May 1, 1848
We started down the trail with:
5 oxen
50 sets of clothing
2000 bullets
3 wagon wheels
3 wagon axles
3 wagon tongues
1550 pounds of food
We will now travel at a more strenuous pace.
May 2, 1848
Badspot has a fever.
May 3, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.
May 8, 1848
An ox is sick.
May 11, 1848
We have arrived at the Kansas River Crossing.
May 12, 1848
The wagon tipped over while floating. We lost:
1099 pounds of food
Tails (drowned)
Badspot is well again.
May 17, 1848
We have arrived at the Big Blue River Crossing.
The river is too deep to ford. We lost:
1 ox
87 bullets
3 wagon axles
192 pounds of food
Bisjac (drowned)
May 20, 1848
We shot 2086 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.
May 24, 1848
We have reached Fort Kearney.
We traded 9 bullets for 1 dollar.
We traded 14 sets of clothing for 99 dollars.
We decided to rest for a day.
May 29, 1848
We found some wild fruit.
May 30, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.
June 6, 1848
We have reached Chimney Rock.
Helena was bitten by a snake.
June 8, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.
June 10, 1848
We have reached Fort Laramie.
We traded 7 sets of clothing for 200 pounds of food.
June 12, 1848
Badspot has dysentery.
June 13, 1848
We decided to rest for 2 days.
June 15, 1848
Helena is well again.
June 19, 1848
No water.
Badspot was bitten by a snake.
June 20, 1848
Bad water.
June 21, 1848
Badspot died of measles.
Helena is sick with typhoid fever.
June 22, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.
We decided to rest for 4 days.
June 24, 1848
We found some wild fruit.
June 28, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
June 30, 1848
Bad water.
July 1, 1848
We lost the trail for 5 days.
July 2, 1848
Helena is well again.
July 4, 1848
We found some wild fruit.
A fire in our wagon destroyed:
710 bullets
July 5, 1848
We found some wild fruit.
July 8, 1848
Bad water.
We lost 1 pound of food due to spoilage.
We have reached Independence Rock.
We traded 6 sets of clothing for 200 pounds of food.
July 11, 1848
We took the wrong trail and lost 2 days.
July 14, 1848
We found some wild fruit.
No grass for the oxen.
July 15, 1848
Bad water.
July 17, 1848
No water.
We have arrived at the South Pass.
July 18, 1848
No water.
July 19, 1848
Helena was bitten by a snake.
July 20, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
July 22, 1848
Bad water.
July 23, 1848
An ox wandered off for 1 day.
July 24, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.
July 26, 1848
Bad water.
July 27, 1848
Bad water.
July 28, 1848
We have arrived at the Green River Crossing.
We decided to rest for 3 days.
July 30, 1848
Helena is well again.
Helena has the measles.
August 1, 1848
We decided to rest for 5 days.
August 6, 1848
We decided to rest for 5 days.
August 10, 1848
Helena died of dysentery.
August 14, 1848
The ferry got my party and wagon safely across.
No water.
August 15, 1848
No water.
An ox is sick.
August 19, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.
August 20, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.
August 23, 1848
No water.
August 24, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
August 26, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
August 27, 1848
I have reached Soda Springs.
I traded 71 dollars for 200 pounds of food.
August 29, 1848
A fire in my wagon destroyed:
183 pounds of food
August 30, 1848
No water.
September 1, 1848
I have reached Fort Hall.
I traded 1 ox for 102 pounds of food.
No grass for the oxen.
September 2, 1848
An ox died.
September 4, 1848
I found an abandoned wagon containing:
35 bullets
September 7, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
September 9, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
September 10, 1848
I lost the trail for 2 days.
September 12, 1848
I have a fever.
September 13, 1848
I decided to rest for 6 days.
September 22, 1848
I am well again.
No water.
September 23, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
September 24, 1848
Bad water.
September 26, 1848
An ox is sick.
September 27, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
September 28, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
September 29, 1848
No water.
September 30, 1848
No water.
October 1, 1848
Bad water.
I have the measles.
October 3, 1848
No water.
I decided to rest for 2 days.
October 6, 1848
No water.
October 7, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
October 11, 1848
I am well again.
October 12, 1848
Bad water.
October 13, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
October 15, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
October 17, 1848
Bad water.
October 19, 1848
Rough trail.
October 20, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
I have cholera.
October 21, 1848
I took the wrong trail and lost 3 days.
October 28, 1848
The trail is impassable. Lost 8 days.
October 31, 1848
I am well again.
November 4, 1848
I shot 442 pounds of meat but was able to carry back only 100 pounds of meat by myself.
I have dysentery.
November 7, 1848
Bad water.
November 8, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
November 13, 1848
I am well again.
Bad water.
November 14, 1848
Broken wagon axle.
I fixed the broken wagon axle.
November 15, 1848
No water.
November 18, 1848
I didn't have any luck on this hunting trip! I returned to the wagon empty-handed.
November 19, 1848
Dust storm. Lost 1 day.
November 22, 1848
No water.
I have a broken arm.
November 23, 1848
Bad water.
November 24, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
[ End of Journal. ]
On November 26, 1848, Colten got sick and died.
