Alexander Robertson

After being baptized got the spirit of gathering. We sold our household utensils and left the land of our birth. Mother and all of the family had joined the Latter-day Saint church. We left Liverpool on the ship Argo, a sailing vessel for New Orleans, on 11 day of January 1850. We got to New Orleans some time in the first of March; had a very good voyage. The captain and crew was all very good. There was 400 Mormon passengers on board the vessel. Jeter Clinton was president over the Mormon emigrants on board of ship. Took steamboat up Mississippi River to St. Louis, the "Old Uncle Sam." From St. Louis to Kanesville on boat (Robert Cambell [POSSIBLY, Campbell]) a smaller boat got to Kanesville on 16 day of April. Got a small loghouse covered with elm bark on banks of Missouri River. Had the fever and ague about ten months. Mother died here. I worked here sawing lumber with the whipsaw. In spring of 1852, worked on ferry boats on Missouri River, would make two trips a day. Propelled by oars by the time we got across would [p. 1] be a mile below from where we started on the other side and would have to tow the flat boat upstream by hand to start back. Later in the spring went out to Loup Fork of the Platte River with a company to build some flat boats for Martin and Powers, and stayed out there to run them until time to start to Salt Lake. Hired my luggage, hauled by James Miller $10.00 per hundred. I drove team for my brother William when we got to Fort Bridges our provisions was getting short. Took my blanket and started on foot depending on getting something to eat from the companies ahead sometimes we got it and sometimes did not, but got throw. This was in Sept. 1852. . . .