[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 4th Thermometer stands at 33° this morning. I feel some better than I did last night. We started on our journey this morning 5 waggons a breast which made 5 roads. This was to be in readiness in case of an attack from the Indians. We travled 3 miles & saw some waggons on the opposite side of the river going down the Platt.
Soon one of the men waded the Platt & came to us to see who we were &c. Informed us they were traders from fort Laramie. He had been there 3 years had not tasted Bread for 2 years. Was 16 days from Laramie. The grass was green & good on the south side to that fort but burnt off on the North side. He waided the Platt to come to us. A mile across it & did not go but little above his knees.
He would take letters to us to [Sarpet] who lived near winter Quarters. So the camp stoped & wrote 52 letters to our familys. I was ahead of the company with O Pratt taking observations & did not know untill the time was nearly up. I then in great haste scribbled a few letters to my wife. An epistle was written to the Church &c.
Three Brethren accompanied the Frenchman ac-cross the Platt. The other men was 9 in all. Had not seen an Indian since they left Laramee. Stated there was a ferry at the fort &c. Agreed to take our letters safe.
We drove on 3 miles more & bated our teams untill the Brethren returned. They made A report to the camp of what was said to them. A Council of the whole Camp was then Called to deside whether we would cross the Platt or Continue up the North side of it.
We were Convinced that it wood be better for us as a Company to Cross the river and use the old travled road to Laramae 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 parmanant 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 Buffaloos 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 today 9 m. 9 miles.
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
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