March 21, 1853.--I left my dwelling bound for Oregon. Stopped at my son's, Franklin, the first night.
    March 22.--Clear morning. The men are all engaged in fixing and loading the wagons. Stayed all night.
    March 23.--The following persons left Franklin['s place], viz: my son Cortez, his wife and daughter; Franklin, his wife and two sons and one daughter; Temperance and her son and four daughters; Mother, two daughters and self; seven young men, together with 5 ox teams, each team 4 yoke; two horse teams and between 70 & 80 head of neat cattle. Encamped at Fordyce's.
    March 24.--Had a good night's rest; all things went all well; our tent well. We fixed one of our stoves in it, which keeps it warm with little fuel. This afternoon I helped to drive the cattle. Encamped near the Indiana Hotel in Jefferson County, 15 miles from the former encampment. Rested well.
    March 25.--Cloudy morning, the wind from the N.E. Cortez got Walker dog and lost him again yesterday. Clear in the afternoon, high wind from the west. Elizabeth helped to drive the cattle in the forenoon. Sarah drove the two black mares all day. The roads considerably better than I expected them. Encamped near Agency City. I rode all day in a wagon; felt considerably unwell.
    March 26.--Last night & this morning the wind blowed hard from the west. This morning cloudy. I am considerably refreshed; slept well. Disagreeable day; snowed, rained, and blowed. The roads bad; the team stalled several times. The sun shone in the evening. Encamped before sunset. I drove the two blacks all day, made 13 miles.
    March 27.--Clear morning, ground froze; the road drier and more rolling than yesterday. Encamped 3 miles E. of Oskaloosa in Mahaska County. Made 13 miles. I drove the two blacks; they are getting gentle.
    March 28.--Clear and frosty morning. Cortez has bought 4 cows and four or 5 heifers since we left home. He [would] as soon buy on Sunday as any other day. This day bought two black mares and one calf. Last night one of our oxen took sick; we left him to die. The road in some places dusty; a few bad mud holes. Encamped 9 miles west of Oskaloosa. Sarah and myself drove the two black mares. South wind at sunset and cloudy.
    March 29.--Cloudy, wind S.E. Last night one of the heifers dropped a dead calf. All well except Jackson. He is some better in the evening. Clear in the afternoon. Encamped 6 miles west of Pella, on the public road. One of the oxen lame & another one purged considerable.
    March 30.--Cloudy. Jackson's complaint appears to be the mumps. Elizabeth helped in the forenoon to drive the cattle, and Temperance in the afternoon. Jackson rode in forepart of day in a wagon. I drove his team in the afternoon. Smith was kicked by one of the black mares. Made 16 miles. Encamped 11 miles west of Fools Point, Jasper County.
    March 31.--Clear. Jackson not fit for duty. Smith on duty with some difficulty. One of the heifers run off last night; Franklin gone after it. Had to guard our stock last night. Franklin found the heifer. Near 12 o'clock came to Walkers where encamped. Encamped about ½ mile from Walker's camp. Walkers all well. Saw George Sturdevant; gave him his letter and bundle that his father sent by me. Made 5 miles.
    April 1.--Cloudy; cleared off about 10 o'clock a.m. Stayed at our camp this day. Women & men washed their clothes.
    April 2.--Clear morning; all well. Rained in the afternoon & in the night. Remained at the camp.
    April 3.--Cloudy at sunrise. Jackson still not fit for duty; remained in camp.
    April 4.--White frost & clear. I remained in camp. Jackson on duty in afternoon.
    April 5.--Clear morning; high wind from the west blowing a constant gale. Some of Walker's boys and ours went about 4 miles to build a fence for a yard for all the stock, the wind blowing so hard that they could not get it to stand. They had to abandon it and came back to their several encampments about 4 o'clock p.m. This day received a letter from Enoch [Walker]; he was within 50 miles of Bluffs; the news not flattering for our business.
    April 6.--Clear at sunrise; high wind last night. Stayed at the camp all day. Enoch came to camp last night. From his report we concluded to remain on this side of the [Des Moines] river 7 or 8 days more. Fodder & corn cheaper than on the other side.
    April 7.--Clear at sunrise; froze ice. This day went to a new encampment; about 5 miles in company with Walkers to feed out a field of corn. Beautiful day; the boys all in their shirtsleeves.
    This and the next page was omitted in its regular order. On the 11th, we had the first rain of any account. Our tents turned the rain well; so did the wagon covers. I discovered some defects in all our wagon beds which could be easily remedied in building them, simply by extending the sides flush with the bottom. At present the sides rest on the bottom boards. This causes the water dropping from the covers on the sides and entering into the wagon bottoms and wetting any articles laying in the bottom.
    April 8.--Cloudy at sunrise. Our encampment is at Everets in Polk County. High wind. Cortez & Fruit [Walker] each took a wagon; went 3 or 4 miles to get oats in the sheaf. Clear from 10 o'clock to 3, Saturday.
    April 9.--Clear at sunrise; froze ice 4 inches thick last night. Remained in camp.
    April 10.--Clear at sunrise; froze ice 4 inches thick; hazy in the afternoon. The men took all the cattle to a new stalk field about a mile from camp. I got some papers to read from a neighbor, latest date March 22nd. Giles Wells came to our camp about 4 o'clock p.m.; his encampment is 8 miles east.
    April 11.--Cloudy at sunrise. A few drops of rain fell last night and this morning. From 10 o'clock a.m. it rained moderately until night and during the night. Wells encamped about one mile south of us. He lost one of his fine heifers this morning by death.
    April 12.--Cloudy; thunder last night and yesterday; cloudy all day with some rain. The cattle pen in bad condition, on account of the rain that fell yesterday and last night.
    April 13.--Clear at sunrise; wind west; thunder and rain last night. The cattle broke out of their pen last night; all hands gathered to bring them back again. Their pen still in a worse condition. The cattle were all turned into the stock field in the evening. About 10 o'clock a.m. it became cloudy and blustery; snowed some.
