Elijah Allen. Born 1826. Baptised by Elder Roger Orton. Confirmed by Sidney Rigdon in Kirtland Temple 1836.

About the 1 of Febuary 1846 I left Nauvoo and drove a team for Presidant Young and passed through those senes in common with the Saints to Council Bluffs, and helped to ferry and cross the wagons over the Missoura River. A call from the government was then made for five hundred of our men to go into the United States service. Presidant Young wished his boys to inlist, so I, Nathan Young, Albert Dunham, we threw down the ox whip and left his teams and cattle to be took care of as best they could in that wild uncettled country, and put our names doune in Co. B. Was mustered into service the 16 of July 1846.

Presidant Young asked me if I thought we would have any fightting to do. I said I did not know. He then said we would have no fighting to do, and in the sequil his words proved verily true. His last words, he said he would see me again.

For two hundred miles we marched downe the Missoura river [and] passed through several towns. The Missourans asked me almost everry day where we were going. I told them to California. They said we would never see California. It was the intention of the government to march us into Old Mexico and we never need expect to see home again. I allowed them to have their oune opinion and I had mine, and that was we would see our friend and home again as our Prophets had told us.

When we had marched into the principle street of Saint Joseph our Colonol ordered us to halt, front face and rest. Some buisness was done when orders was given to forme into ranks, right flank, right face, march. We kept good time with our musitions: Levi Hancock, Major Sprague and 4 or 5 others. Spectators looked and gased after us as far as they could see.

We camped in the timber. There was a tremendious wind in the night that blew the limbs on every direction. But fortuneately no person was hurt.

When opposite Fort Levnworth the ferrys were made reddy and crossed the Battalion over into the Fort. Here we camped for several days. Owing to the extreme hot wether meny wure taken sick. Here we drew our muskets, knapsacks, canteenes, camp equipage, etc. Colonol Allen ordered Capt. Hunt to move on with the Battalion to Council Grove. Here we heard of the death of our colonol by some officers that came into camp in the evining. We had formed some aquaintance in coming downe the Missoura and his loss was severely felt.

Liut. Smith took the command and we wure put on force march. I helped to fery the waggons over Cow River till late in the eavning. It was about 11 o'clock before we got into camp.

I had a violant fever in the morning. I took a large dose of Boneset [1] which come nigh ticking [?] me to death during the day. In the eavning Elder Hanks laid hands on me and I felt a greate deal better.

The next day there was a violant storme of rain and wind which seemed to defy evry thing before it, blowing downe all our tents, blew off the waggon covers and moved the light wagons several rods. [2]

When the fever left I was verry weak. I then had the Blooddy flux [3] for several weeks.

We travled up the Arkansaw several days then crossed the river. Bro. Phelps died and was bueried the next morning. We then travled 70 miles without water. We came to the Symarone [and] travled up the creek several days. We now came into the mountain country.

Our doctor was a bitter enimy to us on a count of our religion. My mess mate Bro. Danham was sick and give out. He was got into the wagon to ride. When the Doc saw it he ordered him out and told him if he did not keep out of the wagon he would tie him behind the wagon and drag him to California. By GD [God] he said he would rather kill the damed [damned] Mormons than cure them. We either had to report ourselves, take the calomill [4] or pack our guns. For this reson I kept away as long as possible. However I went up to the sick quarters one morning and asked for something to releive me. He said, GD you, why don't you report to the orderly? I said I did not wish to come on the sick list but wanted something to cure me of the bowel complaint. He turned to Bro. Spencer, the stewerd, and ordered me some medisine, which I took in his preasance and whatever it was done me more hurt than good. I was very weak yet I marched in the ranks.

10 of Oct. we marched into Santafee and wure saluted by a company of infantry discharging their gunes over our heads. We beat the horse Co. in altho they left Fort Levensworth 2 weeks before us. I went to the Catholic church and see a grate many curosities. 20th we left for the Riogrand under the command of Col. Cook. About 23 days we travled downe this river, passed by several townes and Spanish plantations. Bro. Clark of our mess and quite a Co. of sick were sent back to Purbalo [Pueblo], but my feelings was to go ahead.

