Samuel Banford

• Residence: Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States

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Mormon Pioneer:

". . . . From Boston we went on a cattle train to Iowa where we outfitted for the journey across the plains.

"In the party were my mother, myself and my brothers and sisters, John Banford, Richard Banford, William Banford, Martha Banford (who later married Charles Cole), Job Pingree and Mrs. Mary Anne McCarty Madden. This Job Pingree was the father of John Pingree. James Pingree, Frank Pingree and the Job Pingree who is living in Ogden now.

"While crossing the plains my brother John was killed when the oxen stampeded one day. His back was broken when he was run over.

"My brother Richard died of a disease called the black canker. Both were buried in rude graves along the trail.

"We saw the prairies black with buffalo. The great herds numbered tens of thousands. The hunters killed some and we had lots of excellent fresh meat.

"I helped drive the oxen, because I was then 12 years old and had to help my mother, who was a widow. We were in a Captain Martin's company.

"While we were crossing the plains we met up with supply trains of freight wagons and columns of soldiers belonging to General Albert Sidney Johnston's army. The soldiers were on their way to Utah and they used to try to scare us by saying they were going to subdue Utah. But we didn't scare.

"Further on the supply trains were stopped and destroyed by Lot Smith and the soldiers had to go into camp for the winter at Fort Bridger. We came on into Utah and reached Ogden on my birthday, September 22, 1857."

SOURCE: Banford, Samuel, [Interview], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 4:51-52. Retrieved online from http://lds.org/churchhistory/library/source/1,18016,4976-5559,00.html