Mathias Nielsen journal excerpts in Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1896-2001 July, 4 Sept. 1859, 8, 15-31.
- Source Locations
- Church History Library, CR 100 137
- Related Companies
- George Rowley Company (1859)
- Related Persons
- William Chapel
- Caroline Woodward
- Elna Hakansson
- Anna Hansen
- Charles Edwin Harris
- Rebecca Harris
- Jane Jarvis
- Ann Hansen Jensen
- Elna Petronella Johanson
- Andrew John Johnson
- Albertine Josephine North
- Mark Lindsey
- Hans Olsen Magleby
- Mathias Brock Nelson
- William Woodward Nelson
- Edward Shanks
- Carl August Zitting
Elder Mathias Nielsen who crossed the plains in Captain George Rowley's handcart company kept a daily journal on the journey and from his writings we cull and copy the following:
Wednesday June 1, <1859>. We were now getting our wagons ready that were to accompany the handcart company. Our allotment was six wagons and twelve yoke of oxen. The four wagons were intended to carry our provisions for the handcart company and two wagons was for the captain and his family.
Thursday June 2. A meeting was held in camp and we were now organized into companies of ten, namely four companies of English Saints and three companies of Scandinavian Saints. Elder Hans O. Magleby was captain of the first, John Jenson of the second and I of the third company of emigrants. The captain of the whole company was George Rowley, a Welchman.
Friday, June 3. We were busy fixing up our handcarts. We had 60 handcarts, each cart of their own and English) and Albertine Berthelson (Swedish.)
Saturday, May 4. I was busy writing letters to Sweden, etc., and in the afternoon I accompanied some of the emigrants to Omaha to make purchases.
Sunday, June 5. We held a meeting in the camp in the forenoon. All the captains of tens were called together by Captain [George] Rowley to receive instructions as to how much luggage we were allowed to take with us in the handcarts. We had another meeting in the afternoon at which Brother Stenhouse and Robert F. Neslen addressed us and spoke particularly about being united as we traveled across the plains. At six o'clock P. M. we had still another meeting which was addressed by Elder George Q. Cannon and Captain Rowley who gave us timely advice in regard to the long overland journey before us.
Monday, June 6. We received our handcarts and the things we were to take with us consisting of a few cooking utensils, water-can a little bedding, etc. I only had a single blanket and a rug to lay under me. We had a tent for each ten persons ore each company of ten. The English were waiting for four cows to take along with them and as all the oxen were not yet ready the teamsters were busy training the oxen so as to able to place them in yokes.
Thursday June 9. We made our final start from Florence with our handcart company and traveled that day 3 1/2 miles and camped. Here we laid over another day.
Friday June 10. A meeting was held in camp at which Brothers George Q. Cannon, Robert F. Neslen and Gold preached to us. We were told how to assist one another on our long journey before us. The brethren wished us goodby. Caroline Chapel who went with my hand cart , left her son William, to come with her cousin Sarah, who were to cross the plains with an independent ox train that would not be ready to start for another ten days. Robert F. Neslen and Gold had been appointed captains of that train.
Saturday June 11. We made another start and after traveling 9 1/2 miles we camped and remained in camp the rest of the day. Here all our luggage was weighed and as some of the handcart emigrants had more goods than were allowed they had to send some of their things with the wagons. A big man by the name of Linzy [Mark Lindsey], the biggest man in our company who was also a captain of one of the English tens, was [also strikeout]
Sunday, June 12. We traveled 11 miles and made camp on the east side of the Elkhorn River. Here we were nearly eaten up by the mosquitoes. "Some of them being
Monday, June 13. We resumed our journey early in the morning glad to get away from the mosquitoes. We traveled about 16 miles and encamped for the night at a place called Fremont not far from the Platte River. During the day we traveled over some lowlands and crossed several sloughs over which we had to wade. In the afternoon we encountered a heavy thunder storm accompanied by severe lightning.
Tuesday, June 14. We traveled today about 14 miles and camped for the night near the Platte River, at a place called "Vallas post house."
Wednesday, June 15. We traveled six miles and stopped for dinner. In the afternoon we traveled four miles further and camped on Shell Creek where we found good water, wood and grass.
