Crossing the Unincorporated Indian Territory in 1849

We left off with what it was like to travel around Cape Horn on a sailing ship. But what about

those who chose to travel over land?

The overland route followed in The Gantlet

If they left the East, they would likely have used river travel at some point (see my archived

blog titled, “Rivers Were Our First Superhighways” June 20, 2019). But once they arrived in St. Louis, they may have taken off due west from there in their covered wagons pulled by horse, mules or oxen. Or, if they could, they would board another steamer to St. Joseph and traverse the Missouri River to get a little farther west before starting the trek over land.

No matter where they started, the emigrants followed in each others’ tracks along trails that became worn and rutted with use. If they got an early start in the year, there was plenty of forage for their animals along the way but between the heat of summer and the horde of travelers, it wasn’t long before there was little, if anything, for the animals to eat. Travelers were forced to provide grain or hay to their animals, both cumbersome and expensive.

Wagons broke down on a regular basis and the emigrants became expert at repairs to their

equipment. Companies were wise to have skilled blacksmiths and wheelwrights among them but that wasn’t always possible. As the trail grew longer, they would come upon military forts or trading posts where repairs could be paid for but if something happened out on the prairie, hard decisions had to be made.

They all had to contend with weather, obstacles, injuries and breakdowns. Death was not out of the question along the way. Many bore the memories of cholera from their trips up the Mississippi River and cholera followed some along the trail. Freak accidents left some with missing limbs or injuries that never healed quite right. No one understood the importance of cleanliness or the existence of bacteria-caused infections. Women giving birth on the trail relied on the other women in the company to help the best they could. Children would wander off and not be found, the only heartbreaking alternative was to continue the journey without them.

And then there was the specter of Indians. Much had been made of Native encounters in the

pamphlets popular in the eastern states. In reality, the emigrants of 1849 posed a puzzling

challenge for the Natives. Here were these interlopers, traveling across the lands the Natives had been using for centuries, all of them headed west. None of them stayed behind or settled, yet. At this point in history, the emigrants had one thing on their minds… get to California or Oregon.

The Mormons had emigrated to Utah in 1847 and the fur trappers and “mountain men” had been in the western territories since the 1820s. The mountain men had married Native women and integrated themselves into the different tribes’ cultures where they were usually respected. So, in 1849, no real antagonism had developed between the colliding cultures.

The Natives had no idea of the flood that was coming their way. Nor did they understand the idea of “ownership” the way the white Europeans did, which made them especially vulnerable to smooth talkers and quick dealers. When the US government sent the military to protect the emigrants, confrontations began to happen, especially when the soldiers became bored and picked fights.

The emigrants had to be tough, in mind and spirit, to make this kind of trip. They had to believe that where they were going was bound to be better than where they had left. It’s that kind of spirit that I admire in these people. Faced with disaster, they found creative solutions. Faced with loss, they gathered their courage and went on. Those that weren’t made of the right stuff either didn’t survive or were shells of their former selves when they did arrive at their destination.

I’m inspired by common heroes and as humble as they were, these brave souls looking for a new lease on life were nothing short of heroes.