"we traveled a few miles when we met a trader from Fort Laramie [ ] his company was on the other side of the river [ ] they had seen us and he waded across to us [ ] we sent letters back to our families [ ] one of our men rode over with him to examine the river and inquire the road [ ] when they returned we held a council and decided to continue on this side of the Platt for the present as we wished to establish a road independent of the Gentile road for the accommodation of our families who should follow after [ ] we started on a few miles to a good place for water and tolerable feed where we camped"
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The trader he mentions was Charles Beaumont, a Frenchman trapper and fur trader. The image above is not Charles Beaumont. I searched but could not find any picture of him.
He did consent to carry a packet of some fifty to sixty letters from the pioneers back to the families at Winter Quarters as he was journeying East which was much appreciated.
(From Church History....Joseph Fielding Smith)
