Chapter 2: The Trip to Independence

Christmas came and went, then the new year was brought in with the celebration of the year that had passed. Excitement for the year to come that held so many changes and adventures. But the adults realized that the new year also was bringing danger, strife, and the very real possibility of death. Death that could come from bandits, the weather by cold or heat, snow or rain, Indians posed a very real threat, snakes, all kinds of accidents await unwary travelers. But they also knew that courage and determination would get them to Oregon, and the fulfillment of their dreams.

The last two months of preparation occupied all of their time, but at last it was almost time to go. The families of both Jeremiah and Elisabeth gathered, along with lifelong friends. And then the last goodbyes had been said, tears had been shed, remembrances shared, all knowing that in all likelihood they would never be together again in life. Jeremiah’s family, dressed in their warm clothes gathered in the wagon and with the crack of his whip started the four mules and began the first leg of a journey of over 1,300 miles. They all waved goodbye until they went over the first hill and left the farm where Jeremiah was born, raised, and had lived his entire life disappeared behind them.

The weather, though cold, was good. The sun shone down from a clear blue sky, a slight wind from the northwest added a bit of a chill, but it was tolerable. At night the temperature fell to below freezing, morning coffee was made after breaking through a quarter inch of ice with the dipper. The brazier served its purpose in providing a warm breakfast of oatmeal and fried eggs and bacon.

The mules were fed with feed bags as tack and harnesses were fitted and they were hooked up to the doubletree. The two spare mules had been swapped for two of the mules who pulled from the back, closest to the wagon. Those two would pull at the front today, they would rest tomorrow. Jeremiah figured that rotation would serve them well for the entire trip. The two horses were also fed and every animal was watered. They were moving within a half hour after sunup. The day was uneventful, after the first couple of hours Elisabeth drove the wagon and Jeremiah saddled one of the horses. He was fully armed and ready for any eventuality, the Sharps model 1849 in its scabbard, a Sharps carbine Model 1851 in another, and a double barrel shotgun with double ought buckshot in one barrel and birdshot in the other. If they happened across a deer or a turkey he was ready. If he happened across a human or more than one, he could handle that too. He wore a Colt in a cross draw holster along with a short barrel Colt in a shoulder holster. He varied the way he rode, usually out from a quarter to three quarters of a mile away from the wagon, in an arc or sometimes in a complete circle. He scouted anyplace that could hide a group of nerdowells. He wasn’t worried about it now, but once they crossed into Missouri that would change. He didn’t worry very much about Elisabeth and the kids, she was a crack shot with a rifle and wasn’t afraid to unload the shotgun on anyone threatening herself or her babies. She had access to a 12 gauge double barrel shotgun loaded with double ought buckshot in both barrels, a Spencer Model 1851 and a short barrel Colt revolver in her pocket. The mules would let her know if something unusual was about to happen.

The kids played games mostly, but Elisabeth was teaching them to read, do numbers, and letters, so they worked on those things off and on throughout the day. Sometimes they would sit with their mother and look at the scenery and play a game of “I Spot!” or “I Spy!” Other times they would sit and talk with her, asking questions about all kinds of things. One of the things they talked extensively about was “bad men “ and what to do when we encountered them. Elisabeth made it clear that Miri was to take care of her siblings. They had a place to hide, but for it to work they had to be quiet! If they were found Miri had a sawed off ten gauge single barrel shotgun that she was proficient with. It’s hard to expect an eight year old girl to take on that kind of responsibility, but it’s a hard and very cruel world and being ready and able to deal with it was the way in which they could survive. The kids were taught to stay calm, assess the situation and act accordingly. They would practice different scenarios and what to do in each circumstance. Always stressing that staying calm and not panicking would make the difference from being alive or being dead.

We made the Mississippi River in St. Louis in eight days. They had never seen such a big city! They did some shopping, mostly canned food but they replenished the corn, oats, and hay for the stock. Passage on a steamboat going upriver on the Missouri River was booked, Jeremiah had not considered that route in the planning, it was expensive but if the river ice didn’t get too thick it would save a couple of weeks and a lot of worry about outlaws. The cheapest fare was for us to use the wagon for sleeping and preparing their own meals. The boat didn’t leave for three days so repairs were made on the wagon and tack. Jeremiah was told by a guy who called himself a Boatswain’s mate, that had been on the rivers all his life, that when (not if) the river froze over to a thickness over six inches, all of the men on the boat would have to manually break up the ice. When asked what tools would be used, the man said that it depended upon the thickness of the ice. He said the Missouri River had enough traffic that the ice rarely got over six inches thick, but occasionally it could get over a foot thick. When asked what the best overall tool would be, he recommended a four foot ice saw with a “T” handle. He also said that in some places ice cutting and storage was big business because the ice was packed in sawdust and stored in a barn. It could last almost until the next winter. People would contract to have a block of ice every few days where it would be placed in an icebox to keep food cold and extend the usage of milk and meats. The man also stated that he had seen people get their fare refunded for having an ice saw and using it to more efficiently remove the ice blocking the boat’s way. Another thing he said was if the ice was thick enough to walk on, river pirates became an even greater danger to the boat and its crew and passengers.

Thinking that that could be useful in Oregon as well as here, Jeremiah bought two ice saws of the type recommended along with a mill file to sharpen it. Also heeding the warning about pirates, he stocked up on shotgun loads. He securely mounted the saws on the outside of the wagon’s box.

Soon enough the boat came in and after unloading materials and people that had been bound for St. Louis, they were able to board. The stevedores positioned the wagon in the bow and roped off a section to hold the livestock. The wagon itself was secured with ropes with the tongue facing removed.

Captain Joshua Whitehead was making an inspection tour of the boat, which was named the Delta Queen, when he noticed the ice saws and made a point of stopping to talk to both Jeremiah and Elisabeth. He appreciated the foresight of obtaining the saws, though he hoped they wouldn’t have to use them. But it was the Midwest and the weather was definitely variable. He warned them of the potential danger of being out here where pirates could board the boat. After seeing the kids he told them to make sure and keep a tight anchor on them so they didn’t fall overboard.

They were on the main deck as the Delta Queen eased itself from the quay on Monday, January 26, 1859, and made her way into the middle of the mighty river, making more speed against the current as she headed toward the confluence of the Missouri River ten miles upstream. Passing to the port (left) of Mosenthein Island, the boat fought the currents where the water joined together again, as well as those created by splitting the direction almost two and a half miles later. Those, though, were negligible compared to the currents created by the turbulent mixing of the two rivers a few minutes later. Hugging the west side of the river the Delta Queen attempted to stay away from the worst of the rolling waves as she clawed her way into the Missouri River. The journey to Kansas City was around two hundred fifty miles as the crow flies, but it was almost one hundred miles longer by taking the river. The river goes mostly west then turns more to the north, then to the west again, but no river travels in a straight line. It curves back and forth as the path of least resistance was established long, long ago and sometimes changes even now.