"Just before day we heard the report of two rifles and the report came to Col Markham that there were some Indians seen and the guard had shot at them and they had fled [ ] the bugle was sounded and nearly every man instantly was up and on hand but we saw no more of the red man [ ] this morning I saw for the first time 4 antelope on the other side of the Platt [ ] some of the men saw them the morning before
The night before we crossed the Platt one of Brigham's horses jumped into a hole and hung himself by his rope [ ] this morning our Ten consulted the matter over having two cooks and concluded it was best to follow Brigham's request [ ] I was elected head cook of nine men as follows [ ] Cap Norton Jacobs & C A Harper [ ] George Woodward who drives the cannon wagon [ ] Lewis P Barney & S Markham [ ] Andrew S Gibbons & George Mills [ ] Joseph Hancock & John Norton
After breakfast we resumed our journey and traveled about ten miles and stopped at noon to bait our teams [ ] we have had no rain and the earth is parched and dry and there is scarcely any grass to feed our teams [ ] we then traveled on till about an hour before sundown when we arrived at Gravel Creek where we camped and our horses were turned out to graze [ ] about dusk two of our horses where seen going off at full speed [ ] some on horse back put off after them but were unable to overtake them [ ] we came to the conclusion that the Indians were on them"
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"The stolen horses belonged to Willard Richards and Jesse C. Little. The hunting party encountered a number of Indians who tried to decoy them into their power. The brethern had considerable anxiety while passing through the Pawnee tribes." ....excerpt taken from Church History by Joseph Fielding Smith
Thomas Bullock journal:
"Monday 26 [ ] The Camp was awoke this morning at ½ past 3 by the blowing of the Horn & hearing from the Guard [ ] the alarm being made that Indians were near us which turned out to be that John Eldridge Levi Kendall & Stephen Kelsey of the Guard were the persons who saw them [ ] John Eldridge says he thought he saw a couple of Wolves coming to the Camp & determined to have some fun run as if to chase them when they rose up on their feet & turned out to be two Indians [ ] he pulled his pistol but it did not go off he then called to Kendall & Kelsey who fired their guns four other Indians having jumped up & run [ ] a general alarm being raised nearly all the men were found to be at their posts under their commanders of Tens who continued on Guard till Sunrise [ ] the Horn was again blown at 5 for all to get up herded the oxen until horn blew drove in fed & hitched up [ ] the camp were all started by ¼ past 8 [ ] the horse teams going first ox teams last making an entire new road on the South side of the Loup Fork [ ] travelled over a Prairie covered with dry grass & great many Prairie Daisies scattered about both black & white the face of the country is now beginning to change [ ] we had to cross many sloughs & small ridges [ ] the large trees disappear & instead thereof have small stunted scrubby trees & willows on the margin of the River [ ] Rolled at noon by one of the Sloughs where were 4 many Fishes [ ] in about an hour started again having a West Wind & Blue Sky a very pleasant day [ ] in the afternoon small White Clouds floating in the West [ ] on our left hand is a continuous ridge of high land about two miles distant on the other side of the River is a similar ridge [ ] John Y. Green's team tired out in the evening during the afternoon crossed 98 trails heading to the river [ ] some conjecture them to be Indian trails but when they some places 28, 18, 13 &c in a bunch [ ] I conjecture them to be Buffalo trails going to the River to drink at Capt Fremont (I believe) express such things very common on the Platte River [ ] we camped for the night on a clear stream of Water down in a ravine 17 miles in the neighborhood discovered Buffalo tracks hair & dung [ ] some horses straying away to far from Camp [ ] Prest Young called to the brethren to attend to their horses [ ] he has frequently called on the brethren "take care of your horses they are straying away," &c [ ] I herded Cattle & also assisted in driving in ten horses & mules [ ] about 8 oclock another alarm was given that an Indian was riding away a horse [ ] the brethren flew to arms & horses & several went in pursuit they having returned unsuccessful [ ] Prest. Young Kimball Lyman and Thomas Grover Joseph Matthews Luke Johnson John Brown & about half a dozen others mounted their horses and went in pursuit [ ] after travelling more distance they also returned unsuccessful at ½ past 10"
