The Ingalls Inquirer e-newsletter
Vol. 1-10
March, 1984-November, 1993
Published by Arlene Ingalls Schrader
ISSN 1933-7329
Vol. 1, No. 3 - November, 1984
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Family history research newsletter for the purpose of sharing information on the various surnames, INGALLS, INGALL, INGELL, INGLES, INGLIS, INGLE, ENGEL and Allied lines. Since the newsletter was started this year, I have had many interesting contacts and responses to requests for information and I hope to be able to continue to serve as the "scribe" in sharing this material in the way of interesting stories and experiences with all of you. For those of you who enjoy researching their family histories, I will be happy to include any queries you might have in locating lost branches of your family. There are quite a few genealogists among the subscribers so this would be an excellent opportunity to make new contacts.
Responses re an Ingalls Family Association for the purpose of updating Ingalls family history have been great. More about this in a future issue. Please continue to send your family group sheets and charts, stories, bible records, whatever that may contain family history so the information can be placed on file for an Ingalls supplemental genealogy book.
BOOKS FOR SALE
The Genealogy and History of the Ingalls Family in America, giving the descendants of Edmund Ingalls who settled at Lynn, MA.1629, compiled by Charles Burleigh, M.D., Malden, MA.
. . . .
Laura Ingalls Wilder Brochures & Booklets - available from Ruth B. Christiansen. . .
Chronology: eight illustrated pages about Laura's family - $2.00
Ancestry: thirty-two pages Colonial and Royal ancestors of Laura I. Wilder. Illus. with woodcuts from old books.
WANTED: Copy of Discovery of North Pole by Commander Robert E. Peary, U.S.N. also Dr. Frederick A. Cook's story and others/Gen. Greeley/J. Martin Miller, copyright 1909 by J. T. Moss (pub. unknown) 432 p. Contact Mrs. Dale Sonke . . . She is interested in the John R. Bradley mentioned in the book.
Nancy (Ingles) Sonke and her husband are ardent balloonists. While she hosted Linda Wright and Judy O'Neill . . .this summer, Judy was able to take her first flight in a balloon. A memorable experience! Linda, Judy and Nancy spent an afternoon at my home sharing Ingalls/Ingles information. Somewhere back on the family tree, they are related by Ingalls marrying Ingles (who really were cousins) ... so never discount the spelling of the name. I have had mine spelled with an "E" many times. - AIS
Items ending with initials., e.g., AIS are for my information in identifying the source.
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This picture was contributed by Gertrude Smith. . . of her great-grandparents.
SIMON INGALLS b 7 June 1803
Watertown NY
Married 3 July 1827
Died 4 August 1876
JERUSHA FIDELIA ANDREWS
b 15 October 1808 Connecticut
d 28 July 1878
Gertrude and Mrs. Melvin N. Ingalls. . . have exchanged information on their ancestors, some of which follows.
Gertrude Elizabeth Ingalls, b NY, dau of Melvin Simon Ingalls b 1886,
James Ingalls b 1840/Charity Lane,
Simon Ingalls b 1803/Jerusha Fidelia Andrews,
James Ingalls b 1779 NH/Margaret Baxter
Melvin N. Ingalls b 1905 . . . is also a descendant of James INGALLS b 1779 NH and above Simon INGALLS b 1803. Louise Ingalls kindly sent pedigree charts on the line, as follows: Melvin N. Ingalls b 1905, Charles Edward Ingalls b 1871 FL, Charles Melvin b 1845 NY, Simon Ingalls b 1803 NY, James Ingalls b 1779 NH, John Ingalls b 1751 NH (Rev. War soldier), John Ingalls b 1723 MA (Rev. War soldier), Eldad Ingalls abt. 1693 MA, John Ingalls b 1661 MA, Henry Ingalls b abt 1630 ENG, Edmund Ingalls abt 1590 ENG, Robert Ingalls b abt 1560-65 ENG.
