"The first town we saw in Texas was Greenville. there we met a family from Evansville, IN. The man was a dentist and we stayed there to let him fix some of our teeth. We crossed the Brazos River at Huntsville. After we got out of the pine woods we had a pleasant drive. We often spoke of our friends who started before we did and wondered how many would be waiting at Seguin where we were to meet agreeable to promise. We had never heard from them or they from us and on March 4, 1850, we drove into Sequin and to our sorrow found but a few of the crowd to welcome us. They were afraid we had been lost. So many of their party had dropped out on the way, some at one place and some at another. The families we met there were J. J. Thornton, George Day, Horace Neely, a Mr. Ouches, and two Norton's, and there might have been others but these are all I can remember. They told us about a pleasant trip they had. They came through Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) and were delighted here. We moved to a small colony on the Gibolo river for the summer. We found nice people there. It was about 18 miles from San Antonio where we had left work for our mail to be sent. So the next thing was to hear from the folks at home. No one could go alone on account of the Indians, but a company was soon made up and went and brought back the mail. the postmen had been told to keep our mail till we called for it. I am writing this for my grandchildren and If I were a better writer I would like to write them a book on the same subject but as this is the best I can do, will stop. I forgot to tell that when we were at Gains' Landing, father took our furniture and household things to New Orleans and shipped the across the gulf to Indionola. It was late in summer when we got them, some were lost that we never got. It was foolish for us to have shipped so much. I had a $100 parlor stove that was ruined before we got a cabin to put it in, but our carpets and such things were useful. My nicest carpet I used for a partition in the first house I lived in. Father Luce knew we were bringing too much but he was afraid to tell us for fear all would not come. He would say, "Bring all you want and I will pay the freight bill." Well in the fall of 1850 we moved to Lockhart, TX and I have lived here continuously ever since. Some of the colony moved here too and we are dear neighbors. Of course all the old ones have passed away, but some of their grandchildren live here yet and feel near to me. I forgot to mention that Father Luce had a sister who came Gains' Landing with son Thomas, who was quite a gay. [guy?] Aunt Hettie Everton was to see us leave so she took her us. She said she could not bear handsome young man and so very pious. [this is the way it was printed] She made them tie up the boats on Sundays, and she would call all into the boats and have prayers much to the annoyance of the three captains. She wanted singing but as there were no singers in the crowd but the captains and myself, and as the captains were angry to have to stop on Sundays, we did not have music. This Thomas Everton in after years moved to Texas, and he died a few years ago in Lulling, TX, this county (Caldwell). His daughter, Mrs. Jennie Clark, runs an orphan's home at that place, which is a credit to herself and the county. The name of the home is "Bell Haven." I was 90 years old last March 15. Signed: Rachel Harness Whitman, wife of Matthew Rogers Luce