August 1853
| Aug. 1st 1853. Traveled over sum of the awfulest rufest road that I ever saw in all my life. One of the wagon broke down at a large Creak. I went back and lashed it up and came on with it. Traveled till dark on account of water for our stock. Camped on the main South Fork of the Humboldt, scarse of grass. | ||
| Aug. 2nd We traveled on our road up the creak crossed it, traveled over a large mountain. We went about eight miles to get to it. We nooned about two miles for where we camped, there was a train left this morning. Sum of the train like to went up about it. Their is one of our girles love strutck with one of the train that left. She cried all day about him. She thinks that there is no other man on this earth. We camped at a fine spring, drove our stock about a half a mile to grass. | ||
| Aug. 3rd. We crossed the branch of Humboldt camped on a spring. | ||
| Aug. 4th We traveled on over some very bad road, went down some of the awfullest hills that ever was traveled by mankind. We went down a large hill in a cainon, camped in a small valy just before camping passed a place where it took six or eight men to hold the wagons. | ||
| Aug. 5th We started out of the canion valey went up a creek and crossed it. Then went down it for three or four miles, then took the mountains. It was an awful road too, up one mountain and down the same. Betty walked over the hills until she made herself sick, then we camped two miles of main Humboldt in a canion. | ||
| Aug. 6th, We traveled on our road, it was an awful road, we went down the canyon, then went over a mountain, then struck a canyon, it was an awful rocky and ruff road. L. D. Cockrill's wagon broke down, they left it, put some things in one wagon and some in an other, then went on. Nooned on the Humboldt traveled on six miles, then camped. The grass is tolerable and water good, but warm, of awl the roades this is the dustiest that I ever saw in my life. | ||
| Aug. 7th we traveled on our road, we followed a train for a cut off. It cut off about too miles but it was awful miry; it was most impossible to pass it but we went up thrue it by hard work part of the train went the old road but it took two hours our road was two miles nearer. We camped on a slough in one mile of the river. Some of our cattle mired and some of our horses too. | ||
| August 8th we started some of the train was sick two of the wagons staid all day. We camped on a slue near the foot of the mountain after dark we heard that they ware worse, myself and Wedle went back after eleven o'clock, staid all knight, came up with the train the next day after they had camped the knight we camped on the river, we was crowded with stock all around us, several thousand head of stock around us. There were some traders from Neveeda Cty buying stock. They offered seventy five dolars for stears that was lame. To-night we are one hundred and sixty miles from the sink of the Homboldt. Our boys came up with the horses that were stolen from us. | ||
| Aug. 9th. We maid a hard drive, drove about twenty four miles passed plenty of buffalo buries. They are a fine bury for tarts. Camped. Camped to knight at a slue about one mile from a spring at the foot of a mountain. We are know one hundred and thirty odd miles from the sink of the Humboldt. | ||
| Aug. 10th. we traveled on our road. We took the bottom road on the account of grass and water. It is a fine road. Sow far we camped there on a slue near the river, we guarded the cattle to keep them out of the mire. | ||
| Aug. 11th we traveled on our road, had a very good road, camped on the river the distance of one hundred and forty miles from the sink of the Humboldt, camped early on account of grass and water. | ||
| Aug. 12th we traveled on our road. We had a bad time getting to the road. Some of the wagons crossed a slew some went back the road that they came in that throwed us back behind several trains at noon. We saw some fifteen or twenty indians cuming up to our wagon for what purpus I don't know then we passed several trains, sum was swimming their stock across the slues. Some was camped on the river bluff about nighn o'clock at knight. Their was several of the folks mad because we camped so late; the boys stood guard on the river. We camped on a high bluff at the river. | ||
| August 13th we traviled until noon then laid up until next day on account of grass we have to stop there or go on fifteen miles and that was too far to drive our cattle. | ||
| Aug. 14th. We traveled on all day over bad road it was very heavy sand and hills too, that is hard on our cattle. | ||
