Journal of a Mountain Man
Page 10
“a determined resolution to overcome all obsicles”
24 It rained all night by day our teams ware moving to the river which we had been expecting [to] fall but which began to rise again we let down by cords over a steep rock bluff through mud knee deep an[d] in the rain pouring in torrents me[n] women and children dripping in mud and water over Shoe mouth deep and I Thought I never saw more determined resolution even amongst men than most of the female part of our company exhibited The leaving of home of-near andear friend the war whoop and Scalping Knif The long dreary Journey the privations of a life in a Tent with all the horrors of flood and field and even the element seemed to combine to make us uncomfortable But still there was a determined resolution sufficient to overcome all obsicles with the utmost exertion we crssed over 20 waggons by about 10 o’clock when the waters became too deep to cross and in about an hour it rose so as to swim a horse it continued to rain in rapid Thunder Showers all day with a strong S.W. wind
25th It slacked raining about dusk and did not rain any during the night tho river rose 6 or 7 Feet during the night about 8 the sun made a (a) faint glimering appearance all hands Buisy in contriving ways and means to cross the teams remaining on the oposite side We had a kind of an election which resulted in the chois of Col [Nathaniel] Ford for our capt or leader By a considerable of a majority all seem to enjoy good health not with standing our extremely disagreeable Situation and a Mr [L.] Everhart who is taking a trip for his health swam his horse several times since [coming] here and is making rapid impovements in his health one verry ordinary conoe being all we have for a ferry boat our crossing progresses verry slowly and the water continues still riseing
26 a fine pleasant night and a clear morning the Ladies passing from Tent to Tent Early our ferrying continues to progress Slowly Some young men got a hymn Book and sung a few familiar reformation camp meeting songs last night which had a peculiar Symphonic and feeling Effect in connection with the time and place. a call was made this morning for a regular organization
The before Mentioned men 19 in number in 7 waggons formed in to one mess for mutual assistance in traveling and encamcamping near togeather about 2 oclock we got all our Teams waggons and Baggage over & assertained that there ware 92 men present made some regulations to prepare for keeping of a night and day guard as we are now not more (the) [than] 2 days easy travel from the Kaw Indian villagis the first of the wild roveing tribes that we meet with on our way this evening two waggons that ware in the rear came up opposite side & we ware told that 12 or 15 Teams are yet comeing on it has been fine and clear & the evening pleasant the Ladies gave us a few hymns in the afternoon which had a pleasant meloncholly affect
27 A great stir commenced early & a little after sun rise waggons began to roll out at 7 in morning we made 8 miles in an Northerly direction over a picturesque and rather hilly prairie The waukarusha that has given us somuch trouble & consumed so much time is about 12 rods wide running from S. W. to N.E. & Entering the Kanzas or Kaw river about 8 or 10 miles below our last encampment for the first time we have this evening encamped on ridge of prairie & in the form of a hollw squair early in the afternoon it commenced raining again & rained in thunder showers all night
“wet as water could make me”
28 The earth completely covered in water at 7 got under way although it continued rain a thick fine rain 2 gents and myself started for the Kanzas river with a view of examining the roads and the [Papan’s] ferry proceeded on about 18 miles to acreek & found it verry high and rapid being swolen by the last nights rains turned loose our animals to graze and consult remained about an hour saw a heavy shower coming up from S.W. Saddled our mules & after finding the creek was swimming, (and) started back for camp a tremendeous shower came on before we fairly got saddeld and in 10 minuits we ware completely drenched with rain it continued to rain all the way to camp the roads being deep and heavey thee teams ware Scattered about 2 miles in length along the open prairie ridge on which they ware traveling each one pressing on to some shelter through mud and rain became discouaged one by one and stoped on the ground whare they happened to be many without fire or cooked provision to nurrish them after a verry tidious & toilsome d[a]ys drive I arived at my mess wet as water could make me and found them all sheltering themselves in the best way they could about the waggons they ware fortunate enough however to have furnished themselves