They crossed the Mississippi at Keokuk, twelve miles below Nauvoo, which years before had been the home of the Saints. In passing through Iowa they traveled much of the time along the route the Saints pursued in their journey westward from Nauvoo. It was generally alluded to by the settlers as the "Mormon Bee Trail," and Thomas felt a certain pride in following in their footsteps, and also found comfort in comparing his circumstances with those of many of the Saints. Much of the country was very sparsely settled, and there was scarcely an able-bodied man to be met in the region, all seemingly being absent in the army. Many of the bridges along their route had been washed away, and he had to stop and make or repair bridges before he could proceed.
Many times on the journey they had reason to feel that there was a special Providence over them. Brother Briggs mentions one case in particular to illustrate the fact.
They came to a stream one day that was about fourteen feet wide, and too deep and miry to be forded. His wife wept from discouragement when she saw it. He tried to cheer her up, and went back to the last house they had passed to procure help if possible, but found only women and children there. Then he went down stream a long distance, in the hope of finding at least part of the bridge that had been washed away, but all in vain. There were no large trees growing near, but on each side of the creek some small cottonwood saplings were growing, none of them more than four inches in diameter. These he cut down and laid across the stream and put small brush on the top of them. He found it would bear his weight when he walked across it, but it was very springy, and not at all of a character to support a team and wagon; but it was the best he could do. He had his wife and children get out of the wagon and stand on the bank, and, after an earnest prayer to the Lord to help him in the emergency, he got in the wagon and whipped up the horses. To his astonishment, they crossed over the frail structure with ease, and the wife and children walked over.
Soon afterwards they met a man with a few sacks of corn in his wagon, which he was taking to a mill, to get it ground. They inquired of him how far distant the mill was, and he said fifty miles—a fair indication of how sparsely that region was settled.
After passing Garden Grove, where the Saints journeying westward from Nauvoo established a settlement, the roads were found to be better, and faster time was made in traveling.
They arrived at the Missouri River, opposite Nebraska City, in the night, and camped there before crossing. Very early in the morning they heard the whistle of a steamboat coming up the river, and knew from that the boat was going to stop. Thomas said to his wife: "Ann, what would you think if Archie and Elizabeth should be on that boat?" She replied that she couldn't think of any such improbability, and lapsed into slumber again.
When it was fairly daylight they crossed the river on a ferry boat, and when they landed, there, sure enough, was the sister and brother-in-law, thus confirming the promptings of the Spirit, and they had a joyful reunion.
His sister explained that after the Briggs family left them in Springfield they could get no rest until they packed up and followed them by the fastest conveyance they could find.
About eight miles farther up the river was a place called Wyoming, the starting point for the trains crossing the plains at that time, and they made their way to that point. They found that only a few of the Saints intending to journey to Utah had yet arrived, and so they had a chance to rest and let their teams recuperate before continuing their journey.
Trains of teams and wagons from Utah, sent east to convey the poor Saints from Europe and other countries across the plains, soon began arriving, as did also teams sent by Utah merchants for merchandise, which at that time had to be freighted by teams a thousand miles. Steamboats loaded with freight for the west also began arriving, and Wyoming soon presented a busy scene. Among the first of the cargoes were wagons, which had to be put together, and Thomas was hired for that task. Then the merchandise began pouring in, and it had to be guarded at night to keep it from being stolen, and he was next employed in that line. During their stay there, his wife and sister also did washing for the Utah boys who were there preparing to return home with emigrants or freight, all of which helped to replenish their funds, which were running low.