The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-02-14
TRUCKER RIVER. e migrant Road,l

IC.
TRUCKER RIVER. E nigran, Road.l
Monday. Sept. 30.
Mr.. w. p. Johnsnn-Dear Sir: Yunrs
of the 4'h of July. written at Clinton, Mo.
was taken nnt ni The office nl Sacrament"
City. and kindly forwardrd to me by Mr.. A..
Il. Blakry. md gsve me the latest news |
have received from your section of Missouri.
! have now been upon this horrible road
more than ONE month. during which time !
b,vc witnessed every grade Of human suf
lering and misery. Too often hive ! seen
families. who from all nppcn noes. Ind he"n
brought up IN the enjoyment of every inxn
ry, fea sting upnn tho carcnSsps of dend
oxen. Capt Duncan, u' Michigan, stated
to me few days since, TINT the best food
he ate fosslx cen day. was faithful dog
that tc we'd him from home; thet he
saved mee.TT as Ion. as he could. bu, finally
killed him to prevent starvation, and divid.
ed he mel among about twenty men. !
have seen hundreds so weak that they reel.
ed and staggered as they walked nl"ng the
road. Saw one m,n from St. Lonis on
humboldt r,vrr, few days since, ing by
the side of the road IN the las, ngnncs Of
death, caused by starvation. Have ust
reuclled this point, after ten days journey
up Humboldt River. where I found many
p.rsnns wthou. one pound Of provision. al.
Though four hundred miles from Sacra amen,o
City And what makes their siruatlnn worse.
they h1ve suffered from starvation until
they ure so weak they can scarcely walk
These people have been rubbed by the lndi.
ans. even 10 their blankets, although the
Fights ere cold and chilly. and it rrquirex
lwn or three blankets to keep a mar com.
Portable, yet many Of these people have
neither blankets or coats, The hostile n>
dinns are very numerous, becoming very
bold, and ure killing The emlsrnnls daily.
They corceal themselves in the lhickcts ard
ravnes and fire upon the emIgrants ns they
pass; those on foot brirg too weak to carry
their guns, fall an easy prey to the savnees.
The Indians have taken u great deal IF
stock from the em'grans. and are c0nse-
quen,y well mounted; end by picking up
the firearms thrown awny by the weak and
exhausted, they are q! $50 well armed. which
makes them far more dangerous than they
have been n ony previons period. Many
believe ,hes, Indians are headed and led On
By white ,ncu, .vh0sr object i. 10 secure the
disappeared. for which no account can b.
gwen, who have either been killed by The
| ln.linn. win n OFT the road OF aiken prisoners.
! have only mentioned n few Of the thou.
sSnd calami,irs which have b"tsllen the
overland emigration Of 1900 Such an n.
muunt ui suffering never has ben "Xprri.
pnced BY The American people since the SET
llemcn' DG the county; ana sincerely hope
that it may never be my lot durIng life
again To wlin"sS such SCENES of suffering
aud misery. The snow i now foIr niche,
deep up"D he mrunrnIn, and III" rivers ri>-
| M, and ~ iifr'rrn days from this time, in
al pr"bahl!ry, H." moInrnIns vii be GOV.
cred oltn -"uw from i've 10 ton feet dee?
and in many PAGES m"ch deeper. There
vii not b. t;udar on this side of ih"
mnun ANS after the ) h Of Oct"h"r. The
greater part at them are now leaving, with
their s,ork. for fear Of heIng IN the sn""
storms f til" Sl'rrn Nevada. From the
best Information | GA" ge', there u yet II"
tween 100 and 200 lnmllrs nd probnh',
1000 men n the must perfect ate "i d >rI
:u,iuu far hack "f his place, w,'h"U, stock
ar prnvlsl"n.. and many "i them with"n'
nlnuk Is or r"inturlnhr cl"thIng. 10 ih"
winter sets IN early ] cannot see any possr
ale chunc. Tor these people to cross 'h'
nonna.n.. have at my command 3OUl
lbs Of tat beet and 3 UU0 lbs Of flour. b"sd
80 I'M, e-und hursrs. whrh i'll answer t"I
lnud: hut the horses aud uu - Tr needed lC
,rnnspurt the frrbr women and helpless
children over the noun aims aud across iht
deserts.
inn nd
leBve here lu.nIMhl ,o r"iieIe III" sufferer
nn lne t1u nop dr an shnII carry back il"u
and beet >utiici"nt 10 cnabc 1000 person
to cross the Desert. We have re,r ve'
emIgrnn', frnir every Stale in the Un."n
Those from III" cay Of ST. I."ui- have beeI
,hr pr.a,.,r -uifier- Then comes 'ho>
from Uh;". kentucky. Tenresser, Indiana
" lscun.iu. M r'igan. l0aa and Missouri
Pruba Div hit. from New. York and Pennsy
vania have been r-Ii"v"d. three IamIllp
from I.rnl>iann, and tbuul twenty men ir"n
Geurgia, and from very St"tr. more ~ less
have with me- ihumas kinkade, o. Ben
ton Co.. Mo. aud Ewing Story and Wa>l.
ing,nn Ponds. of ST. Clair Co Mo-. who nave
pledged their word Of honor TO rem.in wit,
me on the east side # the muuntnins un'l
tNe lhS' cu'inrhht nus ph>~cu WI w nus o''
called TO final account.
, Observing that tue traders were broom
ing nlarm' d and lenving tor the settlement
, IN accoun, ui the approach u: Winter, sn
frarIrg the effect t.lhiS course on the me
with me, | Diet, ruined to ahOw nhp woui'
remain at any haZarl, aud risk every con-
' sequence. stated I" tne'n my reso'u'r'
was formed, und ihst ! did mt intend u
= CT 81 the nnIrtains H> long ns there wa
, reason 10 believe that Que emigran' remain
=, ru behind alive; that they ali knew the c'l
-ru,tances ~ which we were placed; linbl
10 be- n lacked by ih" numerous tribes "
= hostile lid ans east of the muun,aIis. an
i, should we b.. So fortunate a. To escape III
Indians. they were aware of the slill gr' ate
danger. arising from the almost inipus>l
bDlty of crossing The mountains after III
+. Writer So IA. and even when We had eros
sed the mountains, we must pass thr"ug
:, ,ue Ind an tribes Un the west SIDE. by ~hUI
s. narY murders wee Committed last VIII
,er and spring. After tull consideration
o hose have named from your section
d Missouri DECLARED they were willing I" n-
;, ihe Consequences and remain. and declare
d they would never attempt to eros, inc Size
l.. IL a...-.--al s..ih ih..II. !