with a fair supply of wood & now commenced the tug of war for the rain again renued its strength & fell in perfect sluces as though the windows of heaven had again been broken up and a second deluge had commenced intermingled with vived flashes of Lightning and deep growling thunder which continued until about dark when it slaked up for the night, and here let me say there was one young Lady which showed herself worthy of the bravest undaunted poieneer of [the] west for after having kneaded her dough she watched and nursed the fire and held an umblella over the fire and her skillit with the greatest composure for near 2 hours and baked bread enough to give us a verry plentifull supper and to her I offer my thanks of gratitude for our last nights repast Billitts of wood ox yokes Saddles and all kinds of matter now Became in requisition to raise our bodies above the water and we spent a verry uncomfortable night in all the forms of moisture short of swiming
29 Truged around through the mud and water Shoe mouth deep got a bite of Breakfast and put to the road again our whole distance yesterday being about 12 miles again made a scattering drive 6 miles to the Tunga Nunga the creek spoken of yesterday in the afternoon all the teams came up encamped on a fine dry Bluff on the S side had a clear night and fine
30 Morning rode over to the Kanzas found it verry full and S. Bank overflown several teams crossed to day the day fine & fair saw a number of the Kaw Iindians a misrable poor dirty Lazy Looking Tribe and disgusting in the extreme To lazy to work and to cowardly to go to the boffaloe whare they frequently meet with their enemies get a few killed and return to dig roots Beg and starve 2 or 3 months then make another effort which may or may not be more successfull our ferrying goes on Slowly it being difficult to get to the boat on account of the low grounds being overflown
31 a fine clear night and a pleasant morning Mr Texes Smith mess leaving for the Ferry & Capt Ford followed our mess remain to give the women a chance for washing pased on to the Kanzas about 16 waggons having passed over the river without much difficulty.
1844 June the 1s Satturday
made 4 mils yesterday Encamped on the Bluff near the Ferry performed a singular and Farcicle operation of guarding our stock running loose on the Prairie & found them more scattered this morning than if we had let them roam at (at) large a warm morning with the appearance of rain went out early to get in our horses could not find my horse and a mess mates mule both fine animals slept restlessly rose early
2 Started in search of my horse & comrades morins mule rode around our encampment several times and back on our trail 3 or 4 miles at last took the track down the course of the Kanzas on an Iindian trail followed our anamals about 8 miles when they lef the trail and went in to a thicket whare our anamals had been tied [to] a couple of large trees and saw the bed whare one of the Kaws had Spread his couch near by and taken a happy and no doubt pleasant repose over his rascaly and ill gottin treasure after examination we followed on again over rocky bluffs smoothe prairies and Brushy thickits untill no doubt we ware discovered for our anamals had been put to the keen Jump and run 3 or 4 miles when caution again was taken and hard rockey Bluffs again taken untill we became discouraged and nearly lost orselves arived at 5 evening at camp
3 put to stand to know what measures to take to recover our Lost animals crossed over the river hired two Indians and made another Trial to find our animals went back to whare we left the Trail Last night followd it 5 or 6 miles to whare we came to the main waggon Trail about 15 miles East of our encamp 9 Teams having passed a few hours previous we could not follow any further Returned to camp tired and dijected with fair prospect of making the remainder of our long Toilsome Journey to Or
egon on foot and here let me remark that this is [the] third season that a considerabbl emegration has pased right through the Kaw village and crossed the Kanzas at this place yet I have not heard that Maijor Cummings or any other agent or Interpeter has ever been here at the time they passed which is certainly a great deriliction of the duties of an agent Last year I understand that the Emigrant[s] lost that never ware returned 3 or 4 horses & 20 or thirty head of neat cattle and a considerabl amount of other property and we have Lost 200 Dollars worth or horses mules and other property which might be mostly recovered if time would permit and we had an intirperter that would look to our intrest but as it is we must submit without recourse the Kaws are now starting on their summer hunt and our Stolen horses cannot be obtained untill they return which will not be untill some time about the first of august or latear