Thursday, June 16. We traveled about 14 miles and camped on the north bank of the Platte River. Here we had to lay over a whole day as an old wagon which the agents for the emigrants had bought for us to cross the plains with broke down. Some of the wagons bought for us for that purpose were not the $10.00 each and some of them broke down as soon as we had started from Florence. As we waited I went out a short distance from camp and found some grapes and plums growing wild. I also picked some good wild peas. Towards evening a train of emigrants from the States under Captain Brown arrived, and camped close to us for the night. This was an independent company in which the emigrants owned their own teams and wagons. Nearly all were Mormons bound for Utah. Among them were a number of Scandinavians. We held a meeting with them and some of the brethren gave us good counsel.
Friday, June 17. We traveled about 14 miles.
Saturday, June 18. We traveled about 16 miles.
Sunday, June 19. We started on our journey at five thirty A.M. and traveled at a good speed all forenoon. About 10 o'clock A.M. we met several teams coming from the Mormon settlement Genoa. These teams took some of the children and older people in their wagons and at 11 o'clock A.M. we made camp. This settlement is situated about five miles to the right of the road. Here we had dinner, and at 1 o'clock P.M. we resumed our journey and traveled about four miles. A heavy thunder storm came upon us before we had made our camp and could get our tents pitched. We all got a good drenching.
Monday, June 20. Another old wagon was broken and we had to remain in camp all day. We held a meeting in the afternoon, and were called upon to raise some money as we had three rivers to cross soon and would have to pay toll for crossing. Each person was assessed fifty cents.
Wednesday, June 22. We crossed Loupe Fork on the ferry, and the cattle swam over.
Thursday June 23. We traveled 22 miles over a good road and camped for the night on Platte River. Our teams and tents did not arrive until the next morning so we had to spend the night laying under the handcarts.
Friday June 24. We laid over all day. Provisions for ten days were distributed to the emigrants. It consisted of 10 pounds of flour, 1 pound of bacon and a little sugar and salt to each person, [illegible]. Saturday June 25. We traveled about 20 miles and found this a hard days' journey as the roads were sandy. Some of the handcarts were left behind and the water was very scarce at our camping place.
Sunday June 26. We held a little meeting in the morning at which a call was made on us for a contribution towards buying a pony for the captain. The money was raised and the pony purchased. Some bacon was turned out to pay for the pony at the trading post. We only traveled six miles this day as the road was very sandy.
Monday June 27. We resumed our journey early in the morning, passed some Church teams going to Florence for goods, and traveled about 11 miles. We camped near a small settlement of Mormons. In crossing a creek today we broke a wagon.
Tuesday, June 28. We paid two dollars in flour and some bacon for having the wagon fixed. Together with others I took my gun and went out hunting. I shot two ducks on the Platte River and brought them to camp.
Wednesday June 29. We traveled 12 miles.
Thursday June 30. We started on our journey early in the morning traveled 19 miles and camped near the Platte River.
Friday, July 1. We traveled 16 miles. Provisions were distributed for six days in the evening.
Saturday July 2. We traveled 20 miles.
Sunday July 3. We resumed our journey at five o'clock A.M. and traveled about ten miles, when we passed an Indian camp perched on a hill to the left of the road. The camp was occupied by warriors as we saw no women and children. The savages fired some shots to scare us but we went over the hill and down to Buffalo Creek were we made our camp. Some of our people who lingered behind the handcarts made big jumps when they heard the cracks of the Indian's guns. Most of us were shaking a little with fear as these were the first Indians we had seen on our journey. Our five wagons were way back so the captain called on six or seven of us young men to go back and assist in protecting the wagons from the Indians if necessary. Recrossing the hill we soon saw the wagons coming all right and soon they were all safe in camp.
Monday July 4. We laid over all day as one of our old wagons had broken down. All the Indians went away but answered in the affirmative one of the Indians went out and killed one and brought some of the meat to our camp. This was a real feast for us as we had eating nothing but a small peace of bacon with our bread since we left the Missouri river. In the evening I was one of the guards around the camp. About 11 o'clock P.M., the three Indians came into our camp and made their way to the captains tent. They had rings on a stick and they commenced singing and rattling their sticks so that we thought it meant a signal of war. In haste we turned out with our guns but soon found out that the Indians had come to serenade our captain and company. Soon the Indians returned to their own camp and we felt as brave as ever.