Levi Jackman journal, 1847 March-1849 April, 35-59.
- Source Locations
- Church History Library, MS 138
- Related Companies
- Brigham Young Vanguard Company (1847)
I left home in company with Simon Cantier [Lyman Curtis] on the 29th of March 1847 as pianears to go with the Company of pianears to finde a location for the Saints Some whair in the west. We arrived at the main camp on the west side of the Missouri river on the st and after finishing our arraingemats we left about 8 o[clock] and on the 6th arrived at the big Elk horn where we fel in with 4 teams that had started a little before us--
Apr 7 we cros[s]ed the Creek on a raft and camped to wate the arrival of the remainder of the Camp--oure team was one yoak of oxen and one horese, we had about thirteen hundred lbs of loading--
Saturday 10 the remainder of the Camp commiced [commenced] crossing and finished on Sunday 11. The creek is about ten rods wide at the fry and three feet and upwards deep--This place is about 6 miles from the mouth--where it emptes into the Platt[e] river and for some miles up and down is one wide open bottom between the two streems[.] This place is in lat. 41--16 north and 1370 miles from Bare [Bear] Creek valley at the mouth according to Freemont's account
Monday 12 the Bros [Brigham] Young[,] [Heber C.] Kimbel and some outhers retourned [returned] to hold a counsil with the remainder of the twelve that had jest retourned from the east and the most of the camp Say 63 10 [11] miles and there [-] wated there [their] retourn.
Apr Thursday, 10, Br Young, Kimble and outhers returned to our camp on the Platt[e] and
on Friday 15th Camp was organized and we went that day a fue miles and camped. We numbered waggons 73 and 143 men.
Saterday 17 The night has be[e]n verrye colde the ice has froze 3/4 of an inch thick, the young gras[s] which was verrey scattering, was coit our teems Could git but little onley Cottonwood browce--this day we went about 7 miles and camped[.] it was a colde day.
Satnday [Sunday] 18 Staid in Camp--cold weather.
Monday 19 fine weather[.] moved on--
Tuesday 20 fine day verrey warm and dustey--
Wensday 21 Colde wind from the N.E. and clowdey and Signs of rain--About 10 oclk we got in a fewe miles of the Pawnee Indian winter quarters and some fue came and met us and seamed verrey friendly, a little after noon we stopt to bait opposite there camps which was on the outher side of the Loup Fork--The Chief and about 30 outhers soon geathered in. they ware friendly and and wanted presents and when we did not give them as mutch Powder led & tobacco &c as they wanted, they ware dissatisfied and the chief would not shake hands with Br. Young when they went away, we went on some eight miles and camped. That tribe being in the habbet of stealing horses and outher things from emegrants we had 100 on g[u]ard that night half standing at a time[.] the night was colde and windey. We had a smart shower in the after noon--The Pawnees are mutch fainer [fairer] comple[c]ted than most outher Indians. They had there heds shaved with the exception of a staik [streak] about 2 inches wide from a little back of there fore heads to the neck and that was about 2 in[ches] long and stuck straint up and resembled a rusters comb--There dress was a bricth clout and Buffelo skins on a blanket[.] Some fue had leggings.
Thursday 22nd. The day was fine[.] we followed up the Lup [Loup] fork of the Platt[e] and at a little after noon crossed Be[a]ver fork a Streem about 3 rods wide and about 2 1/2 f[ee]t deep. This place is Lat 41:25--a little before son set we reached the olde Pawnee town, nothing was to be seene but the olde mission post which consisted of a fue houses but uninhabited. The Indians had not retourned from there hunt. They lived in lodges of hides at this place was evacuated on the account of the Sues [Sioux] harrising the Pottowatamis A little before sun set we reach the olde Pawnee misseanery post but it was evacauated to is a fine situation.
Friday 23 we went up about 7 miles and commenced making arrangements for crossing the river, it is near 1/2 mile a crost and in some places about 3 ft deep. We did not cross that day but campt on the bank keeping out a guard at night as usual--We had come up the Platt[e] & Loupe fork about 150 miles throug[h] as fine a countrey as I ever saw, almost entirely level the finest countrey for farming that can be with the exception of timber Cotton wood skirting the river is all the timber to be found and verrey scarce at that. We campt about 3/4 of a mile below the olde Pawnee town. I went to see it--it is situated on the north side of the river on a beautiful plain which is about 20 ft above the river, the plain is about 1/2 mile wide back of that the ground rises, The town stood on the bank of the river, it contained about 140 lodges last winter when the Pawnees ware all gon on there hunt the Suse [Sioux] came and burnt there town with the excep[t]ion of the Chiefs lodge. That was not hurt--They had all be[e]n built alike the one remaining was about 45 ft in side and about ft 15 ft high in the center. They ware built round with two roes of posts to support the plaits, about 7 ft high of the wall. stood nearley streight up from that point it was something 13 feet
Saterday 24 This day we crost the river, we had to double team and raftering the river. we had to go about one mile quartering up part of the distance sand banks, the bottom is quick sand and as soon as a team stops it begins to sink. We then went on about 3 miles and campt on the bank of the river.
