October 11, 1850

I write to conclude my travels from Virginia to Utah and on this fateful day I can say me and my

family have completed the challenging course of manifesting our destiny. From Virginia we had to travel

north a bit to get to the Mormon Trail, from there we had to navigate harsh Rocky terrain of the

Apalacians. We learned that the only way to survive is if we spend a couple days each week hunting local

wildlife to help make our rations last long enough. Our biggest danger was the climate and weather that

fell before us. A harsh winter really took a toll on the Wagon and we had to do repairs weekly to make

sure the axle didn't break. It had taken me and my family about 11 months to reach Utah, we were pulled

by Oxen in a Covered wagon my brother had given me back home, he gave it to me because he also

wanted to go west but his wife and kids had caught some sort of fever that was spreading around Virginia

at the time. I decided to move out west for the farmland and to carry out my brother's dream in tribute to

his family. I couldn't stand how hard it was to get land and for a good price out east and was tired of the

inhumane treatment of slaves. Life out here hasn't been easy by any means. I have my three boys

everyday chopping wood or hunting and helping me work on building the homestead. I've been having

the wife work on sewing the clothes that are to the point of rags on our backs but I hope to buy some

sheep from a farm 50 miles north. Life is hard now and with winter ready to fall I hope to have the house

done in about a month as all that needs to be finished is working on insulating the roof with the pieces of

pine trees. The future holds a place where my generations to come will be able to prosper in the acres of

land that need development and the riches that come from the resources harvested. I hope to one day be

able to become a powerful rich man with the hope of becoming a government body with the power I now

possess with my land.