antelope[,] Ducks and geese and so on[.] we have now stopped on account of the rain and a good place to bate[.] we took a bite of refreshment and started on again traveled 4 miles and camped[.] we took the Revenue Cuter and went in piersuit of wood as the Buffolo Chips were rather wet[.] found some by going /2 mile
Sunday 16 we remain in
Monday we travled twelve milds and ¾ the hunters kiled 4 bufalow and one antelope and Br [Edmund Lovell]E Lsworth [Ellsworth] kiled 3 ducks and gave them to/us and Br [Roswell] Stpby onthe praroe[.] hariet has had a very sick day
Sunday 23 this morning is warm and plesant[.] we are camped on A sand rig neer the most romantick bluffs I ever saw[.] the men on tusday last found A larg
Monday 24 cloudy and cold[.] started at 8 traveled 10 miles and stoped to bate in a beautiful place across the River[.] a little to the right of us we could see something that resembled a stately courthouse[.] I presume it was a Rock as we approach Chimney Rock it looks still more majestic[.] we traveled 6 /2 miles and camped for the night[.] we were visited by a party of the S[i]ou[x] Indian[,] their chief was among them[.] they look quite intelegent and appear friendly[.] they staid in camp until morning
Tuesday 25 traveled 2/2 and stoped to bate on account of having poor feed the night before. the weather is fine this morning traveled 9/2 miles and camped for the night[.] Porter Rockwell killed 2 Antelope
Wensday 26 started and traveled 4 miles and stoped to bate found good feed took some refreshment and started on again[.] Porter Rockwel killed 2 antelope today[.] we set a hen and think of trying our luck in raising chickens while traveling[.] started at 2 and traveled 5 miles and camped for the night[.] we are still traveling through a desolate and barren country[,] not a tree or srub to be seen[.] my eyes are weary of seeing a barren prairie[.] I am fond of variety
Thursday 24 [27] the weather is fine[.] traveled 8 miles and stoped to bate[,] found good feed[.] traveled 6 miles and camped for the night[.] killed 3 antelope to day[.] found some pigweed and picked a mess for greens[.] they relished well
Friday 28 remained in camp until 11
Saturday 29 cold and rainy[.] it was tedious looking out doors for we are scanted for wood as there is no timber and all we get is once in a while a scattering stick that floats down the River[.] our Buffalo chips are of no account when it rains and but little when dry yet I feel no inclination to complain for if ever a poeple was blest on earth it is us our prayers have verily been heard and answered and I feel a spirit of thankfulness all the time[.] we ware all caled to gether about noon and receved some instrution from Br Brigham[.] he chastised the camp verry sharply for their wickedness and told them if they wood not repent of their folly he wood not go with them enny further[.] they seemed willing to [.in] humble themselves and all with one acord[,] convent
Sunday 30 this day fasted and prayed[.] had a prayer meeting in the morning and preaching in the afternoon[,] the twelve had a meeting by themselves[.] I felt sick all day my mind was weighed down and it was a day I shall long remember
Monday 31 started early traveled 16/3 miles had a hard road[.] I was obliged to keep my bed the most of the day
Teusday June 1 the weather is fine and our eyes once more behold a scattering tree and srub[.] Mr Young is quite unwell[.] we traveled 12 miles and found ourselves at Fort Larermee [Laramie.] we camped for the night[.] the scene is romantic[.] opisite to us stands the ruins of the old Fort on the other side of the river and front of us is a large Black walnut tree which I assure you is a rarity[.] a little to the left of us is a tree that has the bones of an Indian child done up very snug in skins
Wensday 2 remained in camp today[.] we spent the day in washing and in fixing up things[.] the Brethren hired a fery boat of the traders and fixed a place to ferry
Thursday 3 got up early and commenced ferrying accross the River[.] it commenced raining about 1 and rained until 3 when they commenced ferrying again[.] the teams did not all get over this day
Friday 4 rose early and got Breakfast[.] Mr Young went and visited the Traders at the fort[.] I baked some bread and pies and fried some cakes[.] started at 12 traveled 8 miles and camped for the night
Saturday 5 traveled 17 miles[.] one of our oxen appeared to be sick[.] towards night we took him out[,] he soon got better[.] we camped in a pleasant place
Sunday 6 remaind in camp until 3 in the afternoon had 2 meetings then started on and traveled 7 miles and camped for the night in the most beautiful place we have found since we started[.] I churned and picked a mess of greens, eat supper and went to bed
Monday 7 traveled over a mountanious country[.] a camp from Mo [Missouri] came up with us but seemed in a hurry to get away from us and we was willing to have them[.] about 4 oclock it commenced raining and we were near a handsome grove of timber and we camped for the night
Teusday 8 traveled over a rough rugged road and camped for the night[.] a company of Traders visited us[,] gave us some intelegence respecting the road
Wensday 9 traveled 19 miles and camped for the night[.] we sent a company on ahead to fix for ferrying across the Platt River
Thursday 10th the weather is fine traveled 19 miles and camped near a beautiful stream[.] the scenery is ramantic[.] the grass is up a 9 or 10 inches high and yet within six miles there is beds of snow to be seen
Friday 11th traveled 14 miles and camped near the Platt[e] River where we overtook a company from Mo crossing the river
Saturday 12 started at 8 traveled 7/2 miles and stopped to bate our teams then came on 4 miles and camped[.] it being the place to cross the Platt River
Sunday 13th had meeting
Monday 14 commenced ferrying across the River[.] they have a tedious job[,] the water is high and the current strong[.] we had a hard shower of rain and hail and a quantity of goods lay exposed
Teusday 15 we are still crossing the River[.] the wind is against us and do not make much head way
Wensday 16 commenced making a raft to carry waggons with a part of their loading
Thursday 17 got our waggons across the river and fitted them up
Friday 18 remained in camp our Brethren
Saturday 19 started and traveled 20 miles had hard traveling[.] camped at night near the poison spring[.] three of the cattle got into the mire but suffered no material injury
Sunday 20 traveled on account of feed
Monday 21 traveled 19 miles and camped in a beautiful place[.] had good feed
Teusday 22 we have traveled thro the most barren country I ever saw for hundreds of miles[.] we passed the Saleratus Spring and stopped
Teusday 29 traveled 24 miles and camped on big sandy[.] did not get camped until after dark
Monday 5th traveled 20 miles through a sandy desolate country and see nothing but sage