JOURNAL OF A TRIP TO OREGON By Abigail Jane Scott INTRODUCTION

Abigail Jane Scott is better known by her married name as Mrs. Abigail Scott Duniway, Oregon and Pacific Northwest leader in the suffrage movement for 41 years. Called Jenny by her family, she became a teacher, farmer's wife, poet, novelist, milliner, newspaper editor and lecturer. Her husband Benjamin Charles Duniway she first met near the end of the Oregon Trail, when he came out from the Willamette Valley to succor his father and family who also migrated in 1852. His support and that of her children were essential in the long fight for women's property and voting rights. It began with the publication of her newspaper,the New Northwest in Portland, 1871-1886.

Her story she told in her autobiography, Path Breaking ... (1914). Recently it was retold by Dorothy Nafus Morrison in Ladies were not Expected (1977), by Helen Krebs Smith through 1876 in The Presumptuous Dreamers (2 vols., 1974 and 1983) and by Ruth Barnes Moynihan in Rebel for Rights (1983). There is more in print listed in bibIiographies by her biographers.

THE FAMILY AND THEIR ORIGINS

This Journal is significant because of the Oregon family to which it relates. Abigail's brother Harvey W. Scott, who disagreed with many of her ideas, was for 40 years editor of the Morning Oregonian in Portland, a leader and molder of thought and the Republican party. Their sister Catherine Scott Coburn shared in editing both their papers. Other sisters, the children of the next generations and many of their cousins who came to Oregon also contributed to the history of the west.

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduction) p 2

Abigail was the second daughter, one of twelve children of John Tucker Scott, better known as Tucker, and Ann Roelofson. The parents were married in 1830 in Tremont, then County seat of Tazewell County, Illinois. Both the Scott and Roelofson families had migrated several times before they reached Illinois.

Knowledge of the first James Scott family in America begins with family papers and the will of his father-in-law, Benjamin Terry, probated Sept. 26, 1771 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. It is amplified by public records which include James's estate, filed in Halifax County, to the east, during the French and Indian War in Nov.1757. Family tradition has it that James came to America as a prisioner from the battle field of Culloden and the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Stuart heir to the British throne. Pittsylvania County was carved out of Halifax in 1766/7 and the Terry lands were near Peytensburg, the old County seat on the eastern border.

Keziah Terry Scott, James's widow, married Col. Richard Murphy, who by 1770 was transfering his interests to Rowan County, North Carolina, and eventually to the Mitchell River, a northern branch of the Yadkin on the western border of Surry with Wilkes County. The Colonel was a Tory, remained loyal to the King, and lost his lands because of his service. The family relationship "fled" to Washington County, Kentucky in 1797 or 1798 as part of a Baptist migration. The grandson, James and Abigail's grandfather, moved in 1824 to Sangamon County, Illinois to free slaves, and two years later north to Tazewell County where they were first settlers in Groveland township.

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduction)

The story of the Roelofson family begins with the memoirs of a grandson of the first Lawrence Roelofson, Isaac Knight, A Narrative of the Captivity and Sufferings of Isaac Knight from Indian Barbarity (Evansville, Ind., 1829). Isaac was born in Washington County, north of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. In 1785 or 1786, his family including the first Lawrence migrated down the Ohio River to Fort Vienna in what is now Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, znd in 1792 on to Henderson County, where they were among the farthestwest American settlers. About 1793, Isaac crossed the Ohio to cut cane on the site of Evansville, and was captured by Kickapoo Indians. He had been vacinated for smallpox and spread the disease among the Indians. He evantualy escaped from his Indian family at Michilimackinac over two years later.

Lawrence Roelofson, Jr. Isaac's uncle, migrated in 1821 down the Ohio to Carmi, White County, Illinois, and then north to Tazewell County about 1829. He was an early follower of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church organized in 1810, and this church was the center of the life of the Roelofson and Tucker Scott families. Members of families of Roelofson sisters were migrating to Oregon in 1852. Much of the story of the Roelofsons is preserved in the Roelofson Clan Archives, gathered in Oregon by the descendants who met annually for over sixty years.

OREGON FEVER

Tucker Scott was first siezed by "Oregon fever" in 1838 or 1839. He and an uncle Peter Scott could have been present October 1, 1838 when Jason Lee gave an inspired talk at the Main Street Presbyterian Church in Peoria, a "New School" Church. Lee,

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduction) p 4

a Methodist missionary to the Indians of Oregon, had just returned from his Willamette Valley Mission. His description of the country and its climate was printed in the Peoria Register and Northwestern Gazette of October 6th. The speech sparked the organization of the Peoria party of eighteen young men, which set out May 1, 1839 for Oregon. They were the first Americans with the announced intent of becoming permanent settlers. Some of them Tucker knew, including the leader Thomas J. Farnham, a lawyer from Tremont,Tazewell County seat.

In October 1838, Lee's enthousiasim resulted in the organization of the Oregon Provisional Emigration Society at Lynn, Massachusetts, and the publication of a magazine, The Oregonain. In February 1839, this periodical began to list its agents. Two in Illinois were Peter Scott in Warren County and J. T. Scott or Tucker at Groveland, Tazewell County. Peter and his family would migrate in 1847.

Tucker was delayed in his migration by family and economic problems resulting from the brutal death of his brother at the hands of "road agents." He was responsible for half his brother's debts, and this ended in Tucker's brankruptcy in 1842. As agent for the politician, Edwin Dickenson Baker, Tucker recouped his finances through the sale of portable lumber mills. Immediate impetus for the 1852 migration came from the migration the previous year of the Rev. Neill Johnson and his family. A Cumberland Presbyterian minister, he was married to a Roelofson sister. Tucker's migration attracted members of the families of three other Roelofson sisters. They would leave behind the Roelofson grandparents in the care of the youngest brother. Tucker would also leave his grandmother, Chloe Riggs Scott who would die that winter aged100, and his father James Scott and second wife, in the care of a sister and her husband.

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduction) THE JOURNAL

Since he had nine living children, Tucker assigned each older child specific duties for the trip. Jenny was given the task of keeping the journal. In 1925, her sister Etty, who was 11 in 1852, remembered Abigail "as a slight young girl- evenings after the weary stretches of travel with the old book in her lap sitting either by the tent or perchance one of the waggon wheels- sitting on the ground- while our father was giving her 'commands' to keep the 'Diary' correct! - she was too weary- at the time to write- But always did her best-" Abigail had had part of a year in an Academy, plus country schooling and a background of family reading.

From contemporary letters it has been possible to compare handwriting and identify passages written by the next youngest sister, Margaret Ann Scott, or Mag, and by Tucker. Each betrays itself by personal characteristics. Abigail creates elaborate punctuation which occurs at points where the subject changes. It was as if she was stopping to think. She is also the best speller, and must have used her old "blue spelling book" to good purpose. Mag uses only occassional periods or comas, while Tucker rarely uses punctuation and is terse. This co-authorship and direction by Tucker is acknowledged by two inscriptions added to the old book which describe the Journal as being written "with the help of the old man."

Margaret would attend Tualatin Academy at Forest Grove, and marry a local merchant, George Fernside. They moved to Tillamook Bay where he had a store on a barge that visited settlements around the Bay. Margaret died of T.B., and hers was the first burial in the Tillamook Pioneer Cemetery. Her four daughters were raised by her sisters. Abigail raised Anna.

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduction) p. 6

Abigail wrote her Journal in a blank book, 8" x 12", bound with paper covered boards and a brown leather spine. It has become fragile with hard use. At the end of the volume is Tucker's record of his income and expenses for the trip, and this is reproduced after the Journal. There were at least nine unused pages filled by the family with poems and sometimes scribbles.

In the winter of 1852-1853, the Journal was copied and sometimes revised by Abigail thru June 9th, and by Mag and occasionaly by Tucker for the rest of the manuscript. It was sent back to the grandfather James Scott of Groveland, Illinois with opening "General" "Remarks" by Tucker. In footnotes, references and selections when they add to our knowledge of the Scott party, will be identified as the "1853 Revision". The original manuscript is in the poesession of R. Edwin Browne of Independence, Missouri along with the letters to James Scott, who was his great-grandfather. They are quoted or reproduced with his permission. Entries in the Journal were often shortened in the revision, and changes reflect consciousness that James would be interested in details initially unrecorded.

The Journal was used by Abigail for two of her novels, Captain Grey's Company... (1859) and From West to West ... (1905.). It was also used by Leslie M. Scott, son of Harvey, in compiling a composite account of the 1852 migration for the "Compiler's Appendix", volume 3 of Harvey W. Scott, History of the Oregon Country (1924). He added comparative data from other diaries and journals, from books used by his grandfather, and from data furnished by State Highway staffs of states along the route of migration.

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduction)

He also consulted two surviving sisters, Fanny ard Etty who furnished significant details, clarifying some Journal entries. Anyone wishing to understand the route of the Oregon trail as it was in 1852 will find it rewarding, although it has been replaced in some aspects by more recent studies.

The Journal was first transcribed in 1924 by the editor's father, Clyde A Duniway. His manuscript furnished bits of missing text. It was read at bed time to "us boys" and selections were read in his senior pre-seminar each year at Carleton College, Northfield Minnesota, It has been quoted in speeches over the years by Clyde and his son, David, the editor of this version as well as by Abigail's biographers.

Publication has been made possible by the surviving heirs, all grandchildren of Abigail Scott Duniway. They assigned their literary rights in her writings to David Duniway. They are Dorothy Duniway Ryan, Willis S. Duniway II, Robert E. Duniway, Katherine Duniway Murray, and Ben C. Duniway.

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduction) p 8. PREPRATIONS AND DEPARTURE.

Vivid are memories of three of the six Scott sisters of preparations and the departure from their family home in Illiois. Two miles south of Groveland, six miles east of Pekin and four miles northwest of Tremont, it was located in section three, township twenty four north, range four west. Catherine Scott Coburn published her account in the Morning Oregonian, June 17, 1890, and Leslie Scott reprinted it in his "Compiler's Appendex" This quote is from p. 239-241. Kate was 13 in 1852:

. . .Through all the winter preceding the April morning when the final start was made, the fingers of the women and girls were busy providing additional stores of bedding and blankets, of stockings and sunbonnets, of hickory shirts and gingham aprons, that the family might be equipped for the trip, and not left destitute in case of failure to reach the goal in season, or of opportunity to replenish the stores from the meager and high-priced stocks of a new country. Ah! the tears that fell upon these garments, fashioned with trembling fingers by the flaring light of taIlow candles; the heartaches that were stitched and knitted and woven into them, through the brief winter afternoons, as relatives that were to be left behind and friends of a lifetime dropped in to lend a hand in the awesome undertaking of getting ready for a journey that promised no return.

But this time was past. The sale of surplus belongings had been made, the wagons, five stout vehicles, had been bought, and, gorgeous in green and yellow paint, and with stout canvas covers snugly adjusted over supple hickory bows, stood just beyond the yard gate, ready for human occupancy. The stores of bacon and flour, of rice and coffee, of brown sugar and hard-tack, had been carefully disposed, a hurried breakfast was taken, and the oxen, drawn by from two to five yokes to each wagon, soon drew the five wagons into line. Into three of these were stowed the belongings of the family, an old-fashioned group, consisting of wife and nine children. The word was given, the sluggish oxen started, and the journey of more than two thousand miles was begun. Memory returning to that morning in the long ago, paints a picture of moving wagons, of whips flourished with many a resounding snap, of men walking beside them with a forced show of indifference, though now and then the back of a brawny hand was drawn

hurriedly over the eyes; of silent weeping women and sobbing children, and of an aged grandfather standing at his gate as the wagons filed past, one trembling hand shading his eyes, the other grasping a red handkerchief, his thin gray hair blown back by the fresh breezes, and the soft spring snowflakes falling gently, around him. "Good-by, good-by!" say these memory children with flushed, tear-stained faces, grouped at the openings in the wagon covers. The old grandsire's response was choked with emotion and drowned in the creaking of the wagons, the shouts of the drivers, and the creaking of their whip lashes, and the little caravan moved on out ofsight.

