Hurlburt Bicknell, letter to Julian Johnson, c. 1847–48; in Laurence B. Johnson, ed., The Pines Letters, (Bordentown, N.J, 1954), p. 29.
...Jane and famely will leave this Spring with the mormons and whare thay will go I do not now/ some say one plase some another/ I saw Joseph and Jane the midle of last month/ thay ware all well then although Janes health has ben vary pore ever sense she has ben in the west and is not a bel to do any work that is hard/ thay have kep a hired girl for the last four years and som times two; thay have all ways had enuff to live on and the church built them a fine brick hous last somer but thay have it to leave/ Joseph is the first president of the sevenity and thay give him a good living/ thay have five fine and smart children three boys and two girls/ Adline the oldest child adn July Verlett the babe/ thay have bured two children ...