The morning very fine, warm and pleasant. All is still and quiet as a
summer's morning, the camp well and in good spirits and a feeling of
peace, union and brotherly love seems to dwell in every breast. My mind
revolves back upon by-gone days and then to the present, and I truly
feel thankful to my God for His mercies to me and for the privilege
I now daily enjoy. The idea of dwelling with my family in a land of
peace, in the midst of the Saints of God is better felt than described,
but the mild, still scenery of this morning puts me in mind of it.
At nine o'clock we pursued our journey, the stream we passed over is
called by Grosclaude: "The Raw Hide." Elder Kimball let me have his
horse to ride. I went in company with George A. Smith who was on foot
carrying his gun in fulfillment of President Young's prophecy at the
Pawnee Mission station. The wagons went on till half past eleven and
then halted for noon. We were about a mile ahead of them. The distance
they traveled was four and a half miles. At half past one, started
out again and traveled till a little after four o'clock and saw Fort
Laramie about four miles to the southwest. Elder Kimball and President
Young then came up to where Brother Woodruff and I were looking out
for feed and we started on, President Young having stopped the wagons,
and went to the ford opposite to the fort. It was finally concluded to
form our encampment here on the banks of the river. Several men soon
came down from the fort which is about two miles from here and made
themselves known as a part of the Mississippi company from Pueblo. They
have been here two weeks. It caused us much joy to meet with brethren
in this wild region of country and also because we should have some
news from the brethren in the army. Luke Johnson being up here with
the boat and several others coming up, they got the boat into the
river to go over and see the brethren. And Luke Johnson, John Brown,
Joseph Mathews and Porter Rockwell started over and about the same
time, Presidents Young and Kimball started back to bring the camp up.
When the brethren got over the river Brother Brown met several whom he
knew and soon returned bringing Brother Crow and his son-in-law over
to this side. The brethren seemed pleased to meet us. Brother Crow
reports deaths in the Pueblo detachment since Brothers Tippets and
Woolsey left, viz. Melcher Oyler, Arnold Stevens. They also state that
Soloman Tindall was on the point of death. The other portion of the
battalion they had not heard from. The Pueblo brethren are expected to
receive their pay and start for this point, at latest by this date,
and will probably be here in about two weeks. They also recorded that
three traders from the mountains arrived here six days ago, having
come from Sweet Water in six days and nights. They traveled day and
night with horses and mules to prevent their starving to death as there
is no feed up there. Two of their oxen had died already, etc. The
snow was two feet deep at Sweet Water when they left, so that we are
evidently plenty soon enough for feed. At 5:45 the wagons arrived and
formed encampment on the banks of the river in the form of a V, having
traveled this afternoon, seven and a half miles and during the day,
twelve, making a total from Winter Quarters to Fort Laramie 543¼ miles
and we have traveled it in seven weeks lacking a half a day, but we
have traveled but a few miles on Sundays. We have arrived so far on our
journey without accident except the loss of two horses by Indians and
two killed. We have been prosperous on our journey, the camp are all in
better health than when we left Winter Quarters and we see daily that
the Lord blesses us and directs the movements of this camp as seemeth
Him good and as is for our good and prosperity. The road today has been
mostly sandy and heavy on teams with but little feed in any place. The
country begins to have a more hilly and mountainous appearance. Some
of the Black Hills show very plain from here. The timber is mostly ash
and cottonwood on the low bottoms near the river. There is some cedar
on the bluffs. In one of the large ash trees in the middle of the camp
is an Indian babe or papoose. It cannot be said to be buried, but
deposited, being first wrapped with a skin and then tied between two
of the highest limbs of the tree. This is said to be the way they bury
their dead. The bark is all peeled off the tree below, I suppose to
prevent the wolves from getting up.