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduotion) p 9

One of our five wagons was occupied by a little family of three, a man and his pale-faced wife, who held closely to her bosom, on that trying morning of last good-byes, a babe of six months. Since the advent of this child, the mother had daily drooped and faded, and this journey was resolved upon in the hope of restoring her to health. A health journey! Think of it, ye who travel in palace ears, supplied with every luxury that modern ingenuity has brought to bear upon travel to make it a delightful pastime. A heavy wagon without spings, surmounted by strong canvas stretehed smoothly over bows of hickory, drawn together in a circle at the rear by a strong cord and made fast to the front bow; a canvas door, thrown backward over the wagon sheet when opened, and fastened with large horn buttons when closed, was provided to protect the weak woman from night dews and invading storms. A rifle, dread suggestion of possible encounters with Indians, hung from leathern straps against the bows on one side, and on the other dangled a canteen, a compass and a sunbonnet. The wagon bed was packed with boxes and bundles neatly stored, a feather bed and pillows, rolled together and tied with cord during the day, were at night made up for a couch, with quilts and blankets, in a space made vacant by the removal of the boxes; a low chair, sitting sidewas with barely room in front to place the feet, a spece utilized by the babe, when tired, as a place to sit, the mother providing the handbreadth of floor at the expense of her own comfort, by lifting one foot to the side of the wagon.

Thus equipped, a weak woman with her babe started on a transcontinental journey of between 2000 and 3000 miles, across mountains, streams and arid plains, in search of health, and in this wagon home she lived and journeyed patiently, even cheerfully, during the months of weakness and homesickness, jolting over the uneven roads, hungering, with an invalid's feverish longing, for proper nourishment, yearning for rest and caring daily, with such assistance as her kind husband could render after the discharge of other wearing duties that were his portion during those months of trial, for the tired, restless babe. Finally The Dalles was reached, and here the heroic health seeker found a grave. Her faithful husband prepared the worn, emaciated body for burial, and was one of three men comprising the entire funeral cortege, to bear his wife to the peaceful rest of the earth's sheltering bosom. A health journey, begun in espectancy, pursued in hope, ending in disappointment. There are many health journeys of which all these things can be said, but few, indeed, the details of which are so full of silent pathos and heroic struggle as was this.

The day of departure was described by Mary Frances Cook in a letter to Leslie Scott, December 20, 1920, quoted from his "Compiler's Appendex;" p 249. Fanny was 19 in 1852:

The weather that morning was quite spring-like, the sun shone through fleecy clouds, birds were singing and vegetation was rapidly springing into life. Groveland (a small country town), through which we passed, was 'lined' with people on each side of the street, waving us bon voyage.

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduction,) p. 10

That first day, Fanny remembered another parting which she described in 1925 in an answer to a questionare from Clyde Duniway:

... Our dog followed us till we came to the the Illinois River_where we had to cross on a Ferry boat_to reach the City of Peoria_ The wagons were all settled,on the ferry boat, when Father discovered our dog Watch & he told him_ as he placed back on land_ "Go back home Watch & stay with Grandfather." After we reached Oregon (six months later) we had a letter to the effect that the poor Canine went back (Our Grand Father Scott lived near our old Home) to the Family Home & refused food & in a short time he died:

Harriet Scott Palmer also remember the dog. Etty was 11 in 1852, and in her memoirs Crossing over the Great Plains by Ox-Wagons, p 2.

she speaks of the ferry:

...We looked back and saw our old watch dog (his name was Watch) howling on the distant shore. ...

Abigail J.mne Scott (introduction) p 11

THE CARAVAN

The five Scott family wagons included one for the William Gowdy nephew and his family, and cne for the Levi caffee family. There were 16 Scott yokes or 32 oxen, used on the wagons, ten extra oxen belonging to cousin Levi, as well as three cows, two horses and a pony. Six oxen were procured in route to replace those which died, or three yoke, and a fresh yoke was received from the Rev. Neill Johnson on the John Day River, Central Oregon. The wagons are identified by Mary Frances Cook, or Fanny in an interview with Fred Lockley published in the Oregon Journal, March 21, 1925:

The provision wagon was drawn by five yoke of oxen. John and Robert Dickson [Dixon] were the drivers. The camp equipage wagon was drawn by three yoke of oxen. Levi Caffee and Robert King were the drivers. What was called the family wagon also had three yoke of Oxen, with Mitchell and Burns as drivers. What was known as "Mother's wagon" was drawn by two yoke of oxen. John Tucker Scott , Harvey Scott and John Henry Scott took turns driving it. What was known as the miscellaneous wagon had three yoke of oxen. John Goudy and Fisk serving as drivers. ...

Etty in her "Memoirs"(p. 3) reported that her "mother kept the two youngest with her always in "Mother's wagon."

Tucker Scott wrote his father April 4th, two days after leaving home that "we have as fine a company of men as could be desired and from our limited acquaintance I think a good deal of them-"

April 15th, after crossing the Mississipp: to LaGrange Missouri, Tucker reported to his father that "there is in my company 26 souls all told that is 8 teamsters and one man is a passenger besides our own families." By Prior arrangements, the train was enlarged when it was

Abigail Jane Scott (Introduction) p 12

joined by a party led by Stull Swearengen of Vermillio County, eastern Illinois. This party caught up with the Scotts April 24th or 25th, just after crossing the Chariton River west of Kirksville. At St. Jo, Missouri, where the caravan crosses the Missouri River, May 10th, they join a party of men from Groveland who are waiting them. This included Mr. Lyford and Mr. Wafer who had accompanied the shipment of provisions by the Illinois, Mississipi and Misouri rivers to St. Jo. There were three packets per week to St. Louis from Pekin, Illinois, the Scott market town. As Tucker reported in a letter to his father May 6th, "I found my provisions & stores all stored & in good order & I now have them loaded up and ready for a start tomorrow that is I can get across the river but the crowd of emigrants are so great that it is difficult to get to the boat at all..."

From Fort Kearney, May 28th, on the banks of the Platte, Tucker reported to his father that "we now have in our train 12 waggons 113 head of oxen & 12 head of horses." June 9th, from above Ash Hollow, he reported that of the 12 wagons, 5 "are from vermillion County Ill (Mr Swearengins) 1 from Brown Co. the Groveland boys & our own & 52 souls." The Groveland wagon belonged to Frank Gay who also had his own stock. All but two members of the party can be tentatively identified:

Scott (Introduction) p 13

MEMBERS OF THE PARTY

Scott Family

John Tucker Scott, 43, or Tucker (February 18, 1809-September 1, 1880), father, shared driving the "mother's wagon,' which was abandoned on Snake River. It was used by men of the party as a boat down the river to Fort Boise, where it became a ferry. Arrived in the Willamette Valley as a widower, Tucker would marry Mrs. Ruth Eckler Stevenson, also widowed and from the party. He would run a hotel at Lafayette, Oregon, farm, move to Scott's Prairie, Puget Sound, fight in the Yakima Indian War, and return to Clackamas County, Oregon and then to Forest Grove to farm and run a mill.

Ann Roelofson Scott, 40 (July 26, 1811-June 20, 1852), the mother, and wife of Tucker. An invalid, she died of cholera on the Oregon Trail, 30 miles west of Fort Laramie.

Mary Frances, 19, or Fanny (May 19, 1833-September 9, 1930), was the oldest daughter, assigned to cook. She married at Lafayette, Oregon, Amos Cook, a member of the "Peoria Party" of 1839-1840, the first overland emigration. At July 5, 1843 meeting of the citizens at Champoeg to form the Provisional Government, he was elected constable (or "first sheriff') of Yamhill County, Oregon. He was a farmer. Fanny was a prohibitionist, and spent the last years of her long life in Portland, outliving all the family.

Abigail Jane, 17, or Jenny (October 22, 1834-October 11, 1915) was the principal author of the "Journal", and her life has been described above.

Scott Introduction p 14

Margaret, Ann, 15 or Meg (October 27, 1836-September 24, 1865), assigned to help with the cooking and became co-author of the "Journal" Her life is also described above.

Harvey Whitefield, 14, or Harve (February 1, 1838-August 7, 1910), shared in driving the "mother's wagon" until it was abandoned. Fought in the Yakima Indian War of 1855, first graduate of Pacific University,first librarian, Library Association of Portland, Collector of the Customs, Portland, he served forty years as distinguished editor of the Portland, Oregonian. He would die at Baltimore, Maryland.

Catherine Amanda, 13, or Kit (November 30, 1839-May 27, 1913), was responsible for the care of the two youngest children. She married John R. Coburn, and was widowed early. She helped

edit Abigail and Harvey's papers, as well as her own.

Harriet Louise, 11, or Duck or Etty (March 9, 1841-January 3, 1930), drove the loose stock riding "Shuttleback", an old mare. She became a spiritualist and a medium. She married William R. McCord, carpenter and inventor, and then Isaac A. Palmer. She died in Seattle.

John Henry, 9, or Henry, Jerry, or Sonny (October 1, 1843- May 1 1862) helped drive ''mother's wagon." He died of T. B. at Forest Grove, Oregon.

Sarah Maria, 5, or Maria or Chat (April 22, 1847-November 24, 1901), became a musician. She married James Munroe Kelty, a Lafayette merchant, who would be sheriff of Yamhill County, Oregon.

William Neill, 3, or Willie (Decmber 30, 1848-August 27, 1852) He died in the Burnt River Valley on the Oregon Trail.

Scott (Introducation) p 15

Levi Caffee, 37 (November 16, 1814-January 16, 1867), shared in driving the "camp equipage wagon." He was first cousin of Tucker, An orphan brought up by Tucker's father, James, who was his guardian. He came west to cure his alcoholism. He ran hotels at Champoeg and Lafayette, Oregon, was a teamster had a stage from Champoeg to Salem, and later a dairy outside Lafayette.

Martha Roelofson Caffee, 37 or Aunt Mattsie (September 4, 1814-December 15, 1892), was a sister of Ann Roelofson Scott, and wife of Levi. She was cook and second mother to the Scott children.

Charles Clifford Caffee, 9 (February 2, 1843- September 18, 1925), was son of Levi and Martha.

Edward Taylor Caffee, 4 (1848- January 8, 1917) was also a son of Levi and Martha. He served as a bridgetender on the Steel Bridge in Portland for 14 years.

William H Goudy, 29, or Bill (July 2, 1822-July 12, 1897), was the oldest child of Stinson Anderson and Naomi Roelofson Goudy, a sister of Ann Roelofson Scott. He taught school in Marion County, Oregon where he married September 14, 1854, Mrs Rosaline Purvine. With the Purvine children, she received Oregon City Donation Land Claim 2462. They farmed near Hubbard, Marion County, the rest of his life.

Malinda Jane Brown Goudy, 22 (August 11, 1829-October 2, 1852) was the wife of William Goudy. She died at the end of the Oregon Trail at the Dalles on the Columbia.

Mary Goudy, 5 months (October 22, 1851-June, 1932), was the daughter of William H. and Malinda Goudy.

Scott Introduction p 16

John Tucker Gowdy, 16, or Teet (November 21, 1835-March 26, 1917), was a son of Cyrus Finley and Tabitha Roelofson Gowdy. Cyrus was a brother of Stinson Goudy, but used a different spelling, and Tabitha was sister of Ann Roelofson Scott. John shared in driving the Scott "miscellaneous wagon." Tucker in a letter to his father, James Scott, July 3, 1853, reported that "Teet is at work on a farm for $300. pr year and found he is a good boy:" On February 4, 1861, John married Anne Eliza Kemp, also an 1852 pioneer, who would publish her own memoirs. John farmed in Marion and Yamhill Counties, and served in the 1895 Oregon Legislature, House of Representatives, from Yamhill County.

G. Burns paid $50 and helped drive the "family wagon." Leslie Scott says he joined at St. Joseph and left August 15th down the Snake River.

John H. Clason paid $100 as a traveler. He died August 30th on Burnt River A son of Maine, he joined the party at St. Joseph.

John Dixon, 20, paid $50 and helped drive the "provisrons wagon." He was born in Illinois, the son of Wiliam and brother to Robert. He first worked in Oregon City as a carpenter. He died at Lafayette on March 4, 1896.

Robert Dixon paid $50 and also helped drive the "provisions wagon." He was John's brother. He surveyed during the summer of 1853. On November 22, 1860, he married Louise J. Scott, daughter of cousin Lemuel and granddaughter of Tucker's Uncle Peter.

Scott Introduction p 17

Robert H King, 21 or Bob, owed $50 for his fare. He had been farm hand to Tucker Scott in Illinois. He was born in Pennsylvania according to the U. S. Census of 1850. He helped drive the "camp equipage wagon" and left by the Snake River, August 15th, rejoining the Scotts after Fort Boise. He worked at a sawmill at Milwaukie, Oregon, the first winter.

Sommers, paid $50. As "Summers" he sent word to a Mr. Childs in Groveland, Illinois, according to Mag's letter of April 25th. Tucker Scott reported on July 3, 1853, "Sommers is at Marysville {Corvallis, Oregon}; he is doing well."

