#virtualoregontrail August 15-21, 1845, Hot Springs, a child is born, and "How do?"

Continuing with the diary of James Field:

Fri., 15. - We remained in camp to-day, our oxen being somewhat worn down from the scantiness of the grass along the road, which has also been somewhat heavy.

Sat., 16. - This morning we moved off in one company, 40 wagons strong, McNeary's, Parker's and Rigg's companies joining together as one, but unless I am much mistaken they will not be apt to continue as one very long, for once people find out how much easier it is traveling in small companies, it is not easy work to keep them in a large one. We went about 17 miles, camping on an outlet of a spring near the foot of a range of mountains on our right. About five miles from this camp we passed a hot spring near the foot of the same range, the water of which was nearly at a boiling temperature, so that one could not hold his finger in it, and a dog carelessly stepping across put one foot in and ran off yelping and whining noisily.

This short video by Visit Idaho gives a glimpse of the landscape James Field is describing.

https://visitidaho.org/things-to-do/scenic-byways-backcountry-drives/main-oregon-trail-backcountry-byway/

Sun., 17. - Went about eight miles, camping on Barrel creek. [Actually Canyon Creek, but immigrants called it Barrel creek because of the barrel shape of the valley in which it was found.] A small company of six or seven men and two women passed us to-day, having left their wagons at Fort Hall and taken pack horses. The road this day was one of the most stony we have yet passed over, being the same iron-like stone spoken of before crossing Snake river.

Mond., 18. - Went about 16 miles, camping on Charlotte's fork. The first four miles of road were very stony, keeping the wagons on a continual bounce, the remainder a succession of grassy hills, and although it was ascending or descending there all the time, yet it seemed pleasant to be out of the wormwood once more, even for half a day.

Tues., 19. - Went about 17 miles, camping upon Boise river, a stream of considerable size, with its banks more heavily timbered than any stream we have found this side of the branches of Kansas river.

Wed., 20. - Last night another member was added to our company by the birth of a child. Mother and child are doing well, we were ready to go on at the usual starting time. Nothing like enterprise to get along here. Went about 14 miles to-day, keeping down Boise river, and camping upon it again. The waters of this stream are very clear, abounding with fine fish, which the Indians take in large numbers. A party of Snakes and Shoshones visited camp this evening with a number of fine salmon to sell, which were much fatter and better than those taken at Salmon falls.

Snake Indians
Image from https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-oregontrailaccount/6/

Thurs., 21. - Went about 14 miles to-day, still keeping down the river and passing a number of Indian camps, the Indians of all sizes, sexes, and conditions coming out to the roadside and standing in motley groups to see us pass, some of them holding up fish and crying out "swap!" "swap!" There were squaws with pappooses slung to their backs, young chaps 14 or 15 years old standing in the primitive simplicity of Father Adam, and some full-grown men making a very near approach to it. Some few old men whose hair was nearly white with age holding up their hands and saying "How do?"

From “The Diary of James Field” Willamette Farmer (Portland, OR, Fridays: April 18 – August 1, 1879). 

11 Jul 1879 (August 11-22) 

https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042522/1879-07-11/ed-1/seq-6/ 

#virtualoregontrail August 8-14, 1845, Salmon and the Walla Walla Indian threat

Continuing with the diary of James Field:

Fri., 8. - Went about eight miles to-day, camping at the Rocky Fork of Snake, which proves to be only a small stream.

Sat., 9. - This morning our camp was visited by a large band of Indians, who brought with them a mare belonging to a person in one of the forward companies and gave her up, receiving a few presents as a reward for their honesty. Contrast this with the conduct of the owner of the mare, who is reported to have robbed a Sioux grave a little this side of Larimie of several buffalo robes and other articles which it is their custom to deposit with their dead. But thanks be to goodness, the emigrant companies are not all composed of such shadows of men, for before our big company split, he was considered the meanest one in it or on the road. Went about 16 miles to-day, camping again upon the Rocky Fork, or not precisely upon it, for the bluffs are so steep as to oblige us to camp in the wormwood and drive our cattle down loose over the rocks. About 4 miles from our present encampment, crossed the Rocky Forks and the bluffs there were very difficult both of descent and ascent. In fact it has wound through a deep narrow glen with its sides a wall of perpendicular rocks, nearly all the way from our last encampment.

