[Hosea Stout Diary] Monday April the 6th 1846. This was of all mornings the most dismal dark and rainy after such a fine day as yesterday was. President Young concluded to move on to Locus Creek about three miles for the purpose of new pasture & brouse as the brous & pasture was all gone here[.] Accordingly he started very earley before breakfast[.] The roads were so bad that he doubled his teams and made two trips.but I thought I could go at one without doubling as I had not yet stalled[.] This day capped the climax of all days for traveling[.] The road was the worst that I had yet witnessed up hill & down through sloughs on spouty oak ridges and deep marshes raining hard the creek rising.the horses would sometimes sink to their bellies on the ridgesteams stall going down hill.We worked and toiled more than half the day and had at last to leave some of our waggons and double teams before we could get through.At length however we arived at Locus Creek 3 miles & found it a narrow deep stream and muddy banks[.] There was a good bridge built by the pioneers. I camped just across it on a fine ridge & a good place[.] President Young camp with the 50 some two hundred yards below on a level piece of bottom which was before night cut up and tramped into deep mud by the horses & cattle[.] I had decidedly the best ground[.] It was allotted me by Rockwood whose duty it was to order the manner of encampments.
Immediately upon my arrival I recieved orders from Col Rockwood have a coal pit up and set on fire tonight notwithstanding it was still raining hard and the men wet through and worn out and fatigued and hungry for they had to toil and labor to help the teams along in the mud & rain[.] They went however cherfully to work & put up the coal pit & had it set on fire that night according to orders
This morning a company of my men went earley to finish a job of rails[.] They worked all day in the rain & finished it and overtook us at dark all dripping wet and merry. At dark I put out the guard as usual[.] Here we found good brouse & pasture for our horses and cattle.After I laid down a wind arose which came very near blowing down my tent for I had not put on stay ropes thinking that the thick timber would secure it against the wind[.] I had to get out of my bed and hold it along time in the wind and rain which [b]eat upon me untill I was wet thoroughly nor could I leave to secure it because it would blow down.however some of Capt Meeks men came to my assistance at length & fastened it with ropes & relieved me.It blew up a very hard storm accompanied by thunder & lightning and hard rain.
[Diaries of Hosea Stout]
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