Note: Eldad is probably the s/o John Ingalls and not Samuel his brother as Dr. Burleigh surmised – LBI
The following is a transcript from the application filed by James Ingalls b 1779 NH based on his service in the War of 1812 - LBI
"State of New York, County of Steuben
On this 23rd day of November A.D. 1850 personally appeared before me, J. Hurlburt, a Justice of the Peace within and for the county and state aforesaid - JAMES INGALLS, aged 71 years a resident of town of Dansville, Steuben Co NY, who being duly sworn according to the law declares that he is the identical JAMES INGALLS who was a private in the company commanded by CAPTAIN GIFFORD in the Regt of Inf (no. not known) commanded by COL TUTTLE in the war with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 18th day of June 1812. That he volunteered at Watertown Jefferson Co NY in the spring of 1813 as a minute man for the term of the war -- that he continued in said service till the close of the war -- that he was often called out and was in the action at Sackett's Harbor in which action he was severely wounded in the head by a sword cut. That he was often out from 10 to 20 days at a time - by order of his commanding officer at the firing of signal guns.
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“He makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the Bounty Land to which he may be entitled under the act granting bounty land to certain officers and soldiers who have been engaged in the military service of the United States (--) September 28, 1850.
(Signature) JAMES INGALLS
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above written and I hereby certify that I believe the said JAMES INGALLS to be the identical man who served as aforesaid and that he is of the age above stated.." J. Hurlburt, Justice of the Peace”
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QUERIES
Query submitted by Mrs. Ruth B. Christiansen: Would like to find parents of JEDIDIAH HIBBARD INGALLS B 1823 VT killed in the MN Sioux Massacre 1862. Had relatives in WI. Had s GEORGE W. INGALLS and gr so GEORGE H. INGALLS fa of Mrs. Bertha Shimer, IO. J. H. had a son, GEORGE WASHINGTON and dau LAVINIA, both captured but rescued.
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Query submitted by Dean A. Simar: In the Ingalls genealogy book (Burleigh) p 202 it mentions Ingalls, Minn. On checking with the library, they do not show such a place. Where was it and how did it get its name?
Also, p 127 mentions Ingalls Memorial Library -- does this library still stand today?
Because of an article I had printed in True West magazine concerning the Ingalls, I received several pages from an old autograph book all written in Dec 1906, one was signed Mrs. Charles Ingalls, another, Inex, and George, these three and several more signed with first name only, were written to a girl named Nellie; my question is could this have been the Mrs. Charles Ingalls (Caroline) depicted on Little House on the Prairie? All of these say Anoca, Minn. Did Caroline live at Anoca, MN in 1906?
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Dean Simar reports that the Ingalls reunion at Graham, WA was well attended and the family would like to extend a hearty thank you to the hosts, Gary and Joann Kilgore, their hospitality will always be remembered and a great time was had by all. Next year, the reunion will be held at Eugene, Oregon, hosted by Andrew A. (Jack) Ingalls, Jr.
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INGALLS GATHERING - October 27, 1984, . . . at the home of Linda (Ingalls) Wright ...includes all of FL, second annual gathering, Open House for those of you would like to come and share Your line with other Ingalls “cousins.” Bring or send family group sheets and family charts (if I don't already have them) which will be filed for future use in a supplement to Burleigh's book. Ed. Note -- the above date will have past by the time the newsletter is mailed, but did wish to mention Linda's work on behalf of the INGALLS/INGLES lines... AIS
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JOURNAL OF A JOURNEY TO CALIFORNIA FROM LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS, 1850 by Eleaser S. Ingalls (1782 – 1879) NH, ILL, MI (See p 16, July, 1984 issue) -- submitted by Dalene Trende.
April 6th, 1850 Bought a horse of Merrill this day. Bid J. R. Merrill's family adieu. Felt like leaving home again, so agreeably had I spent my time with Merrill and his accomplished family. Found one of horses lame with a sprained ankle. Got materials and made some liniment by the direction of Mr. Merrill, to wit:
2 ozs. oil origanum
2 ozs. camphor gum
2 beef galls and
3 pints whiskey
mixed all together and applied daily.
This evening traveled 24 miles. Weather good, so also the roads.
