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Home > News & Columns > Dave Henderson > A Pioneer Story (Part Five)

A Pioneer Story (Part Five)

By Dave Henderson
Friday, September 21, 2007

Indian Territory

The next day we crossed the river and were in Indian Territory on the site of Winter Quarter, where the Mormons had made camp on their flight from Nauvoo, and where I understand the city of Omaha is now located. Our mode of crossing the Missouri river was thus a flat boat was drawn close to the bank, one wagon and two yoke of oxen and one or two cows was put on board, the lines were unloosed, the boat pushed from the bank when the oarsman took the hand, and after drifting two or three miles down stream, made landing on the other side where a convenient stump was tied to and the load taken ashore. It was a rather risky and primitive way but we never heard of any accidents. After traveling a few miles we came to a large encampment of forty or more wagons. The next day I think it was, a meeting was held, a captain selected, and an organization affected. Guards for the different watches enrolled and the boys too young to stand guard were to take the cattle out to grass when unyoked, bring them in and corral them at the proper time, take them out again at early morning, bring them in when called. Of this squad I was a member.

Owing to heavy rains the Loopfork and Elkhorn rivers were very high, so we made a detour high around those streams that cost us several days extra travel but when we came in sight of the Platt river, what a sight. The whole valley of the Platt was covered with buffalo on every side, and so plentiful that men on horseback had to drive them away for fear that might make a run between our wagons and stampede our cattle.

The Journey

Thus commenced our journey across the great plains, sometimes called the American Desert. The Captain's two wagons took the lead always, the wagons next in the rear falling to the last of the procession daily. Thus each changed places daily. The business being new, much unnecessary friction ensued, but altogether we had quit pleasant time the younger folks at least. The elders must have felt the seriousness of the situation quite often. The usual program for the day was as follows: the cattle were turned out of corral at day break to get what feed they could before breakfast. Then the herd boys brought them up into the corral, each teamster putting the yolk on his own oxen. The Captain's team was. the first to roll out, each on following in his order. Sometimes there would be a halt for dinner when the cattle would be turned out with their yolks on if grass was plentiful. Sometimes it was a drag on the poor oxen all day.

At nightfall the Captain would make a circle with his wagons the wagon would be hauled up alongside with his forward wheel near the hind wheel of the preceding wagon, and so on until a circular corral was formed. The poles always pointed out and if a space was left between the wagons the chains were used to keep the cattle in. Each wagon was hauled by two or three yoke of oxen. After making corral the herd boy, took the oxen (after being unyoked) out to the grass and brought them back before dark, when the guards were set for the first three hours.

There was an elderly Negro musician who would often brought out his violin and the boys and girls would have a dance. Some of the women especially the Welsh, had good voices, and would sing Mormon songs and old Methodist songs rendered tolerable by the earnestness and cultured voices of the women. On Sundays we stayed in camp all day unless the location for feed or water was scarce. Then we would move only what was a necessary distance to better conditions. There was always preaching, relating experiences, talking in tongues, and singing. But all this time plural wives, po1ygamy, or anything related thereto was never by any chance spoken of unless perhaps among initiated by them selves. Sunday was also used to repair the wagons, shoe oxen, wash, hunt deer or buffalo, etc. The incidents of the day soon became monotonous. We gathered buffalo chips or dung for the campfire at night, which made excellent fuel for cooking but gave no light. Trees were very scarce, sometimes none seen for a hundred miles or more and when on creek bottoms men encountered any they were green and quite unfit to burn. So we soon took kindly to buffalo chips and seldom thought of wood as fuel.

We had been on the road less then a week when we came to a new made grave and on a buffalo shoulder bone we read how a stampeded wagon was overturned and a woman so badly hurt that she soon died. This mode of giving news was often resorted to, telling of Captain so and so's company having passed (giving date), all well or otherwise, and other items of possible interest to following companies.

We traveled along the north side of the Platt river for some five hundred miles, killing buffalo or more ever few days. The meat was coarse. We seldom got a cow or calf as the males kept them herded in the middle of the herd. The meat was cut in thin slices or strips and hung on cords outside the wagon cover for the sun to dry it. And there it also got its quantum or alkali dust and blow flies. But we were all in excellent health and appetite and a piece roasted on the red hot buffalo chip fire was all right. While the cattle were strong the women and children rode in the wagon but as cattle began to give out they too were obligated to walk a good deal. The big boys and girls amused themselves by killing rattlesnakes of which there were plenty and also picking up glass beads of all colours mostly of small size that were found in the ant hills of which there were plenty. In nearly every ant hill were a few and I can only account for their presences by dropping off the moccasins and robes the Indians wore. These were always adorned in great profusion with tiny beads which the white traders sold them. Occasionally a find was made of a smoking pipe made out of a fine red stone. The men who were at leisure would take a hunt for antelope usually with poor success, as they were very wild and fine runners. I got a sage hen or two with a shotgun and had a fair luck fishing in the Platt river. There was sun perch, small and full of bones.

The Hunters

There were two young Scotch sailors by the name of Ross who had the best luck getting buffalo or deer. As we approached the Rockey Mountains the buffalo became less plentiful but the Ross brothers were keen hunters and distance of danger did not daunt them. Their method was to go out after daming time (in the evening), locate their bunch and after dark creep up and get as close as possible and open fire, often getting two or three which was quite a feast for the entire camp. This labour was performed often after a good days work driving their teems and attending to the wants of their father, mother and sisters, such as getting fuel and water, and did not excuse them from doing their turn at guarding at night.

For the first few hundred miles the scenery was quite level and uninteresting. The small hills were called bluffs. But before we reached Fort Laramie (five hundred miles from crossing the Missouri) we could discern the outline of the Black Hills stretching along the horizon at right angles to the path we were traveling. Here the Sioux Indians were plentiful and friendly fine looking fellows, few adults males less than six feet high, looked well fed and dressed in buckskins and buffalo robes ornamented in beads sewed on in figures and coloured grass put on in braid fashion. They were expert horsemen as were the boys. One boy, for instance, took after a jackrabbit on his pony without bridle or saddle, guiding him with his knees, and put an arrow into him while horse and rabbit were on the keen jump.

To be continued...

The Old World (Part One)

The Atlantic Voyage (Part Two)

A First Look at Slavery (Part Three)

Saint Louis (Part Four)

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Dave Henderson is the Vice-President of Operations for RIMOFTHEWORLD.net and it's parent company Vicinitas, LLC. Dave is the commercial and operational manager for the site.

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