THE LETTERS OF LUCY R. COOKE

St. Louis April 15/52
“Pontiac No. 2”  

The men are trying their guns
& there is such a noise

Left my sister on April 13th/52

Dearest Marianne

I met with Mr & Mrs Belcher on board the “Golden Era”1 who informed me that Uncle returned the Sunday before I started Twas a great pity some of them could not come down on the Monday as I should then have seen them I wrote a letter to Uncle and gave it to one of the LeClair folks who was on board. We arrived here last evening Wednesday before supper having been only I night coming down We did not see John R[ichards] when we arrived therefore we stayed on board all night & this morning (Thursday) Ma went to find him & succeeded & have now taken our passage and are come on board the “Pontiac No. 2” but will you not think it enormously high when we have to pay $70 for our passage, The usual rate now is $20 each the Capn deducts $10 for J R helping onboard however Ma had but $30 to pay down but the Capn seemed willing to run the risk of getting the balance when we arrived at the bluffs The boat is loaded with Californians & indeed so is all 8t. Louis & you would be amused could you look down this cabin & see tables full of young men writing the last letters to friends but dear I fear we shall have a terrible time for there seems thousands going, some I hear are returning from the Bluffs giving up the idea of going I really could wish Wm & I were among the number poor Ma this morn said “Oh I wish we never had started” & she looks so dejected & sorrowful, I think if we had not passengers to take through she would want Pa to return, not that he would be at all disposed to do so but returning now is hopeless I fear & indeed I trust we shall find that all will be well, it has seemed althrough as if the providence was leading us this way & if so we shall not be left to perish There are some very pleasant Ladies onboard who are going to the Bluffs to meet husbands & friends so I think we shall have nice company there is also a company of 50 young men on board from Cincinnati The Dr Franklin No 2 did not go up the Missouri as advertised Ma was talking about it to a gent on the “Golden Era” & he said she would be sure not to run up there as she was only insured for the Mississippi & when we got to 8t Louis she was just starting out again for Dubuque so that we should have had to change boats if we had been on her This boat they say will start to night but that may be the talk for some time however its so pleasant here I don’t care when we go There’s an English lady quite busy knitting white cotton stockings openworked front such a pretty patn so she can show me all about mine. Tho we’ve been on board but an hour or 2 we seem so well acquainted with all Californians they all treat each other with kindness & seem so agreeable one lady is now walking up & down with my sis while I write. The Stewardess is English is from St James St Oxford St she has traveled a great deal her father was in the Hudson Bay Fur Co & she went with him. she seems very fond of children & I think I shall be able to wash baby’s fixings comfortably on this boat. the Stewardess on the “Golden Era” was awfully crabby I had such a time with her, she happened to be washing so I stole her suds when she went away & then she accused me of taking the clothes pegs out of her clothes for mine which I did not I must now finish as I fear the lady will get tired of holding sis tell Mrs Wright I adopted her plan of giving her to the lady because she said “Oh what a sweet little baby” & if they will all hold her that praise her why I shall scarcely be able to nurse her all the way for everyone says what a sweet healthy looking child she is Give my kind regards to Mrs & Sarah Wright & all the Colemans & accept the love of your own

We have just dined had nice lettuce & spring onions, there’s lots of rhubarb & asparagus here & it seems so hot, the waiters are all in their shirt sleeves the Californians look such a motley group some have oil cloth coats & hats & near all hickory shirts I have dined in my brown gingham dress as I thought I should then look as well as the rest The Moline folks were not on the boat with us, as they did not hail it it passed without calling at Moline but very likely we may see them yet as we shall not start very soon How I shall wonder if Uncle came down soon after I left I guess I shall not hear from you any more till we arrive at California however I shall write from Council Bluffs & as often as there’s a chance You must direct to me to Messrs Gratiot & Childs Sacramento city Cal My side still troubles me but I think its a little better, my ankle is quite troublesome baby is well. I think we shall hardly need cloaks again it seems so like summer John R seems quite pleased with baby. Dont be surprised if we come back again & now dear, dear Marianne farewell I cannot only indulge the hope we shall meet again give my kindest love to your dear husband I shall always love him for his great kindness to me & your own kindness I shall never forget

good bye my loves
yours ever. Lucy

[The preceeding letter was postmarked “Saint Louis, Mo. Apr 16”. Addressed to “Mrs. Willis Rockingham, near Davenport Iowa”]