...8th. Traveled about 25 miles to Rock Island. Pleasant weather, beginning to get into the track of California teams. Took in some hard bread. (25 miles)
...9th Crossed the Mississippi to Davenport. Took on 23 bushels of corn. Bought shelled corn at 38˘ per bushel, in the ear 30˘. Took in most of our other necessarys. Left at noon and travelled to Hickory Grove, Scott County, Iowa. Roads bad. Snowstorm in the afternoon. (14 miles)
...10th Left Hickory Grove in the morning and made 25 miles to Tipton, County Seat of Cedar Co. Road very bad, deep mud, mostly prairie but good land. Got sloughed once and had to carry our loads out on our backs. Sloughs all on the highest ground. Found Tipton full of California teams. Our horses had to stand out. (25 miles)
...13th Remained in Iowa City. The wind still high and cold from the northeast. Iowa City is quite a place; population, I understand, about 2500. The State House will be an elegant building when finished. It is built out of stones hewed. Iowa City is situated on the Iowa River which is navigable at high water for steam boats. This is a gathering point for California teams and the town is now full of them lying by on account of the weather... The Swans Hotel register shows the names of great numbers of our town and county people who have gone before us, and more are coming... Corn is 50˘ per bushel, and report says that towards the Council Bluffs there is no feed of any kind.
...14th Sunday. We still lie over. The weather has moderated some, tho it is still very cold. The wind has gone down so that it is better traveling, consequently most of the teams have left town. They stretched off across the prairie this morning as far as the eye could reach, quite an army of themselves. What we shall find when we get to the Missouri, I cannot tell, but I think the largest army that ever assembled on the continent at one time and place ... We shall not have grass to start from St. Joseph before the 10th of May, consequently we have got to lay by at least two weeks at some point and we had rather do it at several different times than to do it at one time.
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April 24th Heard a wild turkey gobbler near our camp for the first time. Jonathan started after him but did not get a shot at him. We are now, at noon, within 30 rods of the Missouri line, and right glad we all are to get out of Iowa. We have been in company the last two days with three teams from Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The weather today is very pleasant and warm .... we find some green grass. One of our comrades got his horse down in the mud and we had to roll him out.
...26th Passed through heavy timber today for the most of the way. Crossed the north and middle fork of Grand River, and passed the village of Princeton, which is a small hamlet of log houses, about one-half of which are grocerys. Tried to buy some flour, but found but one hundred weight in the village and they asked four dollars for that. I concluded that I would not take it for two reasons, first, if they had but one hundred weight in the village they needed it themselves, and next, I did not like to be shaved well enough to pay that price .... Uncle Joe, one of our comrades from Mineral Point, and myself went turkey hunting last night by moonlight. We rambled some eight or ten miles and got back about two o'clock in the morning, minus turkeys, not having found one.
The day has been excessively warm, and we are in hopes of having grass soon, which would be welcome, as our horses have had nothing of hay kind but dry prairie grass which we cut ourselves (some nights we cannot get that) for the last hundred miles, and we do not expect to find any more. We cannot camp now without doing it in a jam. There are some thirty or forty wagons camped around us now, oxen, horses, and so on. We are camped tonight on the middle fork of Grand River. (20 miles)
...27th We left our camping ground early and made 26 miles. We passed one small village today, Bethany, similar to the last. We have passed through a beautiful country today, alternatively timber and prairie, some of it has been settled eleven years, but we cannot buy a loaf of bread, a dozen of eggs, or any hay or straw, or in fact anything to eat for man or beast, with the exception of bacon, and that raised itself. We were lucky enough to lay in supplies before we got to this region. It is a great pity that Missouri is a slave state, for if it were a free state so that free northern men would settle in it, all this great region of valuable land would be settled and improved, and there is no part of the western country that can excel the northern part of Missouri in beauty and fertility...
...30th Left our camping ground and traveled 14 miles to St. Joseph. Weather very cold and windy, no grass nor hay. Have traveled 200 miles without grass or hay, but have cut dry prairie grass where we could find it...St. Joseph is quite a village and doing quite a great deal of business at this time, but the way they fleece the California immigrants is worth noticing. I should advise all going by the overland route to take everything along with them that they can of small weight, as every little thing costs three or four times as much as there at home. The markets are filled with broken down horses, jockeyed up for the occasion, and unbroken mules which they assure you are handy as sheep. It is the greatest place for gambling and all other rascality that I was ever in. We have to stand guard on our horses as much as if they were in the Indian country...(14 miles)
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May 3rd Got our stores mostly on board and crossed the Missouri and drove six miles to the Bluffs and camped. We found the whole six miles a camping ground and good sized city of tents, probably six thousand men. Weather still cold. (6 miles)
...5th By the way, I forgot to say we were in Nebraska Territory now and on the Indian lands. The Indians do not like it very well that the whites camp on their ground, on account of cutting timber. There are about five hundred of them camped near us. The men met again to organize. I was not present, but they made out nothing. We concluded to go with the same company we had been in, Trimble, Soublet, Ainsly, Welch, and Trammel from Mineral Point, Wisc.