    April 14.--Clear; froze ice ½ inch thick. I went with Fruit to Wells' camp; they were all in good spirits. Fruit and Enoch are gone to make engagement with the ferrymen to ferry the wagons and stock across the Des Moines River. Cortez & some of his men branded the horses and cattle. Fine day. Smith, one of our men, has been sick for some days. He went to a neighbor house. Mother went to see him in the afternoon.
    April 15.--Cloudy at sunrise; continued cloudy all day; high winds from the east. Lysander Stone came to Walker camp. His train, including his father's, intends to encamp about 3 miles west of us this evening. Our invalids are getting better. Smith returned to camp.
    April 16.--Cloudy at sunrise; rained moderately the larger part of last night. Silas Stone came to our camp. Continued cloudy and cool all day.
    April 17.--Clear at sunrise; white frost; vegetation backwards and slow, if any. We pitched our tents on the bank of the Des Moines River, on the farm of Stoneburner's, about 2 miles from our last encampment. Still in company with Walkers. All the wagons and tents of both companies are close together. Beautiful afternoon. Lysander Stone came to our camp at noon. Ate dinner and went on his business. Smith on duty. Fidelity & Mary Stone came to our camp in the evening and two of their cousins named Hall.
    April 18.--Cloudy at sunrise. The horse wagons and the loose horses of both trains crossed the Des Moines River and encamped near Carlisle, about four miles from the last place. About 12 M. [noon] it began to thunder and rain. A new and bad road.
    April 19.--Cloudy at sunrise; rained & thunder last night. The few that were here had tolerable night's rest. The tent and wagon covers turned the rain well. Our camp is on the farm of Mr Burget in Warren County. The remainder of our & Walker train came on. Wells' train is here also. 31 wagons left and passed 150 head of loose cattle our encampment this day. The sun shone a part of the day.
    April 20.--Clear at sunrise. Walker's & my boys bought a Durham bull 10 years old at $67 yesterday, the sire of all the fine stock in this neighborhood. Wells started before we did, the horse teams and cattle next. Came 13 miles, encamped. Mrs. Walker's and Martha's horses got scared, run a short distance before they could stop them; no injury done. One of our horses in the spring wagon got swamped in one of the many sloughs. We crossed by the help of the other drivers. We extricated him without any great difficulties. One of the black mares lost the right foreshoe in one of the muddy places. Cloudy and some rain about 3 o'clock p.m. The cattle all on hand. The ox also broke one yoke. Double teamed in some bad places. Silas Stone & lady lodged in their wagon in our camp. Lysander encampment ½ mile east.
    April 21.--Cloudy at sunrise; between 2 o'clock & sunrise, a.m. heavy thunder storm & rain. Made 10 miles. Rained nearly all day. The road some better than yesterday. Our encampment on favorable ground, Madison County.
    April 22.--Cloudy, high wind all last night; 4½ mile west of Winterset. At Winterset saw two of Wells' girls. 6 miles west of Winterset; clear afternoon. Enoch with two [of his] and one of our wagons went to get corn to meet the train the morrow night. One of our men (Stephan Thrash) has been sick for 4 or 5 days. We have to haul him on a wagon. He had been considerably better this morning. He ate some, which did not agree with him. He has been quite sick since. Franklin and one of the boys stopped at Winterset to get some repairs done to the old wagon.
    April 23.--Last night it thundered, rained, and blowed; continued all this day. Last night Walkers and us put up five tents; this morning they were all blowed down but two. The women and men made shift to get some breakfast, such as it was. Mother, Lizzy, and all the children and myself remained in the wagons. The bedclothes in the wagon are considerably damp and wet. The men's bedding all wet. About 8 o'clock a.m. we [started] for a new encampment, as we had no feed for our stock. Arrived at the crossing of Middle River; not fordable. The men all engaged to fix the encampment, it raining and blowing. Enoch & the men with him are here with the corn for the stock. The men are in good spirits, apparently. The women, children, and myself are yet all in their wagons at 4 o'clock p.m.
    April 24.--Rained nearly all night; snowed in the morning. Three of Walkers' men sick. The men are engaged in cutting down linden trees for the stock. No corn to be had here this morning at any price. Three of our calves died last night & one about dying. The sun shone in the afternoon. Two of Walkers' oxen strayed off; Enoch is gone after them. The cattle were swum across the river. The horses, wagons, and tents remained on the same side.
    April 25.--Clear at sunrise; white frost. The women all engaged [in] airing the bed and other cloth which they much need. The rain and storm wetted a good many of them the two previous nights and one day. There came 22 wagons this day near our encampment. The men belonging to them commenced building two bridges across the river, one to take the loaded wagons across, the other a footbridge. 20 wagons crossed the river on the bridges they constructed. Adair County; few inhabitants in the county.
    April 26.--Clear at sunrise; still continues cool. Vegetation slow; no corn for [any] of cattle; some for the horses. About 10½ o'clock we got all our wagons over the bridge built yesterday by the men mentioned. They charged 25 cents per wagon for the use of it, our men doing all the labor. The bridge consists simply by two logs across the stream, so far apart that wheels are outside of the logs. The wagons are then placed on the logs with their load by hand, then drawn by oxen across, sliding on their axles on the logs. There were between 20 & 30 wagons on the other side at the time we got across. Two wagonloads of corn came for us. Heard Enoch; he has not found his oxen yet; he is still in search of them. We, that is, Cortez and Franklin, has lost at this place in all five yearling calves. After we crossed the bridge and paid the toll, others came and [took] possession of it and crossed over it without paying toll. There was a good deal of jangling about it. There were about 40 wagons taken across after we crossed. The Giles Wells train came in the evening opposite the river. The men packed the corn over the river on their backs. Wells got his wagons on this [west] side of river. Enoch got his oxen this evening.
    April 27.--Cloudy at sunrise; thunder and rain last night; part of the day clear. Went about 3 miles; encamped on the border of timber. The loose stock, both cattle and horses, had been drove here yesterday in order to get some grass. All hands are out that can be spared from the tents, hunting the stock in order to get them closer together. Part of this day was clear and warm; wind south and cloudy near sunset. Two of our men on the sick list, the best two we have in company. Wells are ahead of us.
