Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1852-01-29
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wrote to you from the South Pass
the very day we passed the dividing
lands between the waters Of the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans. and promised. when
we arrived at the place of destination
to write again. As we are at our Edo.
rado. now sit down to give you short
sketch of the latter part of our journey
The greatest dilemma we encounter.
ed was an attack on our train, bv band
o. Pawnees, Boonack and Snake Tndi.
ans, who were flushed with the prospecl
of routing us and possessing themselves
Of our valuables, consisting of stock oi
every kind, money, &c: Aregular on.
set was made. and after hard fought
battle we found twenty-five of their
number killed and ten wounded; on our
side We lost ten Of our bravest men
killed and six wounded. Victory was
on our side, and from thence forward
we travelled unmolested. But as a
great drawback, from the time of enter
ing the Indian country until we passed
through, they sto'e from all the trains
eighteen thousand dollars worth of stock
at first cost.
On the Western descent we travelled
500 miles over n volcanic desert, with
out timber, except that of dwarf spe-
cies. known as the sage shrub, which
served a valuable purpose for cooking;
then for two hundred miles the country
was a perfect desert, and our reliance
for fuel for culinary purposes was upon
the buffalo "chips.".
While on this dreary but interesting
route 10 me, we we're cheered with the
presence of droves Of buffalo, elk and
deer. By the prowess OF our young
Nimrods. we were often RECALLED with a
repast of buffa'o meat or other wild
game. If we encountered hardShips
we were somewhat compensated by the
wild scenery and other objects OF no.
velty.
While on the way our train was bles-
sed with the births Of six children, all
Of whom are doing well and will be en-
titled to donation rights of land in Ore
gon.
We hal general good health, no chol-
era. | arrived safe with all my family.
seven wagons and seventy-two head of
horses and cattle, which would readily
command 5000 here. Our train con.
sisted of one hundred and forty wagons.
From the best account | could obtain
from all sources, there were about one
thousand wagons. passed Fort Laramie;
of this number about $50 branched off
to Salt Lake and California, and the bal
ance were for Oregon; the number of
persons in all about 5000, besides about
400 came over in pack-horse trains.-I
The total loss OF persons of our train
from all causes, was twenty-five.
When we arrived at the Dalles of the
Columbia. got my family ON the brig
Henry, and went TO the mouth of the
Willamette, and had my stock drove
along the bank OF the river, and on to
Portland, on the Willamette river. We
ascended the Willamette to Portland in
a steamboat, where we stopped two
weeks, from thence we ascended that
river 20 Oregon City, in a steamboat,
which is some sixty miles from the Co.
lumbia river, and now own $40 acres
of the best land in the whole world, Just
nine miles from the seat OF Government,
Oregon City. Within sight of my ca
bin is the Cascade mountain, white with
snow, while breathe the salubrious
air OF the Willamette Valley, which is
75 miles wide and $50 long. and now
covered with luxuriant coat Of green
grass. My stock was Immediately
turned out, and never did see such i'm
provement. Although | am located in
latitude 449 35 min. N g, yet the cOun-
try is not visited By those rigorous win
ters so prevalent in the same latitude in
the eastern slope of the Rocky noun
tain. am informed stock is never fed
here, but subsists on the exuberant pas
lures of this delightful valley. On cast
ing about for a location and suitable
lands, ! found man who had selected
a section of land, which he had held on
to a number of years, without comply
ing with the conditions of the donation |
law OF Congress. and we'll knowing his |
right would be contested, offered me his
claim for S400, which readily paid
down and at once installed my family !
in comfortable quarters. | have as much |
prairie as | desire, the other part is CO.
vered with a growth Of fir, cedar, pine
and other timber. not surpassed in height \
by those of any other part of the world. /
We are now fencing forty-fve acres of
prairie, which will be sown in wheat
this fall. The wheat crop usually yields
from 90 to 40 bushels per acre.
When | was settling preliminaries for
going to Oregon, | began to imagine
what advantages of location would suit
me, and among others desired TO own
an extensive tract of land, such as am
entitled to by the donation laws, with
good mill site, plenty of durable run
ming water, land rich and mellow, near
ly level, timber in abundance and tall,
with Il due portion of rich prairie, no
swamps. no deep gullies, near naviga-
BILE stream, and good market, near the
seat of Government, not far from the
ocean, mild winters, good country for
fruit, sufficiency of mills. a society Of
enterprise and industry, anxious and
willing to Join in the establishment OF
schools and churches. And now feel