#virtualoregontrail May 30-June 5, 1845 Buffalo

Continued from the diary of James Field:

Frid. 30. – Again we lay in camp, awaiting the return of Clark and his company, who returned in the afternoon, all but three, bringing near 30 head of cattle with them from near Blue river. The three returned during the night, and our brave ex-captain, T’Vault, was so courageous as to jump out of his tent, on hearing the noise of their approach, and fire at them, raising a pretty row for a while. 

Sat. 31. – Went about 20 miles, camping near a place just deserted by a hunting party of Indians, whose camp, from the abundance of greasy bones, and scraps of buffalo meat and skins, gave evidence of a successful hunt here lately, although we have not yet seen the first buffalo. The creek we left this morning was not Plum creek, as we passed it about noon. 

Sun. June 1. – We camped last evening in two companies, with every evidence of a general split, which accordingly took place this morning, McNary telling us he is no longer captain. It has been very evident throughout our journey that we could get along much easier in smaller companies. This day was taken up with dividing out the cattle, and towards evening near one third of the company left, under McNary, and went on some five or six miles, followed by some 12 or 13 wagons under J. Waymire, the late lieutenant. The company which last evening broke off, remained still upon the ground, and to this company I was attached. I will here say that it was from no ill feeling toward the captain or any of the company we broke off in the manner we did, but merely to get along easier than we could in the large crowd we were in, as for the last week we had been compelled to either make short drives or lay by every other day on account of the straying of our cattle.  

Mon. 2. – Went 22 miles this day. Saw plenty signs of buffalo, but we discovered none until evening, when two men went out and fired at one of two that had come down into the bottom, but did not get him. 

Photo from Flickr CC Public Domain

Tues. 3. – Went about 18 miles, the road broken with dry water-courses and the land dryer than any yet traveled in this bottom. About noon, five companies of U. S. dragoons, under Col. Kearney, 250 strong, overtook us, and camped soon after. They were hardy looking fellows, and as they passed along in two double lines, leading their horses, they looked nearly as dark as natives, and some of them, with their mustachios, a good deal savager. Two buffalo were killed by our party to-day, and opposite this evening’s camp scores may be seen across the river. 

Wed. 4. – D. Lafield, the only Yankee in the crowd, and he from old Connecticut too, had to take to the bush yesterday on the dragoons’ approach, he having been one, and quit Fort Leavenworth without saying By your leave, Mr. Officer. Every man in camp was his friend, and he had been a good fellow, for, if a man had a cow or anything strayed, Davy was always ready to follow the trail, and he went back two or three times, nearly always with success, though afoot and alone, and several times he laid out in the prairie at night. He was accounted the best cattle-driver in camp, though a footman, and was as good as half a dozen such horsemen as some were. He came into camp this morning, having lain in the prairie all night without gun, blanket, or provisions, and came near running into the dragoons’ camp in the night, but, hearing the relief guard called, he scattered off in another direction. We went about 16 miles this day, camping on a clear-water slough, with only buffalo chips for fuel, which would also have been the case last night had we not taken wood in the wagons the day previous. This was the shortest day I have seen on the road, as there was something to vary the monotony of our journey. Just as we were fairly on our road, the dragoons passed us and overtook a large herd of buffalo feeding in the bottom. They had five horses with them kept during their whole march for running buffalo, and when these were put after them, the buffalo took to the sandhills, among which they were running them all day, we enjoying the sport. I had supposed, from the slowness of their motions, they would make a poor race, but in this I was mistaken, and it is no common nag that outruns them. One of our company gave one of them a shot, which passed through the body and lungs above the heart, and he then outran a dragoon for half a mile, after which he laid down and died. 

Thur. 5. – To-day we went 17 miles, camping on the river near a company which passed us some 10 or 12 days ago. 

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

 25 Apr 1879 (May 28-June 17) 

https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042522/1879-04-25/ed-1/seq-3/  

#virtualoregontrail May 16-22, 1845 ...the shadows of departed joys

Continuing with the diary of James Field:

Frid. 16. – Went about 18 miles, and camped upon a small creek running into Kanzas river. Saw 3 elk, the first of those animals we have seen. The country for the past few days is considerable broken and rocky. 

Sat. 17. – To-day, we went about 17 miles, and camped on another branch of the Kanzas. About 10 miles from our last camp met a company of mountain men, 35 days from Fort Larimie, with 6 ox wagons loaded with peltries. They inform us that buffalo are plenty this season, and that we are within 10 days’ travel of them. They traded some of their dried meat for bacon, and it really was well flavored, though cured without salt, and quite put us in a rage to reach the ranges. This evening Capt. T’Vault, with whom many of the company were dissatisfied, resigned, and Jas. McNary was appointed to succeed him. 

Sund. 18. – Went about 15 miles, the prairie appearing to have been very wet last season, as the deep wheel-ruts the emigrants made are still visible alongside the regular trail. The country is broken by numerous watercourses, but they are at present nearly all dry. Camped upon Walnut Creek. 

Photo from Flickr CC Public Domain

Mon. 19. – Came 20 miles, the longest drive we have yet made, and the latest camping, it being nearly dark when all got in, and some of the loose stock was left 2 miles behind. About 8 mls from the last camp crossed Sandy cr’k, which might more properly be called Muddy, being the worst ferd we have yet had. This evening camped upon Little Blue, of which Sandy is a fork. Those streams are all waters of the Kanzas. 

Tues. 20. – Went 12 miles to-day, camping again on Little Blue, which appears at present to be a larger stream than Big Blue, having a deeper channel and more rapid current. An antelope was killed, it being the only game, excepting a turkey killed by the same person, taken since leaving the rendezvous, but fish have been quite plenty since crossing the Nimeha. 

