Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1882-06-02
Original Sketehes.
ACROSS THE PLAINS.
by REYNOLDS s. PATTERSON.

After many opportunities that should
publish an account of my trip overland
to California in the year 1852, Just
thirty years ago, have consented to
do so, promising that because of the
want in me, all my life, of tho faculty
of observation and of good memory
my narrative, | fear, will hardly Justify
publication.
Indeed, were it not for the hope have
that the scenes and events shall be able
to recall may prove now and interesting
to those at least of my readers who have
boon born and grown to man and woman
hood within the period mentioned, and,
too, that desire to leave my children
some record of this episode in their
papa's lie, would forego this narrative
altogether
On the first day of January, 1862,
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany ran their first train of passenger
cars into the City of Wheeling, Vir-
ginia, (now West Virginia, then the
most western terminus of that great
work. | had been in its employ some
time and the engineer corps, of which
| was member, having finished their
work were discharged. Whilst waiting
in Wheeling the result of application
for work elsewhere. | fell in with the
person through whose persuasion | de-
termined to go to California.
A sketch of this gentleman is neces-
sary TO u proper appreciation of some Of
the situations" hereinafter described.
He was owner and BOSS" of this train
with which | travelled. I had known
him in Cumberland, Md, as a mer-
chantss clerk :; was intimate with him,
indeed, thought l knew him thoroughly.
Immediately after the discovery of gold
in California, or rather Immediately af.
ter Commander Mason's official report
to the government confirming the same,
(this was in 1848.) the Boss" and
Mr.. John Jamison, native of this
county, | think, made the trip to Cali
f0rnia, overland, via Texas and Mexico,
and reached the gold fields early in 40,
after having fallen into the hands of the
Comanche Indians and suffered terrible
hardships. When | knew him in Cum
berland be was regarded by all ac-
quainted with him as young man of
extraordinary energy and push. His
experience with the Comanches did not
tend to weaken those qualities in him,
nor did trip Of his afterwards, in 80,
under Gov. Denver, across the Sierra
Nevada Mountains to rescue the snow
b.und and starving cmigrants from the
States OF that year, nor subsequent
trip in 81 from the State of Missouri
to California, overland, with large
drove Of cattle In lieu of these peril.
Gus and hardy adventures rendering him
weak or broken in energy and endurance,
| think they contributed to make him the
most extraordinary man for these qualities
| ever met with Without these charac-
teristics in a degree, no man was fit to
undertake the leadership of an cmigrant
train to California in those days, and
therefore | was the more easily per-
suaded to 60 there under his care and
guidance
| knew the Boss, also, at homo, as
being very fond Of money, Mt the same
time quite generous in its use. On this
journey ! found he had grown illiberal
and stingy | mention these things
because, as intimated above, they were
the Occasion of much unnecessaru suf-
fcring 10 myself and others with him on
this trip. When meeting him in Wheel
ing he had already been to Missouri,
purchased 500 head Of cattle, Gall heifers
under three years of agc. except some
ten or twelve yoke Of oxen, and started
them on the route undor the care Of eight
men, (Missourians chiefly who engaged
to help drive and guard these cattle
through TO California in consideration
of being fed, &c, on the trip at the
Boss expense. Before leaving Wheel
ing three other Of bis Maryland friends,
who bad engaged to go with him, joined
US. We reached Saline county, Mo-,
where the cattle aforesaid had been pur-
chased, about the LIST Of April After
purchasing here several head Of horses
and mules aud six yoke of oxen and two
new cmigrant wagons, we went on 10
Indcpendence--th the extreme border
town of the States. Here after complet-
ing our outfit, in the way Of provisions,
arms, ammunition, &c and adding to
our number two more men, we left that
place April 1lth, 1852, and entered
upon the experiences | shall cndeavor
now TO recall and describe in their turn.
II was, remember, raining on that
day and very cold, and as. at the Boss
suggestion, we had gotten rid Of all such
articles of clothing as ovcrcoats and coats
aud substituted therefor, each Of US, two
grey flannel shirts aud two pairs Of
drawers Of the same material and an
and as we had even this first
day Of our journey twice 10 unload and
reload our wagons in order to cross
streams highly swollen and steep-bank-
ed "a trouble we had to encounter in
Vulnerable times on the trip, especially
while travelling prairie territory il was