William Clayton Journals

May 11, 1847

Summary: Bad water from dead buffalo, digging wells, and digging wolf pups.

Journal entry: TUESDAY: The morning cool. Wind east; camp well. At 7:00 a.m. went with a member of the brethren who were going to dig some wolves out of a hole about a quarter of a mile from camp. They dug out four and brought them alive to camp. They are probably six or eight weeks old and about the size of an English hare, very vicious.

At half past nine the camp moved onward over a very nice level, dry prairie for five miles. Amongst the timber on the island could be seen many small cedar trees.

At the end of five miles, we had to pass over a small ridge of low, sandy bluffs, which extended to the river. After passing nearly over the bluffs we stopped half an hour to water the teams and eat a little dinner, then proceeded on three miles farther and passed over a creek of clear water, but this could not be very good in consequence of so many dead buffalo lying in it.

We proceeded on half a mile, and finding tolerably good feed, stopped for the night, having traveled eight and half miles today. Weather fine, wind south and southeast; course a little west or northwest.

We have seen few buffalo today, but there are signs of thousands having wintered in the neighborhood. The country looks beautifu, soil rich, only lacking timber. After the camp was formed, it being half a mile to water, the brethren dug two wells and about four feet deep found plenty of good water. One of the wells is reported to run a pail full a minute. Brother Appleton Harmon is working at the machinery for the wagon to tell the distance we travel and expects to have it in operation tomorrow. which will save me the trouble of counting, as I have done, during, the last four days. Took supper on some duck presented to Elder Kimball by George Billings.

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.

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