4th a Thick foggy morning 9 cle[red] off fine & pleasant all hands still engage getting our stock across the river which is begining to fall one of our Indians returned without finding our animals nine Teams came up on the oposite side of the river I am inclined to think that there is a much better Raut than the one we are taking By crossing the Kanzas at ferry on the Military road leading from Fort Levenworth to Fort Scott and Taking the high lands between the Kanzas and wolf river still Keeping west after passing wolf river between the Nimihaw and Kanzas untill you pass the heads of the Nimihaw you gain the main high land between the Kanzas & Great Platt whare insted of Swiming rivers you will heave to shape your course so as to strike water once or twice a day and bear on to the Great platt near the head of the grand Island
“I took it verry unkindly of him
to allow his young men
to steal our horses and cattle”
5th crossed over the river went 10 miles up the river to the village of the head chief a tall lean wrinkld faced Filthy looking man with a forehead indicating deceet Dissimilutoin and intriegue and more like a Beggarly scape gallows than a Chief but nodoubt these fine Qualities are higly prized by the Kaw nation after telling him through an interperter that whites wanted nothing of the Kaws than a passage through their country the water thy drank and the wood thy kooked their victual with all other things that thy injured or used they would pay for and that I took it verry unkindly of him to allow his young men to steal our horses and cattle He talked with great energy assuring me that if he could See his rascally scamps with our horses he would immediately bring them to us and assured us that in three days he thought we might expect to see our horses I how-ewer put but little confidence in his asseverations a clear warm day and a warm night.
6 Returned to camp awarm clar morning all waiting for the rear of our camp to cross the river about dusk in the evening Jo a kaw who speaks pretty fair English came up to our camp & told me that 2 young men had been down to the Shawnees and came back with three ponies Suspicions had rested on these two scamps for some days past that they had stolen our animals and now the thing was Explained
7 Three of us and two friendly Kaws started to overtake the two horse thieves who had followed a party that ware starting out on a Buffeloe hunt it commenced raining early & continued all day late in the afternoon after swiming two creeks & wadeing three more breast deep I arived at [the] village in the midst of a Tremendeous hail storm And found about 20 Drunken Indians in a dirt covered lodge half knee deep in water Judge of my feeling a rapid hail Storm out[side] a hog wallow within all in unison the Thunder Lightning & hail the schreems an yells within and my object to recover stolen property being insantly known all eyes ware directed on me a loud angry Quarrel commenced between my Friends and enemies and my situation was far from being envious for Knives ware soon drawn and one Flurrished over my head the indian that held it was soon grappled & a half dozen ware as soon wallowing in the mud on the ground floor of the Lodge
8 Returned to camp which had moved about 12 miles up the river did not reach the camp till after midnight in a tremendious thunder Shower lay down dripping with water and as soon as I Became warm fell asleep and slept soundly untill day light though the water raised in a perfect Spring in under us
9 Sundy
no guard last night and two horses and two mules missing walked up the creek a little and saw the Moccosin tracks under a steep Bluff all explained the animals ware Stolen after a considerable search found whare they had swam the creek Capt Ford and 10 men went in persuit could not move camp on account of high water in the afternoon Capt Ford Discovered two indians on high points in the prairie on approaching them he found they were in possession of his lost animals and he brought them to camp the Kaws said that they found the mules & horses in possession of an Oto Indian whoom they beat and whiped and took the stolen horses from him and ware returning to us with them when capt Ford first saw them but this story did not go down with many of us
10th it commenced raining about an hour before or 2 before daylight and rained all day without a moments cesation the creek on which we are encamped bears the dignified name of Knife river and rose 15 feet during the day the [Kaws] that had Capt Fords Horses went away to day verry much disadisfied not getting as much pay as they expected Several of us tried to make them understand that we had sent to Fort Levenworth for an escort of (of) dragoons & hope it may have a good efect
