[William Clayton Journal] Went fishing at daybreak and caught 36. Weather hot. We started about 9 o'clock and found the roads good but over hills and ravines all the day. At about 6 o'clock we came in sight of the Pottawattamie [Indian] village. [Then] about 2 miles from it they discovered us coming and we soon saw a number of them riding towards us. Some had bells on their horses which frightened our horses and cattle. James and I took the horses and let the others take the Oxen the best way they could. Some of the Indians followed our wagons and enquired often for whiskey. We had to pass some timber and a river before we arrived at their village which is situated on a very beautiful ridge skirted by timber and beautiful rolling prairie. Before we arrived at the timber it seemed that the whole village had turned out, men, women and children, some on horses and many on foot. Their musicians came and played while we passed them. They seemed to escort our wagons and asked if we were Mormons. When we told them we were they seemed highly pleased. It took us some time to cross the bridge over the river and we were then perfectly surrounded by the Indians apparently from Curiosity and friendship. They watched us cross the bridge and they followed on with us. The boys seemed pleased to learn the words our teamsters used to drive the cattle and would run and in their way help to drive. They manifested every feeling of friendship and nothing unkind or unfriendly transpired. Soon after we passed the bridge we were met by Ja[me]s W. Cummings and the brethren from Shariton Ford with John L. Butler to bring [James] Emmets company to meet us. The Cattle have been with Emmets company from the time they left Nauvoo. The road led within about 200 yards from the [bark] houses of the Indians. I wanted to go about 3 or 4 miles further to save the necessity of having a guard but soon after we left the village we had to ford a stream which was deep and bad to cross. I then concluded to camp on the ridge above the ford and in sight of the village being about a half or three quarters of a mile from them. Many of them followed us men, women and children and watched all our movements but about dark all departed home in peace, seemingly well pleased with their visit. They certainly showed every mark of friendship and kindness imaginable and treated us as brethren. We learned that the chiefs daughter was buried today. We have traveled about 15 miles. From Cummings we learned that Emmett had left his camp and had taken seven horses and other things belonging to the company with him. Part of the company has crossed at St. Louis and are now on the line below here. The agent of U.S. refuses to let them pass. The other part of the co[mpany] are thirty miles below the bluffs expecting us to cross there.
[source: George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://amzn.to/william-clayton]
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