Jones writes with news from Ohio and then goes on to discuss the fates of other family members who had gone further West:

       "... I have not herd from Ben for two years Neither have I had a Letter from Dave since he left but I am informed by Dick that he started in a comeny last spring from Iowa City for Pikes peak and that they got discouraged wen at fort larmarry and turnd there corse for Callifornia. George Zimerman had a leter from him when he was with the mormons in utaw great Salt Lake City. Since that time we have no account of him I think most likely he has perisht on the plains his cozen ben Started about the same time but from a Difrent point I have forgot the place but I think in Missouria but how someever  he got through safe bearly escapt loosing his life by starvation the company he was in lost all they had on the plains there horses all died and they ware obliged to leve there wagons, provisions and clothing two more beside him self took ther knapsack fild with bred and proseded on foot traveld three hundred miles living on bred and water and through a country of hostile Indians and when he got to his brother he was redust to a skeleton clothed in rags and at first interview was not recognized by them..." [sic]