Went fishing at daybreak and caught thirty-six. Weather hot. We started
about nine o'clock and found the roads good but over hills and ravines
all the day. At six o'clock we camped in sight of the Pottawattamie
Indian village. When about two miles from it they discovered us coming
and we soon saw a number of them riding towards us. Some had bells
on their horses which frightened our horses and cattle. James and I
took the horses and let the others take the oxen the best way they
could. Some of the Indians followed our wagons and inquired often for
whiskey. We had to pass some timber and a river before we arrived at
their village which is situated on a very beautiful ridge skirted
by timber and beautiful rolling prairie. Before we arrived at the
timber it seemed that the whole village had turned out, men, women,
and children, some on horses and many on foot. Their musicians came
and played while we passed them. They seemed to escort our wagons and
asked if we were Mormons. When we told them we were they seemed highly
pleased. It took us some time to cross the bridge over the river and
then we were perfectly surrounded by Indians apparently from curiosity
and friendship. They watched us cross the bridge and others followed
on with us. The boys seemed to learn the words our teamsters used to
drive the cattle and would run and in their way help to drive. They
manifested every feeling of friendship and nothing unkind or unfriendly
transpired. Soon after we passed the bridge we were met by Jas. W.
Cummings and the brethren from Shariton Ford with John L. Butler to
bring Emmet's company to meet us. The cattle have been with Emmet's
company from the time they left Nauvoo. The road leads within about
two hundred yards of the Indians and I wanted to go about two miles
farther to save the necessity of having a guard but soon after we left
the village we had to ford a stream which was deep and bad to cross.
I then concluded to camp on the ridge above the ford and in sight
of the village, being about a half or three quarters of a mile from
them. Many of them followed us, men, women and children and watched
all our movements but about dark all departed in peace. They seemed
well pleased with their visit. They certainly showed every mark of
friendship and kindness imaginable and treated us as brothers. We
learned that the chief's daughter was buried today. We have traveled
about fifteen miles. From Cummings we learned that Emmet had left his
things belonging to the company with him. Part of the company has
crossed at St. Louis and are now on the line here. The agent of the
U. S. refuses to let them pass. The other part of the company are
thirty miles below the bluffs expecting us to cross there.