J. I. Wafer paid $55. He was a photographer. He accompanied goods sent by boat to St. Joseph, Missouri from Pekin, Illinois. A John F. Wafer married Lydia Barrell, March 13, 1854, in Polk County, Oregon.

J. B. Chamberlin died May 10th at St. Joseph. He joined at Peoria. The U. S. Census of 1850 for Peoria records a J. B. Chamberlin, 30, an Episcopal minister, born in New York, wife Mary 28, born Ohio, and son Sheryill, 2, born in Illinois.

Mountain Fisk shared driving the "miscellaneous wagon" occupied by the William Goudy family.

Franklin B Gay, 25, born in Vermont, traveled with his own wagon according to Tucker's letter of June 9, 1852. He would abandon the wagon and leave by the Snake River, August 15th. On July 3, 1853 Tucker reported that "Frank Gay has just returned from the Dalles with the fragments of the stock that he sold to Swearengin before the storm out of 170 head only 9 lived through Frank is the only person that went through in our train but got entirely

Scott Introduction p 18

Strapped he save himself in fact he made money ... Frank acted the man all over with me and I want you to tell his mother of the esteem I have for him" Frank served as the surveyor for the road over the Cascades for the Free Emigrant Road Company of Eugene that October. The "bill of Exchange" for $250 to pay for his services he assigned to Mr. Swearingin who had to sue for payment in the Lane County District Court. Frank is listed in the U. S. Census for 1850 in Tazewell County, Illinois, where appears to be the oldest child of Franklin and Debora Gay, both born in Vermont.

John Hancock, 24, was listed as a cooper in the U. S. Census of 1850 for Tazewell County. He was the son of John and Nancy Hancock, and all of them were born in New Hampshire. According to the "Journal" revision of 1853, he left the party August 2nd. On March 24, 1853, Tucker reported that "John Hancock is at Milwaukie doing about as one would expect him to do his Snake river story that you speke of is truly a snake story he did swim the river ore & back again & did bring over Franks old ox but more than this he did not do than brag & yarn he was the laziest man I saw on the plains

Mr. Lyford with J. L. Wafer accompanied the goods sent by boat from Pekin, Illinois to St. Joseph. The U. S. Census for Tazewell Oounty lists a Joseph Lyford, 22, brickmaker, living in the same house as John Goudy, 14, with others.

Mitchell shared driving the "family wagon" which he turned over July 24th. Reprimanded, he took French leave. On July 3, 1853, Tucker reported "Mitchell is at Portland tho it but little difference where he is."

Crawford Morrison sent word to his father Esq. Morrison, June 9th

Scott Introduction p. 19

by Tucker's letter. According to a letter from Mag, June 7, 1853, Morrison wrote the Tazewell Mirror, published in Pekin, Illinois, about going down the Snake River in wagon beds.

Jefferson Vandervort was reported by Mag on June 7, 1853 to be in Portland. According to Leslie Scott, he died soon after arrival in Oregon.

John Jordan joined the party at St. Joseph with a wagon, oxen, and John McDonald. He tried to rescue cattle that swam the Snake River on July 30th. He left the train August 2nd.

John McDonald, ca 20, traveled with John Jordan. He drowned in the Snake River on July 30th.

Charles Estes, Peter Smith and William Reed are listed as Brown County boys by Leslie Scott.

The Richards brothers from Brown County were remembered by Etty when she answerd Clyde Duniway's questionaire in 1925.

John Buoy, ca. 21, arrived in Oregon October 29th and obtained Roseburg Donation Land Claim 461 in Lane County, TWP l9S, RZW, Sec. 19. He appears to be a brother of Mrs Stull Swearingen. Other Buoys who arrived in 1853 all had claims in the same township: Laban, b. 1801, James, b. 1829 and Thomas, b. 1833.

George Stevenson traveled with one or two wagons and horses from Danville. He died at the Cascades of the Columbia River.

Ruth Eckler Stevenson, 25 (1829-March 30, 1906) was George's wife. She would marry John Tucker Scott on March 15, 1853.

Scott Introduction p. 20

There was a five year old child of George and Ruth Stevenson, not found in U. S. Census records.

Jacob George Stevenson, 3, (born November 21, 1849) was a son of George and Ruth. He married Helen McCornack of Eugene in 1878, and built for her a fine house in that city. A teacher and farmer, he was executor of Tucker Scott's will. Jacob lived in Klamath Falls, Oregon, when his mother died in 1906.

Isaac Stull Swearingen, 39, or Stull (1812-January 8, 1883), arrived at The Dalles, September 25th. He had three or four wagons with horses and oxen. He is listed as a lawyer in the 1850 Census, Vermillion County, Illinois. Stull obtained Roseburg Donation Land Claim 2000 in Lane County. On July 3, 1853, Tucker wrote that "Swearingen is settled about 75 miles above here and has a good claim, now a word with regard to him he deceived me and abused my confidence and tried to swindle me in various ways he only succeeded however in swindling me out of 40$"

Evaline Buov Swearingen, 27 (December 24, 1824- February 20, 1909), married Stull November 22, 1849 in Vermillion County, Illinois.

Lydia J Swearingen, 1, daughter of Evaline and Stull. She married Casseus Macy on April 30, 1870, and married a second time, G. H. Shipley, November 1, 1874.

A "Butler" was listed as a driver by Leslie Scott, p 232.

JOURNAL OF ABIGAIL JANE SCOTT 1852 p.1

Journal of a Trip to Oregon

April 2d; Leaving home, home friends and home associates in Old Tazewell, we are this evening snugly quartered in the open prairie 15 miles from Peoria and 9 miles from Farmington: Have had but little difficulty in our journey so far; - crossed the Illinois river ( for perhaps the last time) with but little difficulty and in a word have had no trouble at all except what has been occasioned by bidding farewell forever to those with whom most of us have associated all our lives; and to me it was a great trial to leave the home of my childhood, the place where, when care to me, was a stranger, I was wont to roam oer hill and dale, and where; when I came to know more thoughtful days I have loved to silently muse over the varying vicissitudes of life and loved to wander alone to the sequested grove, to hold commuion unseen by nortal eye with the works of nature and of God

But here we are, and here I am seated by a blazing fire with Heaven's canopy over my head trying to compose my mind and trying (almost in vain to see how form my thoughts into writing by the flickering and uncertain blaze of the large wood fire; all with us is animation (and not a little confusion) and all are quite anxious to go to ahead

April 3d Eat breakfast this morning in a snow storm, and altho the prospect did look rather gloomy, still we kept in

Scott Journal p. 2

good cheer, and our victuals, crusted, (not with sugar) but snow, certainly disappeared in a manner that plainly showed that we had not lost our appetites even in were experiencing all the 'delights' of (a) snow storm in the open prairie; Camped this evening near Ellis Ville timber, two miles west of Fairview [&] 6 miles from Ellis Ville

The South wind blows very hard, and rather cold and the sky and atmosphere portends an approaching storm

April 4th Sabbath day and consequently we will not go on;

Rained very hard last night but ceased in time to prepare a breakfast to which we all paid ample justice; The wind blows very disagreeably and the cold blasts make us willing to keep in the tents; Intended to have attended church in Fairview to-day but it was too muddy; so we will try to spend the Sabbath as best we can.:.

April 5th Snow this morning four inches deep and we were not allowed to stir until nine o'clock, when a humane and kind hearted gentleman whose (house) is situated at a short distance from (our) camp came and offered us one of his rooms to use until the storm should abate (&) we could get ready to (continue) our journey and I am now writing by the blazing fire and enjoying all the comforts which this truly hospitable family can afford; It is certainly pleasant to be allowed to sit by a blazing fire once more after having been out for three nights in the cold winds and storms

Scott Journal p. 3

April 6th- Morning- The snow still lies on the ground four inches deep, but we think it quite as pleasant traveling and lying by, under the circumstances;, We are now naking arrangements to pack up and start on our journey;; The morning is warm, and the snow appears to be preparing to take, a final leave of us; Evening- Traveled 15 miles to-day, passed through towns, Virgil and Elks Ville

Camped in the prairie in a place that looks as if it were two miles west of nowhere Cloudy and all appearances of rain

April 7th Two of our company taken sick; one with ague, one with the lung fever;- Traveled till about dark when we stopped at a house to try to get permission to remain all night, but there was no feed for our cattle on the premises, nor [c]ould we get any under three miles Leaving our sick folks at that house in charge of one of the company the rest of us almost tired out set out for three miles ahead; We got here with but little dificulty considering the state of the roads; I, in company with my sisters concluded to take a view of the (country) around us and in running over the hills and adniring the scenery; around us, we got so belated we had to walk the distance alluded to and [i]t was actually the muddiest road I ever saw Though we got very tired we lear(n)ed one lesson not to loiter behind the wagons unless we wanted to take a long walk: We succeded in getting hay here at the rates of twenty dollars a ton and were glad to get it, even at that price

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(Note to printer: this broken line appears as a break in text, rather than underlining.)

Scott Journal p. 4

April 8th Mother so sick she cannot travel and we will have to stay here until she gets better;. The morning is fine; and if we were all well we would certainly be a jolly crew

April 9th Rained very hard almost all night, Mother still unable to travel; Mud shoe mouth deep around our camp

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No entry for April 10 .

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April 11th (Morning) Cannot get (hay) here any longer, have had no corn since we came here; and not withstanding it is the Sabbath we must move on- evening.. got corn to-day by sending one of our company two miles and a half off the road in search of it: camped this evening in front of a (house) where we have bought planty of chickens and eggs and we intend to have quite a feast Sick folks are better, and we are all straight again and all in good spirits

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(Morning) was inserted in pencil

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April 12th Passed through some of the worst roads that can be found in this Sucker state and traveled 18 miles; Are now camped in the superbs of the beautiful village called Chili The evening is fine and the scenery around us is beatiful and picturesque enough to cause any intelligent lover of nature's works to feel contented & happy Expect to attend a prayer meeting this evening;

April 13th Traveled 18 miles to-day; Passed through Mendon, a beatifully situated town about two- o'cl[ock] The roads are excellent,- sick folks (almost) well again the weater

Scott Journal p 5

is fine and we have really spent a pleasant day. (Camped near a village called (Ursa) a rugged looking place containing a grocery, tavern and store;) Had considerable difficulty crossing a little stream called Bear Creek but fortun got over safely-

April 14th Arrived at Quincy at twelve o'clock- Waited till five, for an opportunity to (cross) the majestic Mississippi; Are now safely quartered in a large steam ferry boat and while I am now writing we are launched on the unruffled bosom of the great Father of Waters bound for a landing place seven miles N. W. of us; and while I look with a feeling of calm contentment upon the placid current of this great river, I at the same time think with feelings which defy description of (the) hom[e] of my childhood, my own native state, ***** Safely landed and encamped for the night upon the river bank upon the Missouri side

____________________________

April th

Old Illinois I say farewell

Tho long in thee I'd love to dwell

Yet I must go perhaps no more

To reach this lovely land and shore

_____________________________

April 15th; Traveled 17 miles; Noticed quite a contrast in the conditions of persons on different sides of the river. Farmers in Illinois near Quncy were seen as we passed along, contentedly following the plough while on this side the negroes

Scott Journal p 6

do the work and to me the contrast was so great that I could think of little else all day; Saw a ma[n] who said he owned seven slaves of a good stock- he had raised them himse[lf] and two of them were worth one thousand dollars apeice but he had not got enough of work out of them yet, and in a few years they would be worth more; May none of us ever be guilty of buying and selling the souls and bodies of our fellow creatures; slavery is a withering blight upon the prospects happiness and freedom of our Nation

April 16th Made 15 miles; Mr Caffee tawken dangerously ill with the pluerisy: The weather is fine although the roads in some places are almost impassable Camped where we are obliged to use slough water which is well thickened with the blackest kind of mud and is hardly fit for (even) the cattle to drink

April 17th Mr C. so sick that we cannot travel- have sent him to a house where he will receive the kindest attentions the family can afford We cannot get a physician anywhere to attend him and we will be obliged to use our own skill [u]ntil we get where medical aid can be procured The boys, to-day, killed four pheasants and fifteen squirrels and we intend to have a great feast when we get them rightly served up

April 18th Sabbath day- Get plenty of hay at $5 per ton and

Scott Journal p. 7

therefore no necessity of traveling Mr C. is considerably better and we hope out of danger We think he will be able to go on by tomorrow

