[William Clayton Journal] Started this morning to get our wagons on the prairie. The road is very narrow and bad, up steep bluffs and very muddy. It took 4 yoke of oxen to take a very light load. When we had got 4 of the wagons up 8 yoke of Bishop Newel Whitneys cattle came to help us and afterwards 9 yoke of President Youngs and Kimballs. We got to the prairie about noon and stopped to feed our cattle. I sent on 5 wagons with the teams sent to help us and after feeding about an hour started with the remainder. I drove the spare cattle and horses. We got the wagons to camp about 6 o'clock. One of President Youngs Oxen killed himself in going to drink, being so eager he pitched into the creek and broke his neck. When we got to camp we were all completely tired. My feet were sore and my limbs ached and had to go to bed. We camped on the north end of Heber's company. We have left 9 head of cattle over the river yet and there is little prospect of being able to find some of them . . .
[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]
No comments:
Post a Comment