We traveled through the black hills, going through Sweetwater. passed Soda Springs, and traveled along Bear River. We carved our names on a rock at Sweetwater in Wyoming. We went North of Salt Lake City to the Humboldt River. Here we crossed the dry sandy desert. We bound the feet of our cattle with burlap for these trips. We had barrels of water in each corner of our wagon, and we cut grass as all the emigrants did, and put it in our wagon. We stopped pretty often and dipped a bunch of grass in the water and gave it to the oxen. That way we gave them feed and water at the same time. We saw many wagons and oxen deserted. We also saw men with packs on their oxen and their own backs trying to get across the desert.
Traveling through the mountains was slow and often we traveled through snow. One night our cattle stampeded and we had trouble getting them rounded up. One of our men, who was afraid of Indians was sure it was an Indian raid, but we never knew what scared them.
We would see notices on boards or posts written by people ahead to their friends who were following them.
Finally, after five months of travel mostly on foot. we were near Sacramento valley. We had no provisions except a kettle of rice, left for our last meal, and while it was cooking some fellow kicked it over and spilled it all out on the ground.
We landed in Ringold August 27, 1850.
I tried mining at Diamond Springs for awhile, but I didn' like standing in water and I got chills and fever. I started teaming, taking supplies from Sacramento to the miners up in the mountains. One time I went up North to see my cousin and the man I left my outfit was a scalawag who made off with all my stuff and skipped out.
ONE MORE POST IS ALL HE WROTE.
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