Fifteen years after crossing the plains with his family in the Morris Phelps Wagon Train of 1851, Andrew Hunter Scott accepted a call from Brigham Young in 1866 to serve as a wagon train captain for a round trip trek to the Missouri River to provide transport for another LDS emigration to Utah.
The assignment included the assistance of his oldest son, Franklin, Sr., then 15 years old; the supervision of an ox train consisting of 46 wagons and 300 British, Norwegian, and Danish Mormon emigrants; and a considerable amount of freight and some cattle.
Transpiring events in the United States and the Territory of Utah in the mid-1860’s would have been significant to the new Captain Scott: the Civil War had just ended, President Lincoln had been assassinated, the transcontinental railroad was only three years away from completion. By the end of the emigration summer of 1866 there would be 3,327 more emigrants from Europe ready to make their home in Utah territory.
Andrew and his son, Franklin, must have had a close father and son relationship on the ensuing 1000 mile journey from Utah to the outfitting camp village of Wyoming, Nebraska, located on the west bank of the Missouri River and 45 miles south of Winter Quarters, Iowa, which later was annexed by the state of Nebraska. When Andrew and his son arrived at Wyoming they would have seen perhaps a dozen houses, many tents and family boweries and two large warehouses of three stories each. The forgoing description was cited by Church Emigration officer Joseph W. Young, who added: “Wyoming is not much of a town, but so much the better, but it is beautifully situated on the banks of the Missouri River, and is very well adapted for camping and outfitting purposes.”
While at the bustling outfitting camp at Wyoming, Andrew dispatched a letter to his wives and children at Provo and stated that it looked like his wagon train would be among the last of the 10 trains scheduled to leave after August 1. In a letter he wrote from Spring Creek, 8 miles this side of Fort Bridger on his way to Nebraska, he wrote that they had traveled over some of the worst roads he had ever seen and his outfit was one of the most poorly equipped. He reported that Franklin was doing a good job driving the four yoke of oxen on his wagon. These two letters are in custody of Melba Scott Anderson, of Orem, who is preparing to publish these and other letters in a book titled “Legacy Letters”.
Probably the best brief account of Captain Andrew H. Scott’s ox train is the following extracted from the Church Chronology Section of the Journal History of the LDS Church, dated August 19 through October 4, 1866.
Captain Andrew H. Scott’s ox train of 49 wagons and about 300 English and Scandinavian emigrants, who had crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the ships “American Congress”, “Kenilworth” and “Humbolt” left Wyoming, Nebraska 8 August 1866. The company arrived safely in the vicinity of Fort Kearney August 19th , was at Fremont Springs August 25th and at Fort Mitchell September 2nd. While passing from Sage Creek over the Rocky Ridge, a severe wind and snow storm was encountered which lasted twelve hours….The beautiful singing of a choir of 25 singers from Scandinavia did much to lighten the trials and fatigues of the trip, but it is recorded that thirty deaths occurred on the journey. The balance of the company arrived in Salt Lake City October 8th. No list of passengers in Captain Scott’s company has been preserved but the daily journal of Andrew Jensen, Assistant Church Historian, then only a boy of 15 years of age, on of the emigrants from Scandinavia, gives valuable details of interesting events of the journey.”
The journey of Andrew Jenson covering the Scott Train appears in his published autobiography and was also published in the AHS Bulletin, 12 August 1969. Some of the interesting highlights from the Jenson journal are reproduced as follows:
“Some 10 to 12 Saints were assigned to each wagon. Five members of the company died while at Wyoming, Nebraska. The ox train traveled 12 to 20 miles each day. Public prayer was offered in camp every night after which Captain Scott or the spiritual leader, George M. Brown, or some other leader gave encouraging or instructive remarks. Our biggest concern was shortened food rations when we came to the mountains, Indians who appeared hostile but seemed willing to tolerate Mormon wagon trains, and then the colder weather. My first view of the Great Salt Lake Valley was grand and beautiful. Together with my companions I shouted for joy. We arrived in the valley (via Parley’s Canyon) near Sugar House on October 8th and then traveled about four miles to the Tithing Yard where everything was unloaded, and then the train started off again for the South with those expected to locate to Utah County.”
The Jenson Journal also includes the contents of the following telegram sent by Captain Scott on September 21st from South Pass to President Brigham Young: “Encountered a very severe snow storm for 12 hours…Some cattle were badly frozen, eight head died and 50 more disabled. The snow was six inches deep, feed covered up, heavy wind from the northwest, very cold. Today fine weather, cattle looking better. Camp in good condition. Shall move from here tomorrow.”
Considerable research has been done to locate a list of the passengers who were assigned to Captain Scott’s company. Some individual and family names have been verified as members of the train. They are:
George M Brown, a returned missionary from Norway who served as an interpreter for the Scandinavians and was appointed the spiritual leader.
Andrew Jenson and his parents and other members of their family from Norway.
Morgan and Annie Neilsen Swenson and their five daughters, one of whom was Laura Swenson Fowers, and also Annie N. Swenson’s mother, all from Denmark. Morgan Swenson slipped into the path of a wagon and was thrown underneath, resulting in his death. He was buried in Echo Canyon. His wife, Annie, died seven days later after giving birth to a premature baby and was buried on Big Mountain.
Mary Jensen Bearnson of Denmark, age eight, walked most of the way. Her grandmother died before she reached Nebraska.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Jensen, friends of Mary’s family took charge of her on the trip.
Hans and Peter Rigtrup.
Ole H. Berg from Norway who later became Bishop of the Provo First Ward and established the Berg Mortuary at Provo.
Hans C. Nielson
Marie Nielson Robins
Rare Wagon Train Photo Is Likely Captain Andrew H. Scott's CompanyThis photo is from a stereoscopic photo slide mounted on cardboard with the imprint on one side which reads: "Mormon Emigrants on the Plains, 1866" - C.R. Savage, Pioneer Art Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah. C.R. Savage left with a wagon train company from Wyoming, Nebraska, just two weeks before the Captain Scott wagon train departed but he could have taken the above photo of emigrants who had gathered before he departed in his train. Only about 90 emigrants out of 300 in the Scott train are shown above. The slide is preserved in the Utah State Historical Society Archives and the photo has been published in the Encylopedia of Mormonism and History of Mormons in Photographs. No identification of people has been included. Four of the above insert photos of documented members of the A.H. Scott train show a strong resemblance to four emigrants in the group photograh. They are, l. to r.: Andrew Jensen, Franklin Scott, Andrew Hunter Scott and Ole H. Berg.
Editor’s note: The book Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah also list the following members of his company: Robert Graham from Scotland, Thomas Hancock from England, Jens Peter Jensen from Norway, Henry Herman Ludvick Kotter, David Moore from England, and Martin Williamson from Norway.
The Deseret News of 7 October 1866 announced the arrival of the Scott train as follows: “Captain A.H. Scott’s train of 49 wagons and 300 passengers got in Monday morning, the cattle of the company looking well and the passengers as a general rule in good health. This company of people was reported as one of the finest that has come in for a long time.”
For more information about these “down and back” wagon trains, as they were called, see the September 1985 Ensign on pages 26-31. It reports that from 1862 to 1868 24,000 emigrants came to Utah. One third to one-half of those, needing Church help, came in “down and back” wagon trains sent from Utah.
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