"on Saturday morning we again resumed our journey and traveled 21 1/2 miles [ ] The company left at the ferry were to wait till our company came up and then come on with them to us and in the meantime ferry all the emigrants they could get to"
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They're close to the Red Buttes of Wyoming now.
From Pioneer Heritage Gateway book:
"After waking up to a heavy frost, the pioneer company finally moved on at 7:50 a.m., traveling on the north side of the North Platte River. They passed red buttes and "many rough picturesque sceneries." They ascended a steep mile-long bluff that presented a very nice view. The road down on the other side was crooked and rough.
After traveling twelve miles, they stopped for the noon rest near a spring which was the first water found since the ferry crossing. After a good rest, they continued on. William Clayton wrote: "At the distance of eight miles from the spring there is a steep descent from a bluff and at the foot there is a high ridge of sharp pointed rocks running parallel with the road for near a quarter of a mile, leaving only sufficient space for wagons to pass. At the south point there is a very large rock lying close to where the road makes a bend, making it somewhat difficult to get by without striking it. The road is also very rough with cobble stones."
With well-rested animals, they were able to travel a total of twenty-one and a half miles this day, a new record for the longest distance traveled in one day since leaving Winter Quarters. William Clayton mentioned: "It was remarked by several that their stock had fattened so much while stopping at the ferry, they hardly knew them." They camped near a "small miry stinking crick around which there was many mire holes of the worst sort." Wilford Woodruff wrote: "Our camping place for the night was the most wretched of any ground we have found on the way. President Young thought it might properly be called Hell gate." The water tasted terrible. The cattle would drink a little but would then stop. They were cautious, because they knew that they were near a poison spring which would kill cattle if they took a drink. William Clayton added: "The mosquitoes are very bad indeed at this place which adds to the loathsome, solitary scenery around." The cattle were tied up to keep them from the mire, but three still became stuck.
The hunters brought in a buffalo and several antelope. There was no fuel for fires, except for sage roots. Lewis Myers, the hunter for the Mississippi Saints killed two buffalo, but took only the tallow and tongues and left rest on the ground to rot. About 9 p.m. an alarm was sounded that an ox had mired in the slough. It was almost totally sunk but soon was pulled out.
Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith reported that when they were looking for the night's camp, they saw six men suddenly spring up out of the grass with blankets, like Indians and rode away. The brethren followed them for a short distance until one of the "Indians" signaled them to stop coming. The brethren ignored the signal and continued on. Finally, the "Indians" galloped off at full speed. The brethren were convincing that the men were Missourians and were using this trick to scare the brethren away from their camp. Howard Egan wrote, "It is considered an old Missouri trick and an insult to our camp, and if they undertake to play Indian games, they might meet with Indian treatment."
Nine years from here in October of 1856, the Martin Handcart Company will ford the Platte River for the last time. Due to an early hard snowstorm, those people will be caught in the cold and heavy snow. They will go a few miles further but then will have to wait it out for rescue which they weren't sure was coming. Many died in the exposure.
