The ledger found in the possession of Reverend Thomas Benton appears to be the book kept by Lawerence Murphy to record the income and expenses involved in the failed wagon train expedition through the Capitan Mountains.

A careful reading of the ledger reveals the following:

• Most of the persons recruited to make the journey were individuals and families from Angus, Lincoln, and Blazer’s Mill. Two individuals from San Patricio also took part.
• There was a fair amount of expense paid for the wagons that were used. Notations indicate that the axles and frames of each wagon were reinforced to ensure that they could make the journey into the upper reaches of the Capitan Range.
• Murphy bankrolled the majority of the expedition and he had spent a considerable sum of money in outfitting the wagon train before it ever left Lincoln. With the entirety of the expedition being lost, it is certain that Murphy was unable to recoup any of his losses.
• Some folded pieces of correspondence make it clear that Murphy had communicated with a General Store in Tombstone, Arizona and made initial arrangements for the resupply of the wagon train. However, subsequent telegrams reveal that Murphy never followed up on the order and the business associate he claimed to have in Tombstone never met with store owner to make payment.