The Genteel Gentile, Letters of Elizabeth Cumming, 1857 - 1858

Genteel Gentile, page 067

Great Salt Lake City 17th June 1858. Stowell's account of their departure for Hie valley offers a somewhat different, and perhaps unexpected, view of pany him to Sali Lake. On going lo his quarters ihe day which had been set for starting, I learned thai his wife wa noi willing to go and feigned ^ii.kness as an apology. This resulted in the teams being turned out for that day. "The following morning he lold his ready for he was going to start. He when he returned to his quarters fi>i l\is told him. that rv]rs Cumminj^ was sick He ordered ihe teamsters to take her t going Lo Salt Lake. The men began to ming's things, but in a littk- while she ready to go. When we en to get the teams :nt off a while and breakfast, his orderly and could not go. his wraih that he was jut Mrs. Cum- the fast picket guard, 1 saw a [iumbi']' ot armed men who did not appear to bclonj to the military. I was afterwards lold by men of my own people who were on the ground that they were a mob whe had come out of camp with the design of killing me, but my being so close to the t .ovemor prevented them. L/ear Sarah, ~p As I have not written to you for a long time, 1 shall direct this letter to you, instead of Anne, to whom I often write-& I trust to receive an answer from you, telling "all about" old friends & faces & yourself. The mail leaves here now once a week. 1 have so much to do & see & think, that writing letters to friends, instead of talking, seems very ineffectual to convey any idea of our lives. We left Fort Bridger on the 3d of June. Our party consisted of Alfred & his ambulance driver, Dr Forney & his driver & cook-myself & the little girl & my good servant Dundee-in a third ambulance, & a Mormon, Stowell, who has been a prisoner all winter! Three baggage wagons with their teamsters accompanied us. It blew cold-then it snowed, then it hailed & then was cold as winter. The road was dreary till we came to a descent called Cobblestone Hill (a very good raoun- 67