...7th Had a bad night last night. It rained and snowed nearly all night, had about two inches of snow on the ground this morning. It cleared off about 10 a.m. when we struck our tent and started on the long journey ...We have now nine teams in company that expect to go through together, although we are not organized, besides myself, Thomas Trimble and William Soublet, Steven Ainsly and party, Litwiler and company, and Dougherty and company. We have mechanics of every trade, and various musicians; and while I am writing, one of the company is enlivening the solitude with a fine toned big bugle. One ought to be here in the wilderness to know the value of music ... We expect to go as far as the Indian Mission tomorrow.
...10th Had twenty-one wagons in our train this morning. We call all hands at four o'clock a.m. now, and start about half past six. We had some rain last night when the wind shifted to the northwest, very cold, and we have been cold, with great coats on all day. We have had one of the best roads today I ever saw, plank roads are no comparison to it, and have passed over the most beautiful prairie country in the world, but there is no timber to speak of but the soil is equal to the best in Illinois .... We have about seventy-five men in our company, which is too many. So many cannot agree. We passed some more graves, and dead horses today. In fact, we expect to every day. It looks hard to see so many at this stage of the route. (25 miles)
...12th ..We voted two teams out of the train this morning for disobedience of orders. We found some last years graves besides some on the road, with the usual amount of dead horses. This point is called 120 miles from St. Joseph, but I think, is more. (30 miles)
...18th Saw some Pawnees today. Four came to the road to trade. About twenty more lay back in a ravine but were seen by some of our men who were out scouting. Saw some buffalo today...Camped on the Little Blue this night. Litwilder and Ranahan each killed an antelope this evening, which furnished the camp with fresh meat once more. Found signs of beavers where we camped ... (22 miles)
...21st Laid over to repair damages and cut of wagons. Report is that a wagon was taken by the Indians at a spot where we camped Sunday noon, on Sunday evening, and the men killed. Two companies of Dragoons have left the Fort (Kearny) today to look up the matter.
...22nd Passed Fort Kearny, which is an assemblage of turf barracks, shops, etc. It has two decent houses for the officers. I suppose, however, it answers the purpose of keeping the Indians in awe, although it would not stand fifteen minutes cannonading from a battery.
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May 26th A part of us concluded to lay over today, but the majority being against it, produced a split, consequently ten wagons went on, leaving the balance (seven) here. We think this as well, and that seven can travel to better advantage than seventeen, there being nothing gained by having a large train, but considerable lost in stopping to water, and crossing ravines. We parted in friendship, as all ought to do. Some of them wish to travel to Fort Laramie without stopping, which is 330 miles from Ft. Kearny, but we believe it best to rest our horses one day out of seven, and when we can find grass, that day shall be Sunday. We are all very busy keeping the Sabbath, which is done after this fashion: exercises of the morning, shaving and cleaning, with a plunge in the Platte River, forenoon setting tires, repairing wagons: afternoon, shoeing horses, washing clothes, etc., evening rest, which is all the time we get to rest. Our stopping days are no rest to us, but our horses need it, they look well now, and we mean to keep them looking so as long as possible. We have two blacksmiths besides myself, and one wagon-maker in our train.. This valley is lined with buffalo bones, their skulls lie in every direction. One of our men found 18 yesterday in one spot at the foot of a steep bluff, probably driven over it by the Indians. We find plenty of signs, but saw none yesterday. They appear to come down to the river for water at night and go back through the day. The bottom is so filled up with immigrants that they dare not remain through the day. The bottom here is about two miles wide...Litwilder killed a noble buck this evening. Its horns were in the velvet. It made us all a good mess and some to spare.