Wed. 21. – Were detained in the morning to hunt stray oxen, which was also the cause of our short drive yesterday; we however made 15 miles, camping still on Blue. 

Thurs. 22. – Went about fifteen miles again up the Blue, whose bottom we have kept in most of the time since striking the stream, and we again camped on it, in the first thundershower of consequence we have yet had on the prairies. Camping in a thunderstorm is one of the pleasures of an emigrant which makes him think of the home he leaves behind, and, to unyoke a team in the rain and then crawl draining into a wagon, will make the shadows of departed joys flit through a fellow’s mind as he sits brooding over the comforts of life in an emigrant’s camp. 

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

 18 Apr 1879 (April 16, 1845-May 27) 

https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042522/1879-04-18/ed-1/seq-3/ 

#virtualoregontrail May 2-8, 1845 66 wagons, 98 men, 185 shooting irons of all kinds...

Continuing with the diary of James Field:

Friday, the second day of May, the order was given by the Captain to prepare for starting at 9 that morning. – Everything and everybody were anxious for this, and, at the appointed hour, we started, and went to Wolf River, in the bottom of which we camped that evening, near a Sac village. 12 m. We passed about noon through the camp of a portion of the emigration company who started from Elizabethtown the present spring. They were on Mosquito creek, and near the encampment was a dead Indian placed in the top of a tree, in a trough covered with bark. Some gentleman who accompanied us as far as our camp on Wolf river, there took the census of our company, which I will here insert: 

66 wagons; 453 oxen; 649 loose cattle; 1102 total number cattle; 185 shooting-irons of all kinds; 

males over 16, 98; females over 14, 57; males under 16, 78; females under 14, 60; total number of souls, 293. 

Sat. 3. – Bridged Wolf river in the morning, which occupied the time to 11 o’clock, when we started and went to a small creek a few miles east of the Indian Agency, where we camped. 8 m. 

Sun. 4. – Went about 12 miles to-day, across the levelest country we have found since leaving the Missouri river, the whole distance prairie. 

Mon. 5. – Started early; went 14 mls, and camped on a beautiful rolling prairie, near the borders of a small piece of timber with a small creek passing through it. We occupied the same ground the emigration camped upon the preceding year, some of us kindling our fires with the unconsumed fragments of theirs. The country we have passed through since passing Wolf river has been a fine, gently rolling, prairie, well adapted for farming purposes, but nearly destitute of timber. 

Tues. 6. – Had a small flare-up this morning in the camp, the captain, T’Vault, verbally resigning his commission last evening, in presence of the committee of safety, a meeting was by them called early this morning to take into consideration they had adopted, and which had given him offense. After some parleying, during which it was apparent that the company would split if the resolutions were adopted, and that the captain had changed his mind about resigning, the meeting broke up of each one’s own accord, after the resolutions had been partly acted upon, and at 12 m/ we struck up our line of march as though nothing had occurred. Five oxen, two horses, and two mules had strayed during the night, and a child in camp was considered at the point of death, which was the cause of our delay in starting, the other affair being over before the usual starting time. We made 7 miles, and camped at 4 on Wolf river again, it running a s. e. course past camp. 

Wed. 7. – Made 14 miles, and camped on the same stream for the last time. The men who went back yesterday returned to camp this morning, having found the mules which had strayed back within a few miles of the Indian Agency. They report the Elizabethtown company as being 2 days’ march in our rear, keeping our trail, and that they are a larger company than ours. 

Thurs. 8. – We went about 12 miles to-day, but found the pilot had taken a wrong divide, and had to double back about two or three miles, when we camped upon a small creek running southwest, so that we only made about 9 miles. The country still maintains the same character, a nearly level prairie, with occasionally a small grove of timber upon the water-courses, but the soil seems getting thinner. 

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

18 Apr 1879 (April 16, 1845-May 27) 

https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn85042522/1879-04-18/ed-1/seq-3/ 

#virtualoregontrail The Military Immigrant Train

In 1845, at least 2500 emigrants traveled over the Oregon Trail to reach the Oregon Territory. This migration, the largest one to date, nearly doubled the population of the territory. The emigrants joined together in much smaller groups, or companies, who left Missouri over several weeks.

One such group, the Military Immigrant Train, was led by William G. T'Vault. It was one of three groups planning to leave together from St. Joseph. It was under Commander T'Vault that the Riggs and Allen families planned to travel. The T'Vault Military Immigrant Train alone included 66 wagons, almost 300 people, and nearly 1500 head of stock. The two companies joining them would be led by Lawrence McNary and John Herron. These groups were piloted by John Clark, a local trader, who agreed to guide them as far as "Burnett's Trace" - also known as"Independence Road".

William G. T'Vault, 

 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_G._T%27Vault

Companies leaving near the same time were led by Samuel Parker, Samuel Hancock, Presley Welch, A. Hackleton, and Solomon Tetherow. Each company established themselves in an orderly fashion. Perhaps they named their group, and they hired officers and assigned roles. The leaders often included a captain, treasurer, secretary, lieutenants, and others with duties related to hunting, scouting, and safety. Bylaws specifying acceptable conduct on the trail were often adopted. Males of sixteen or older could join a group by agreeing to the constitution and paying an initiation fee of one dollar. Members agreed in advance to the authority of the officers of the company.

In the constitution for one of the groups, an article stated that the majority would rule in all cases, and the men were all held to the Military Law of the United States. Bylaws were more specific. For example, murder was punishable by death, an adulterer would receive 39 lashes on their bare back, and dogs running loose around the camp shall be shot at the discretion of the Captain. The constitutions adopted by the other groups were likely similar.

On this day, April 11, in 1845, the Riggs and Allen families had less than a week remaining to make their final preparations. They would leave their homes on the 16th to join T'Vault and the other companies in St. Joseph and prepare for departure.