Sabath 25 We stopt and rested all day.
Monday 26 between 3 and 4 in the morning <2 of> oure gard fired there guns on oure Left wing clos to the river and reported that Indians ware creeping close to oure line and that 6 indians rose from there creeping situation ran up the river bank at the discharge of there gun. The Camp was soon under arms but nothing more was seen of them--It was suposed to be Suse [Sioux] Indians by the shape of the track in the Sand
Sunday 27 we left the Loup fork and went South for the platt[e]. At about ten we struck Come where the olde grass was burnt and green gras was again to be seen but it was too small to do mutch good, at this place found the first Sines of Buffeloo. The land was raley [really] for the first game of any Size that had be[e]n killed Since we started. Jest as we stopt a gun accidentley went off and broke a horses legg. This was the fourth hors[e] that was lost since last friday. On that night one horse belonging to Br B[.] Young got hung by his halter. We had a little Sprinke[l] of rain this P.M. with high winds--.We traveled this day about 15 miles
Wensday 28 We crst the Creek and went on about south about 8 miles and Came near the Platt[e] timber, we then turned up. The bottom had the appearance of a vast green Sea, no timber in Sight onley a narrow strip on our left. It is a beautiful countrey but rather sandey. we traviled this day about 12 miles.
Thursday 29 We crost wood creek this morning and. The creek runs about west and the Platt[e] about sou,[th] west, We traviled this day about 16 miles[.] the day was verrey warm and a hevey callum arose along the line. it had be[e]n so for a number of days which made it disag[re]eable.
Friday 30 it was quite Cool through the night[.] this day the wind was north and Came brisk and very Cold. we traelied [travelled] about 16 miles and Campt without timber
Saterday May 1 [blank space]
Windey and Colde[.] about 9 Oclk we discovered about 50 Buffelows--oure hunters went after them, wounded one but got none. Soon after we Saw hundreds of them and we got five olde ones and a number of calv[e]s. we this day pas[s]ed through what is Cald a Peria [prairie] dog town. This town Co[..]ed hundreds of heirs [hares]; they are of the dog species about as large as a ground ground hog and live in holes and they were quite thick. we Stoped a little before son set and got in oure beef which was received with mutch joy. We had a fine feast that night[.] we Camped on a kinde of slew or a Creek which we Caled Buffelo Creek[.] we found some wood. went about 12m[.] We have passed through a fine bottom Countrey of good land for Some dayes. The inteorey [interior] is verrey broaken and not fit for cultivation.
Sunday 2 our Camp this morning had the appearance of a meat market. all hands ware busey fixing there Beef for Cooking and drying. and makeing roaps of the hide. they are not good for robes at this season of the year--The ice was near a 1/2 inch thick this morning but Soon Came of[f] warm and pleasant--We had past for some dayes through the countrey of Buffelo grass, it resembles blue grass, it is fine and for common not more than from 4 to 6 inches high, in maney places one would think he was in an olde paster [pasture], the grass is eat Short and the ground is well covered with dung but the fence is missing. It has ben hard on our teems thus for want of grasing. this evening we went on about (3) miles to a tollarable good grasin plase and Camped on the bank of the Platt[e] above grand Isleand [Island] and at the mouth of a creek that we Called Bluff Creek[.] the river at this place I should think to be 1 1/4 miles wide, no wood only willow brush. The Buffalo meat Came good to us for Curtice [Curtis Lyman] and myself had lived on Corn bread water porrage for Some time onley when we Could get a little milk of Br Brown to put in to it which made it mutch better.