April 19th 1852
Pontiac No 2

My dearest Marianne

Being quite unoccupied I sit me down to write a little account of our journey thus far This is Monday evening We came on board last Friday Morn & at present we have come only about 200 miles Oh what tedious travelling it is on this river Our boat is a very slow one & then it is so heavily laden but I feel almost dismayed to think we have not come a fourth of the distance, the river abounds with sand bars on which we often stick a long time, last night we were on one most of the night Methinks its well dear Polly its not you thus travelling for you’d be scared all the time for the river is covered with floating timber & snags it seems almost a wonder they should attempt to run at night. Yesterday was the sabbath Oh how I should have enjoyed riding with you & your dear husband to hear that good Mr Adams but thats all gone as tho’ it had never been We had some hymn singing on board & it did my heart good to look over the guards down to the deck of the boat & see a company of men singing from hymn books & then engaged in reading a portion of scripture We stopt to wood about 4 miles from a town so many of the passengers went off & walked to the town & then came on board the men poor things rush ashore every time the boat stops as tho we had been at sea for a month To day we passed Jefferson city the capital of Missouri There is a splendid State House on the banks of the river. We have not as yet passed more than 3 or 4 towns. there seems nothing to interest one I’ve seen a few orchards and the trees were so covered with blossoms Oh how it makes me think of your happy home. Ma is just as downcast as ever. She thinks she shall never be happy again to day she said she would be willing to teach a large class of piano scholars a year for nothing could she by that means be back in Dubuque as comfortably fixed as she was before she left none of the arguments she used to induce her to come away have any weight now I think she would have me to believe it was entirely on Williams account that they take this move but I cannot quite think so as of course it was as much for her other sons. I do long to get to the Bluffs to see if our husbands are in good spirits about the journey My dear babe was vaccinated from Richard W it was only done in one place but it has taken nicely so I’m glad I only had it once R W had 3 & it made his arm dreadful bad. Tell Mrs Wright Ma is not afraid to use cold water at such a time for R W’s arm was in such an inflamation that she had to keep putting wet cloths to it all one night. dear little Sissy is so good she goes to sleep now in the evening without crying at all & takes a sleep of 2 or 3 hours every morn John R is so fond of her he takes care of her every meal time while I go to the first table I bought her a little chair like Mrs Burnells except that mine is wicker work I gave 1.00 for it I have not padded it yet dont know if I shall, sis likes it very much I get along pretty well with my washing tho we have not that English chamber maid she left before we came from St Louis & would you believe the reason she told us in private was that she would not consent to having the steward sleep in her state room so she left & a young black woman has taken her place but she is very accomodating & I have a capital place to dry my clothes We at first had a double state room in the gentlemens cabin which was very uncomfortable as it was quite dark We soon got it exchanged for one in the ladies cabin which is very pleasant so we can go & sit alone there & enjoy our own meditations My side is sometimes very bad I cannot yet sneeze at all I’ve not had a mustard poultice on I dont seem to have much opportunity to attend to myself. Tuesday Afternoon my dear baby slept all the morning while I sewed awoke just before dinner After dinner I went to washing her clothes while one of the ladies took care of her I have now got through having washed 12 diapers sundry aprons night gown & petticoat I’ve not yet changed my own under clothes I feel to dislike putting on those you last washed they will bring back past scenes very vividly My ankle was very troublesome when I first came on board one of the passengers assisted me to melt some rosin bees wax &tallow &make a plaster I’ve obtained the 2 former & applied them & it seems to have benefitted the sore, for I’ve felt nothing of it since. How very much colder it seems as we go up the river & there is little appearance of summer or rather spring how I should like to know how Mr Willis gets on with his plowing Oh if I could but be settled somewhere near you what joy it would I think give me but I must be silent on this subject I told Ma the other day that I had told Mrs Willis we would come & try to raise money enough to return to Iowa & purchase a home near you. she did not seem to like the idea very much but I shall always look back with regret to your home you were too good too kind to me while sojourneying with you. Oh how long the time seems since I’ve seen my dear husband we’ve written one letter to them from St Louis, suppose it will reach there before we do We are in considerable doubt as to where this boat will take us, for saying we want to get to Council Bluffs it seems is very indefinite as the bluffs so named extend over 200 miles. some say we shall not go higher than St Jo’s if so we shall be rather awkwardly fixed for boarding is $2½ per day there & we should have to remain there until we could send to our folks besides then we should not be able to pay the ballance of our passage so I hope yet it will all turn out for the best Lilly has just been heming 4 silk cuffs for a gent on board who paid her 50 cents for the job I wish I could meet with some such sewing for I had to borrow 35 cents of a passenger to finish paying for my baby’s hair The ladies are quite at a loss to know how to amuse themselves I dont know what we will do before we reach the end of our journey I ve only dressed baby in her red saque twice as I dont like her to wear it for fear we shall so soon spoil the beauty Ma thinks it very pretty & all admire it