April 19th Made 20 miles- The cold North West wind blowed very disagreeably into our wagons all day and made us feel willing to walk most of the time to keep warm Camped where we can get corn a 50 cts. per bushel but no hay can be obtained at any price

April 20th Made 18 miles: The wind blows very hard and we have had rather a hard time of it all day Looks more like November than April Mr C. has gone to a house to spend the night He is considerably worse and we begin to doubt his recovery Engaged two physicians from Kirksville (a vallage about half a mile from us to attend him during the night

April 21t Mr C. still no better- have taken him to a tavern and have left one of our company to attend him, (and) the rest of us have moved forward five miles and intend to remain here until he gets better

April 22d We still entertain little hope of Mr C's recovery We have repaired to the banks of the Charitan a small but dangerous (looking) stream near our camp to do our washing The (weather) is fine but prospects for going ahead at present look rather gloomy

Scott Journal p. 5

April 23d 'Tis indeed a dark picture that has no bright side. Our sick man is getting much better and is convalescing so rapidly that we apprehend no dangerous results from traveling with him and we are preparing to cross the stream before mentioned in a crazy looking ferry boat which will carry one loaded wagon and one yoke of oxen at a time provided they keep some one busy bailing the boat; We intend to move on three miles after crossing where we will encamp for the night

April 24th Came 15 miles Stopped two miles from the road we get corn a 75 cts. per. bushel We came to-day through roads where the mud was in some places at least two feet deep

April 25th Sabbath day: The boys killed a turkey yesterday and we had a great feast to-day As there (have) four other teams joined us there a good many of us when all collected together and we concluded to have preaching in our camp to-day a considerable number of the neighbors collected and we had a fair specimen of back woods life and meetings both in the sermon and congregation

April 26th Got an early start and traveled 20 miles A sharper tried to make us pay $10 for the privilege of grazing cattle on a piece of prairie land near his dwelling but we knew what we were about and saved our money

April 27th Came 6 miles to a stream called Madison creek, which owing to recent freshets is too deep to ford and we managed to cross the stream safely to-day, although the mud on either bank looks sufficiently deep to completely mire every horse and and ox in Missouri

April 30th Came 18 miles The country through which we have passed for the last two weeks has almost without a single exception looked entirely unfit for the abode of man and we have seen no signs of civilization worth mentioning in fact nothing (at all) but here and there a shabby log hut which exactly corresponded to the destitu[te] and desolate scenery around us: But the portion of country we see to-day begins to look more and more like civilization as we pass along over hill and dale We are now rolling over a splended looking prairie while the blue tinged timber in the distance, the

Scott Journal p 10

wild flowers and shrubs (beneath) our feet and the (numerous) herds conteantedly grazing near us presents an appearance at once picturesque and sublime The roads are excellent and the weather charming

May 1t Came 20 miles over a splendid portion of country: I rode on horseback all the afternoon and got so far ahead that the teams stopped for the night two miles from the house where I had halted to waited for them and I had the pleasure of going that distance back in a hurry Camped in the open prairie where the grass is rather poor

May 2d We were obliged to go ahead until we could obtain better grazing for our cattle which we could not procure until we had traveled 16 miles where we encamped in the out skirts of a little grove and we intend to remain here until tomorrow

May 3d Came about 19 miles over good roads generally though we passed through some miserable mud holes; The weather is much colder than we have had for a week past and the heavy clouds loud thunder and off repeated lightning, portends approaching rain

Camped in a little point of scrubby timber with the prairie almost all around us We are within eleven miles of St. Josephs

May 4th Came within 6 miles of St Joe when we halted until

Scott Journal p 11

some of our company who had gone ahead to see if it were practicable for us to get into the town on account of the (great) rush of emigration, returned and advised us to move on; We then went within 4 miles of the town and halted for the night;.

May 5th Rained very hard last night, and our camp and everything around it, looked, this morning as if it were just ready to swim off; In consequence of this we concluded to move on to town and we are camped within half a mile of the main body of the town, and all are busy cooking and packing provisions, which reached us safely at St. Joe. having been sent that far by water.

May 6th Mr Chamberlin, a young gentleman belonging to our company has been complaing considerably for several days and yesterday we moved him to a house just opposite to us,

a he was much worse. Had a physician sent for who pronounced his disease to be pneumonia and lung-fever We intend to remain here for some days until we see how his disease will terminate

May 7th & 8th Mr Chamberlin is very ill and we will be obliged to cross the river next Monday and leave him, if he gets no better which we have at present little reason to hope He is staying at a private house where he receives the kindest attentions and some our company watches with him constantly It will be a hard trial for us and him to leave him behind but is the only way for us to do, as we should have been on the plains by the first of May at the farthest

Scott Journal p. 11a

May 9th S:bbath day has come once more, and with it have come sad and melancholy feelings for us all, at the thought of leaving one of our company behind us sick, perhaps never to see his face again We intend to cross the Missouri in the moring and have made preparations accordingly

Scott Journal p 12

May 10th Crossed the river without any difficulty Left our sick man some better this morning and two of our company remained with him, with the intention of staying until he gets either better or worse, when they will overtake us on horseback Moved on six miles to a place where a company of five men who are old acquaintances have been waiting two weeks for us to join them. The surrounding scenery is delightful The soil is fertile and lacks nothing but improvement to make it one of the firt places in the world in agriculture My sister and I ascended to the summit of a hill and with the aid of a spy-glass took a farewell view of St. Joe. and the United States

May 11th Came about 12 miles over a very hilly and disagreeable road. Though we found it better towards evening than it was in the forenoon Camped in a beautiful and altogether romantic spot where we get some dwarf trees to burn by carrying them a short distance and tolerably good water can be obtained from a kind of spring in a ravin near us

May 12: Found the roads very good to-day. Grass is plenty everywhere that we have been since we crossed the river The portion of country we to-day, is not so hilly as that of yesterday Camped near a little grove where we obtained wood, and water We have passed 7 new graves (belongs to May 14 th) to-day. passed a place, where some folks were busied consigning to its last resting place the remains of a young man who had (died) with the measles The family had emigrated from Pennsylvania,

Scott Journal p 13

had lost three of their company in St. Joe, and with a wish to overcome evry obstacle, they determined to push ahead little knowing that the extent of their ambition would be to come this far on their journey, only to lay the remains of a son in the ocean like and seemingly boundless plains They have become entirely discouraged and when we left them, they were making preparations to go back to the home of their natvity: (We came about 18 miles)

May 13th Came about the same distance as yesterday and found wood and water by turning out our road about a mile There are near forty teams camped within sight of us

May 14th Came (I should think 18 miles; The country as we pass along, looks more and more level; and the plains certainly wear a charm which I little expected to see; The weather is fine which aids them in wearing a brilliancy which certainly cannot be surpassed in any country or in any prairie We roll along over, level roads for the most of the time, and those who are walking, or on horseback by going off the main road a little can see a sight which looks fit for angels to admire The litle hollows which at a short distance from the road we can see at almost any time are generally filled with flowers and var(i)egated with ten thousand tints which are almost sufficient to perfectly enchant the mind of every lover of nature

Scott Journal p. 14

May 15th Came about the same distance as yesterday (&) over much the same looking country. Crossed the big Nemaha a dangerous stream and encamped for the night upon its shores Broke two ox yokes in ascending the bank of the stream

May16th Sabbath day: 'Tis well that we crossed the Nemaha last evening for it is rapidly rising; The cold wind blows very hard and very disagreeably, and the atmosphere, is cold enough for a drear November morning

May 17th One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty One

We came about 18 miles; The country is gently rolling, and ever and anon we could see at perhaps a mile or more from the road a small but beatiful little grove, adding, alike, beauty and variety to the scenery; We passed the little Nemaha, to-day; before we came to it the road which had been going almost due West turned North about 3/4 of a mile, passing around the bluffs to afford an opportunity of crossing the stream; These bluffs are beautifuly rolling, and as high as many we see on the Illinois river; The stream is only about 15 or 20 feet wide and meandering among small clusters of trees bounded on either side by (these) high, rolling bluffs; We passed five other new made graves, We found an excellent and beautiful camping place a half mile from the road by the side of a little stream; We have seen no Indians for several days

Scott Journal p.15

May 18th We have come according to Platts Guide about twenty three and a half miles; The road and country as far as we could see was much more level than any we had seen before; The wind (has) blowed very hard from the S. S. W. ever since 10 o'clock; We passed three new made graves again to-day; We are encamped in a bend of a clear running brook at no great distance from the "Big Blue"

May l9th Traveled about 19 miles to-day; Crossed the Big Blue without any difficulty; The road to-day has been more hilly than that of yesterday; We passed four new made graves; The deaths are principally occasioned by colds and diarrehea brought on in (some) instances by exposure and fatigue, but we think most generally from imprudence in eating and drinking We have however known several cases of the measles and two deaths have been caused within our knowledge of this diease; Several of our company have been attacked with diarrehea attended with hemorrhoids but by taking a strong preventive at first and abstaining almost entirely from eating a day or two they get along without any dangerous consequences We have encamped a half mile from the road where we get good wood but not very good water

May 20th We came according to the best conclusions we can form about 19 miles; Passed two new made graves one person died of measles another from causes not mentioned on the inscription at the head of the grave; I have not seen an Indian for several days though, we are now within the midst of a tribe of Pawnees

Scott Journal p 16

who are reported as being rather hostile and and very theivish; We crossed the Little Sandy about four o'clock and encamped I should judge about one mile and a half from it near a natural-hollow, which contains some standing water in places and in one place within reach of our camp a kind of spring where we get tolerably good water We can also obtain wood in this ravine tho, it looks as if camping were not done here very often or it would not supply the wants of emigrats a great while

May 21t Traveled according to Platt's guide about 14 miles over a very hilly road; There has been rain slowly falling all day, and we concluded that on account of this it was best to go no farther to-day and we therefore halted about two o'clock with the intention of remaining here until morning; The rain has now about ceased to fall and we begin to think it is all over We get very good grazing for our stock at this place; it is off the main road a half mile and about two miles west of little Sandy a stream (which would) hardly oe worth a name at all if it were not for the bad hills on either side and the difficulty of crossing on that account which, certainly ought to render it worthy of note; We found in some natural hollows and along some hill sides several pieces of something exactly resembling iron ore, which occasioned the beleif that iron mines of great value are to be found in this vicinity; Since writing the above we have found that big Sandy is 3 miles ahead of us, and the stream we crossed yesterday was probably a branch of big Sandy

May 22d We traveled about 12 miles; 2 miles brought us to Big Sandy; We went very slow on account of the bad state of the roads

Scott Journal p. 17

which owing the rains of last night and yesterday had become very muddy; The weather has been clear and beautiful this afternoon, tho' it was very dark and foggy this morning; Last night Mr Stevensons horses five in number took a stampede and we were compelled to leave him and his family as he could not come on until he found them; This evening however two of our men who remained with him to help him in searching for them overtook us and brought the joyful news that they had all been found and they will overtake us tomorrow; we are camped 9 miles from big Sandy on the margin of a little stream where we get plenty of wood and water and good grass

May 23d Sabbath day; Owing to the Indians being reported as numerous us we do not consider it best to remain more than one night in a place and we therefore traveled some 7 or 8 miles to-day, till we found another camping place where wood water and grass could be obtained- this we found on the banks of a (small) stream called Ale Ness, but which we thought it best to denominate Tadpole Sandy as the warter is littrally filled with these little animals and in many places the sand is so much higher than the water that we can walk on its surface, but anywhere that we have made the experiment we can obtain good water by spading down two feet, The day is clear and warm; Mrs Caffee is very ill

May 24th Came about 18 miles to-day; We are following the little Blue a stream about one hundred feet wide; The water is rather muddy but has no unpleasant taste; Its banks are ornamented with Cottond-wood ash and elem trees

Scott Journal p. 18

We encamped for the night upon the banks of the Blue, in a very loely spot..