...27th We have passed much buffalo signs today, in fact there had been thousands, and the prairies were covered with manure as thick as a barnyard. A man from St. Louis told me today that McPike and Strother's train lost twenty-five horses and mules Saturday night by a stampede. We forded the south branch of the Platte this afternoon. It is about three-fourths of a mile wide at the ford where we crossed, which is the lower ford, but we had to go through at least a mile and half, the wind and current carrying us down stream. We were three-quarters of an hour in crossing. The water is just up to our wagon boxes. It was an exciting scene. Several hundred forded at the same time with horses, mules and oxen. One of our wagons got stuck in the sand in the middle of the river, and the horses and driver got frightened, I being on horseback, rode back and whipped up his horses, but he stopped again after going about forty rods. The next time I started them they broke their doubletree and left the wagon in the river. We caught the horses and I rode ashore full three-fourths of a mile by our course, and sent back an evener and spare horse which brought them out. Some of the other teams hitched on fifteen or twenty men who went trotting along before the teams up to their middles in water. We all got over safe, and all that crossed at that time. We camped on the other shore for the night. No wood, nothing but buffalo chips, in fact we expect little else ahead. A stampede took place about sundown about a mile below us, one hundred and fifty horses and mules. They recovered most of them in the course of the night. This stampede produced a great deal of excitement. (20 miles)
...31st We had a very heavy shower last night, a perfect deluge. It was needed, the country is very dry. We have passed several Indian villages today, one of them had over forty lodges in it.
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May 31st They appear to be as much civilized as their neighbors near the settlements, that is they all know how to beg to perfection. They have recently had a fight with the Pawnees, in which they were victorious and took a great many ponies, which they had around their wigwams. They live well. One of them came in with his pony loaded down with buffalo meat while I was there. They belong to the Yankton band of Sioux, or "Suik" as they pronounce it. I saw some Indian burials today, one recent one. They bury on a platform raised about six feet from the ground. Four poles are placed one at each corner of the platform in the shape of a pyramid, fastened at the top to keep the platform from blowing over. At the top of these poles is tied the medicine bag. The corpse is done up in buffalo robes and cloth made of bark, with buffalo meat and provisions to last on his journey, and laid on the platform to moulder in the sun. This one smelled so bad that we could not go to the leeward of it. I saw one other at night, put up in a tree in the same way.
June 6th Passed another French trading post today, with its usual accompaniment of Indian lodges. Litwilder swapped horses with an old Indian who took a fancy to Litwilder's because he was white. We reached Ft. Laramie about 4 p.m. Forded the Laramie fork and camped in the bluffs about two miles from the Fort, the authorities prohibiting immigrants from camping in the valley. Ft. Laramie is quite a decent post, but encircled with bluffs which overlook it. ... it is 630 miles from St. Joseph, and 510 from Council Bluffs. The officers have a horse saw mill in operation at the Ft. although there is no timber nearer than the Black Hills, which commence ten miles from the Ft.
...13th Reached the Ferry today. There are four boats on it. Two belong to the Mormons. The other two to another company. They charge four dollars a wagon and fifty cents a horse. Pretty steep that. We passed a train that were leaving their wagons and preparing to pack. They were from Illinois. They left a heap of stuff with their wagons .... The celebrated Kit Carson is here at this point with a stock of horses and mules for sale. The country is very barren here. The hills come nearly down to the river. Made fifteen miles.
...15th Dreadful cold. Had to get out overcoats and mittens ...pased more alkali mounds today in one of which could be got a thousand wagon loads of saleratus and pearlash, perfectly pure. We gathered some which we found good for making bread, and stronger than the manufactured article. Passed the Independence Rock, which is a huge mass of stone covered with thousands of names of those that have gone before us. Crossed the Sweet Water River which is about ten rods wide, and camped about one mile from the ford. (24 miles)
...16th Moved up near the mountains at a spring where there is some grass and spent the day. We are now fairly in the Rocky Mountains, and a rugged looking country it is. Huge piles of stone backed up by huge mountains covered with snow. Weather cold and windy.
...20th Got up into the region of snow today... Passed the ten wagons that left us on the Platte about Ft. Kearny on account of laying over Sunday. They had had four days the start of us at one time. They had fourteen men sick with the mountain fever. We have seen a great many Suik with the same complaint.
...21st Lost our horses this morning, which hindered us about two hours. Crossed the Sweet Water for the last time this morning, ten miles from which is the summit which we reached at noon.