Thursday Afternoon Dear M my little babe is so sick I was up all night with her she takes little or no nourishment & what she does she throws up directly

poor babe she moans all the time & is in a high fever We think perhaps it proceeds from her vaccination at first we thought it was hooping cough coming on as she coughed very much yesterday. I intend to mail this at Lexington which place we expect to reach in about one hour we shall then have come 50 miles short of ½ way Oh how I wish we never had come I must bid you my dearest & your dear husband adieu I will write whenever I can

Yours ever affectly [stet]
Lucy

[Written Across the Lines on this Last Sheet]

Why they say this is the 22nd is it not your birthday God bless you my beloved sister & fervantly pray we may both be spared to meet again in this world & if not may we strive to spend together a blissful eternity

How surprised you would be if we should return from the bluffs wish there was a chance of it

 

On board the “Robert Campbell”
April 30th 1852

Dearest Sister

My last letter to you was sealed ready for posting before we arrived at Lexington at which place I got a passenger to mail it

When we arrived there we stoped along side of the wreck of a boat which had been blown up about 2 weeks previous name the “Saluda”2 Oh never never shall I forget the sight it presented even 2 weeks after the dreadful occurrence there was not the width of 2 planks left in any part of the boat & towards the middle & all around the engine boilers &c there was nothing left but just the skeleton or outside planks the machinery was a great part laying on land & 2 or 3 houses were blown down by the explosion Oh what an awful thing it was doubtless many were on board going to their friends as we are The boat had just got to the landing some had gone off her when she blew up most of the passengers were killed but strange to say not one of the cabin boys were hurt John Richards knew most of them Oh how it made me wish I was done with steamboating but such sights are good occasionally as they cannot help but call forth our feeling of gratitude & thankfulness that our lives have been precious in the sight of the Almighty Such feelings have again been called forth in an accident of which we have been participants yes even we have not come up this long to be remembered Missouri without having our disasters to recount but still we are left among the living and Oh may it be still to praise God In arriving at Weston on Sunday Afternoon on board the Pontiac No 2 took on a few passengers, proceeded slowly till Monday Morn when about 9 o’clock we saw some men moving about & there was a cry of “A man overboard” but it was presently hushed up & the gents were laughing which soon alayed the fears in the ladies cabin but about ½ an hour afterwards I saw deck hands & cabin boys all running into the gentlemens state room & fetching out blankets & comforters we were then informed that we had run on a sand bar3 across a log & had stove in a plank at the bottom of the boat they were trying to fill the hole with bedding but without effect so in about 10 or 15 minutes we were passengers on a sunken boat but fortunately it was shallow water so we were only about 3 feet under water but still we seemed to be getting lower & lower The clerk who was owner of the boat came into the ladies cabin much agitated & told the ladies to put on their bonnets & shawls with as much haste as possible not to stop to get anything else on any account as they wanted to put us ashore as quick as possible you may perhaps imagine a little our feelings tho I must say none of us seemed to be very much terrified still all was confusion & to add to our misery it was a very cold morning the wind very high & just commenced raining we were about 150 feet from shore well a colored man took dear sissy & I carried the carpet bag & down to the front of the boat we hurried. When we arrived there the water was up over the deck so that we had to walk planks but we were too late to get into the yawl first as it was already full & we were hurried back to the ladies cabin many assuring us we were perfectly safe & more comfortable there than we should be ashore as there was only one little log