Monday 3d The Camp stoped the day to do some black Smith work and let oure teams recrutt a little[.] it being the best place we had found, at the same time a Company of twentey hunters went out to hunt and some of fifteen went up the river to Se[e] the Situation of the Countrey, about three Ocl[oc]k they Came back and reported that they had Seen a large Camp of indians and that they tryed waylay them but oure men discovered them in time to escape. They are not in habbit of atacting [attacking] large bodies of white men but when they can git a fue in a company they are most sure to rob them and Sometimes will kill one or two when no more are near. a gooddeal of anxiety was felt for the hunters who had gone north and a Company was imeateley sent for them. They all returned in Saftey. They killed 2 or 3 Antelope and about as many Bullelo [Buffalo] Calves--The Antilope is Something a mediume betwene the deer and goat. They have hair like a dear and forked horns--We saw Smoak a head and heared that what little fead there was would be destroyed by fires.
Tusday 4 We crosed the Creek at the mouth which was easely rebe before we found that oure fears was too tame. The olde grass which was short and fine by this time was Some what filled with a new groath which made tollerable fead tho not the best. but the Indians had Set all on fire excepting hear and there a Spot. The blackness of Praria [Prarie] under our circumstances presented a dismall Sight--At this time a Small Compeney of traiders was passing down the outher side of the Platt[e] on the Oregin [Oregon] trail[.] they seeing us stoped and one came over and inforamed us that on that Side the river the grass was good, We held a short Consultation on the subject and Concluded to keep on this side, becaus it woud [be] better for our brethren who would follow after. So after writing a fue letters to Send back we started on, we went that day about 10 m and Camped on a creek which I Call Clear Creek[.] We found grass at this place--
Wensday 5 This day we found the land more moist and Soft than we had found before[.] the wheels cut in considerabley in many places; we found the grass mostley burned, about halfpast 4 we had to stop becaus[e] of the fire and smoke a head, and the wind had blown a perfict gale all day from the South. We Camped Close to the river and put our teems on a Small isleand where there was grass. This day we went about 10 miles[.] to day the campe kiled one Buffelo Cow and five calves. We had plentey of beef, veal & antelope. All first rate meat
Wensday Thursday 6 As it poor picking where we stoped we started earley and went 2 or 3 miles to a place that had not be[e]n burned and took breakfast and bated, the ground was dry to day wind west [illegible.] It was a pleasant seanrey to see hundreds & thousands of Buffelo feading quietly[.] Strung along for many
Friday 7 We started late this mor[n]ing that oure teams might have a chance to fill themselve[s.] the wind blue hevey from the north and cold[.] The Indians have Campt along the river in large boddies of hundreds of lodges in a place which have be[e]n host at different times for years past and the sticks they left to gather with Some drift wood and Buffelo dung Sirved for our fuel. The Buffelo are so plenty at this time that it requires a strict watch to keap them and oure Cows from running to geather, we Could kill without measure but we onley kill what we want to eat, we are in ful vieu of many hundred of them all the time. This day we traviled about 9 miles and Camped near the river by a Slue.
Saterday 8 A fine warm morning, we traviled this day about 11 m[.] the grass is entirely eat down by the Buffelo So that our teams can scarsley subsist[.] The bends bends to the N.W.
Sab[b]ath 9 We went this
Monday 10 At this place we put up a post with a box on it and a letter in the box and for the next Camp. It was marked on the out side of the box 316 miles from oure winter quarters. We
Tusday 11 Today we found but little grass for our teams. We have past fue Buffelo, it appeared that they had eat all the grass and left the place. It had the appearance of a pasture that had ben over Stocked with Cattle. In the after noon we crosd a Small creek where thear was a littl[e] grass and we Camped having Come onley about 8 miles[.] our teams ware failing for want of food[.] Oure Cours[e] for a fue dayes had be[e]n from west to South west[.] We had reached none. Came to the banks of the river. we kept up the north bank.
Wensday 12 we went 12 miles and camped[.] it was a fine warm day.