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June 21st No one would ever suspect this to be the summit of the Rocky Mountains, the country is so level. Three miles from here are the Pacific Springs, one of the heads of the Colorado River of the Gulf of California. At this point the California Express stops to take back letters for the immigrants. We shall go the Sublet cut-off and Ft. Hall road. (17 miles)
...24th Started last night at 5 p.m. to cross the desert, which is not so much of a desert as a great deal of the country we have crossed, only it is destitute of water, there being considerable of grass on it. We got to Green River about 12 o'clock M, today. The distance proved to be 41 miles by Doct Reed's Pennsylvania Roadmeter... We passed over the Green River in the afternoon...in all we have traveled 49 miles within twenty-four hours, besides passing over the river, the hardest days drive yet, and we all feel it tonight. Green River presents the most romantic scenery in the world. It is out of my power to describe it. It rises in the Wind Mountains and empties into the Colorado.
...28th Traveled about the region of snow again today. I climbed one snow bank twenty feet high, notwithstanding in the middle of day the heat is intense. We have had some high hills to ascend again today, but the worst is getting down them. Fuller and Johnathan caught about thirty-five spotted trout while we were laying there. We have had plenty of Indians about for a day or two, there are a great many at the creek. They are Shoshones. We found some grisly bear's heads that had been killed a day or two.
...29th. We had some of the worst hills to get down today that ever man dreamed of descending with loaded wagons, but got down without accident. I suppose we descended three hundred feet in two different hills, and each descent not over a mile long. I understand that the immigrants have had to take their wagons to pieces and let them down with ropes heretofore, but this year, all they do is to lock both hind wheels.
July 4th We did not catch up with Reed's train, so we concluded to move on.... We celebrated the Fourth at noon with some lemonade made with citric acid cooled with snow from a bank handy by. Plenty of grass. Caught trout.
...6th ..After dinner we entered a canyon of the mountain and followed it about eight miles to the top. It makes a splendid road. It is just wide enough for a wagon track, the mountains raising hundreds of feet each side above and rising so gradually that you hardly perceive it. We called it the immigrant's pass. It seems as if Nature had constructed this inclined plane expressly for the benefit of poor mortals; but if Dame Nature was moved by such kindly feelings towards mortals, she got badly miffed when she had got the road to the top of the hill, for we had one of the most tremendous hills to descend that we have had on the road. It was probably a thousand feet within a mile and steeper than the roof of a house. It is said of an Ancient Spartan that he commenced with lifting a kid, and by adding more weight, soon got so as to lift an ox. It is even so with us. When we commenced, trifling hills we considered serious obstacles, but we have got so now that we lock our hind wheels and slide down a thousand feet, over the rocks and through the gullies with as much sangfroid as a schoolboy would slide down a snow bank.
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July 11th Passed the junction of the Salt Lake and Ft. Hall roads this morning. Saw some wagons coming from that way. The men said they had been seven days coming from Salt Lake and that it was a hundred and seventy miles. Had some bad streams to cross, one of which they crossed nineteen times. Passed a new grave at noon. We saw the team go by just as we turned out to bait. They went on about one mile and stopped. The man was alive when they passed us. When we came up two hours afterwards he was buried. He was from Missouri, and was picked up sick by the men who had him and brought along, the brutes who started with him having left him when he became sick to die without assistance. He started with three other men, and five yoke of oxen, and owned one-quarter of the outfit ... There are a great many sick men now on the road, and some deaths.
...12th ...Fourteen horses ran off while we were getting supper. A part we got in the night, the balance in the morning. They, however, found good grass.
...16th About ten miles drive brought us to the Humboldt, a stream about twenty yards wide and three feet deep, which we crossed and followed down on the west side. It has a wide valley well filled, best of grass, clover, wild oats, wheat and red top ... We passed two fresh graves today, one of which was tenanted by a man who was shot by an Indian while on guard on the 2nd of July and died on the 5th. The Indians are rather troublesome of late. We find a great many dead horses now, the effects of early and hard driving, besides some that are left alive. Before this we have found the greatest proportion of oxen dead, but now it is changed.
...20th The weather has been very hot, and dust oppressive for several days past; no one in the states can have an idea of the dust of this country, unless they have seen it. A man settles to his ankles in the road at every step, and it is finer than flour, so fine that at every step a man is enveloped in a cloud, and when the wind flows, it is suffocating. The country is volcanic; the mountains being composed entirely of lava. We find a new variety of currant here, being a yellow variety. They are not so sweet as the red and black, but are very agreeable to the palate.