cabin in sight we therefore kept pretty contented for about an hour when the boat gave signs of breaking in two it was therefore again thought advisable to put us ashore so the yawl was again sent & after much struggling managed to get in but we had a good load most of the passengers wanting to be among the first to be on terra firma. the river was very very rough it took 4 men to row the yawl, however we soon got ashore & would there have a good view of the Pontiac & reflect on our forlorn condition. We landed among timber so the men set fire immediately to a large tree laying on the ground & we soon had a famous fire & as more passengers came ashore more fires were kindled still the ground was very damp & covered with dead leaves old timber Ma advised me to go with baby to the cabin so I went there but found their only room almost full. I sat down a while then feeling very hungry it being about noon I went back to the rest & then found that they had all had their dinners as provisions had been sent over from the boat for the cabin passengers. I was a little vexed with our folks for not saving me some as there was none left. I got a reproof from Ma about showing temper at such a time & was told they was a house about ½ a mile off were several had been & had their dinners so off there I posted with baby & found a pretty comfortable dwelling with the dinner table set, so I made quick dispatch of buiscuits butter molasses with 3 or 4 cups of tea after which I felt considerable better tempered I sat down to the fire & expected probably we might have to wait there a day or 2 before another boat came to pick us up but after we had been there about an hour we heard a boat was in sight so I gathered all my traps a gent took baby & back to the bank we started when there we found that the Captain of our boat would not charter the other Captn to bring his alongside the sunken boat without which it was not legal to do so & as we had not got any of our baggage ashore why it was no use to think of going on that boat however she took a few passengers from us & then went on her way telling us there were 2 more boats a few hours behind which greatly cheered us It was not however till dusk that we succeeded in getting all our baggage each one striving to be first in obtaining theirs & there was but one yawl however we did at last get all but John R had almost to fight his way through As it began to get dusk the cabin boys, cook &c brought ashore aparatus & materials for preparing supper as just before the moon arose we seated in front of a large tray full of meat coffee & hard crackers &c & seemed to eat with considerable relish we had some brilliant fires & all together it looked quite California like. I however felt the damp from the ground was affecting me as my knees trembled so that I could not sit still & I was very fearful baby would take cold as we had no shelter to go in Fortunately a boat came up & as we had got all our baggage with us we obtained a passage in the “Midas” & about 9 o’clock we went on board. it was a lovely moonlight night but even the moon seemed dim compared to our numerous fires. The Midas laid by till morning when she took on more passengers & baggage few if any being so fortunate in not losing anything on board the Pontiac the “Midas” left the ill fated boat & many of her passengers who were trying to get their baggage at least that part of it which was in the cabins was all on deck & in the hold was a total loss. the boat was then laying in 9 feet water at her bow & 4½ at stern she had broken very much across the middle where she laid over the log The Captn & clerk are very much assured in their manner of acting to passengers as they would not refund any money paid for the whole passage to the Bluffs & would not allow any person to bring their baggage ashore without making them pay heavily for it One gent paid $100 for himself, team & several other men & he had to pay $6 for getting a barrel of things ashore The men were busy all night and obtaining what they would from the boat. there were a great many wagons on the hurricane deck all of which I saw on the bank in the morning & those of the passengers who got on the Midas with us set to & wrote an article for