Across the Plains to California in 1852 Part 1

Across the Plains to California in 1852.

by Lodisa Frizell.

NOTE

This simple narrative journal was written at Canon Creek in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, in the middle of December, 1852, by Mrs.

Lodisa Frizzell, who, with her husband, Lloyd Frizzell, and their four sons, set out on April 14th, of that year, from their unnamed home, not far from Ewington, Effingham County, Illinois, on the upper reaches of the Little Wabash River, on an overland journey to California. The journal records her observations and experiences from the Little Wabash, across Illinois and Missouri, to St. Louis and St. Joseph, and over the St. Joseph and Oregon Trails to the Pacific Springs, in Fremont County, Wyoming. Here, at the continental divide and at the halfway point of her journey, the journal ends, on June 26th, or the seventy-fourth day out.

It was nearly seven months later, in her s...o...b..und quarters of the Sierra Nevadas, that she busied herself with its composition from notes she had kept by the way, enlivened by her memory.

Mrs. Frizzell's journal was secured by The New York Public Library with the ma.n.u.scripts of the Ford Collection, presented by the late J.

Pierpont Morgan. It has a quaint ma.n.u.script t.i.tle-page, as follows: _Narative of a Journal [sic] across the "Plains" in 1852 by Mrs. Lodisa Frizzell. Ill.u.s.trated by several original drawings. And to my relatives, and friends, respectfully subscribed._ A later hand has written over the t.i.tle the words, "The Overland Route to California." Among the numerous amateurish ill.u.s.trations drawn by lead pencil and tinted with colors, three are reproduced here; also her three route maps. The other ill.u.s.trations include the following: "The home I left behind me" (Her home in Illinois); "Crossing the Nimehaw"; "Killing a buffalo"; "Independence Rock"; "A view of Devil's Gate"; "Distant view of Courthouse & Chimney rocks"; "Chimney Rock 5 miles distant"; "Distant view of Laramie Peak"; "A view of Sweet.w.a.ter mountains. 5 miles west of the Devil's Gate"; "Buffalo skeletons"; "View of the Wind range of mountains"; "View of South Pa.s.s"; "A Horned Frog."

Written on inner covers or flyleaves are several names, which may be of value for future identification. They are: John G. Harness, 1852; Nancy Varnyan; G. W. Catron; Wm. Malone; Orin Anderson and T. Alexander.

Nothing has been discovered of the personal history of this Frizzell family. The patronymic, however, is found at an early period in New England.

In 1859, Lieutenant Gouverneur K. Warren, of the corps of topographical engineers, U. S. A., issued a _Memoir_ and map of the exploring expeditions in the West, from 1800 to 1857, and an epitome thereof forms a part of volume 1 of Wheeler's _Report_, appendix F, of the United States Geographical Surveys west of the one hundredth meridian (Washington, 1889). Among the narratives of those who, in the main, travelled the route covered by Mrs. Frizzell, the earliest is the journal of Robert Stuart, 1812, of which The New York Public Library has a complete typewritten transcript, made from the original ma.n.u.script in 1908. This journey was begun in June, 1812, at Astoria, and ended at the Ohio. It was undertaken by representatives of the Pacific Fur Company.

The next important expedition to the Rocky Mountains was made by Captain B. L. E. Bonneville, 1832-1836, of which we have the record in Washington Irving's _The Rocky Mountains_, first published in 1837, in two volumes. In 1835, Colonel, afterwards General Henry Dodge, covered a part of the way en route from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1842, J. C.

Fremont traversed the Plains on his first expedition, ending in the Wind River Mountains, and in 1843-1844, he went over much of the same ground.

Joel Palmer's journal of his travels over the Rocky Mountains, in 1845-1846, was printed in 1852, and has been edited as a part of Thwaites's _Early Western Travels_. Among the California pioneers, who went over the route in the mad rush of 1849, was Amasa Delano, who wrote an illuminating journal, published as _Life on the Plains_, in 1854.

These and many other publications have been consulted in editing the Frizzell journal.