...23rd Started at four o'clock this morning from this point. It is about fourteen miles to water or grass...about twelve miles the roads branch in every direction, while the river beyond is hidden from view by the mountains. On the right the plain spreads out into a wide basin, with a gap in the mountains about twenty miles off. This gave rise to one of the most singular and ludicrous scenes today that I ever witnessed. I had been lost from my wagon since daylight, and with the rest took one of those byroads. I found some good clover about noon and stopped to bait my horse. When I started again I had not traveled over a mile when I saw a perfect turmoil. Some were driving in one direction, some in another. Ox, horse and mule wagons, horse packers and foot packers and footmen were crossing each others tracks in all directions, in the most delightful confusion. Over two hundred ox and horse wagons and numberless packers had lost their way. I rode up to a man and asked what the deuce the matter was. He said he did not know himself. Presently some came along and said that they were lost. They were afraid they had taken some old cut-off, and some were quite anxious. I soon found one wagon of our train, for they were scattered as well as the rest, and took them to a well of water that I had found, and so secured my dinner, consequently, I felt very easy.
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...23rd After dinner we struck for the river, and I found the balance of the train towards night. The river runs through a gap in the mountains which cannot be seen until you get to it. We traveled probably twenty miles to get fourteen. Many are short or out of provisions. Flour, pork, sugar is worth one dollar per pound, fruit the same, coffee fifty, fresh beef twenty-five, and not enough at those prices. I don't know what the last immigrants will do.
...27th Left camp at 4 a.m., traveled down the river two miles, then struck across a table land, perfectly barren with but little sage on it, twelve miles to the river again. At noon we had to feed our horses on willows, there being no grass. We have now just begun to see the elephant. This may be said to be the beginning of the desert, although this road touches the river occasionally.
...28th ..Our horses are failing fast. If we had one week more to be on this river, we should not have a horse. Kit Carson says truly that the Humboldt River is the burying ground of horses and oxen. We pass daily large numbers dead by the roadside, and at every camping ground, and in the rivers and sloughs, in fact the river water is nothing but horse broth, not fit for man or beast; but it is the best and only water we can get, so we have to swallow it if it does cause us to make wry faces. Every man has a disgust for the river, and the whole inquiry is how far is it to the Sink, for all prefer getting on the desert to remaining on this stream, and what is worse, none know. Several men are along who went through last year, yet they know nothing about the bottom, where a man even, cannot travel now for mire. Yesterday was the worst day for dust that we have had. Everybody and everything was literally covered so that the drivers could not be known.
...31st Started at 1 o'clock a.m. Struck the river in ten miles. Found a large camp but no grass, no feed only willows .... One of our best horses gave out, but we got him along by putting another in his place and leading him, although will difficulty. We reached the slough where the Sink begins. We passed a city of tents four miles from where we nooned, but there not being a good chance, we went lower where there's some springs of brackish water, but better than we have had lately. The roads lately have been strewn with dead stock. Today I counted one hundred and twenty head of horses, mules and oxen, and then got tired of the business. If there is any worse desert than it is for seventy miles back, I do not know what it may be. I saw three places where starved people had cut the ham out of oxen dead by the roadside, to eat. Indeed there is great destitution and suffering amongst the immigrants, and those behind will suffer more. We have not got over six days provisions in our train, and it will take fifteen more to go through; but we found a cow that had got foot-sore and been left, which we are driving along for beef, and besides we are not afraid of starving so long as there is game in the mountains. Today for the first since the third day of June, we have been out of sight of snow.
August 1, 1850 Laying by today, cutting hay for our horses, to cross the desert, this being the only point where grass can be got for that purpose. Twenty miles from here we pass the last slough of the Sink of Humboldt River, which contains water but no grass... There is plenty of grass for all of the immigrants. There is quite a town around us, and a busy one, but a hungry one, as every man is short of provisions and some out. This morning word came that forty wagons had come to the desert on the other side, and one had crossed to this side, loaded with provisions sent by the Government. I hope it is so, for if relief is not sent, hundreds must starve.
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August 1, 1850 A man with his wife came to this camp last night on foot, packing their provisions on a single ox, having lost all the rest of their stock; and I heard today that a man was seen packing, with his wife along carrying their only child in her arms, having lost their whole team. A great many similar instances must occur in so great a rush as there is this year.
...2nd We killed our beef this evening, and it is very passable, much better than horse beef, or steaks from oxen dead by the roadside.