At the time, the mountains on each side of [us] are covered with snow which makes it quite cool when we have to turne out in the night for guard. We now come to a verry sandy road and bad sand hills. I have meny times laid downe my musket and acurtraments and helped to pull the wagons up the sand hills till tired, then put on my pack and travle[d] on.

About the 23 [or 21] of Nov. we left the river and took a west course over the mountains. Whether or no this is a new country to our pilots and new to us but with pick and ax we are working our way through and taking the first wagons to the Pacific. We came to some old Spanish buildings. The snow and sleet has covered the vallies and mountains arround. The night comes on with cold pearcing winds that froze some of our cattle to death, then they were delt out for our rations. Meny times I have beene on guard when the winter winds has found its way to my hide and obliged to keep pacing or freeze. These senes I cannot describe, but they will long be remembered by those who shared the cold chiling frosts without half rations.

We have graduly been assending the Rocky Mountains and now we are on the back bone top. The next morning I was detailed to go in advance with the pack mules and take them down the west side of the mountain 9 or 10 miles so the men could bring downe the emty waggons by tying long ropes to them to keep them from turning over into the deep revine below. Cap. Dyker had charge of the mule expedition downe the mountain. He had one of the men under guard that night. I thought he felt "I am a United States oficer and you are dam soldiers."

This is about the first of Dec. and as we get downe on the westerne side of the mountains the days are more pleasant. We travled downe the Pedro River several days. This country had beene setled by Spanyards but meny years ago they had beene driven out by the Indians or murdered. Consequently the country was full of wild bulls. Our hunters went out in the morning, fired into a band, and started them frome the hills. Down into our command they came, bounding in, uncommonly savage, hooking downe everything before them. I was in the rear when the fight commenced. Bro. Smith was hooked downe and put into the wagon. Just before I came up to the bull he was shot several times but was still agroaning. I passed through unhurt and heard the boys tell of the fight. Several of the men wure hooked downe, some mules hooked to death, and several bulls shot, which on the whole made it a verry exciting day.

We left the St. Pedro for Teusone Fort. They say they are seven or eight hundred strong of malitia and regulars well armed. One of the pilots was sent in advance to procure some provisions. They detained him as a spy. Consaquently Cook ordered 4 Spaniards to be taken from a distelery we passed by, as hostages. In the night they come and wished to exchange prisinors and told us we could go round their town but it was against the orders of their government for American troops to go through. Cook told them we should go through. The next morning 30 rounds of cartterages was issued to each man. We wure on quick march for towne but to our astonishment most every man had left the place and we took peacible possesion of the fort. We camped within a mile of towne. About midnight the alarm was given by the out standing guard. The men were all in battle line in a few minutes with muskets loaded, reddy for the Spaniards or any thing else. After standing in ranks a few minutes I was detailed with others to help take care of the mules so we passed through the night prepared for peace or war but it proved we had no fighting to do.

1. Boneset is a native plant to the United States. It also known as Eupatorium perfoliatum, Feverwort, and Thoroughwort. At the time, it was widely used as a cure-all. It is still in use today as a remedy for the flu and bronchitis.

2. A rod is equal to 16.5 feet or 5 meters.

3. Bloody flux was also known as bloody dysentery.

4. Calomel (mercurous chloride) was a cure-all for many physicians of the time but could cause mercury poisoning in large doses. It was most widely used as a laxative.

Church Archives, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, call number MS 16130, access number 325535-ARCH. Available on microfilm, starting on frame 146. Donated to the archive in 2000 by Nancy M. Smallie, a descendant of Elijah Allen, who inherited it from her mother.

Converted to HTML format by Matt Young in 2006 from photocopies of the manuscript and a typescript version of the manuscript. The paragraphs, punctuation, and capitalization are mostly from the typescript version, in order to make the document more readable. Almost all spelling is from the original manuscript. One exception is to change occurances of "theme" to "them". The original spelling would have been confusing in this case.