    April 28.--Cloudy at sunrise; thunder & rain last night moderately. Made 18 miles and encamp at Nodaway Creek. Crossed two bad sloughs; at one of them Fruit's 4 horses got swamped. The rest of teams got through. All the wagon beds took in some water. At the other, Enoch and our spring wagons broke some of the tongue riggings. Being in the prairie, with the aid of lines we fixed them up in such a manner that we came to this encampment.
    April 29.--Clear at sunrise and all day. Our encampment being near the timber, we fixed in the new our tongue riggings with some addition of wooden pieces and hickory poles well twisted. Answered the purpose well. Encamped in the prairie near a slough. Grass scarce; corn for the work oxen & horses, which we haul with us. Made 10 miles.
    April 30.--Clear & windy at sunrise, cool. Since our tongue riggings broke, we used only two horses. Three of our men being sick, Sarah drove the two teams in the spring wagon. The day before yesterday Stone's bull gave out. Yesterday Franklin went back and found him; made such arrangement that Stone will get him. Yesterday Fruit started toward the Bluffs. Last night some of Walkers' loose horses strayed off. J. Walker and Cortez went in search of them. This day and the two previous days I saw a number of elk horns, some of a large growth. Encamped in prairie. Made about 10 miles. Met two bad places; the rest of the road was fine. Near our encampment is a section post marked S. 16/17/20/21 T75N. R.36W [i.e., the point where sections 16, 17, 20, and 21 intersect in Township 75 North, Range 36 West, Cass County, Iowa]. J. Walker and Cortez came to the camp near sunset with horses that strayed away the last night. Grass poor.
    May 1.--Wind blowed hard last night and this morning. Tent blowed down in the night. Tremendous rain storm at 7 o'clock a.m. Forded Nishnabotna. Broke two standards on the little wagon. Mr. Walker lost some of his plates in crossing. Encamped in the bottom of a branch of the same stream. Grass still scarce. No corn for the cattle; half allowance of corn for horses. Made about 8 miles.
    April 2.--Clear at sunrise; all day. Crossed on a very dangerous bridge with all the teams, cattle, and horses, without any injury. Made 8 miles. Encampment in prairie, Cass County. Grass scarce, water plenty. The work oxen & cattle are doing tolerable well. Fruit returned from the Bluffs.
    April 3.--Clear all day; S.E. wind. Made 8 miles. Good road. Crossed one stream on a bridge; these bridges are made by the emigrants. Bought 8 bushels corn at $1.50 per bushel. Camped on or near a stream. 15 Indians came to our camp, begging money & bread. We gave them not anything. The soil & face of the country is different here than in Van Buren, and the water streams in particular. Soil sandy, country rolling, streams narrow & deep with high bank. Streams 10 feet wide; have to be bridged. Road dusty. Saw plum trees in bloom.
    April 4.--Cloudy at sunrise; rained moderately. Two more Indians came to camp before we started. Made 15 miles. Encamped at Silver Creek about 4 o'clock p.m. All hands engaged to build a bridge across the creek, to cross over all the cattle and horses to pasture for the night. On this day's journey we crossed one toll bridge which was good and crossed two other bridges which were bad. Lamed at one of them one of the black mares. At our encampment are plenty of wood and water. Got the horses & cattle all over the bridge we made.
    April 5.--Cloudy at sunrise; clear in the afternoon. Seen ten Indians going the same way we did. Encamped in the Missouri bottom near Kanesville. Made 18 miles. Some bad road. Broke one wagon wheel. No grass of any account.
    April 6.--Cloudy; clear alternately. Crossed the Missouri River with all the train without an accident. Went about three miles. Crossed a slough; some of the wagons took in some water. Found a good camping. Wood & water convenient, grass scarce. Walker broke one of their ox wagon tongues.
    April 7.--Clear & cool. Vegetation is retarded these days. Our sick men all on duty except Thrash. Seen several poor Indians at a slough demanding toll for a temporary bridge they made. We paid them 50 cents for the whole train. Made 4miles to tolerable good grass. All hands engaged in airing the clothes and fixing the loads in the different wagons with the additional articles bought at Kanesville. One of Mrs. Walker's oxen was missing this morning; Enoch went in search of him; found him; returned near sunset.
    April 8.--Clear and cool. Not favorable for grass which we so much need. Cloudy and some rain; high wind from the west. Made 12 miles. Encamped near a slough. Plenty of water, wood scarce, grass middling, George Sturdivant sick.
    April 9.--Cold windy day. Crossed several emigrants' bridges. Ferried Elkhorn River; paid $5 per wagon and $1 per horse. We swam the cattle and horses without any injury, but not without much labor. Made 12 miles. Encamped in a bad place in the bottom of the river. Grass tolerable good. The road dusty part of the way.
    April 10.--White frost. Two Indians at the camp at breakfast, begging salt, bread & meat. We gave them some of each. In the forenoon the road soft, & wet in the afternoon. The road was equal to a plank road. Made 18 miles. Camped in prairie; had water; no wood [to] cook supper, with dry coarse grass. Grass middling. Rained in the night.
    April 11.--Clear; high wind from the north. Made 15 miles. Had good roads. Only two sloughs, not difficult. We headed one, bad and difficult. Encamped in prairie. Wood, water & grass good.
    April 12.--Clear cool morning; warm in the afternoon. Crossed Shell Creek on a bridge. Crossed several bad sloughs. The road beautiful, sandy, and dusty. The western part of Iowa [They were now in eastern Nebraska.] sandy and the sand increasing as we have advanced westward. Made 16 miles; encamped in prairie; found some wood; bad water. The grass not as good as we had last night. At Shells Creek bridge saw 8 or 10 Indians asking toll; we gave them not anything. We saw at once that the bridge was built by the emigrants.