...4th We lost one horse by drinking poison water. He died in thirty minutes after drinking it.
...5th Broke up our wagon today and made pack saddles. At half past two o'clock p.m. took the desert and traveled all night. Two of our horses gave out forepart of the night and we left them. Passed during the night great numbers of dead horses and oxen, wagons left.
...6th Still on the desert. The road is literally lined with dead stock and wagons, some partly destroyed, and some whole with every species of property lying about. At noon came to where the sandy road commences for the last time, which is thirteen miles from the Salmon Trout River. Here were men selling water at ten cents a pint or seventy-five cents a gallon. We bought some for ourselves and horses ... The desert now looks like a battle field, with the exception of dead men.
...7th At the first point where we struck this river is a trading post of Californians, where they sell flour at $1.50 per pound, pork $1, etc., and furnish victuals at $2 a meal, and brandy at $1 a drink, and they measure it themselves ... We had a California court today and kicked two men out of the camp for robbing a man.
...13th We are getting well into the mountains now. Plenty of grass.
...We are crossing numberless little streams of the purest water. This morning we came to extensive meadows of excellent grass with these brooks running into them. Passed numberless trading posts, but they have nothing to sell but whiskey and beef.
...15th Saw a parcel of Mexican miners. They were prospecting. They have found gold about twelve miles from where I saw them. I stepped in a mud hole today, and when I took my shoes off, there was gold dust in them.
...17th This morning we had the Nevadas to climb. No man can form an idea of these mountains until he has seen them. I would not take a wagon over for the price of two wagons. They are said to rise nine thousand feet in twelve miles. We climbed ore hill which took us above snow, then descended to a small lake called Red Lake one of the headwaters of the Sacramento.
August 20th Five miles from camp came to the crotch roads that lead to Weaver and Hangtown...We came out at Johnson's Branch and got within three miles of Hangtown at the head of the Diggings, and camped at about nine o'clock p.m. by the road.
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August 21st Left our packs and came down to the town where we readily found a great many of our acquaintances, and my brother, who has been here twenty-five days. The ravines are filled with diggers, but I think they are not doing a great deal, although some have raised fifty dollars a day. The town is a business place, with some good wooden building, but mostly log, shake, or cloth. There is some sickness here, mostly diarrhea.
Note: Hangtown is the first important town at the California end of the overland trail (1850), also known as Placerville.
Ed. Note: The above journal was condensed from 40+ pages so a small portion of this fascinating story could be shared with you. I have tried to include a bit of human interest of the adventure, hardships, and enterprising ideas that the immigrants had and as only Eleaser S. Ingalls could "tell" the story, you may wish to inquire of the Bancroft Library, U of California Berkley Univ. Library, Berkley, CA 94720 if a copy is available, and the cost.
Many thanks to Dalene Trende for sharing this story:
Eleaser was an adventurer: ... he also journeyed to Pikes Peak, 1859. He wrote a journal of incidents enroute from Waukegan, Illinois to Pikes Peak Gold Diggings which is part of an unfinished story.
****
Written for fun, for the Descendants of Samuel Ingalls and Margaret Delano
-By Paula Talbot-
Such dazzling drops of blood in our veins,
The Conqueror, both Henrys' and Charlemagne.
Raging Kings and their Queens who ruled the land,
A drop or two from a pirate band.
From the heady and lusty our background is made,
Dark castles and sparkling cavalcades.
Mounted Dukes, in armor, broad shouldered and hard,
Fought sword and fire for their Kings regard.
Queen Eleanore, Matilda and many Grand Dames,
Down to Hopkins and Warren, two "Mayflower" names.
Philippe DeLaNoye, who alone at sixteen,
Set sail on the "Fortune" for a land he'd not seen.
Jonathan and Samuel, two soldiers who fought,
In wars, for a freedom new Americans sought.
Cleveland, Roosevelt and Grant do descend,
From the same drops of blood our grandfathers did lend.
Our Ingalls and families who farmed the vast plains,
In sod and log homes, hard work for small gains.
Though countless generations through time have passed,
The spark and the blood will continually last.
This is what made you, though removed as it seems,
Be proud of these roots, those lives and their dreams.
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The Ingalls Inquirer . . . . (subscription information omitted).
©1984-2006. Arlene Ingalls Schrader. All rights reserved.