May 25th Came about 12 miles, rained yesterday afternoon and last night almost incessantly, though slowly making the roads bad and traveling disagreeable; We met a large train coming from fort Laramie, loaded entirely with buffalo robes; The men who drove the teams were a set of French and Indian half-breeds- and spoke a kind of French, Indian and Elglish jargon when talking, with eachother which mingled with a host of curses, (in English) sounded strangely to our ears

May 26th Came 18 miles The weather is fine, but the dust flies so thick that in some places it was difficult for us to see our way & We passed four new made graves 0ne was that of a man who was murdered and found on the road by some passing emigrants, lying off a short distance from the road; Upon examination it was found that he had been killed with buck shot and (stabs) with a buoy knife; Those who found him, buried him by laying him upon the ground and covering him with earth, left him, with a notice to the effect of the above, posted by the road side; He had probaly got into some effray with his company who had served him in this manner; We are camped again on the banks of the Blue

May 27th Came 22 miles; The roads are good and the country

Scott Journal p. 19

beautiful; We were informed this morning that it would be twenty five miles to wood and water; We accordingly laid in a supply of these necessary articles before starting which we were afterwards very much pleased as we camped on the prairie where neither could be obtained; Our men saw several antelopes off at a distance from the road, and gave close chase to one, but it proved too smart for them A man shot a hare to-day and brought it to our train for us to see; It looked very much like a common rabbit but was much larger and was a kind of dirty white color; The antelope resemble sheep in form though they are larger and rather more graceful in their movements They are almost white, with a few red spots on the side and back We find the health improving as get farthert on, we passed no fresh graves to-day Mrs Caffee who has been very sick is much better and only requires care to keep her from exposure

May 28th Came about 18 miles; We found no-water except one or two mud holes, and (but) one place where any wood could be procured until night when we struck the Platte, river; We halted (for the night) on its banks opposite to Grand island, which is covered with wood and very good grass; We drove our cattle on to this island to graze and the men waded across to it and got wood for cooking purposes; The stream where they crossed over to the island was about three feet deep and one hundred yards in width with a quick-sand bottom; The water is thick with sand, We mixed (corn) meal with it and after it

Scott Journal p.20

settles a while strain it, and it becomes tolerably clear;

May 29 h Came 8 miles to Fort Kearney; We here halted awhile to write letters, look at curiosities, &c. The fort is a rather shabby looking concern but contains two very good looking dwelling houses which to us who had been traveling for three weeks without seeing a house or any thing like civilization presented an appearance of a very pleasing nature

After leaving the fort we traveled about 8 miles, up the Platte with the expectation of going on upwards of one hundred miles before finding a place to ford it; We however seen teams crossing at this place and therefore came to the determination to cross here too, as the health , as well as facilites for wood and grass is much better on the North than South side; We are camped on the banks of the river to night, without ordinary fuel but we find plenty of buffalo chips;

May 30th Sabbath day: Intended to have lain by to-day but after taking all matters into consideration, we concluded that it was best to cross the river this morning; We found the crossing more tedious than difficult; The place we came through was about a mile and a half wide, about three feet deep (except) in holes where the cattle were sometimes covered for a time almost out of sight; It (took) a team just one hour to cross it; We find no timber on this side, (the North) except what grows on islands The day is clear and very warm;

Scott Journal p. 21

May 31t Traveled to-day about twenty four miles: We are journeying up the Platte The bottom is very level but sometimes in our traveling to day we came to kinds of sloughs or creeks which we would scarcely see at all until we came onto the bank; These hollows unlike others we have seen had no timber around them We camped to-night on the margin of one of these hollows where we get considerably better water than that of the Platte; We are about one miles from the river, on the South side, and and on the North about three miles from us tho' it does not look to be more than one the bluffs are ranged along in quite a romantic manner; We have no wood except the chips before mentioned; which in the absence of ordinary fuel makes a very good fire

June 1t Traveled about 18 miles: The weather is exceedingly hot, making going ahead a tedious and laborious occuption Our sick folks who were all rather better when we crossed the Platte are getting along rather slowly but amidst all the obstacles which seem to come across our way in the course we are pursueing, one hope seems yet to inspire us all; that of one day arriving at the place of our destination; Where other folks have gone we certainly can go; at any rate we think so We met a company to-day who had started back (to the states) on account of sickness and death; They buried one man yesterday, and another this morning and had come back about four miles when we met them They had started from Springfield Illinois We have suffered considerable inconvenience this afternoon in consequence

Scott Journal p 22

of the great scarcity of good water; The water of the Platte being so mudy and warm that it was impossible to drink it we however (this evening) found an excellent spring just in reach of where we wanted to camp and it seemed to me that it was the best water we had (tasted) since we left St Joe. Passed four graves

June 2d Came about 18 miles to-day; The country is level We are traveling through the Platte bottom; The weather has been remarkably hot all day but since we stopped this evening the West wind has arisen and blowed a perfect gale Its fury has now partly abated though we think a hard storm may be looked for to-night, as heavy clouds blacken the Western horizon and we hear repeated reports of thunder, which sounds as if they cannot be at a great distance from us We find tolerably good water this evening by diging near a kind of marsh or slough; We camped this evening about as far from the river as we, did last evening

June 3d Traveled according to our guides about 19 miles; We found the roads very sandy, in the afternoon; In (one) place the bluffs came up very near the river, and I ascended on horseback to the top of highest one that we could see from the road, and there saw, indeed a romantic spectacle; The Platte below me flowing on in peaceful music, intersected with numerous islands covered with timber, when no other timber could be seen, The emigrants wagons cattle and horses on the road in either direction as far as the eye could reach,

Scott Journal p. 23

the plain below in which all this living, mass was moving contrasted strangely with the view on the other side of where I was; There nothing could be seen but still higher ranges of bluffs or rather sand hills, A these of these hills the ground was in most places almost covered with a kind of flower the seed of which exactly resembles our buck-wheat while the flower in shape, size and color exactly resembles the common touch-me-not

Some of our company killed a buffalo to-day which considerably changed the (regular rotine) of our diet at supper time; it tastes almost exactly like beef but has a considerably coarser grain

They also killed a prairie dog and brought to the camp; They are courious looking animals, remebling the rat, squirrel and rabbit, and look as if they might be good eating tho' we do not like to be the first to try them; We camped again near the Platte on the margin of a little creek called Skunk creek We last night experienced all the realities of a Platte river storm The rain fell in torrents until one o'clock, while the thunder and lightning was to some the most terrific and to others the most sublime of any thunder-storm we had ever witnessed The tents belonging to some of our company were upset in the midst of it, the wind blowing a perfect gale, rendering it almost impossible for even the wagons to keep their places

June 4th Came about four miles to another part of Skunk creek and as the water is clear, and we had great need of resting and doing our washing we stopped to get our goods. and chatels in order; We

Scott Journal p 24

find excellent grass; and have hauled wood from an island on the river about three miles from this place

June 5th We came about twenty miles this day; We found the roads very sandy; About the middle of the afternoon a storm came up, and we halted, arranged our wagons beside each-other as closely as we could place them, chaind up the cattle and horses & pitched the tents and gathered a supply of fuel in about as short a time as any thing of the kind could be accomplished (At least I thought so) In about one hour the storm abated and we started on again and went on about two miles carrying the dry chips we had gathered along with us We camped near the river, passed four graves

June 6th. Sunday; We find that keeping the Sabbath rightly by lying by on the plains is "no go" and we accordingly started as early as usual and came about twenty-one miles; The (day) is pleasant we passed six graves

June 7th Traveled about 16 miles: The roads are very sandy rendering it difficult to get along; Killed another buffalo to-day A man died last night in a train which camped opposite to us; They buried him this morning and when we started they had got almost re(a)dy to move on; The train overtook us while we were lying by at noon, and one of our company who was going through without any occupation joined them intending to drive a team in place of the man who had died; They are going to California We camped this evening

Scott Journal p 25

near Wolf springs about half a mile from the Platte

June 8th Made twenty (four) miles; The day has been quite warm but the South wind kept us all animated and considerably allayed the heat of the sun; We found the roads very sandy in some places but in others we found the roads excellent

We passed eight fresh graves; Hear of considirable sickness in a great many trains; At one time to-day we saw upwards of sixty teams ahead of us besides two large droves of cattle; while behind us as far as we could see others were moving on; The great cause of dierrehea which has proved to be so fatal on the road has been occasioned in most instances by drinking water from holes dug in the river bank and along marshes; Emigrants should be very careful with regard to this especially along this part of the road as the ground is impregnated with alkalit; In some places the ground is covered with this substance; It looks about like ashes and has considerably the same taste only it is a great deal stronger; We are camped again about one half mile from the river on the margin of a little stream; the water is better tasted than any we have seen for some days

We saw three buffaloes this morning; They were coming down the Platte and in a few joments after we first seen them they turned and crossed the river thus eluding pursuit but it gave us an fair opportunity to see them and as they were the first I had seen they excited my curiosity a good deal

June 9th Traveled twenty two miles; We started in very good season

Scott Journal p.26

this morning, the weather being fine and a pleasant breeze was stirring; The heat of the sun (became) very oppressive about noon, and continued so throughout the day until night; The evening seems to me to be cool enough for frost; We passed Ash Hollow at three o'clock in the afternoon and in a short time came to Castle Creek; This stream is about as wide as the little Blue and in some places two feet and in others about six inches deep; The water is clear and palatable; The roads have been very sandy in some places to day; We camped again near the Platte; Passed eight graves

June 10th Came 18 miles; The morning was fine but the afternoon was so very oppresive that it seemed almost impossible to breathe About three o'clock a black cloud arose in the west with every sign of an approaching storm We halted and all hands went to work to collect chips; this done we started on and drove near two hours longer; Contrary to our expectations and wishes the cloud passed over us but we were favored for a time with a very refreshing West wind We

passed two graves to-day Camped about one fourth of a mile from the Platte

June 11th Traveled 18 miles; The heat was oppresive about noon almost beyond endurance; About three o'clock again, clouds arose in the west the same as yesterday, and although no rain fell yet the wind blew such a gale that it was for a short time impossible for us to proceed; The sand blew in clouds hiding every thing from our sight for twenty minutes; when the wind suddenly changed and cleared the dust from the road, which enabled us to move on; We have seen

Scott Journal p 27

the wildest and consequently the most romantic scenery to-day that I have seen since we started; Columns above columns of sand and sand stone formed in massive bluffs shaped by the hard winds of this region into rude appearunces of images which the traveler gazes at and is forcibly reminded of the histories of the renowned ruins of magnificent structures of the Old World;

The distances which these bluffs lie from the road are very deceiving; This evening a difference of opionion arose among some of the company about the distance to a bluff which did not look to be one half mile from the road; Wishing to gratify their curiosity several of the men started to the point and upon measuring the distance it was found to be more than two miles; They carried some cedar from the bluffs for cooking purposes which came very opportunely as no chips could be found; We passed 6 graves and camped near the Platte

June12th Traveled 20 miles; At noon we for the first time hailed the rock known by the name of "Nebraska Court House" This huge mass looks as if it might be the ruins of some ancient collossal

edifice It is on the south side of the river and rises up as if (to) mock the scenery around it with its bold and majestic front; It is represented as covering an area of one acre of ground; After traveling awhile in the afternoon we came in sight of the long heard of and renowned Chimney Rock; It at first looked as if it were a spire pointing towards Heaven's blue dome but as we came nearer to it the spire seemed to enlarge and bear rather more the appearance

Scott Journal p 28

of a chimney extending high above a dome shaped building

We passed five new made graves; We camped this evening on the river bank without buffalo chips and with no wood at all except a few small sticks of cedar which will answer for boiling water &c. but we made out a supper in the way of bread by eating sea-biscuits A hard storm came up about six o'clock, and although but little rain fell yet the wind blew so hard that the wagons rocked to and froe; One of the tents got blown over and the many laughs and jests occasioned by the predicament of the inmates of the tent were left in for a few moments, made us all forget to regard the fury of the storm; We got everything straightened up again and all went off peacibly and well

June 13th Sabbath Eve; Did not go forward to day Carried some chips from the bluffs two miles off which answered for cooking purposes; the day has been quite warm but a shower about five in the evening cooled the air and we are now favored with a refreshing brezee; Upwards of one hundred teams passed us to day; Every one is anxious to go ahead and we amongst the rest, but to rest a day will do our cattle a great deal of good and we think will do us no harm

June 14th Traveled about twenty four miles: We have seen very romantic scenery all day; The Chimney rock has been in full view all day; It is represented as being three hundred feet high but from the road we are traveling it does not appear to be more than one hundred feet; Palmer in speaking of this rock very truly says

Scott Journal p 29

that it has the unpoetical appearance of a hay stack with a pole extending far above its top We are now camped in full view of Scott's bluffs; These bluffs derived their name from a melancholy tradition A traveler (of the name) was once taken sick near these bluffs and becoming unable to travel was, at his own request abandoned by his companions; He was never after heard of but a party in passing these bluffs some times afterwards found the bones of a man some distance from the spot where the unfortunate person had last been seene

We passed two graves, A light shower came up this afternoon which continueing for some time cooled the air and made the weather quite pleasant

June 15th 1852. We traveled I suppose about 18 miles we had very good roads mostly all day. We passed a small creek this afternoon called spring creek. About noon we stopped nearly opposite the "Scott bluffs" sometimes called capital hills These hills have a truly grand romantic appearance calculated to fill the mind with indescribeble amazement approaching almost to sublimity. There are numerous cedars growing uppon them, which gives them a still more grand appearance.