    April 13.--Clear at sunrise; changed to thunder and a few drops rain at M [noon]. Passed some [of] the beautiful prairie. Good road. A few sloughs, not bad. Made 16 miles. Encamped in the bottom of the Loup Fork. Plenty of wood, water, grass, across a slough. Had to make a bridge to pass the stock over.
    April 14.--Thunder & rain last night. Cloudy at sunrise. We now travel up the Loup Fork; the ferry is below. We concluded to ford it at some distance up it; not much out of our route. A tremendous storm of wind and rain. The wind continued until night. Blowed Enoch's sleeping wagon cover into several pieces. Mrs. Walker's carriage top was taken down to keep it from upsetting. She & her daughter had to take the storm in her open carriage. Crossed Beaver Creek; good ford; water rather deep. Some of the wagons' beds took some water. Made 12 miles. Encamped near the River Loup. Wood and water some 4 miles from camp; grass poor.
    April 15.--Clear morning. Crossed a stream 16 feet wide on a bridge. Also Cedar Creek, 100 feet wide, 2½ feet deep. We forded it; good ford. We can see the Walker trains that crossed at the ferry from where we are. Encamped inside of Loup Fork near a beautiful lake. No wood, only what we brought with us. Made 14 miles. Passed a number of ravines; country more rolling.
    April 16.--Clear at sunrise. Thunder and rain last night. Thunder & rain between one and two o'clock p.m. Forded Loup Fork; the water not too deep. The route across is ½ mile from where you go in and come out. Jackson got hurt in crossing by one of the oxen. All our men have been on duty except Knight in the morning. Made 7 miles; encamped on the bank of the river near to where we crossed. Grass, wood & water plenty. The men were much exposed in fording the river. The horse teams are the best in fording streams when bottom is firm. The bottom of this stream is quicksand. It will not do to stop in the current. The water will work the sand from under your team until the water will be too deep for the cattle to work. Some ox teams double their teams. We turned in single team. Would have crossed without difficulty, only two of our teams missed the ford some. We then gave them more team to extricate them. Was done without any of the wagons took in water to wet any of goods. Before we entered the stream, we hoisted the beds of the wagons 5 or 6 inches. A tremendous thunder storm with rain and some hail near sunset.
   April 17.--Cloudy morning. Jackson better; Knight worse. The men on guard in the forepart of the night could not find camp. Stayed out until daylight. Distant thunder in the afternoon; some rain. The road was sandy and part muggy. Made 22 miles; encamped in prairie; no wood, plenty of grass and water. Intended to seek the timber. Last night's rain swelled a creek so much that we could not cross.
    April 18.--Stormy night & this morning. Two miles from our last night encampment we came to Prairie Creek, which was 8 feet deep in the channel. We fixed two wagon beds, lashed them together, in which made a boat to ferry in. It done well; it carried the loading in each wagon at a load and the empty wagon at a load. We got all our wagons and loading over in good order. Loaded them and started again; met other streams on our route which were all rather deep to ford. By raising the wagons' beds up we forded them without much damage to our loading. At Prairie Creek there were a great many emigrants; no less than four different ferries in operations. Encamped in prairie with wood or buffalo chips. The men have to take a cold supper. Grass plenty.
    April 19.--Clear, white frost. Ferried Wood Creek in our wagon beds. At those ferries there is some stealing going on, unless you use great care. Some of our crowd lost a revolver, some a sack of flour; we lost some of our dried beef. This day the revolver was discovered and obtained, and also at the same tent a sack of flour with the mark used by those that lost same. But the person that had it denied taking it and claimed it on the same plan that the loser did. This flour was bought at Kanesville in sacks with the merchant mark and no other.
    April 20.--Cool, clear morning. A part of the road this day was wet and heavy. Made 15 miles; encamped in prairie. Wood scarce, water and grass plenty. Last night Joseph Wells stayed at our encampment; he was in search of an ox that strayed off the previous night. Wells is about a day journey ahead of us. We heard this day that George Perkins is about the same. Last night one of Mrs. Walker's work ox strayed. Enoch went in search of him, found him. Some of the company saw for several days some elk and antelopes. We have seen for several days the heads of buffaloes, or rather the skulls, but no live ones.
    April 21.--Clear morning. At noon we came to Platte River for the first time. The road was excellent to Platte from our last night's encampment. Wells and George Perkins came to our encampment in the evening. Made 13 miles. Warm day, wind south; thunder & rain in the night with moderate wind.
    April 22.--Cloudy and windy morning. Had a bad road; number sloughs and some small creeks, all being swollen by the rain that fell last night. Made 22 miles. Encampment for the night a wet situation. We left one of our best Illinois heifers, being lame, at the place where we stopped at noon. Wells & Perkins left us in the morning. We saw several buffalo heads with the skins on them.
    April 23.--Clear morning. Signs of buffalo. Seen none of the animals yet. Upon examining some of the guides, we are about 244 miles from the Missouri River. Made 20 miles. Encamped; buffalo chips to cook.
    April 24.--Clear morning. Buffalo chips will answer for fuel when wood is not to be had. Made 20 miles. Camped near the river. Grass, wood scarce; water plenty. About 4 o'clock p.m., came to the river where the bluffs came to the river also. Sand deep; was heavy hauling nearly the whole way since we came to the river.
    April 25.--Rain last night and in the morning, nearly all day. Made 20 miles. Camped on the bank of the Platte a few miles east of the last timber for 200 miles. Passed two excellent springs at the foot of bluff.
    April 26.--Cloudy all day. Camped near Bluff Creek. Made 20 miles. Bad roads for the larger part.
    April 27.--Cloudy all day. Crossed Bluff Creek; beautiful clear stream, 5 rods wide, 2 feet deep, low banks, quicksand bottom. Sandy road in the forenoon; the afternoon not as sandy. Made 22 miles. Camped where water and grass are plenty. Wood we have brought with us. We passed some beautiful springs of clear water.
    April 28.--Rained last night, cloudy at sunrise, clear a part of the day, thunder gust approaching. Made 12 miles. Camped; grass & water good, brush and buffalo chips for fuel. Yoked two cows this morning in the room of a yoke of oxen. They worked tolerably well. Rained, and wind blowed a good gale part of the night.