Sun., 10. - Went about 20 miles, camping late in the evening upon a small branch just at its entrance into Snake river. Had a very naked camp of it, there only being a patch of tall rushes and cane grass for our cattle to feed upon.

Mon., 11. - A part of our company consisting of 15 wagons, camped last evening where we first struck Snake River, and this morning they took out their cattle so that our company is again divided, - this time we divided even, as we had 20 wagons, five having left ours and joined Stewart's company on Sweetwater. A number of Indians are encamped on the opposite side of the river. Went about 6 miles to-day, camping again upon Snake River near where a large creek puts into it, near which we found an excellent piece of grass. A number of natives passed our encampment in the evening, one of them having a couple of salmon with him which he sold us.  These are the first salmon we have seen, but the Indians being so plenty along the river the last day or two, I think we must be getting in the neighborhood of salmon. There is little or no game at all on road this side. Fort Hall and the Indians are obliged to live on fish. There are no less than four companies piled up here, ours, Parker's, Leggets, and English's. Parker's is the one that broke from Stewart on Sweetwater about the time five wagons joined him from our crowd. Just below our present encampment on the opposite side of the river are a number of as fine springs as ever were seen. They are near the top of the river bluff, which is between 80 and 100 feet high and as the water bubbles down the nearly perpendicular rock it forms a line of beautiful cascades along the dark wall of rocks which here line the opposite shore of the river. If the hills around us were carpeted with grass instead of being covered with wormwood, this would be one of the prettiest spots on the globe for the study of a painter.

Landscape, Fall Creek Falls and Snake River Idaho

Tues., 12. - On passing those springs this morning I take back the last sentence written yesterday and say, leave all as it is, the brown appearance of the barren hillsides contrasting with the bright green fringe of willows and grass which here border the smooth surface of the river, spreading occasionally up the side around the springs, only to render the same more striking, and should I see it transferred to canvas 50 years hence, I would be sure to recognize it, no matter where I found it. About five miles from our late encampment we passed the Salmon falls, the river there falling over a wall of rock in a succession of tumbles, making a descent of about 25 feet. Here were a number of Indian camps with lots of salmon for sale. These fish cannot ascend the falls, and the Indians have a great fishery there. We could plainly see numbers of their traps in the river as we passed along. We traveled about 18 miles and then tied up in the wormwood, as there was no grass anywhere near us, and the river banks were so steep and high it was utterly impossible to descend them with wagons. My patience was this day tried to its utmost by the conduct of English's company, which hurried its wagons into the road this morning, taking the lead of all the companies. They have been racing and crowding other companies all the way since the start, and now their teams are cut up so that they can hardly travel, and we were obliged to wait for them to work their passages up the hills, occasionally an ox or old cow lying down to rest upon it.

Salmon from Flickr Public Domain 

Wed., 13. - Went about 11 miles this morning, which took us to the crossing of Snake river, and crossing to the first island, turned out our cattle. We found the McNearys, the Waymires, and a number of our old company, in all 13 wagons, on the opposite side of the river wishing to join us, they offering to pilot and assist us over. We crossed in the afternoon, they rendering us valuable assistance, as they were well acquainted with the ford, which is not easily followed, as it runs across to two islands and then crooks up stream. The water only ran into the wagons a few inches, and as everything that could wet was raised to the top of the wagon-beds, it did no damage. They told us it ran over the sides of some of the foremost wagons, and upset one. The Walla Walla Indians are reported to have assembled some 75 or 100 miles below here for the purpose of stopping the emigrants passing through their territory, and it is said they have killed two of the Frenchmen who were with us as pilots on Sweetwater. This is the reason of their wishing to join us.

Walla Walla Native Indians
Image from
https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/walla-walla-tribe.htm

Thurs., 14. - Traveled about ten miles, camping upon a small branch. We had a squally time ascending the bluffs, which are several hundred feet high. We passed from a hill to the side of a bluff, upon a high, narrow ridge of just sufficient width upon the top for the wagon road, the sides descending very steep each way. Just as the wagons were upon this a gale of wind in advance of a thunder shower struck us, and blew with such violence directly across the track that it seemed as if wagons, teams and all would be blown away.

From “The Diary of James Field” Willamette Farmer (Portland, OR, Fridays: April 18 – August 1, 1879). 

