Category: Historical Documents

This morning we met some travelers who were coming back from Oregon. There were six wagons, camped out along the Little Blue. They said that another company of nearly forty wagons was only two days ahead of us. Uncle Luke said he thought someone should ride ahead and try to make arrangements to join their company, but Papa said “No! We can do it ourselves.” Uncle Luke grumbled. I think he is not too happy with Papa. Widow McCoy agreed with Papa. She said that she was afraid that the price would be too dear, and she had little money left to squander. Papa asked the travelers if they had come across any “hostiles.” I think he was talking about the Indians. The travelers said that everyone they met was friendly, and that they had no problems to speak of. This was heartening news for Mama. When we set up…

Some salt pork went missing from Mr. Pembrook’s wagon this morning. Papa immediately said that it was the Indians. “Thieving, no-good savages,” are his precise words. I think that the Pembrooks, being new to our little family, didn’t know who to trust. Mr. Pembrook looked funny at Liam, and at Will, too, and he was snooping around widow McCoy’s wagon. Papa and I saw him trying to look inside when no one was around. Mr. Pembrook said, “You can’t trust wild, unsupervised boys like that. They’re always up to no good.” Papa said, “Charles, you can’t go turning on your own. Not out here. Besides, I’ve had experience with these savages. They have no respect for private property.”  I don’t know what experience Papa was talking about, but the whole Van Bibber family in Virginia thinks like Papa. A horrible incident happened to them back in Point Pleasant, which I…

I have not written yet about Grandma and Grandpa. Neither of them speak very much English, and I have not known them for very long. They came out to Missouri from Vermont with Uncle Luke about a year ago, I think. Mama says I met them a long time ago when I was a baby, when they came down to Virginia to visit, but I don’t remember it. Grandma has taught me a little bit of French, and I practice it with her when she is riding in our wagon. She usually has Josephine with her, because Josephine is only two years old, and needs a lot of care. Grandma does a lot of the cooking. She says that it gives her a break from Josephine. Grandpa does not get on well with Papa. He says, “Your Papa is ob-steen-ay.” I think that means he is stubborn. The truth is…

A new family joined us, and now there are seven wagons in our little company and 26 people.  1. Papa’s wagon with Mama, me and Annabelle.  2. Uncle Luke and Aunt Marie’s wagon which has Grandma and Grandpa, although they sometimes ride with us. Also little Luke and Josephine, and Aunt Marie’s brother, Jean.  3. Mr. and Mrs. Bradford, with Celia and Tommy.  4. Sally McCoy, a widow woman, and her son Liam, who is 15. 5. The Hedricks, with Peter, Barbara, and Eva. 6. Will Applegate. 7. Mr. and Mrs. Pembrook and their daughter Nancy. This is the newest family. Mrs. Pembrook is pregnant, like Mama. Mama thinks that Papa filled Mr. Pembrook’s head with unnecessary, fearful notions about the Indians we will meet, and she reprimanded him in a sharp tone after the meeting. We traveled 11 miles today.