JOURNAL OF A TRIP ACROSS THE PLAINS, 1851
During the winter of 1850 and 1851 a number of persons, myself included, decided to emigate to Oregon, which required a very generous effort on our part to get ready in time to make the trip overland with ox teams during the traveling season, it requiring about five months to make the long journey, but after making forced sales and disposing of property at about half of its real value we managed to get all ready to start on the 28th of March, 1851. Our program for traveling was to ship by steamboat from Madison, Indiana, to St. Joseph, Missouri, where we could buy and fit up ox teams, the only safe locomotion for emigrants.
March 28, 1851.—Left Madison, Indiana, on board steamer Valtic at half after 8 o'clock in the morning. Fine clear weather. Landed at Louisville, Kentucky, at half after 12 in the afternoon. Left Louisville at 6 o'clock, P. M. Landed at Hawesville at daylight on the 29th. Here took in coal. Landed at Evansville at 10 A. M. Passed Hendersonville at 11 A. M. Passed the mouth of the Wabash at 4 P. M. Passed Cave-in-Rock at same evening. Fine weather March 30. Arrived at the mouth of the Ohio at 3 A. M. this morning. Here took in coal, then turned up Mississippi, truly a romantic stream to me. Still fine weather.
March 31.—Arrived at St. Louis, Missouri, in the morning. Here we had to ship for St. Joseph. Here we lay till the 3rd of April. Wharf crowded with business. Left St. Louis the 3rd day of April on a new steamer, Cataract. Left St. Louis on 3rd of April at 9 A. M . Weather fair. Good health among passengers and all in good spirits. Passed mouth of Illinois river at half after 11, A. M. Turned up Missouri river, here a rapid, filthy stream. We traveled on until 8 o'clock at night, passing occasionally towering hills but the most of the way the land low and addicted to overflow.
April 4.—We unhitched the boat this morning and,
