Morning very fine. Laramie peak shows very plain. The brethren
commenced ferrying at 4:40 a.m., and at eight o'clock the last wagon
was over. I walked up to a high bluff with Carlos Murray and picked up
some stalactites clear as crystal supposed to be isinglass. The bluff
is very high and almost perpendicular and it is dangerous to get to the
crystals.
At nine o'clock President Young, Kimball, W. Richards, A. P.
Rockwood and T. Bullock walked up to Fort Laramie and returned soon
after eleven o'clock. They have learned very favorable reports about
Bear River Valley, being well timbered, plenty of good grass, light
winters, little snow and abundance of fish, especially spotted trout,
in the streams. About half past eleven o'clock Brother Crow's company
came down and joined in with the second division and at twelve we
started on our journey again, following the Oregon road. We traveled
three miles and at 20 minutes past 1:00, halted near some good grass to
let our teams feed. The weather is very warm though many light clouds
are flying. The bluffs come near the river and are very high, steep,
and look like sand. During the halt I went up on a very high bluff
near by with my glass. I found it very difficult of ascent. From the
top I could see Laramie peak very plainly and also some hills a long
way off to the northwest. The country looks very hilly as far as can
be seen and the snow on the peak shows quite plain. At half past two
we continued our journey and found the road sandy and very uneven. At
the distance of seven and three quarters miles from Fort Laramie we
descended a very steep pitch or hill. All the wagons had to be locked
and we were some time getting down. We went on half a mile farther and
formed our encampment in a circle at half past five, having traveled
eight and a quarter miles today. At half past five we had a shower
accompanied by a little lightning and heavy thunder. I will now give
the list of names of Brother Crow's company who have joined the camp
today to go with this pioneer camp. They are as follows:
Robert Crow, Elizabeth Crow, Benjamin B. Crow, Elizabeth Jane Crow,
John McHenry Crow, Walter H. Crow, Geo. W. Therlkill, Matilla Jane
Therlkill, Milton Howard Therlkill, James William Therlkill, William
Parker Crow, Isa Vinda Exene Crow, Ira Minda Almarene Crow, Archibald
Little, James Chesney and Lewis B. Myers, seventeen in number, making
the total number of souls in this pioneer camp, after deducting four
gone to Pueblo, 161.
Lewis B. Myers is represented as knowing the country to the mountains,
having traveled it, and I am told that he came as a guide to Brother
Crow. They have five wagons, one cart, eleven horses, twenty-four oxen,
twenty-two cows, three bulls and seven calves.
Inasmuch as there have been some changes in horses and mules, I will
endeavor to state them and give the number we started with from Fort
Laramie. Two horses killed by accident. Two horses stolen by the
Pawnees at Gravel creek; one mule traded for a pony by Brother Markham;
three horses and one mule gone with the brethren to Pueblo; one horse
traded by O. P. Rockwell for three cows and two calves; one horse
traded by John Pack for three buffalo robes; one horse traded by T.
Brown for a pony at Laramie; one pony traded by J. S. Higbee to
the Sioux for a pony. These changes with the addition made by Brother
Crow's company make the number as follows: horses 95, mules 51, head of
oxen 100, cows 41, bulls 3, calves 7, dogs and chickens, and 77 wagons
and 1 cart.