    April 29.--Clear morning. This morning we left our spring wagon, or rather broke it to pieces; took the wood for fuel and left the iron. Mother and myself are to sleep in an ox wagon. I drove the two black mares to last night's camp. We are now, by Horn's Guide, 372 miles from the Missouri River. Made 18 miles. Camped close to the river. Grass fair. The two previous days seen some few buffalos at a distance.
    April 30.--Rained last night, cloudy at sunrise, clear in the afternoon. We left the old Durham bull; could not travel further. Wells & Perkins met us in the forepart of the day. Wells was hunting cattle; his whole stock had run off the last night. Enoch and Fruit went with him. John was looking at the old bull, which was back about 5 miles back from camp; found Wells' cattle that had not been found before. Wells is in advance about 5 or 6 miles. Made 16 miles. Camped 34 miles from the river. Had bad and heavy roads. Crossed Castle River; beautiful clear stream, quicksand bottom, 8 rods wide, 18 inches deep, good crossing.
    April 31.--Cloudy at sunrise. Hail storm between 3 & 5 o'clock p.m.; some of the hailstones as large as hens' eggs. No particular damage sustained. Made 20 miles. Camped. Good grass; water 1 mile from camp.
    June 1.--Cloudy & some rain. Some of the calves' feet are giving out. The boys are doctoring them at noon. Made 25 miles. Road good. Camped 3 miles east of Chimney Rock, 440 miles west of the Missouri.
    June 2.--Cloudy at sunrise, clear in the afternoon. Made 20 miles. Part of the road heavy. Camped near the river. Grass middling. Fruit sold one work [ox] for $100. Storm approaching about sunset.
    June 3.--Rained last night; cloudy & windy from the west. Made 20 miles. Camped near to the river. Grass poor, oxen tired. Threatening rain at sunset.
    June 4.--Rained last night; cloudy at sunrise, thunder and rain about noon. Made 22 miles. Camped near the river. Grass poor. Saw some small trees on the north side of the river. Cool all day. For several [days] we saw a few Indians.
    June 5.--Cloudy morning; rained last night. Franklin stood guard the forepart of the night, got lost, stayed out until daylight. 12 M. [noon] opposite Fort Laramie. A number of Indians came to where we stopped at noon on horseback. They have moccasins and dried buffalo meat to sell or barter for bread &c &c. Seen some of Wells'; they are 3 miles west of us. Passed Perkins' camp. Seen Laramie's Peak, the top covered with snow. Made 23 miles and camped. Grass poor. We passed several Indian villages. One of Enoch's two-horse wagon wheel tires broke; he fixed it up with hoop iron for the present.
    June 6.--Clear morning, all day. Yesterday afternoon and this day we traveled on the Black Hills [sic]. Rough and hilly road. Made 18 miles. Camped near a fine running stream. Wood plenty, grass poor.
    June 7.--Clear and warm day. Road good. Thunder & rain between 5 & 7 o'clock p.m. Made 22 miles. Most of the distance the road was good. Camped near the Platte River. Wood scarce, grass middling.
    June 8.--Clear morning; thunder and few drops of rain in the afternoon. Had some good and very bad road. Camped on high ground. Wild sage for fuel; no water within a mile. Wells broke an axletree of one of his wagons; came back about six miles; found one, or rather found a wagon that was left, which answered his purpose; and Enoch found a wheel off the same wagon that answered his broken wheel.
    June 9.--Clear morning, thunder, high wind, light rain. Made 20 miles. Camped; wood scarce, water ½ mile off, grass middling.
    June 10.--Wind blowed down all the tents last night. Made 21 miles. Part of the road sandy and heavy. Camped close to the river. Wood, water and grass plenty. We passed a tent in which a still babe was born; the mother was doing well.
    June 11.--Clear and beautiful morning; thunder near sunset, no rain. Made 18 miles. Camped on the bluff. Brought the water with us; sage for fuel, grass poor. Campment all round us. Passed two trading places. The road sandy and heavy the most of the distance. Sold one of our work oxen at $18; he got lame.
    June 12.--Clear morning. Made 25 miles. Had no water for the stock from in the morning until we camped. Plenty of water, sage fuel, good grass.
    June 13.--Clear morning. A snow bank about ½ miles on our route. Franklin went to it, brought some to train, treated the company with it. Saw Wells; they were all well; about 7 miles west of us his train. G. Perkins is in with Wells' train. Made 14 miles. Camped on Greasewood Creek. Plenty of water, grass and fuel scarce. The men have the whole stock about a mile from camp.
    June 14.--Clear and cool morning. The women washed some clothes in the evening; this morning they are froze stiff. Crossed Sweetwater River on a bridge; paid $3 per wagon; swam the loose horses and cattle. Camped near the Devil's Gate, a curiosity indeed. A branch of Sweetwater passes through a small gap of rock, which are between three and four hundred feet. I was mistaken in saying that a branch of Sweetwater passed through the Gate; the whole river passes through. We were really in a saleratus region; the women gathered gallons of it, apparently as pure as that that is sold in market in the States. We passed Independence Rock.
    June 15.--Clear morning. In crossing a small branch, Dolly's wagon turned over, herself and children in it. George Myer was nearly smothered with water, mud, and other things. Good many of her bed and other clothing got wet and muddy. One of the wagon wheels considerably injured. Detained about three hours. Made 16 miles. Camped near a fine stream of water, about a mile left of the main road. Plenty of water and sage, grass poor.
    June 16.--Clear morning. Passed Stone Bluff and Cottonwood Creek; fine, clear, swift stream; 12 feet wide, 3 inches deep. Made 17 miles. Camped some distance from the water. Stock has no water; grass poor; sage for fuel; water we brought with us from the river, about 5 miles.
