The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-08-18
From the Plains.
Correspondence of the Ohio Statesman.
FoRT KEARNEy, June, 1849.

mind greatly impaired by disease, a
tempt to redeem promise made you
Columbus. We have now been fou
weeks on ourjourney, since leaving lnde
pendence, Mo-, and have made distanc
of about $50 miles. For the last wee
we have averaged nearly go miles a day
One week before started, when the cho
era was making fearful ravages among tn
emigrants in and about independence,
was attacked with the diarrh9a, and hav
not been we'll day since, although tn
disease has been slightly checked two o
three times. The fact that the rest of ou
with the same disease imposed on me tn
necessity of performing camp duty whel
Twas not we'll able to do it. This brough
on an immediate return of the disease
Five days ago the disease was checked
and have since been slowly regainine
my strength But five days is shor
time to recover the strength lost in as ma
ny weeks by such a disease Let this
suffice as apology for the defects Of this
letter and for my entire omission to write
to many friends to whom | had promised
and who, trust will have an opportunity
of seeing this, defective as it may appear.
A narrative Of the progress of the car
avan with which we travel and of the events
that have beIallen US, will probably pre-
sent pretty fair representation of the pro-
gress and events that happen to major
ity of the emigrants on this route. We
now number 46 men, 6 women, and about
q dozen children, two of the latter colored.
We have had three deaths. The first a
Miss Bascom, of KY, sister of the cele-
brated Rev. Ii. B. Bascom. She travel
ed with her brother, DR.. B.; who goes to
San Francisco with his family for health.
The second was free colored man, also
of DR.. Bascom's family; the third Mrs.
Knap, of KY, also going in search of
health She has been long afflicted and
had not been able to stand formany months
before she started. There are three other
families in caravan, going to California
for permanent settlement. We have II
wagons, 108 oxen, and six milch COWS.
The latter afford us great luxury, as thev
furnish milk for coffee and for the sick of
the whole caravan. We have 12 mules
and about the same number of horses, the
latter used for riding and for guarding and
driving up our cattle. The oxen move so
slowly the drivers become relaxed and la
zy, and frequently mount horse or poney
to drive. We have also used our horses
to chase deer, elk, antelope and buffalo,
but as yet have killed neither. In this
sport have not been able to participate,
except to witness chase of two elk to.
day that ran for some distance parallel to
our train, and almost within gun shot.
We had fine supper of snipe the other
night, the first flesh | tasted for nearly four
weeks. We shall follow the Nebraska for
some hundreds of miles. Here we expect
to take plenty of fish. We also anticipate
better success in the chase than hitherto.
This will be very acceptable to all who
stop in the raining region, for this travel
ing makes sad havoc Of our bacon, hams,
driedbeefand Goldfish, of which we started
with years supply, but it is disappearing |
most rapidly. although | eat none myself.
Travellers all express their surprise at their
own voracious appetites, and | have no
doubt but half the sickness that is suffered
is in consequence of indulging such ap-
petites
Our progress for the first two weeks was
slow. 1t took us eleven days to reach the
Kansas. 100 miles. The reason was that
our cattle were young and unaccustomed
to the yoke. They did not pull together,
There had been much rain and the roads
were bad. We stalled at every mud hole
and spent much time in helping each other
out. | have seen thirteen yoke Of cattle
to load of $500. For the last two weeks
the weather has been generally fine, and
the roads good. Our cattle, too are i'm
proving in condition as we'll as in their
training, and we get long much better.
You have, doubtless heard doleful, per-
haps exaggerated accounts of the ravages
of cholera among the emigrants. 1t was
indeed most fatal, and we see fresh marks
of its work in the new made graves we
pass every day. In one day ten were
counted by some of our company. One
that examined contained the remains of
a Mr.. Conner of Steubenville, Ohio. This
is the only death of an emigrant from
Ohio, that have learned with certainty.
In Independence and vicinity. | learned
that the number of deaths had been about
200, before we left; since then it has been
more fatal.
| regret that have not been able to
meet with any Of the Columbus compa-
nies, or those of the neighboring coun-
ties. A few days since we met team
with two men on their return. | hailed
them but they were in too great hurry to
stop, all the information | got was that
they had been 90 miles beyond Fort Kear-
ney, and had been week on their return.
Another member of our train learned
from them that they were from Columbus
Ohio, and that they knew me. presume
they did not recognize me when | spoke,
nor did them. lfmy information is cor
rect they will be in your city nearly as soon