Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-01-24
Across the Golden Sands by Oregon
Trail In 1881.


I The following letter was received by
James NJ. Enele OF Washington. from Mrs.
Augusta Engle Jackson. aged 64 years.
OF Hubbard, Oregon. whose father. Jos
eph Engle, emigrated from Duifields, this
county, in 1895 10 illinois. 10 Missouri in
lS47. and to Oregon in 1851. There was
no word from them for so years until
James NJ. Engle saw George Engle's
name as postmaster at Ashland, Oregon,
and wrote TO him.
Mrs. Jaekson's letter is in part as fol-
lows:
, You wanted TO know something OF the
experiences and hardships OF our folks'
MP across the plains TO this beautiful Or
egon, where we can look out OF the win
dow and see the evergreen fir trees any
! time in the year.
They started the l4th day OF April, 1885.
They bought their supplies in 81 Louis.
They went 10 mothers father and visited
two weeks. That was in Monroe county,
Missouri.
In 1851 they started for Oregon. My
father had two wagons. and the family
consisted OF hlmselt and mother. six chill
dren and hired man. The ages ot the
children at the time they started were
from eleven years old TO babe OF three
months-that was George. Gerude's
father. They had to pack or pile every
thing they had on those two wagons, as
we'll as six months provisions When
they got to a river too deep to lord. and
there was no timber 10 make ilat-boat
OF, they had 10 unload their wagons and
use The wagon bed TOR boat. They
would H. ST put the rnnning gear In the
bed and terry It across, then 20 back after
the goods and provisions. Next they
would 90 back. and one mae. holding to
the OK bow on the down stream would
make the oxen swim up stream and across
The river. Some OF the rivers were very
swift
When my brother George was about
SIX months old an Indian squaw came 10
the camp one day and was determined 10
trade her pappoose for George. They
came neaf having fight with The Indians
that day On two other OCCASIONS they
narrowly sverled pitched battle. There
were forty wagons in their train until they
got 10 The Platte river There they divi-
ded on account OF grass tor the cattle. hall
going up the north ioik OF the Platte and
half going down the south fork. Ny ioks
went up the north FORK OF the river When
they lett the river and had travelled about
one day they came 10 a sandy waste. as
they called II, and as they drove the wag-
ons across the waste the gold tlaiiened
on the wagon tires in scales as large as
quarter dollafs-noi one. but by the hun
dreds. My mother SAID she picked up
nuggets so large that when she ilaiiened
them Out they were as large as twenty
dollar gold piece. And. strange 10 say.
there was no one in The company who
knew what il was. After gold was dis
covered in southern Oregon some OF The
party went back TO get the gold they had
leir on The plains in that sandy waste. but
The gold had all been mined out
Somewhere on the plains they had 10
pass over desert which took them two
days and night 10 cross. They had 10
haul wafer for both man and beast When
they got 10 water and grass they rested
their oxen for couple OF days and LET
them eat. When crossing the Cascade
Mountains they had 10 cut down good
sized trees and chain their tops 10 the
back oil their wagon for brake. the hills
were so steep. These wagons were The
old wooden axle and Inch pin style Of
wagon.
Ny nephew, Thomas Engle. and 80
men from here are on their vay 10 France.
His father is worth $50 600, but sends a
son and says we must win this war. We
never were whipped and must moi be this
time. for we would lose our Liberties.
Our EngIe kinsmen are spread over
Oregon. California. Idaho and Washing
ton. Cordially,
AUGUSTA EEoLE JACKSON.