    June 17.--Clear yesterday. Cortez bought a wagon and a yoke of oxen. We leave the old wagon. Fruit changed wagons also. We started early and stopped at 10½ o'clock a.m. at the river until 3 o'clock p.m. During this time we swam all the stock across the river and back again, the pasture being better on the other side. The women and men washed clothes &c. Made 18 miles. Camped a few miles west of the Ice Springs. Grass poor; no water but what was brought with us; I had none to wash myself. Sage scarce.
    June 18.--Clear morning. At noon some of the men went about ¾ mile to the left of road and brought several buckets full of snow in. We passed two springs within six feet of each other, the one warm, the other cool. Snow banks on both sides of the road. I went to one of them; it was 5 to 10 feet deep. Made 20 miles. Camped near a snow bank which affords water for stock and cooking. Grass fair.
    June 19.--Clear morning; distant thunder; a few drops of rain. Made 22 miles; camped. Snow I mile off. No other water; grass poor. 5 miles east of the summit of the Rocky Mountains.
    June 20.--Clear morning. Crossed the summit of the Rocky Mountains. Yesterday it was 2 weeks that we saw snow for the first time, and every day since. Camped. No water for stock; grass poor; fuel scarce; water for cooking brought with us.
    June 21.--Clear morning; wind west, blowing a strong gale all day. Crossed Little Sandy; rapid stream, 4 feet deep. Camped not far from it. Grass poor; sage for fuel. The road good, equal to any pike I ever saw.
    June 22.--Clear & cold morning. The men are all dressed with their blanket coats. Made 10 miles. Camped on the bank of Big Sandy; too deep to ford. We are waiting until morning and then determine what to do, to ford or ferry.
    June 23.--Clear. Froze the water in the pools. Forded the creek without much difficulties, by propping up the wagon beds; there were not any of the goods wetted. Made 10 miles. Camped a short distance from Big Sandy. Grass still poor; sage for fuel. Water we brought with us where we forded the creek in the morning.
    June 24.--Clear, cool morning. Three of Walkers' men on the sick list. Temperance and Minerva sick. Made 16 miles. Camped five miles east of Green River. Had no water for our stock since yesterday at 10 o'clock a.m. Grass poor; sage for fuel; water for cooking brought with us.
    June 25.--Clear morning. Six miles brought us to Green River; rapid stream. We succeeded well in swimming the cattle across it. We only lost two or three yearling calves. We were not two hours in swimming all over. Others have been two or three days at it, and lost a number of them. The horses troubled us a good teal. Wells & Perkins are here with their trains. The wind too strong to ferry wagons. Some expectations of getting our wagons over. Near sunset the ferrymen began to take wagons over, but, there being so many to take across before our turn came, that the first of our wagons was taken over near the rise of the sun.
    June 26.--Clear and beautiful morning. The wagon that Mother and myself sleep in was taken over at near sunrise, we being with it. The second wagon was one of Walkers'. The boat broke loose from the main line; boat and wagon floated down the river some distance; lodged on an island. Boat and wagon was brought back all safe. One of the ferrymen left the boat, took water, and was drowned. An emigrant died here yesterday; he is to be interred this day. I attended the funeral; a sermon was delivered from a Baptist preacher; was appropriate and suitable. Wells and Perkins left here about four o'clock p.m. After dark we got all the wagons across the river.
    June 27.--Cloudy, stormy morning. With considerable difficulties the women got breakfast. This was one of the stormiest days we have had on the journey. Snowed several times. Made 3 miles. Camped. Water, sage, and grass plenty.
    June 28.--Clear came morning; white frost. Wells & Perkins camped in sight. Made 16 miles. Camped. Water, sage, grass fair. Walkers turned a wagon over; not much damage. Snow seen on both sides of the road; some banks not far off the road.
    June 29.--Cloudy morning; rained last night. The road this day was steep ascent and descent, stony, with many ravines and chuckholes. One of our best wagons the fore axle broke. Snow all the way on our right; some close to the road. Made 17 miles. Camped. Water some distance off; grass poor. A part of some of our ox teams got scared; run a short distance; no injury sustained. Franklin fixed the broken axle; how it will do is to be tested.
    June 30.--Clear and pleasant morning; white frost. The first 4 miles was rough and hilly. Forded Ham's Fork]; bad crossing; got all the wagon across safe. Descended a long and steep hill; became elevated above some of the banks of snow considerably. At noon we had snow at the dinner which was brought a short distance to where we stopped. Grass was good. The axle that Franklin fixed went last evening; went about 14 miles this day, then failed entirely. Franklin at noon went back to get a wagon if he could. Mother, one driver, and myself stayed with the wagon. The rest of the teams and cattle went on to the place of encampment for the night, which was about three miles. The broken wagon with its load was brought to camp at dark. Franklin got no wagon; he got a part of an axle & some bands with which he is fixing it again.
    July 1.--Clear morning; thunder & rain last night. This day a part of the road was steep ascents & descents; stony. Made 16 miles. Camped near Smith Fork. Water, sage, and grass good. Yesterday Crooks left us; George Perkins lodged with us.
    July 2.--Clear morning. Crossed Smith Fork and a small branch which were bridged. At the former paid two dollars, at the other ten cents per wagon; the whole stock went free. Perkins left us at noon; he was in search of two cows, did not find them. In the afternoon crossed Thomas Creek on a bridge; paid $25 for the whole train. Camped in the bottom of said creek; grass & water good, willows for fuel. Made 20 miles; had good roads.
    July 3.--Clear morning; some fog, the first seen west of the Missouri. Had steep ascent and descent the first 8 miles. Made 12 miles. Camped some distance from the [Bear] river. Wood & water scarce, grass good.
    July 4.--Clear morning. We had to make use of an ox yoke for fuel this morning. This was a summer day. Made 20 miles. Camped to the left of the road on Bear River. Grass good, fuel sage. Crossed several fine streams, none of them bad to cross.
    July 5.--Clear day. Passed the soda and boiling springs; they are really curiosities. One of our cows died very suddenly this forenoon. Made 21 miles. Camped 7 miles west of the Fort Hall road. Grass fair, sage for fuel, no water for our stock and none to cook with here. We brought some with us from where we stopped at noon; there we had plenty of water, but no grass. Wells was with [us] at noon; his train is 15 miles west of us.