11 It continued to rain all night and is still raining the prairie has become so soft that it will [not] bear the weight of a man in many places Several persons are becomeing discouraged on account of our slow progress and it is almost enough to discourage the stoutest and bravest amongst us I now see the water spreading on all the low grounds & if it was not for the strip of timber it [would] have the appearance of an extensive Lake
12 No guard last night it rained all night but not so rapid as to keep the creek up as it fell about 3 feet 8 oclock we saw a watry glance of the sun for about a minuit all camp regulations are lost & each individual seeking a dry Sheltered spot to stand or lie down on our Tents beds blankets clothing provision and every thing almost rotting and no prospect of drying them and even our cattle are Scarcely able to walk the mudy weather having given them the fouls. It still continues to rain moved camp a ½ mile to escape the mud which resembled a brick yard on our old encampment without the least strech of immaginution
“a great Dijection in camp”
13 It rained all last night verry rapidly & the creek rose again 6 or 8 feet 10 A.M. we saw the sun & a general shout was raised through all the camp after 80 hours steady rain we saw the Kanzas river from the Bluffs & it shews 8 or 10 miles wide the sun shines pale and watry with no fair prospects of clear weather
A great Dijection in camp as it is imposible to overcome natures obsticles & many are brooding over fine houses dry beds & pleasant Society all of which are scarce here on the bluffs of Knife river & the distance and circumstance allmost seem to forbid our ever regaining any of the comforts of civitization and verry little encouragemet can be given to the fearefull and Timerous
14th A thick foggy morning but Some prospect of Better weather sadly disappointed we barly saw the sun through thick foggy showers aand the day closed in without drying our clothes & provisions.
15 a dull Foggy morning without any pospect of clear weather a disaffected camp without unity or concert in any matter except Sleeping which is performed by the male part of the camp to the greatest perfection several complaining of the chollic
10 oclk Maijor Richard Cummings arived on the oposite side of the creek on his way home from running some lines between The Kaws & Pawnees the maijor is goverments agent for the Kaw & Several other tribes of Neighbouring Indians & we ware well pleased to see him so near us
16 Sunday
the clouds braking away with a prospect of fair weather to dry our Baggage one clear day the first we have seen for 8 drid all our Baggage and commenced making a raft to cross the creek the camp looks Quite cheerfull this evening and our prospects have a better appearance for Traveling
17 Commenced early to make preperations for crossing the creek about [?] it comm
enced hailing from the west but soon changed to rain one hour more of fair weather would have seen apart of us on the other side but such was not our fortune and when we will be able to leave the Bluff on which we are encamped the Lord inhis provedence either of Mercy or anger only knows
At 2 P.M. the rain slaked up & all hands to work again we By active exertion crossed over 19 Teams and encamped on a miserably dirty muddy Bottom that had been overflown 6 or 8 feet deep only 24 Hours previous
18 Thunder & an apearance of more rain a warm sultery disagreeable morning & no better pospect of dry weather than there was a month since when the rains commenced against all expectation the day passed without rain and all hands moved out about 1 mile on the Prairie & the sun set clear for once at last
19 How Sadly are we freguently mistaken when we depend on our own calculations for the sun had hardly shot its last rays over the western horizon when a small Black cloud shewed itself in the S.W. and the grumbling thunder began to growl & in ten minuits a rapid thunder Shower was desending in torrents on us which however was not of long duration for it passd off to the S.E. & about dark gave us a Splended natural meteorick Exhibition the electrik fluid Sparkling and flashing in front & byond the dark heavy masses of fleecy cloud which shewed like frowning mountains Stupendeous rocks & deep chasms & dark raviens illuminated with dazzeling brileancy too bright & glancing for the eye to dwel on & might be truly be called the Sublime aweful
Rolled out early through the rain which continued untill 12 o’clock when the sun broke out had several views of the Kanzas river which was overflown from Bluff to Bluff 8 or 10 miles wide made 10 miles encamped on a narrow ridge ½ mile from timber a Bright clear evining and a fine view of extensive uneven Prairie pospect