11th we rode 9 miles & camped upon the Platt bottom
for nooning, we travled in the afternoon 8 miles & camped upon
the bank of the Platt within a short distance of the Mo
camp who were trying to ferry over their waggons, they reported
our camp to be at the ferry 10 miles or so above us, the
hunters brought in 13 antelops. the Mo company had killed 3
buffalo. A young antelope had hid behind a bunch of sage
to keep out of the way of the hunters I discoverd him & crawld
up & caught him in my hands but he gave such a spring he cleared
himself from me.
we rode our horses into the river to day
several times to se[e] if we could find a fording place but we could
not find any as the stream had risen by the melting snows of
the mountains, we passed some snow to day on the highest
peaks distance of the day 17 m
~ Saturday
12th I started in the morning to go forward in company
with Br A. P. Rockwood who was riding President Young
Stud when suddenly he sprung upon my horse but
instead of striking my horse he took my knee into his
Jaw & bruised me considerable sunk one tooth to
the bone through three thicknesses of clothing &
one of them buck skin G A Smith & myself then
rode on to the ferrying ground & found our detachment ferrying
over the Missouri Company they paid the Brethren
$1.50 cts per each waggon & load, & paid in flour at $2.50
per cwt, generally flour is considerd worth at the forts through
this country at least $10 per cwt. It was difficult getting
over the river they carried the goods over in a boat &
drew the waggons over by hand with ropses but when the
curant struck them they would freequently rool several
times over in the watter & smash their bows out they also
came near drowning their horses and one man would have
been lost if the brethren had not picked him out with
the boat, we saw also on the road whare the company had
a run away of their teams a horse came runing among them
& frightened their oxen and they all started to run two
run up onto a bank & turned both waggons over with
women & children in & bruised them much, smashed jars
crockery, dishes, boxes & sundrys to peaces. one team run
into the river & would probably have drowned & lost all
had not a little boy jumped out beside the off ox which
frightend him & he out run the other hawed off & run
onto a sand bar he however kicked the boy against the
wheel & the wheel knocked [him] down into the water which
hurt him, but the seene ended without any loss of life.
The Blacksmiths had been to work for the Missouri Company
got flour money &c the company of 5 traiders had camped
near the brethren. Our hunters had been busily engaged in
getting game, they had killed 5 fat buffalo 4 bear one
old she bear & 3 cubs, & shot at 2 griselly bear but did not
get them those killed were the black bear. saw a plenty of
antiope deer Elk & Mountain Sheep the mountains near
us abound with bear & other game I found some buffalo meat
the hunters were not agoing to save, so I cut out of the hump
of a buffalo about 40 lbs of good fat stake & spread it
to dry also tryed out about 8 lbs of good tallow
~ Friday
11th we rode 9 miles & camped upon the Platt bottom
for nooning, we travled in the afternoon 8 miles & camped upon
the bank of the Platt within a short distance of the Mo
camp who were trying to ferry over their waggons, they reported
our camp to be at the ferry 10 miles or so above us, the
hunters brought in 13 antelops. the Mo company had killed 3
buffalo. A young antelope had hid behind a bunch of sage
to keep out of the way of the hunters I discoverd him & crawld
up & caught him in my hands but he gave such a spring he cleared
himself from me.
we rode our horses into the river to day
several times to see if we could find a fording place but we could
not find any as the stream had risen by the melting snows of
the mountains, we passed some snow to day on the highest
peaks distance of the day 17 m
~ Saturday
12th I started in the morning to go forward in company
with Br A. P. Rockwood who was riding President Young
Stud when suddenly he sprung upon my horse but
instead of striking my horse he took my knee into his
Jaw & bruised me considerable sunk one tooth to
the bone through three thicknesses of clothing &
one of them buck skin G A Smith & myself then
rode on to the ferrying ground & found our detachment ferrying
over the Missouri Company they paid the Brethren
$1.50 cts per each waggon & load, & paid in flour at $2.50
per cwt, generally flour is considerd worth at the forts through
this country at least $10 per cwt. It was difficult getting
over the river they carried the goods over in a boat &
drew the waggons over by hand with ropes but when the
curant struck them they would freequently rool several
times over in the watter & smash their bows out they also
came near drowning their horses and one man would have
been lost if the brethren had not picked him out with
the boat, we saw also on the road whare the company had
a run away of their teams a horse came runing among them
& frightened their oxen and they all started to run two
run up onto a bank & turned both waggons over with
women & children in & bruised them much, smashed jars
crockery, dishes, boxes & sundrys to peaces. one team run
into the river & would probably have drowned & lost all
had not a little boy jumped out beside the off ox which
frightend him & he out run the other hawed off & run
onto a sand bar he however kicked the boy against the
wheel & the wheel knocked him down into the water which
hurt him, but the seene ended without any loss of life.
The Blacksmiths had been to work for the Missouri Company
got flour money &c the company of 5 traiders had camped
near the brethren. Our hunters had been busily engaged in
getting game, they had killed 5 fat buffalo 4 bear one
old she bear & 3 cubs, & shot at 2 griselly bear but did not
get them those killed were the black bear. saw a plenty of
antiope deer Elk & Mountain Sheep the mountains near
us abound with bear & other game I found some buffalo meat
the hunters were not agoing to save, so I cut out of the hump
of a buffalo about 40 lbs of good fat stake & spread it
to dry also tryed out about 8 lbs of good tallow
"Journal (January 1, 1847 – December 31, 1853)," June 11, 1847 - June 12, 1847, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed April 20, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/yPvn