    July 6.--Clear morning. The men had no water to wash themselves. We made about 9 miles to Cady's Creek, where men and stock had water to their full satisfaction, which was about noon. In the afternoon made 6 miles to Shoshone Creek, beautiful stream. The [most] dangerous road to wagons of any we have come yet. We received no injury. There was a train before us who turned a wagon over and rolled down a steep bank. What injury was sustained I am not able to say, as I was engaged in helping our wagons when I saw the wreck. Camped on Shoshone Creek. Grass, fuel, and water good. The girls gathered strawberries.
    July 7.--Clear & cool morning; thunder, but no rain. Made 22 miles. Camped on good water; grass, fuel, & water good. A hilly road; some of the ascents & descents steep.
    July 8.--Clear & cool at sunrise. Made 14 miles in the forenoon to where there was water, fuel; grass poor. It is represented that there is no water for 25 miles. Near sunset we left our noon campment. Went 9 miles to the steep descent. Fruit undertook to take the teams down it; drove the foremost; did not advance far; turned the wagon over. The wagons and women stayed at summit. The stock was drove down to good grass. The men stayed with them. No water for the stock.
    July 9.--Clear; mosquitoes bad. We descended the steepest decent that we have met with, without any injury; great care was required. Made 8 miles. Found some water for men and stock some short distance from the main road. A noon halt. We did travel in the afternoon. Grass, fuel, & water good.
    July 10.--Clear at sunrise. For several days past it was warm from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Made 18 miles. Camped. Grass, fuel, & water good.
    July 11.--Clear day. Made 14 miles again. 12 o'clock M. [noon] camped for the night at Ford No. 2, Sinking Creek. Grass good; water plenty in the branch, not of the best. Fuel scarce of every kind except willows; they are poor excuse at any time when green. Women washed.
    July 12.--Clear; some cooler. Crossed east branch of Raft River; bad sloughs in its vicinity; crossed the middle and west branch of Raft River. Made 27 miles. Camped on the west branch of Raft River at second ford. Snow banks close by the road, for the most part good.
    July 13.--Clear. Cortez took sick yesterday; some better the day; he kept his bed all day. Made 17 miles. Camped Cedar Creek. Grass, fuel, & water good. Had good roads except some of the streams were bad crossings. We crossed several the day. Cedar Creek a beautiful, rapid, clear stream.
    July 14.--Clear morning. Made 15 miles. Camped to the right of the road. Grass, fuel, & water poor. Saw the curiosities of the Pyramid Circle. It is really delightful to see the many pyramids of rock standing in a plain as they are. Cortez kept his bed all day.
    July 15.--Clear morning. Had the worst road a part of the day we have had since we crossed the summit. Made 15 miles. Camped near a small branch. Sage & water plenty, grass poor. Saw George Perkins; he is camped about 4 miles east of us with some of his train. He got some of his oxen lamed yesterday. Wells is some miles west of us. Cortez kept his bed all day.
    July 16.--Cloudy nearly all day. Made 20 miles. Camped a few miles east of warm springs. Rough roads; several of our wagon wheels are getting very frail. Cortez' complaint is in his left hand and arm. Doctors say it is scurvy; not any better. Fuel & grass good; no water for the stock.
    July 17.--Cloudy at sunrise. Thunder and black clouds, but no rain. Made 19 miles. Camped near a small branch. Grass and sage good; water poor; roads good.
    July 18.--Cloudy at sunrise, nearly all day. Made 20 miles. Camped in the Thousand Springs Valley; so we did last night.15 We passed some warm springs, or rather a branch of warm water. Had good roads.
    July 19.--Clear and cool morning. Made 15 miles. Camped on Canon Creek. Fuel and water plenty; grass poor. Cortez still keeps his wagon. Perkins at our camp; some of his train before and some behind. We are now on the waters of Humboldt.
    July 20.--Rained a few drops at sunrise; clear from 7 a.m. Made 18 miles. Camped. Sage and water 4 miles from the camp. Grass middling. John Walker and McCamman sick. Cortez mending slow, if any. We lost a fine work ox by alkali.
    July 21.--Fine clear morning. Crossed on a bridge a branch of Humboldt and also two other branches of the same stream, both bad crossings, before noon. Made 14 miles. Camped near the river. Traveled none in the afternoon. Grass, water, & fuel good. Small shower of rain after dark.
    July 22.--Clear morning; not [enough] rain to lay the dust. Fruit lost one of his work oxen. Made 19 miles. Camped near the west branch of Humboldt River. Grass good; fuel and water ½ mile from camp. Cortez not getting better.
    July 23.--Clear and pleasant morning. Made 18 miles. Camped on the river. Grass, sage, and water good. Three of Walkers' and one [of] our men sick. Cortez no better. Weather warm.
    July 24.--Clear morning. Cortez some better. So is our sick man. Made 10 miles. Camped close to the river. Sage & grass middling. We stopped early, as the road now leaves the river over some steep hills for 12 or 15 miles without water and not much grass, if any. This is the first day that we saw no snow since the 5th of June.
    July 25.--Clear morning. Made 17 miles. Camped near Blue Creek. Grass, fuel, & water good. One of our mares (Nancy) died. The dust in the afternoon was really disagreeable, particularly for for those in the rear of the train.
    July 26.--Clear morning. Enoch Walkers lost the tire of one of the family wagons' wheels; found one nearly where he missed his that answered the purpose, which was put on. Made 17 miles over a rough and stony road. Camped in a ravine. Sage plenty; water for stock and cooking, and grass scarce.
    July 27.--Clear and warm day. We nooned near the river. There is a beautiful spring which affords a great quantity of good and cool water. All the men on duty except Cortez; he keeps his bed all the time. Made 19 miles. Camped on the river. Sage scarce, grass middling. Franklin yesterday sold one of the work oxen and a yearling heifer, both unfit to travel. There are a number [of] persons camped near the road ready to buy all the lame and given-out cattle at a low price, say from $5 to $20 a head. Franklin got but $15 for both of his. This ox has been not in a thriving condition since we crossed the Missouri River.