4 Jul 1879 (August 4-11) 

https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042522/1879-07-04/ed-1/seq-6/ 

 11 Jul 1879 (August 11-22) 

https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042522/1879-07-11/ed-1/seq-6/ 

#virtualoregontrail August 1-7, 1845 - American Falls and the Snake River

Continuing with the Diary of James Field:

Fri., Aug. 1. - Went only eight miles to-day, as many of us had some trading to do at the fort before starting. A wagon was repaired which had a tire bursted on a forewheel 100 miles from the fort, and we took raw buffalo hide cut in strips and wound about half the circumference of the wheel with it, and although we had a stony road some of the way, it lasted to the fort, holding the wheel firm and solid. One thing about Fort Hall is noticeable, their cattle look as fine as I ever saw grass-fed cattle in old Connecticut. Old, broken-down oxen purchased of last year's emigration were just rolling with fat. This is owing to the excellent grass about the fort, the land affording as fine natural pasturage as I ever saw, but is rather poorly adapted for cultivation, being too moist.

Sat., 2. - As one of our company had lost three of his working oxen in the neighborhood of the fort, we lay by to-day to help him hunt them, and they were brought in before night. Companies should never camp close to a fort when it can be avoided, as their cattle and horses are liable to be run off by the Indians who are always found in greater or less numbers in such localities. They are constantly riding about the camps of the whites, always on a full run, and scatter the stock terribly.

American Falls as it looks today.
Photo from http://smilingglobe.com/where-to.aspx?Visit=Idaho&Go=Central_Idaho&Re=America.

Sun., 3. - Took a fair start to-day for the Columbia Valley, glad to leave Fort Hall and all its appendages behind. Traveled about 10 miles, upset a wagon, and camped in the barrens without water or grass. Wood we never miss now, as we can make a fire and cook with wormwood, which grows everywhere upon the barrens. About 12 miles from our last camp we passed the American Falls, where the river passes over a bed of rocks, having a sloping descent of about 30 feet. Here the level river bottom terminates, and here we should have camped. But Capt. Tethro was close ahead of us, and some of our men had determined on passing him this night, so we kept on after he had camped upon a narrow strip of grass. In crossing a ravine the upsetting of one of Capt. Riggs' wagons brought us all to a standstill. I omitted to mention that a short distance from the last camp we crossed the Portnuef River, which was the worst crossing we have had yet, owing to the steep and miry condition of the banks, and the water being the deepest we have yet forded, requiring thick blocks to be put under the beds of most of the wagons.

Mon., 4. - Went about 16 miles to-day, camping upon the Cajeux river, where we found excellent grass. We turned out our cattle about midway between camps, near the crossing of a creek called the Creek of Rocks, as they had no water or grass last night, and many of our company went on there before they took breakfast. This creek runs through a deep ravine, as indeed nearly all the small streams do, and is rather a difficult crossing. Legget's company upset a wagon in it. The road along here would be tolerably fair were it not for the numerous ravines, some of them being very deep.

Tues., 5. - Went about 16 miles to-day, crossing fewer ravines than either of the two previous days, the road being very stony, however, which jostled the wagons terribly. Ever since passing the American Falls the rocks have presented a dark, rusty appearance, as though they contained iron ore.

Wed., 6. - Went about 14 miles over a tolerably fair road, camping on Goose Creek. We nooned alongside a very pretty little lake which is formed by the outlet of a spring. Just at evening a child fell from one of the wagons and was run over, but happening to fall in a miry hole in the road, it sustained little or no injury. This is the third run-over in our company.

The Snake River
By Colleen Taugher - originally posted to Flickr as Pete at Chief Tim, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6315474

Thurs., 7. - Traveled about 18 miles to-day, camping upon the dry fork of Snake river, the water of which stands along in pondholes. That pretty little lake mentioned yester-day I think must have been Snake river, which again came up this noon. The reason of my mistaking it for a lake was that we happened to strike it where its banks were low, its channel broad and deep, giving it a very moderate current, which caused it to present the appearance of a still lake. Since passing the American falls the river has ran most of the way between perpendicular bluffs of rocks, so that we often approach within a short distance of it without seeing it.

From “The Diary of James Field” Willamette Farmer (Portland, OR, Fridays: April 18 – August 1, 1879). 

 27 Jun 1879 (July 29-August 3) 

https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042522/1879-06-27/ed-1/seq-6/ 

 4 Jul 1879 (August 4-11) 

https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042522/1879-07-04/ed-1/seq-6/