the North side of it we were convinced that it wood
be better for us as a company to cross the river or [illegible]^take^ the
old travled road to Laramee as their was good grass on
the way on that side while the Indians were burning
it all off on the North side of the river where we were
travling but when we took into consideration the
situation of the next company & thousands that would
follow after & as we were the Pioneers & had not our
wives & children with us we thought it best to keep on
the north side of the river & brave the difficulties of
burning Prairies & make a road that should stand as
a permanant rout for the Saints indipendant of the
old emigration rout & let the river seperate the emigrating
companies that they need not quarrel for wood grass
or water & when our next company came along the grass
would be much better for them than it would on the
south side as it would grow up by the time they would get
along. A vote was called & it was unanimous to go on
the north side of the river. So the camp again moved
on, but during the nooning Col Markham drilled the men
in a military capacity, they unshiped the cannon & carried
it on wheels, the Frenchman informed us that he never
saw so many Buffalo ogn on the rout this year they had to
stop several times to let the herd pass so they could get
along, we saw many deer & antelope to day & also wolves
and a few buffalo one large bull came across the
river to us, we rode onto the bank before him & he run
clear back again upon a loap & again crossed below us
we camped at night at a gravel creek or slew a large
herd of buffalo lay but a short distance before us
we travled in all to day 9 m 9 miles
~ Wednesay
5th I was quite sick with the diaree the change from
salt to fresh meat is affecting a number in camp
The 400 Indian warriors that was supposed to be seen
on the 3rd proved to be fals the man was frightened
at a herd of antelope & supposed them to be Indians
we had to keep a guard out this morning to keep
a herd of buffalo from mixing up with our cattle
we have had vary strong south wind for 2 days,
two buffalo bulls at noon were approaching the
herd of cows & men went out & drove them off
we rode up within 3 rods of one that was asleep &
stoped & looked at him for some minutes he awoke &
shook himself & loaped off we met a large herd
in the afternoon the Brethren killed one cow
5 calves & brought a bull calf into camp a live
with the intention of raising it, it would drink
water out of a pail they had some sport in triying
to make it suckle a cow it would try hard to bunt
the men & dogs over & some got hard raps I have
been obliged to keep my bed a part of the day have
suffered much with bowel complaint, when we
stoped for night we soon found ourselves in
the midst of grass on fire & had to return back
the North side of it we were convinced that it wood
be better for us as a company to cross the river on take the
old travled road to Laramee as their was good grass on
the way on that side while the Indians were burning
it all off on the North side of the river where we were
travling but when we took into consideration the
situation of the next company & thousands that would
follow after & as we were the Pioneers & had not our
wives & children with us we thought it best to keep on
the north side of the river & brave the difficulties of
burning Prairies & make a road that should stand as
a permanant rout for the Saints indipendant of the
old emigration rout & let the river seperate the emigrating
companies that they need not quarrel for wood grass
or water & when our next company came along the grass
would be much better for them than it would on the
south side as it would grow up by the time they would get
along. A vote was called & it was unanimous to go on
the north side of the river. So the camp again moved
on, but during the nooning Col Markham drilled the men
in a military capacity, they unshiped the cannon & carried
it on wheels, the Frenchman informed us that he never
saw so many buffalo on on the rout this year they had to
stop several times to let the herd pass so they could get
along, we saw many deer & antelope to day & also wolves
and a few buffalo one large bull came across the
river to us, we rode onto the bank before him & he run
clear back again upon a loap & again crossed below us
we camped at night at a gravel creek or slew a large
herd of buffalo lay but a short distance before us
we travled in all to day 9 m 9 miles
~ Wednesay
5th I was quite sick with the diaree the change from
salt to fresh meat is affecting a number in camp
The 400 Indian warriors that was supposed to be seen
on the 3rd proved to be fals the man was frightened
at a herd of antelope & supposed them to be Indians
we had to keep a guard out this morning to keep
a herd of buffalo from mixing up with our cattle
we have had vary strong south wind for 2 days,
two buffalo bulls at noon were approaching the
herd of cows & men went out & drove them off
we rode up within 3 rods of one that was asleep &
stoped & looked at him for some minutes he awoke &
shook himself & loaped off we met a large herd
in the afternoon the Brethren killed one cow
5 calves & brought a bull calf into camp a live
with the intention of raising it, it would drink
water out of a pail they had some sport in trying
to make it suckle a cow it would try hard to bunt
the men & dogs over & some got hard raps I have
been obliged to keep my bed a part of the day have
suffered much with bowel complaint, when we
stoped for night we soon found ourselves in
the midst of grass on fire & had to return back
"Journal (January 1, 1847 – December 31, 1853)," May 5, 1847, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed April 24, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/n595