We came in sight of a peak called Laramie's peak (in the) afternoon whose lofty summit appeared to reach above the clouds in the distant horizon, It is supposed that we are about 70 miles from it. We passed seven new made graves to day and camped about three quarters of a mile from the Platte where we get good water and grass but no fuel of any ______________________________ _____________________________________

\ ~The entries-; r June 15 through 19 are by the_~l _y~ngyr- i~~er Margaret ~ -t, ~ ~ 3-oin ~ ~er ~ i, on June 17th~: Abigail Jane Scott ~ e cholera. ~~/~.

Scott Journal p 30

kind even Buffalo chips are impossible to (obtain) and we will be obliged to eat sea biscuits for supper,

June l6th We came I suppose about 24 miles we had good roads mostly excepting some mud holes which we had to cross this forenoon, We have seen considerable of water to day termed alk(a)li it is considered dangerous for cattle to drink any excepting running water as all these sloughs and marshes are impregnated with this substance. The Platte is the sureest resort. There are several of our company sick but we hope they are not dangerous About ten o'clock this morning we passed a train who were busied in buriing a body of a female who had died about two hours previous to that time, They had buried her husband a week before, Little did he think that his young wife would so soon follow him, What a sad thing to leave our friends in this uninhabited country inhabited only by the red man of the forest, We are camped this evening one (half) mile from the Platte where we have good grass and use the water from the Platte. We passed ten new made graves to day, and heard of considerable sickness in diferent trains. Laramie's peak is distinctly in view it is the highest peak of the black hills.

By crossing to the north side we will miss the black hills intirely which will save considerable hevy roads.

June l7th 1852. We started this morning about half past seven. We have very good roads have stopped at noon on the banks of the Platte and intend staying here till a wagon belonging to the train overtakes us which did not start this morning as soon as the rest did there being a sick man in the wagon. we hope after we leave Platte river there will not be so much sickness. There is an Indian trading post on the opposite side of the river from where we have

Scott Journal p 31

stopped our wagon with the sick man has come up & he is much better; we started out at 3, o'clock & travelled about six miles which brings us within 3 miles of Laramie we are encamped

on the banks of the Platte where we have plenty of good wood, the grass is rather poor; we travelled about 15 miles to day

June 18 We started early this morning passed Fort Laramie about 10 o'clock. Two of our company crossed the river (and carried some) letters which the company had writen. We passed several indian trading posts this morning. We can see some trading posts on the opposite side of the river, We passed three new made graves this morning. The tribe of indians that occupy this territory are called Sioux. They are represented as being thievish but it is thought if emigrants use propper precaution they need fear nothing from them, In pas(s)ing a dirty stream we met with quite an accident, a wagon belonging to the train upset, and surely I never saw such a mud hole as it was fortunately, there was no person in the wagon The train moved on about two hundred yards, where we stopped for dinner. We have very poor grass, and will stay here no longer than we can get the unfortunate wagon reloaded and the cattle can be rested. Most of the sick folks are better As we ascend the Platte the scenery is more beautiful than any we have seen for some time, At least we think so as we have seen no timber before for two hundred miles and we are heartily glad to see (it) once more. It is about 500 and 40 miles from Laramie to Hall according to the best information we can obtain. We find numerous beds of prickly pears enough

Entry begining with "our Waggon" is in the hand of John Tucker Scott.

Scott Journal p 32

to astonish any one in the "States". We have traveled this afternoon between to ranges of black hills. (but not the principal range) The scenery is grand high ranges of hills on each side adorned with cedars and pine, while numerous wild flowers and pl(a)nts of evry discription (which) adorn the valeys below gives alike beauty and variety to the scenery, We are encamped this evening between two lofty ranges of hills where we can obtain wood but no water we will consequently have to drive the cattle to the river which is some distance off The grass is tolerably good and if we only had plenty of ''Adams ale'' we would have a delightful camping place. We have passed 4 graves in all to day and have come about (14) miles, The sick folks are all better,

June 19 1852 We were camped last night 9 miles from Fort Laramie, The train moved out about 7 o'clock' came 10 miles farther where we again strike the Platte which we are all glad to see. We found several delightful springs this morning the water was as clear as crystal, and was quite refreshing to us, The road was very hilly and rocky this morning and if I felt disposed I sholud call them We are all very glad to see a change in the scenery, we were tired of the dull monotony of the "plains" But I think we have come to the long wished for hills at last, There is not grass enough for the cattle here. (where we have come to the Platte) and we will not stop here longer than the cattle can be waterd and

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Blacked out, "young mountains"

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then we intend going on till we can obtain the desired article We came on about 100 yards where we found another excellent spring, The water is as pure and appears to be as wholesome as any in the "States". Thinking it rather uncertain when we could obtain more we thought propper to fill the casks. which we did and came on about two miles where we have stopped for dinner and to give the cattle an opportunity for grazing. We find tolerable good grass here. We are about opposite "Laramie's peak," which is about twenty miles distant from us, the road still continues hilly and rocky and in consequence of this our progress is much retarded The breeze blowing from these hills seems to inhale us with new life and vigor, Some of the hills are three hundred feet high and to me who had never seen a mountain they seemed to be one continued chain

We are camped this evening near some excellent springs which seem to gush from the rocks. We have good grass and wood and in a word have a very good camping place! We are surrounded on all sides by bluffs and a great many others are encamped close by us, The evening is pleasant and the sky is without a cloud. Came 22 miles to day and passed four new made graves, (We have just heard that) there is a woman dying about 100 yards from us, The part of our train who were sick are much better and improveing all the time. Those who were sick in the first part of the journey are getting healthy, It is most generally the case if persons are sick and their health is restored that they are much (healthier) than they had been for some time.

{Abigail resumes writing}

Scott Journal P 34

June 20th '52 Sabbath Day: How mysterious are the works of an all wise and overruling Providence! We little thought when last Sabbath's pleasant sun shed upon us his congenial rays that when the next should come it would find us mourning over the sickness and death of our beloved Mother! But it has been even so; our mother was taken about two o'clock this morning with a violent dierrehea attended with cramping She however aroused no one until daylight when everything was done which we possibly could do to save her life; but her constitution long impaired by disease was unable to withstand the attack and this afternoon between four and five o'clock her wearied spirit took its flight and then we realized that we were bereaved indeed

A lady died last night in a train camped near us and they this morning interred her lifeless remains and started off without (any) apparent delay being occasioned by her decease

June 21t We this moring dispatched our breakfast in silence and with sorrowful hearts prepared to pay the last tribute of respect to the remains of the beloved lamented dead; She now rests in peace, beside the lady (before mentioned) who died the night before; The place of her interment is a romantic one and one which seems fitted for the last resting place of a lover rural scenery such as she when in good health always delighted in; The grave is situated on an eminence which overlooks a ravine intersected with (groves of) small pine and cedar trees; In about the centre of this ravine or rather basin, there wells forth from a kind of bank a spring of icy coldness, clear as crystal; In the outskirts of this basin clusters of wild roses

Scott journal P 35

and various other wild flowers grow in abundance; And from an eminence where all this can be viewed at a single glance, reposes the last earthly remains of my mother;

We call the place Laramie's Point or Castle Hill We passed three new made graves and came about twenty miles The road has been tolerably level all day, as it follows along the valley of the Platte, and we were not often disturbed by sand hills;

THE GOLDE BOWL BROKEN

1. T'was midnight and he sat alone

The husband of the dead,

That day the dark dust had been thrown

Upon her buried head;

Her orphan children round me sleep

But in their sleep do moan

Now bitter tears are falling fast

I feel that I'm alone

2. The world is full of life and light

But ah no world for me

My little world once warm and bright

Is cheerless as the sea

Where is her sweet and kindly face

Where is her cordial tone

I gaze around my dwelling place

And feel that I'm alone

– – –

Inserted by John Tucker Scott in space left probably for such a tribute. The title is printed in open block letters with no space between words. The poem is writen in two columns, two versus to a column, with a wavy separating line.

Note to printer: Do you want to publish in two coIumns also?

Scott Journal p. 36

3. The lovely wife - maternal care -

The self denying zeal

The smile of hope that chasd despair

And promised future weal

The clean bright hearth nice table spread

The charm oer all things thrown-

The sweetness in what e'er she said

All gone- I am alone

* * * * * *

4. I slept at last and then I dreamed

(Perchance her spirit woke)

A soft light oer my pillow gleamed

A voice in music spoke

Forgot forgiven all neglect

Thy love recalled alone

The babes I loved o love protect

I Stille am all thine own

Lafayette O T. Jan 29th 1853

June 22 We came twenty miles; The roads are very sandy and for (the last) ten miles our road run over cliffs of rock, and wound about to such a degree that we cannot be more than ten or fifteen miles from where we started in the morning; Some of the rocky cliffs resemble rude images of men and animals, rising up as if to mock the surrounding sterile and barren scenery; Rocks of immense proportions are seen on all sides of us covered in some places with the sage brush and a slight covering of sand, and in other places the winds; have blown away the sand and leaves them

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for rods in a place without covering of any description

We find very poor grass this evening; The sage brush, prickly pear, wild pea, plum and bean, with great varieties of flowers are the principal and, I may say the whole productions of these sandy regions; We are camped on the Platte and find but little wood, but with sage roots and what wood we have, we can get along finely in the cooking line; The evening is quite cool Passed five graves

June 23. Traveled twenty five miles; The road run over bluffs all day, and the country has had very much the appearance of what we seen yesterday

We have saeen in some places a few scrubby pines and cedars but nothing in comparison to what we seen some days ago; We are encamped on the Platte under the shade of some cottonwood trees arranged as regularly in many places as if it had been the work of art; The evening is quite pleasant but the sky and atmosphere portends approaching rain Passed six graves. Poor grass

June 24 Came some five or six miles again & half past eight o'clock and finding a place of good grazing we halted and turned our cattle out upon it; We had been there but a few moments when rain commenced falling slowly, and continued falling until one P. M. when we emerged from our over crowded wagons, despatched our dinner and resumed our journey; We traveled until dark and (again) found no grass, but plenty of wood and water; We found the roads very wet and slippery but the sand would not adhere to the wagon

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wheels, and in consequence of this the hauling was not very hard We came I think about fifteen miles in the afternoon and passed two graves; Camped near the Platte

June 25 Started early and traveled until eleven A M, when we came to good grass; We halted and waited until our cattle eat as long as they would and started on again at half past one; We had a very grand and altogether romantic view of a range of bluffs on the South side of the river; They appeared as a city of dome shaped houses churches and every manner of public buildings the whole of which wore an imposing appearance on account of being surrounded by an impenetrable looking fortress; Traveling a few miles further the illusion is partly dispelled but we are now opposite to it and it still wears something of the same appearanc[e] though not altogether, so picturesque and complete It is rumored that gold mines of considerable value have been discovered on the South side on a stream called Deer creek and that some three hundred teams have stopped and are digging for the precious ore; In order to ascertain the truth of this two of our company; left the train on horseback this morning with the intention of crossing the Platte and going to the "diggins", They have not yet returned We came some eightteen miles and are camped on a branch of the main river in a cottonwood grove; Passed no new graves

June 26. Started with the expectation of leaving the river after

Scott Journal p 39

goirlg three miles but we had not proceeded far before we seen that our road would not leave it until near noon; We kept on until half past 11 o'clock when we halted in a place of poor grazing but it was the best we could obtain, as the sage brush was so thick that it was impossible for much grass to grow; This brush together with the thorny grease wood is almost all that we can see on these sandy hills and hollows in the shape of vegetation; We remained at the place before mentioned until two P. M. when as we then expected to take a final leave of the Platte with no water to be found on the road until we should come to willow springs reported to be twenty five miles off, we filled our water casks and as we thought bade a final adieu to the river, to which many of us have become much attached Contrary however to our expectations in about two hours we struck it again and traveled in sight of it most of the time until night when (we) encamped for the night near its peaceful current We came eightten miles and passed two graves; We find no good grass; Mosquitoes are quite troublesome