THE JOURNAL

PREFACE

Agreeable to my promise I now set down to write the incidents of my journey to Callifornia. Having taken notes by the way, I shall be able by the a.s.sistance of my memory, to give you a full & accurate account of the "trip." It is now about the middle of December,[1] I am here in midst of the Sierra Nevada rightly named snowy mountains, the snow has been constantly falling for the last ten days & still it has not abated; it is now some ten or twelve feet in this place (Canyan Creek[2]) & on the mountain tops, fifty or more, there is no pa.s.sing or repa.s.sing at present, I am shut up in my room, the snow having completely blocked up both doors and windows, I therefore have lighted my candles & sat down to amuse myself & "while the tideous hours away" by giving you my narative.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] December, 1852.

[2] Canon Creek, a north branch of Trinity R., in Trinity Co., Cal.

CHAPTER I

FROM THE WABASH RIVER[3] TO ST. LOUIS

We (that is George Westall Bethel Elliot, my husband[4] & myself) started for California on the 14th day of April, with five yoke of cattle one pony & sidesaddle, & accompanied by several of our friends & neighbors as far as the first town, where we parted & said our last _good by_, & turning westward which was to be our course for most of the way of our long journey.

The first night we put up at widdow womans, we did not camp out, all though we had intended to commence camping from the start, but it goes so much "agin the grane" at first, & then there is so many fine people pa.s.sing & repa.s.sing along the road, while you are eating your meal on a log, or stump, or the end board of your waggon, with your tin plates tin cups &c. For my part I felt _kinder streaked_[5] at first, especially while we traveled in the states. As I said we did not camp out the first night & having plenty of victuals with us went in made some tea, fried some eggs, eat our suppers, & were accomodated with a fine bed, which is a great luxury after a hard days travel; but my thoughts and reflections were such that I could not readily fall asleep. Who is there that does not recollect their first night when started on a long journey, the wellknown voices of our friends still ring in our ears, the parting kiss feels still warm uppon our lips, & that last seperating word _Farewell!_ sinks deeply into the heart. It may be the last we may ever hear from some or all of them, & to those who start for California there can be no more solemn scene of parting only at death; for how many are now sleeping in death on the lonely plains whose Farewell was indeed their last.

[April 15--2d day] But to return, we started in the morning of our seckond day, a fine clear sky, but the roads rather muddy. Loyd[6]

killed ten plovers with 2 shots of his double barrel shotgun, which we dressed, & had a fine supper, which we cooked by a log in the wood where we camped for the night, about half a mile west of Ewington.[7] We obtained lodging nearby, slept soundly started in the morning [April 16--3d day] after preparing our hasty meal; it soon commenced raining I kept in the waggon, we killed 2 ducks & some plovers, bought some b.u.t.ter, & at night having come about 21 miles we encamped had a fine supper, the proprietor of the place came down & spent the evening with us around our large fire, we went up to the house with him stayed 'till morning, yoked up our team started on our journey [April 17--4th day], killed 2 squirrels & some quails, 3 horse teams pa.s.sed us to-day for California, we put up to-night 3 miles east of Greenville.[8]

[April 18--5th day] To day Sunday pa.s.sed through the beautiful town of Greenville which approached from the east has a very picturesque appearance from the hill which overlooks the town & surrounding country, Crossed Lookinggla.s.s Prairie[9] which is the most beautiful & fertile prairie I ever saw, but being so large it is but thinly settled, encamped on the west side of it, at a house, it being to late to reach the timber that night.

[April 19--6th day] Killed 3 squirrels traveled 22 miles encamped in a wood, slept in the waggon for the first time, pa.s.sed through a small town this morning [April 20--7th day] as we proceeded on our journey, & about 10 o'clock we came to the pleasant town of C----ville,[10] from there we had the pleasure of traveling on a fine plank road, we soon came in sight of the tall spires of the city of St. Louis,[11] & there were other signs that we were approaching a great metropolis, there were gentlemen on the ponds[12] fishing some gunning, & several little boys along the roadside with spear in hand, a sack thrown over their shoulder & with deliberate aim picked up every frog that dared to put their heads above the water. they were not doing this for sport or prehaps [sic] the frogs might have reproved them, but for proffit, I asked one little fellow what he got for his frogs? he said 3 bits[13] a dozzen. About the middle of the day we arived on the bank of the Mississippi opposite St.

