1854 Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel - William Field Company

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847-1868
William Field Company (1854)
Departure: 21 June 1854 Arrival: 19, 21 September, early October 1854

Poulter, William
Birth Date: 3 Mar. 1820
Death Date: 7 Mar. 1866
Gender: Male
Age: 34

Company: William Field Company (1854)
Pioneer Information:
brother of Thomas

Members of the Poulter family traveling with Company
Poulter, Caroline Strubell (34)
Poulter, Ephraim (5)
Poulter, George (6)
Poulter, Hannah Butler (29)
Poulter, Hannah Montgomery Wood (infant)
Poulter, John Montgomery Wood (infant)
Poulter, Thomas (2)
Poulter, Thomas Ambrose (37)
Poulter, William (34)

Source of Trail Excerpt:
Poulter, Thomas Ambrose, [Journal], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 44:139-41.
Still our crowd was a merry one. Every evening we made large fires. We had a band in our crowd, dancing and singing. The cattle were guarded by two of the brothers every night. One night we killed a beef. It was near my tent. At midnight the large white wolves came howling and snapping their jaws, and followed the next day for several miles. We were now on the river Platt, where the grass was two feet high but no wood but wagon loads of buffalo chips which make a beautiful fire. At this place were large herds of buffalo, hundreds in a drove. My brother William and two more of the brethren took horses and went over the hills to hunt. Night came on, it was dark but the hunters did not come. I fired off guns but not an answer. At last I hoisted a lantern on the wagon top. Soon the three hunters were in the camp loaded with meat. The wolves were after them howling terrible. The hunters said that the lantern in the top of the wagon saved them.
We now traveled about twenty miles. We camped but it was a bad place to camp. No grass. This night eight of the steers had gone back to the last camping place. Two of them was William's. Eight men with eight horses and a week's grub went in search of them. They traced them to the banks of Ashby Fork and there they had crossed the river. While the eight men camped the first night the wolves and bears roared, howled and snapped that seven of the men would not go a foot further, but my brother William took the best horse and went over the river. On the plot he met a train of Saints, 300 wagons this train had got the cattle, my brother helped them across. In three days he overtook us. His eyes were bloodshot, he having had no rest for three days and nights. He was followed by two Indians and three squaws all the time. We killed a beef. The two Indians came into our camp. They were fine looking men, six feet and stout, part of the tribe of Sioux.

Source of Trail Excerpt:
Groo, Isaac, Diary, 1854 Apr.-[Sept].
Wed. (August) 9th: In sight of Chimney Rock-Drove about 16 miles and still 5 or 6 miles from said rocks, crossed a fine creek today about noon. Distance from other creek about 15, miles.
Thursday (August) 10th: Sunrise Poulter returned with lost cattle. 1 oclock we passed Chimney Rock m camped about 4 on the bank of the Platt[e], no wood and grass poor. Drove our cattle across the river where feed for cattle was first rate.

Source Information
A. Location: > www.LDS.org > About The Church > Church History > Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel (1847-1868)
B. Citation: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, © 2004 Intellectual Reserve Inc. All rights reserved.