    July 28.--Clear day. Made 14 miles. Camped on Ripple Creek. Sage and water poor, grass middling. Franklin took sick last evening, not on duty the day. Cortez mending very slow. Walkers lost a fine bull last night. It is supposed he took into the river, could not reach the shore, and drowned.
    July 29.--Clear morning. A controversy took place, just at the point of leaving the camp, between Fruit [Walker] and one of his men (Griffith Johns), Fruit having no weapon, Johns having a revolver and a large knife. In the fray Fruit got the knife. Johns discharged two loads out of his revolver; one took effect on Fruit; the ball entered his groins and lodged somewhere. John Walker started for a doctor; he is not returned. The danger of the wound not ascertained; the pain, however, is great. Johns made his escape, although several of the men were in search of him. It is now nearly sunset; no doctor as yet. We remained in camp the day. Poor water for men and beasts.
    July 30.--No doctor to examine Fruit's wound at 7 o'clock a.m. He rested bad the later part of the night. Franklin some better; Cortez mending some. Some of Walkers' men went in search of a doctor at 3 o'clock a.m. That was the time John Walker returned, being disappointed after hard day's travel. We got a doctor about 10 o'clock a.m. He examined the wound; the ball was not extracted; gave and left medicine; talked flattering. We moved 8 miles. Camped. Water, sage, and grass good.
    July 31.--Clear morning. Fruit died near sunrise. About 12 m. [noon] we interred Fruit without a coffin of any kind. Made a vault in the grave and with some boards and willows we covered his body over, and filled up the grave and covered the whole with stone. His grave is about 8 miles west of Ripple Creek on the left side of the road, on rocky and high knoll, with a headboard containing his name, age, when he died, and the name of his last residence. It was a solemn and heart-rending case.
    August 1, noon.--Clear morning. Made 18 miles. Camped near a small branch. Sage, water, and grass poor. A part of the road was very rough and stony. Wagon wheels giving way; dust increasing.
    August 2.--Clear morning. Made 14 miles. Camped. Water, fuel, & grass scarce. Franklin still on the sick list; Cortez mending, if any, slowly. John Walker gone forward yesterday intended to be in advance of the train upwards of one hundred miles in a few days; his object is to arrest Griffith.
    August 3.--Clear and warm day. The forenoon heavy sand. Made 15 miles. Camped close by the river. Grass middling, sage scarce. Franklin not much better. I am nearly run down.
    August 4.--Clear & warm day. Made 15 miles. Camped not far from the river. Grass, fuel, & water poor. Franklin mending some. Rough roads & heavy sand. Saw snow not a great distance from the road.
    August 5.--Beautiful morning. Made 18 miles. Camped near the river. Grass, water, & fuel middling. Forded Rush Creek. Good ford, rather deep. Some of the wagons took in considerable water. Saw snow. One of our cows died.
    August 6.--Clear day. Heavy sandy roads. Made 18 miles. Camped near to the river. Water plenty, grass & fuel scarce. We passed upwards of 20 dead oxen and cows. Franklin's case is scurvy. Cortez mending slowly.
    August 7.--Clear morning. Stock this morning unruly, wanting grass. Made 20 miles. Camped near the river. Grass poor. John Walker came to the camp. Heard not anything of Griffith. Both the boys not any better.
    August 8.--Clear morning. Made 14 miles. Camped on the bank of the river. Grass fair. Franklin no better; Cortez mending. The men are gathering grass for the desert.
    August 9.--Clear morning. I feel uncomfortable on account of my old complaint with discharging my water, which has not troubled me since we were on the journey. Cortez bought a light wagon at $5; sold two cows at $10. They both were on the point of failing to travel.
    August 10.--Clear day. I am not much better. Made 16 miles. Camped at a spring. Rough roads.
    September 25.--Since the 10 ult. I have been on the sick list, unable to continue my journal daily. Suffice it to say that the whole train got at the settlement in Rogue River Valley on the 3rd day of September 1853, all in good health except myself and Cortez and Franklin, who were still crippled in their arms with the scurvy. Isaac Hill was the second house we came to. There we found Wells in camp. Asa Fordyce about 12 miles lower down in the valley. He had been attacked by the Indians a few days before we arrived; was wounded with two leaden balls and one arrow; none proved dangerous. Hugh Smith killed, and one of his other men wounded. As respects the road, it was rougher and hillier than any we came over before. We had to travel one whole day and night in crossing the [Black Rock] desert without water or grass for men and of stock; made during that time about 40 miles. We during that time lost one work ox. In the whole, our animals that we got into the valley look well, considering the long journey they had to perform. Since then, the boys and Walkers were employed in making a location for themselves. The boys have made their locations for themselves and for me, about 12 miles east of Jacksonville, Jackson County, all in one tract. The Walkers have made their location about 10 miles west of us in the same valley, in one body. We all have had some difficulties in making our locations, on account of so many land-claimers that do not intend to make it their homes. Some of our and Walkers' land located is claimed by some of those gentries. Wells purchased his location, and so did Fordyce; Wells about 4 miles east, and so is Fordyce. Walkers' men have left them after their arrival in the valley in a few days. Some of ours done the same, all seeking to make their fortune. Some of our men still with us at work for the boys. This is to be the end of this journal.
    September 27.--The boys made a location of a section and one half of land, all in one body. We all camped on it from the 12th to the 15th instant; Franklin first, Cortez second, and we the last. We have now 2 cabins; raised logs on the ground for the third; boards nearly made to cover them.
    October 4.--This day, Mother & my two youngest daughters and myself moved our beds into the cabin built by my two sons for us; with the intention to sleep under a roof, which none of us did since the 23rd day of March last. The cabin is built of round logs, 14 by 16 feet. Stone chimney. Floor laid with good slabs from the mill. No door or glass window; cloth is to be the substitute.
Oregon Historical Quarterly, September 1959, pages 375-407


Last revised May 4, 2026