Louis, encamped in sight of several waggons which we knew from appearences were for the same destination as ourselves, the horse teems which had pa.s.sed us some days before soon came up, some of their party had been through before, & we intended to travel with them seeing that we could go as far in a day as they did, but circ.u.mstances prevented as you will soon see. The men all went over to the city, & returned in the evening with an account of the vast number of Californians (as we were called here) who were there outfiting & shipping &c.

[April 21--8th day] This morning we went down to the Ferry crossed over, & with much difficulty forced our way through the narrow streets which were crowded with drays, & the loose stalk which was being driven down to the ferry boat, but we made our way up to the place where we were to get our outfit, it was nearly opposite the postoffice, fortunately there was a pile of bricks lying on the side of the road which protected our team or I think they must have been run over. I choose to set in the waggon while they were trading; & never before did I see such bustle, & hear such a din as I did in those two hours, or ever see such a drama pa.s.s before me, for being in the immediate vicinity of the postoffice there were constantly pa.s.sing in & out, a mixed mult.i.tude of all ages s.e.x & condition, I amused myself by noticing them as they pa.s.sed while I was un.o.bserved in our huge covered waggon. Many of them as they came out with a letter would immediately break the seal and commence reading, although this subjected them to be run against by every pa.s.ser by, but they did not seem to heed it, and when to much annoyed they would lean against the palings or set down in some sheltered spot. There was the man of business, whom you could distinguish by his brisk walk, important airs, fine dress & appearence, he would merely glance at the signature, put it in his pocket, & hurry back to his shop, but I noticed one old man as he broke open his letter & was reading it, appeared dejected; he would stop, and his mind would seem abstracted, for he heeded nothing which pa.s.sed arround him, it know [no] doubt contained unwelcome news. I thought it might have been the conduct of some profligate son, or perhaps of some disaster which affected his pecuniary condition. I also noticed a woman reading a letter as she walked along leading a small child, she appeared to be about 40 years of age, rather poorly clad; when she broke the seal she appeared aggitated, but she had not read far before she smiled & tears of joy ran down her cheeks, I could not mistake the mother or wife was there; & I conjectured with some probability that it was favorable news from a husband or son in California. But I will not attempt to discribe all I saw, but I must say that the noise & bustle of those two hours was enough to give one the headache it exceeded that of the levy of New-Orleans.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Distant view of St. Louis._]

FOOTNOTES:

[3] Little Wabash River of Illinois.

[4] Her husband was Lloyd Frizzell.

[5] An Americanism with various meanings,--"ashamed," "disconcerted,"

etc.

[6] Her husband.

[7] Ewington, Effingham Co., Ill., twenty-nine miles northeast of Vandalia, on the west bank of the Little Wabash River. It was formerly the county seat and derived its name from Gen. W. L. D. Ewing, a prominent lawyer of Vandalia.

[8] Greenville, Bond Co., Ill., the county seat, situate on the East Fork of Big Shoal Creek.

[9] Looking Gla.s.s Prairie, a large, fine and undulating prairie, situate between Silver and Sugar Creeks, on the eastern border of St. Clair Co., Ill.

[10] Collinsville, Madison Co., Ill.

[11] They were near East St. Louis.

[12] Indian Lake may be meant.

[13] A colloquialism usually denoting a shilling, valued at twelve and a half cents. A long bit is fifteen cents and a short bit is ten cents.

CHAPTER II

FROM ST. LOUIS TO ST. JOSEPH

At length it was decided that myself with the outfit should be shiped on board a steamer & sent to St. Joseph,[14] accordingly I was conveyed on board the Martha Jewett[15] which was loading with freight for that, & intermediate points, while the men with the team would proceed by land.

The cabin of this well furnished & beautiful steamer was filled with pa.s.sengers two thirds of whom were for California.