June 27; (Sabbath day) We took a new road this morning and traveled along the Platte until near noon when we came to a place of tolerably good grazing when we halted and turned our cattle upon the grass, pitched our tents eat a cold dinner and prepared to rest untll evening; we are now opposite to the red Buttes These hills are the color of well burnt brick and are about three hundred feet high

A storm came up in the afternoon, and the rain fell where we

Scott Journal p.40

were, very rapidly for about one hour when it ceased and left the atmosphere quite pleasant but the musquitoes are so troublesome and annoying us so much that it quite hard to keep one's patience; While (it was) raining where we are some men (belonging) to a train camped near us, (who) crossed the river and ascended to the top of the red Buttes informed us that that there the snow fell thick and fast for one hour while at the same time our men who were out one and a half miles from the camp watching the cattle, were in a hard hail storm The Platte river here is not one fourth as wide as where we first struck it below fort Kearny but it is very deep and swift and it is almost impossible for a man to swim across it We have heard of two men being drowed in the act of swiming this river (in places) where to look at it (many a) one would (he) had waded much more dangerous looking streams

Late last evening the men who went to examine the gold regions before spoken of returned and brought some specimens of mica and from the best conclusions they could form they beleive that gold is to be found in abundance along that creek if it were properly explored

Ferrymen have been busy for several woks on the other side of the river in ferrying the wagons and emgrants across to this side They take a Loaded wagon across for five dollars and swim the cattle; We came today about eight miles and passed two graves

Scott Journal p.41

June 28th Came twenty four miles; Sixteen miles brought us to willow Springs, three miles to Green creek three miles further to Harpers creek and two miles (to Sage spring) We get good grass tolerably good water but no fuel but sage brush and a few buffalo chips tho the latter are quite scarce We have went over an uninterupted sage plain all day; Alkali abounds here to a great extent and it requires great care to to keep the cattle away from the water We saw beds of salaratus on our right in many places; The marshes where this alkali abounds, have a very unpleasant and strong smell but we can pass over such a place in one or two minutes and are not disturbed by it until we come to the next marsh We passed nine graves to-day; Had a light shower in the afternoon and the evening is quite pleasant; The name of this branch is Fish run instead of Sage springs

June 29 We came twenty miles; We struck the Sweet water about two o'clock and about three came to Independence rock; The Sweet water is about one hundred feet in width; The water is clear and palatable but is warmer during the day than the water of the Platte; Independence rock is an immense mass covering an area of, I think about ten acres, and is about three hundred feet high; My sisters and I went to the base of the rock with the intention of climbing it but a we had only ascended about thirty feet when a heavy hail and wind storm arose obliging us to desist; We then started on after the wagons and before we reached them they had all crossed the river except the last wagon in the train which by hard runing we managed to over take They had intended to let

Scott Journal

us wade it (it was waist deep) to learn us not to get so far behind the team; I would have liked the fun of wading well enough but did not like to get joked about being left; Immediately after leaving Independence rock we came in sight of the well known Devil's Gate five miles ahead of us and when we came near enough we turned off the road about one mile and halted for the night opposite to it in a bend of the river

We in company with many others paid this gate a visit; It is indeed a sight worth seeing; The Sweet water passes through it, and it really seems left by providence for the river to pass through as we can see no other place where it can find its way through the rocks; The cliffs of rock on either side are at least four hundred feet in highth and on the South side almost perfectly perpendicular; The rocks are in many places covered with names of visitors to this place a few of which were of as early date as '38 a great many were dated '50 and '51 but the

majority were '52; We passed seven graves

June 30th (52) Came twenty two miles; We traveled all day along the Sweet water between two ranges of rocky cliffs which in many places cannot be less than five hundred feet high though I should think they would average from three hundred fifty to four hundred feet; I went this morning to pay a farewell visit to the Devil's gate and did not overtake the wagons until 10 o'clock when I was obliged to own for once that I regreted taking such an unnecessary ramble

unless I could go on horseback; We to-day passed seven graves Two were placed tolerably near each other one bearing the inscription

Scott Journal p 43

"Charles Botsford murdered June 28th 1852; The murderer lies in the next grave": The other bears the inscription of "Horace Dolley hung June 29th 3852" It appears (that) Dolley had contracted a grudge towards Botsford with regard to some little difficulty between them- had persuaded him to accompany him in a (hunting) excursion and while alone with him he dealt the blow at which humanity would at any time recoil Vengeance however quickly followed him and he was doomed to (receive) the the penalty which his conduct so complety deserved; We passed a trading post this moring belonging to a Salt Lake company; They asked $20 per. bbl. for flour $12 per. gal. for brandy and other things in proportion; We encamped this evening near the banks of the Sweet water between two high ledges of rock where we get sage brush for fuel but find the grass rather thin Killed a mountain sheep this evening

July 1t 1852 Traveled eightteen miles; We found the roads and scenery very much like that of yesterday; We crossed the sweet water twice and came out on the same side we were on before in order to avoid crossing the bluffs which is next thing to an impossibility

We had to raise our wagon beds six inches by which we managed to keep our "plunder" from being damaged; Passed eight graves to day Encamped in about one half mile from the river and find

better grass than we have had for some days; No timber or sage near us but chips are plenty

July 2d We came eightteen miles; A dispute arose among us with

Scott Journal p. 44

regard to a white substance on our left on the summit of one of the Sweet Water hills which some declared to be snow others as firmly beleived it to be a species of white granite or white gravel; To settle the dispute and satisfy their curiosity two of the company went to it and found it in reality to be snow A chain of he Wind River mountains are plainly visible (ahead of us) with their lofty peaks capped with everlasting snow; The air has been quite cool all day and this evening the wind blows a perfect gale, and and (it) is cold enough for frost at least we would look for frost in the States if the weather were near so cold

We camped this evening on the Sweet Water Grazing is poor, we use sage for fuel; Passed six graves

July 3d Came eightteen miles; We traveled during the forenoon along the Sweet water valley until 11 o'clock when the road forked One was to ford the river and the other to cross the hills; As the fording was bad we concluded to go over the hills and by so doing we managed to get ahead of thirty teams which had been sending the "never failing" but very annoying dust in our faces all the morning

The distance over these hills was one and a half miles; During the afternoon our road was over hills and rocks making the traveling very tedious and difficult In some places for numbers of rods a ( stretch) the road was slightly up hill and perfectly smooth and hard being composed of minute particles of sand and gravel; This together with the large rocks is very hard on the cattle's

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feet though but few of ours have got lame We see a great many abadoned, lame and worn out cattle and the air is literally filled with stench from dead oxen; We passed one as often as every half mile through the day Passed a trading post this afternoon; It is kept by french and half breeds with some specinens of humanity for their wives which plainily tells of the extent of their ambition; They are squaws of the most disgusting appearance imaginable paying no regard whatever to cleanliness; We camped near a small stream where we get plenty of snow to eat which in the (Sucker) States (so near the Fourth) would be considered quite a treat; We find very poor grass and our cattle and horses are much in want of good feed; Passed four graves

July 4th Sabbath Day: By following a ravine about two miles we this morning found a place of tolerably good grazing and we herded our cattle at that place all day; We see a great difference (between) the exercises of the glorious Fourth this year and last The weather is cold enough for snow; indeed from the threatening appearance of the clouds we look for a storm to-night and have made preparations accordingly;

July 5th We traveled to-day about twenty miles Last night we were visited by a tremendous wind storm which upset two tents, made the wagons rock from side to side, and caused the cattle to make a stampede We had last night omitted the usual custon of tying up our cattle around the wagons, in order to give them time to graze; After some difficulty and haste the guard succeeded in bringing them to a halt without losing any of them; We crossed the Sweet Water in the afternoon for the last time and

Scott Journal p. 46

encamped for the night in a ravine one half mile from the banks of the river We find tolerably good grass at this place and use the wild sage for fuel- passed four graves

July 6 We traveled 18 miles through the Pass; The ascent and descent is very gradual it being impossible to exactly determine where the culminating point is; The first accurate conclusion we could form was at the Pacific Springs; These are so called from the fact that they are the first we see whose waters flow towards the Pacific ocean; The next stream we passed was a small

one called Pacific Creek The water here runs West while every other stream we have passed runs either (East) or South

The water in this stream is not very good though it is not impregnated with alkali

We encamped this evening near the Dry Sandy though we found some standing water (yet) we can not obtain grass of any description

July 7th We traveled twenty two miles; We started at half past four o'clock without our breakfast and traveled fourteen and one half against ten o'clock when we struck the Little Sandy; We found some rather poor grass but it was better than none; We got dinner over and started on at two P. M. and traveled until six when we struck the Big Sandy and halted for the night; We here find tolerably good grass. The warter of this stream tastes exactly like that

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of the Little Blue; Passed one grave; This evening two Indians came up to our camp riding a pony; They were of the Shoshonee or Snake tribe and were the first we had seen since leaving fort Laramie except a few at two trading posts; They are sensible and and savage creaturs, as one might wish to see

July 8th We came to-day about twenty miles; To avoid the desert of forty miles between Big Sandy and Green River we took a left hand road yesterday morining and are now in the Utah territory; We find the roads very good They are perceptibly down hill almost continually We have been traveling all day in sight of ranges of Snow capped mountains on each side of us; The weather is clear and cold; We carried water from the Big Sandy this moring which answers cooking purposes and we are now camped in sight of Green River; We find plenty of wild oats at this place which is an excellent substitute for grass and our cattle are in need of all they can get

July 9. We traveled to-day about twenty miles By taking a right hand road we missed our way to the Green River ferry and were were piloted across to the ferry in company with several other trains by some ferrymen We were mistaken in thinking last evening that we saw Green River as it proved to be a bend of Big Sandy;

Green River is a very swift and clear stream and is very difficult to cross unless the crossing is skillfully managed They are however well prepared with two boats (one very good one)

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and we were landed on this side without any difficulty and but little delay; We canped for the night near the ferry; There is a trading station here; Potatoes are sold here for ten cts. per. pound, butter 25 cts. eggs 25 cts. per. doz, flour $6 per. cwt. and other articles in proportion We have a fair specimen here tonight of the various occupations of different persons in the (world); Betting and playing cards is going on at one encampment, music and dancing at another, while at a third persons are engaged singing religious hymns and psalms with apparent devotion; Indians of the Shoshonee tribe are encamped near us in several wigwams; They are as loathsome spectacles as one might wish to behold being as filthy and as far from every appearance of civilization, as any set of dumb animals in the world

July 10th We traveled eightten miles; The weather has been quite warm the most of the day; Snow capped mountains are in full view on our right and before us spots of snow are seen several miles off which look like covered wagons arranged one behind the other; Our road has been over hills and rocks the most of the day; We crossed a small stream every few miles; We encamped on a hill near a small rim (&) about one fourth of a mile from our camp we find (tolerably) good water in a, kind of spring; poor grass

July 11th Sabbath Day; We started this morning in good season and traveld six miles when we came to a (small) stream a good

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spring and tolerably good grass; We here halted as our cattle are much in need of rest; The weather is warm in the valley though snow is in sight on the hills not a great distance from us;

July 12th We came seventeen miles; We have crossed hills and jolted over rocks all day making going ahead a tedious and laborious occupation; We passed several bea(u)tiful springs and one stream which I noticed in particular that had its source in a mountain near us; It was about one foot in width and depth with a pebly bottom and banks not more than two feet apart covered with sage, rose bushes, and greasewood These banks are from four to five feet high and the water is remarkably clear and cold We encamped this evening on the west side of Ham's fork of Green River; This is a very clear stream with a gravel bottom We forded it without difficulty

July 13th We came eightteen miles; The country is exceedingly mountainous; much more so than any we have passed over before; The day has been quite pleasant; This morning the teams were obliged to go a semi-circle of about two miles in order to find a practicable place for ascending a ridge known as the "Devil's Back Bone" To save walking this distance a number of us concluded to climb the mountain and strike the road in advance of the train; We accordingly set out on our enterprise but found the ridge much higher than we had anticipated; I think it must be seven hundred feet above the plain and we walked about two miles from the time