Thursday 13 The wind blue verrey colde from the east. The weather changes almost every day and it makes it very disagreable. we came 10 miles. Crosed Sandey creek and Camped. This creek is about 8 rods[.] wide the water Shallow with a quick Sand bottom[.] If a teem stopes when crossing it immeaditley begins to sink and will soon settle to the hub. If it was not for the buffalo dung which is plenty we must frequently have suffered for want of fire. This evening is verrey colde--over Coats and mittens were used with pleasure
Friday 14 Colde east wind with a thunder Shouers from the south west. The bluffs Came down to the river a little ahead and we had to go round through the bluffs about fore miles, we found a verrey good pas[s]age through. The bluff Countrey is verrey broaken and sandey but good places can be found for cultivation. The rodes not so good to-day. Some a little to[o] Sandey & some a little to[o] wet. Came 8 miles. no wood[.] had to burn dung--
Saterday 15 wind north verey cold, raind a little, over Coats, buffelo robes & mittens are all in fashion now, we had to pas[s] over the Bluffs again about two miles then & struck the flats again. We went about 7 miles
Sunday 16 Cleared of[f] plea[sa]nt and more warm[.] Stopt all day. The Platt[e] River is wide. Shale water, full of Iselands. The water is like the Missoiearea [Missouri]. it has the appearance of dirty Soap suds. it
Monday 17 Fine warm day. we had to cros the bluffs about 2 miles and then struck the bottom again. we crost a number of fine Spring rivers[.] the ground was rather wet for cros more today[;] in Some places was hard. We went 12 3/4 miles and camped. the feed is gitting mutch better.
Tusday 18 We kept in the valley all day. warm day. Some soft roads. we have not sean a grove of timber for some dayes. went 15 3/4 miles this day.
Wensday 19 Rained some in the night[.] rainey a little this morning. We Soon had to aris[e] the bluffs again, they ware steep and entire day Sand[.] it was the hardest whealling that we had found[.] We struck the bottom again in about 1 1/2 miles. At noon soon commenced raining and continued a Colde rainey day[.] we traviled about 8 1/2 miles and campt--The sight of a tree is out of the question. It is seldom we See So mutch as a bush, today we begin to see Ceder bushes on the Side of the bluffs on the south side of the river
Thursday 20 Cloudey cool day. This day at noon we Came
Friday 21 Cleared of[f] more pleasant and warm. went 15 miles, a little before we campt we saw som 8 indians. one came to us. he was a sue [Sioux], well dressed and appeared verrey friendley. This was the first we had sean four a long time. No timber in this countrey.
Saterday 22 Weather good. about the middle of the afternoon we Came to the bluffs again, where they joined to the river. We had to finde a pass. The bluffs at this place Seamed to have be[e]n hove up in the utmost conf[u]sion, rocks, gravil and sand jist as it hap[pe]ned. We soon struck the bottoms again. and Camped[.] The bluffs of this place have the appearance and broakdown walls and ruined towers, Some of the walls Standing from 50 to 100 feet higher than the land around them, we went 15 1/2 miles this day
Sunday 23 We lay bye this day, it was verrey warm untill nearley night when the wind came from the north and in a short time, it began blow and rain verrery hard and was extremely cold. The wind blue a gale all night.
Monday 254 It was so Cold the we could hardley keep comfertable with over Coats and mittens on. it snowed a little. we went on[.] the rode was quite sandey this day. a little before night we discovered a partey of Indians on the outher side the river on horses comming & when they see we ware going to Camp they hoisted the Amarcan [American] flag. we ancered [answered] it with a white one. they then commenced crossing the river near fortey in number. They stoped on the bank, we camped near 1/2 mile back from the river. Some of them Came to us and was verrey friendley and some of them stayed all night. We went this day 16 1/2 miles.
Tusday 265 The moste of the Indians and femal[e]s Came to see and traid with us & traided meat, corn and bread and git roots &tc[.] some Horses were swap[p]ed and a number of traids made. They ware good looking and gentealey behaved people neither too bashful nor to[o] bolde but behaved like gentlemen & ladies. They ware dressed neat and clean and in the highus stile of Indian habbit[.] thear clothing which was mostley skins ware highley ornamented with beads and outher trimmin[g]s, and they appeared to posses as noble a spirit as ever animated the human brest. When we started on they recrost the river and went there way. They ware a band of the Sues [Sioux]. Today is warm. We went twelve miles and campt on rather wet ground
Sunday 6th We held meeting in the fore noon and went 5 mile in the afternoon in order to be able to reach the next camping place the next day. This morning the Camp we had passed went past us & and before noon anouther Camp of 21 waggons passed us all ox teams and 3 to 5 yoak to the waggeon. We found considerab[l]e timber growing along the Creek. we went past the last Camp that pas[s]ed us about one mile and near the outher to Cam[p]t. we found the best
Friday 2 & Saterday 3 About noon we finished and went on 3 miles down the river about south.
Tusday 6 Struck on Blacks fork. Went 18 1/2
Thursday 8 We stop[p]ed all day[.] frost this morning[.] some new cases of sickness
Saterday 10 Some bad hills and verrey stoney. Some small fine vallies[.] went 14 mile