dark That Night <​&​> camped abut 2 miles below Ottow<​ay​> near the , <​*​> <​* having travelled over 200 miles in 2 31 days & 18 hours with the same horses, which had become very tired—​> left the company about an hour before Sun— Sit and proceeded by himself to Ottoway about dusk <​& again​> crosed the and arrived in<​to​> Ottoway and put up at s There learned <​for certain <​positively​>​> that the Stage Contractor <​propriter​> between and Ottow had taken his Stage to Convey Gen Jos Smith towards from towards Joseph had come as far as , where he was informed that Judge [John D.] Caton was absent, & had returned to to <​&​> obtained another writ of , intending to go to <​& had started in the direction of​> , <​Adams Co.​> and also that had taken his Stage Coach to convey a portion of the people <​brother Joseph​> to

when he had obtained this information he left orders for the Maid of Iowa to return with all speed to

<​Thursda[y] 29​> Early next <​on the​> morning <​of the 29th.​> returned to his Company & gave them the information, when the Company started on their return for , came as far as the ox Capn. Haws’s &. staid all night, who gave us the use of his barn to sleep in; on in conversing with the Citizens of Magnolia they <​approbated our course, & ◊ manifested a warm feeling, & offered to help us <​with their artillery company​> if we stood in needed their assistance.​> told thus that they would fight for us

<​Frida[y] 30​> On the 30 we made a direct course for the Narrows <​4 miles​> above , where we <​re​>crossed the , & camped near the Town; <​(​>here we again found & <​27​> who had been up to Peru on the Maid of Iowa, learnt our report, & returned to ;<​)​> the Maid had continued our <​her​> journey towards

<​1 July​> 1 July we pursued our journey <​Travelled​> <​over 40 miles​> & camped on a branch of Crooked <​small​> Creek near a Farm house where the entire company had an abundance of milk while they staid there <​for the night—​>

<​2​> 2 July we continued our journey to where we learnt the full particulars of bro Joseph’s safe arrival, & <​&​> trial before the Municipal Court when we made merry, <​composed a song​> sang & danced <​& this day they returned to ​>

<​3​> 3 July after breakfast again started <​singing the new song​> & arrived betw in about Noon, went down to the when bro Joseph came out to us shook hands with each individual & blest us all in the name of the Lord

During the entire journey the weather <​heat​> was extremely hot oppressive, and as the necessity of the case was <​very​> urgent they had not time to sleep it may be safely said to be one of the most rapid & arduous <​fatiguing​> marches made that is on record having travelled <​with the same horses between 4 & <​about​> 500 miles​> over 400 hours in 7 days. [5 lines blank]

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