| Aug. 15th. we traveled on our road it was the awfulest dustiest road that I ever saw in my life. It is from six to eighteen inches deep, no grass on the road. We go fro two to seven miles to camp for grass. We left the road went to the river to camp. We swam our stock across the river for grass. We camped on the river it is an awful stream to travel on, the soil looks solid but it will mire anything even to a toad. | ||
| Aug. 16th We started on our road, made a lait start, our cattle was over a slue. It took us sometime to cross then one of our hands borrowed my pistol to shoot a rabbitt, he went across the river to see some of his acquaintences, then I went over after the pistol, got it then staid there all knight went to some trains had sum fun with the ladies, plaid eucer with the ladies etc. | ||
| Aug. 17th. I started to overtake the train, they camped in the mountains. I overtook them about eight o'clock at knight. Traveled on until about eleven o'clock at night then camped on the river on account of sickness. | ||
| Aug. 18th. We traveled on until 3 o'clock. We got to the meadows. When we got here there was wagons as far as you can see up and down the river. We camped on the meadows drove our stock on the grass until knight then took them off and guarded them. No one was here in ten miles of here. | ||
| Aug. 19th. We staid here until noon, put our cattle on the grass, hunted the lost cattle found ten head. Mifs R. M. G. has been sick for two or three days. Traveled about 8 or 10 miles down the river, then camped without wood or water. | ||
| Aug. 20th. We laid up to cut grass for the desert. We went up the river several miles to get grass and water. The water is so salty we couldn't use it at all. In the afternoon we went across the darnest, wettest, mirest place that I ever witnessed in my life. We cut grass and carried it out for our wagons. For our horses. Lost one horse from alkali. | ||
| Aug. 21st. The train all traveled on except two wagons. They staid waiting for Doctor Fairchilds. We went on past the sink, then two Trading Posts, then camped within two miles of the sink. Henry (Beaver) camped about six miles from the sink. | ||
| Aug. 22nd I went on to hunt the wagons found them when the train came up. We went out two the slue. Camped drove our cattle over the slue cut grass for our horses and lame and weak stock. Cut some to hall for our horses we are now thirty five miles from Carson Valley. | ||
| Aug. 23rd We started across the dsart at seven o'clock in the fore noon. Traveled to the slue crossed it went on until knight. Passed several Trading Postes got brickfast staid until ten o'clock. | ||
| Aug. 24th Traveled on six miles camped, to get the stock that we left on the dezart. | ||
| Aug. 25th. We laid up to recrut the stock. The women all washed, sum hunted stock but I waited on the women at knight. At knight we had a fine party we danced till near midknight. It came up a gust of wind blew out our candles, then the party broke up. Their was something near too hundred persons there. | ||
| Aug. 26th. We still staid here at Willow Town. The bois came up with the cattle, sum went a head to hunt stock. Today a man sold some stock that they had picked to the traders, the owners of the stock came took them, the traders went ahead and overtook the man brought them back tied them and wiped them like dogs. | ||
| Aug. 27th. We did not start till after twelve o'clock. Then we started traveled on our road about foar miles then camped there. Their is several in our train sick. Sum are very porly. Some are alkalied or poisend very bad sum of the train have gon ahead. | ||
| Aug. 28th. We started on our road we crossed a twelve mile desartdestitute of grass and water, came to the river met the bois went back to hunt stock; they found them but did not get up to day. | ||
| Aug. 29th. We started on our road it was late when we started We went about too miles then camped to wait until the bois came up with the stock. Sum of them went back to get sum flower and provisions. | ||
| Aug. 30th. We traveled up the river without any road. It was a hard days drive. We went about eighteen miles to the foard. Their camped in a beautiful grove, grass scarce, wood and water plenty. | ||
| Aug. 31st. We traveled on
our road crossed the river, went to a Trading Post bought
sum flour and paid 50c a lb. We
went on, we had one of our cows dropped dead in the yoke. We camped in a grove
near the river. |
women all washed Carson River; Eliza Livina Cockrill born.
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