Heritage Gateways

William Clayton Journals

June 4, 1847

Location: Guernsey, Wyoming - Location: 42:16:11N 104:44:28W Elevation: 4361 feet

Summary: Members and livestock from Brother Crow's Company join the camp.

Journal entry: FRIDAY, 4TH. Morning very fine. Laramie peak shows very plain. The brethren commenced ferrying at 4:40 a.m., and at eight o'clock the last wagon was over. I walked up to a high bluff with Carlos Murray and picked up some stalactites clear as crystal supposed to be isinglass. The bluff is very high and almost perpendicular and it is dangerous to get to the crystals.

At nine o'clock President Young, Cambial, W. Richards, A.P. Rockwood and T. Bullock walked up to Fort Laramie and returned soon after eleven o'clock. They have learned very favorable reports about Bear River Valley, being well timbered, plenty of good grass, light winters, little snow and abundance of fish, especially spotted trout, in the streams.

About half past eleven o'clock Brother Crow's company came down and joined in with the second division and at twelve we started on our journey again, following the Oregon road. We traveled three miles and at 20 minutes past 1:00, halted near some good grass to let our teams feed. The weather is very warm though many light clouds are flying. The bluffs come near the river and are very high, steep, and look like sand. During the halt I went up on a very high bluff near by with my glass. I found it very difficult of ascent. From the top I could see Laramie peak very plainly and also some hills a long way off to the northwest. The country looks very hilly as far as can be seen and the snow on the peak shows quite plain. At half past two we continued our journey and found the road sandy and very uneven.

At the distance of seven and three quarters miles from Fort Laramie we descended a very steep pitch or hill. All the wagons had to be locked and we were some time getting down. We went on half a mile farther and formed our encampment in a circle at half past five, having traveled eight and a quarter miles today. At half past five we had a shower accompanied by a little lightning and heavy thunder.

I will now give the list of names of Brother Crow's company who have joined the camp today to go with this pioneer camp. They are as follows:

Seventeen in number, making the total number of souls in this pioneer camp, after deducting four gone to Pueblo, 161.

Lewis B. Myers is represented as knowing the country to the mountains, having traveled it and I am told that he came as a guide to Brother Crow. They have five wagons, one cart, eleven horses, twenty- four oxen, twenty-two cows, three bulls and seven calves.

Inasmuch as there have been some changes in horses and mules, I will endeavor to state them and give the number we started with from Fort Laramie. Two horses killed by accident. Two horses stolen by the Pawnees at Gravel creek; one mule traded for a pony by Brother Markham; three horses and one mule gone with the brethren to Pueblo; one horse traded to O.P. Rcokwell for three cows and two calves; one horse traded by John Pack for three buffalo robes; one horse traded by T. Brown for a pony at Laramie; one pony traded by J.S. Higbee to the Sioux for a pony. These changes with the addition made by Brother Crow's company make the number as follows; horses 95, mules 51, head of oxen 100, cows 41, bulls 3, calves 7, dogs and chickens, and 77 wagons and 1 cart.

Source: William Clayton's Journal

Published by the Clayton Family Association, and edited by Lawrence Clayton. To the best of our research, this contents of this book are no longer under copyright.