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we struck the base until we reached the summit; There hills, or rather mountains are composed of rocks and sand and have no vegetation upon them except some sickly looking sage brush and a few stinted aspen bushes in (some) hollows; On their summit we found plenty of excellent looking lime-stone rock and some specimens of quartz; After we got over this range we traveled for a few miles in a comparatively level portion of country when we again struck the mountains and did not leave them until night; These were more beautiful in appearance than those (had) we seen in the morning; We passed through a grove of fir trees on the summit of a high peak, which awakened within us, feelings of a pleasing nature, as it was the first timber (thro. which) we had passed which deserved the name of a grove since we left the timber six miles west of St Jo. In the afternoon we descended a very long and steep hill from whose summit we viewed the Bear River Vally Creek; We traveled two miles without unlocking the wagon wheels and in many places the men held back the wagon in addition to having both the back wheels locked; I walked ten miles to day; We passed four new made graves the first we have seen since the first inst. We camped near a small stream with a tolerable good spring adjacent to it A hail storm came on about six o'clock and the females repaired to the wagons and the men to the tents, to wait till it should abate Several of us myself among the nmber being much fatigued went to sleep before the storm was over and did not wake until morning We consequently missed our supper, which would have come very opportunely when we first halted as we were quite hungry

July 14th We came eleven miles to-day when we struck Smith's fork of Bear River and halted here to rest our cattle & do our washing;

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There are plenty of Indians around us and they are troublesone enough We cannot trust them on (any) account as they will steal whatever they can lay their hands on We keep some one busy wat(c)hing them constsantly The weather is quite warm and we have enough to do to keep all hands briskly employed; There are mountains all around and bunches of willows are growing close to our camp so completely matted togrether that nothing can get through them; There are several trees near us which resemble the balm of Gilead but we suppose they are bitter cottonwood

July 15th This day we remained in camp; We have been thrown into considerable excitement in consequence of a murder being committed in a train from Wisconsin, which is now camped one (half) mile from us. (in the trial of which the men of our train have been called upon as jurymen) The murder was committed on Hams fork of Green River, and the circumstances connected with it as near as I could learn them was as follows; One Daniel Olmstead was taking five men across the plains, and it appears that they had not lived very agreeably together as it was proved in the trial which came (off to day that the five had boasted that they had their boss under their thumb and intended to keep him there It was proved that Olmstead went out in the morning to watch his cattle telling Sherman Dunmore ((now)the murdered man) to make a fire and put on the teakettle so they could have some breakfast; When he returned at breakfast time the other men had finished their repast and he asked where his breakfast was Dunmore replied that if he wanted

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any he mignt cook it himself; This was the result of much abusive language on both sides; however Olmstead prepared his breakfast himself, Dunmore threatening in the most abusive manner to whip him Olmstead calmly replied that if he did he would not live long to brag of it Upon this he left him and went into the tent and commenced eating his breakfast, using for the purpose a small sized butcher knife; Dunmore followed him and jumping upon him commenced beating him and endeavored to kick him in the face with his boots Olmsted called upon the bystanders to take him off saying at the same time that he had a k(n)ife; As no one interfered he stabbed him in the lower part of the chest; Upon this Dunmore started back and exclairned that he was stabbed He fell and in twenty minutes was a corpse; The jury after an impartial investigation of the tragical affair brought in a verdict to this effect; That the wound made by the knife of Olmsted caused the death of the said Dunmore and that the same was inflicted by the aforesaid Olmstead in self defense; This evening the Indians were quite numerous and rather troublesome around our camp, so much so that a young man inconsiderately, roughly ordered one who was beging him for something to eat to leave; (the Indian) however did not go and he seized a spider which happen to be near him and pushed him from him with it blacking his blanket which was a very white one; This enraged him and the other Indians around him and no inducement we could offer would make them act friendly with any one and we could not get them to accept any (thing) which we offered them; They soon left the camp and we feel considerable uneasiness about

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the final termination of this matter; (See Appendix)

July 16: We traveled twenty five miles; On our way this morning we met some Indians who were going to bury a man who had been thrown from his horse and got his neck broken; They were wailing in a most piteous manner The dead man was warpt in a blanket and thrown across a pony and and Indian was riding behind him and as he passed us directed our attention to the body, and then passed by us with a heart touching wail; We traveled through the Bear River valley in the forenoon; This valley is one of great beauty being covered with good grass with mountains behind, before and on either side in plain view with groves of fir trees noding at their tops; (and spots of snow visible in may places) This (valley) is tolerably fertile and looks as if it might be well adapted to raising wheat; At half past two o'clock we came to two toll bridges built ac(r)oss a stream known as Thomas's fork of Bear River; They charged us one dollar per. wagon for crossing the two bridges;

During the afternoon our road was over the mountains and were quite slippery in consequence of light showers which fell at intervals

The reference and the "Appendix" entry on page 86 of this manuscript is in darker ink:

(A ) We here met the famous mountaineer, Green He has been among the mountains sixteen years, is apparently about forty years of age, six feet three inches in height and muscalar

in proportion; He is a Canadian Frenchman, was principal actor in the insurrection in Canada in '36 and fled to the mountians for protection; He has an Indian wife and nine children; dresses in buckskin and appears quite at home

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during the day; We encamped near the Bear River and find good grass; The mosquitoes are troublesome in the extreme; passed four graves

July 17 We came twenty two miles, traveling all day in the Bear River valley; The valley and mountains are covered with grass and the summits of the latter are adorned with splendid groves of fir making the scenery beautiful; We passed a (small) stream every few miles; The water runs very swiftly and is perfectly clear and very cold with a pleasant taste; A horse (belonging to our train) ran away to day causing a train ahead of us to stampede

All was consternation hurry and confusion for a few minutes but they soon got everything straight again and there happened to be no serious damage done; We encamped near a good spring one mile from the river on a green sward in a pleasant situation

July 18th Sabbath Day; As wood is scare in our last night's camping place we concluded to move on this morning until we could find wood water and grass We traveled six miles and turned out of the road and went to Bear River two miles farther where we find good wood, grass, and use the river water which has no unpleasant taste although it is quite warm The day is warm and the heat of the sun quite oppressive; We find plenty of black currants near the river, which we gather and serve up and they make an excellent substitute for green fruit; We find good grass by crossing the river

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July 19 We traveled twenty two (miles) About 11 o'clock we came to the Soda Springs; They are a great curiosity, The first view we had was was two mounds of lime-stone rock. We drove up opposite to them and halted, when all went to work searching out curiosities; The best spring (is) on the margin of a small stream, It (is) surrounded by a natural stone wall; The water boils up about one foot from the top of the wall; it is quite cool and when when sweetened, with the addition of a little vinegar, makes a drink equal to any prepared soda in the States A short distance from these we found two other smaller springs walled in the same manner as the first one but with a very small opening at the top, The water in these is of a reddish caste tho. one is |

much deeper colored than the other; Still farther on, on the summit of a limestone mound, (is) a walled spring of the same kind of water as the first one tho warmer the water boils up on the

very highest peak of this cliff and part of it runs off down the sides of the rock but the greater part of it evaporates; This mound is full of small springs some red and some black; Two miles from this on the road near the river we found a still better (soda) spring than the others; A half mile farther we came to the Steamboat Spring The water puffs up out of a (resorvoir) in a) solid rock When we were at the spring it puffed to the highth (of) one and two feet alternately but we are informed that at sun set it puffs to the highth of from six to ten feet The water is impregnated with soda the sane as the others, but it is much warmer than any that we had seen before

In the afternoon we came to the Soda Pool This is a large rocky resorvoir in which the (most of the) water stands until it evaporates It boils up in one small chasm and runs off a

Scott Jorunal p 56

little at one place but most of the water stands in the pool; We this afternoon saw on our left, a hollow crater which has been long extinguished but blackened rocks in many places cover the ground which plainly shows that this place has once been the scene of volcanic eruption; We camped this evening near a good spring which is the source of a beautiful stream

July 20th We traveled eightteen miles, through the Bear River valley; The scenery is beautiful and the weather delightful; The roads were excellent with the exception of some mud holes which

were rather difficult to get through We halted at noon by one which contains water that proved to be rather unhealthy for the cattle as some of them are this evening sick; The grass at that place is excellent; (We passed a trading post this afternoon) We have given our cattle a dose of vinegar and melasses which has the tendency to counteract the effects of the alkali and soda with which the water of this slough is impregnated We encamped in a valley covered with excellent grass, and near a creek from which we obtained some mountain trout; The

water palatable but rather warm; Fuel is quite scarce; We passed one grave

July 21; We traveled but twelve miles Our cattle were so weak after their last night's sickness that we did not leave the camp of the night before until noon; We came to a brige about two

miles from our last nights camp across the before mentioned creek The proprietor wished to tax us twenty five cents per wagon to cross

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on it but the fording was not very difficult and we got over the creek without trouble; The first four miles of our road was through the valley of this creek; the last eight was over the mountains though they are not so high nor so difficult to get over as those we passed some days ago; We passed innumerable aspen bushes which had been killed by fire; The country is barren, producing nothing but stinted sage and aspen with a few weeds; Snow is plainly visible on the mountains not a great distance from the road while fir trees grow near the snow presenting a rather strange appearance; We encamped near a good and beautiful spring which is the source of a clear stream coursing its rapid way over a rocky bottom into "Snake or Lewis R(i)ver". We this day met a Mountaineer who had been in the mountains since '39- he is a native of Kentucky and the best Spicimen of a backwoods man I ever saw he appeared to be about 35 years of age & I should judge would measure six feet 3 inches in hight & weigh about 2OO lbs strong & muscular in propertion his name is Caldwell, "his uncle Mr Wm Caldwell was one of (our) nearest & most intimate neighbours in the "Sucker State" After inquiring with regard to his relatives and finding that we were acquainted with them he appeared much rejoiced and quite glad to see us, particularly Father whose hand he grasped in honor of old Ky, His broadcloth coat and silk neck kercheif contrasted strangely with his buck skin pants & moccasins; and (his) long , flowing hair and whiskers; He was mounted on an Indian pony and armed with two horse pistols, and was engaged in driving cattle While in conversation with this mountaneer off to N. E. in the distance was plainly visible

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the three Tetons with their lofty (snow capped) summits reared high above all the surrounding mountains, and at the same time the three Buttes were visible in a N.W. direction from us presenting a truly romantic and poetical appearance.

July 22 We traveled twenty miles this day Our road was over the mountains all day; We passed several springs during the day whose waters form tributaries for the stream whose source is at the head of the spring of last nights camp; (camped on this branch) The weather is very warrn & the country barren and sterile in the extreme

July 23d We traveled 16, miles; twelve and a half miles brought us to fort Hall; A half a mile after we started in the morning we struck a sandy road, and traveled through the heavy sand for seven miles, with the dust and sand blowing so thick that it was difficult to see our way On this part of the road there is no vegetation but sage and a very small amount of grass which is now perfectly dry; After leaving this sage plain we traveled!five miles over comparatively good roads when we reached the Fort; This fort is built of sun burnt brick (adobes), It is a rather shabby looking concern, but in case of an attak from without its inmates would be tolerably well protected It has port holes through the walls for the admission of guns; This fort is now abandond by the goverment and is occupied by some traders; They had flour for sale at $20 per. cwt; After leaving the fort we had the first

Scott Journal p 59 view of Snake or Lewis river There is timber enough on this river for farming purposes; We in the evening crossed the stream rises at the spring where we camped on the 22d; It has received numerous tributaries and where we crossed it, was about fifty feet wide and three and four feet deep

We camped two hundred yards from the ford and musquitoes were so thick around us while we were at supper that it was with difficulty we finished our repast

July 24th We traveled about nineteen miles Nine miles brought us to the crossing of the Portneth; This is a clear stream about one hundred yards in wi(d)th and six feet deep; (with a remarkably swift current) We raised our wagon beds by tying ropes under them, across the standards; by so doing we managed to keep our goods free from damage After crossing we ascended a hill and traveled over a sand and sage plain until night; The road is a very bad one, being hilly and rocky in the extreme in addition to the deep sand and dust which blew so thick that we could scarcely see our way; We camped near a spring (which is) the souree of a little brook; The weather is warm, the musquitoes annoying, and and a dead aninal not far from our (camp) in no way accebarates our enjoyment We are two miles from Snake river

Owing to (the) carelessness of one of the drivers the wagon in which myself and sisters were riding ran into a deep mud hole and upset; We were very much frightened but fortunately did not

get hurt The wagon contained chests of clothing and feather beds with which it was heavily loaded; There happened to be no

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serious damage done; The wagon bows were all broken; After having been told to leave the train or do better he took French leave of us, and we have not seen or heard of him since

July 25th (Sabbath) We remained in camp as our cattle were quite weak and the grass in the bottom is good; A man died in the afternoon in a train near us, with the mountain fever They buried him in the evening; There are five other persons sick with the same disease in the train The weather is excessively hot

July 26th We traveled twenty miles; Five miles brought us to the American Falls; A melancoly, occurrence accounts for this name; A party of three men were on this river in a canoe and not being aware of