The author of the account was 11 1/2 years old when he made the journey from Sacramento, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1860. He apparently recorded this event later in life. He uses fictional names and never identified himself or his family's name. An older couple decided they wanted to go to Utah at the last minute, and because his family's wagon was the lightest, they took the older couple with them. Along the way, they encountered a few difficulties and the old lady died.