a St Louis paper respecting the shameful conduct of the Captn & officers towards the passengers so as to prevent them getting the Insurance as that is forfeited if any money is extorted from passengers for getting what they can of their baggage so we left them all to fight it out We had a good number of mules & horses on the Pontiac & they poor things stood for hours up to their knees in water they were then cut loose & a man in the yawl dragd one, the others all followed & waded to shore But to return to ourselves we reached St Joseph’s about 11 O’clock Tuesday Morn & there had to engage passage on a boat for the Bluffs as the Midas went no higher St Joe’s looked so lively with Californians (we thought perhaps some of our folks would be there) there were 4 boats there a band of music on board one struck up in front of all the folks “Home sweet Home” this seemed hardly appropriate as so many if not most there were leaving their “Homes” but no sooner had the band played that than they started “Oh Susanna dont you cry for me I am bound for California” &c &c this seemed to set all on the jig as its a very lively tune. We were fortunate in having paid the Captn of the Pontiac $36 for he would not have returned any had we have paid the $70 as agreed The Midas agreed to take us to St Joe’s for $2 each but on Ma telling the Capt she had but $5 left & we might have to stay in St Joe’s some little time he charged us $3 for the 5 of us We met with the boat on which we now are which left that day for the Bluffs it is the one that first passed us after we were sunk she did not leave St Louis for 3 days after we did so you may judge we were very slow & we seemed every few hours to stick on sand bars Well we reckoned to be at the Bluffs in 3 days but the first night we came on board this boat we got on a bar & stuck for 18 hours then we got on pretty well till yesterday when we got on another & remained there about 6 hours the lead was thrown I sat & watched them at it a long time, when it was first heaved the depth was 12½ feet & it soon got down to “3 feet – scarce” & there we stuck as the boat draws 3½ Well all of the men passengers & horses were put ashore to walk about a mile & after a long time we managed to get over We often see Indians one of whom directed us were the channel was yesterday & we found it where he said. last night we had to lay by the wind being so high & all night it blew a hurricane The Captn came in the ladies cabin in the middle of the night to tell the Chamber Maid to dress & to see if the ladies were scared I was sleeping on the cabin floor so it made but little difference to me as I soon fell asleep however its now about 3 in the afternoon & we’re still chained to the banks as its too windy to attempt to run. this morning all the horses were put ashore to go up to the bluffs as its only about 60 miles from here & they will most likely get there before we do we sent a letter to our folks by a man telling them where we were if we could only get on well we might soon be with them Its 2 weeks to day since we left 8t Louis I shall now quit writing till I arrive at the bluffs I do hope there will be a letter there from you as it would have plenty of time to get there if you wrote soon after I started

Good bye dearest
MA

Wednesday Morning Here I am seated in our little wagon with baby stretched out at my feet asleep We arrived at Kanesville last 8aty afternoon we expected to see our folks as soon as the boat reached the landing but was much disappointed in not seeing any of them there & finding that the town was 4 miles back from the landing we went on the hurricane deck & sat there wondering what we should do when Ma spied out an old gent from Dubuque in the crowd. she called to him & inquired about our folks. He knew all about them & said they would some of them soon be down to the boat as they would see from the town when a boat came up so after waiting an hour or 2 William, Pa, Thos, & Eddy came along in a 4 horse waggon they had not till then heard of the fate of the Pontiac but were suspecting us on it for a long time. You may be sure we had a joyful meeting all seemed quite well & perfectly happy Pa got into a store as soon as they arrived here & is receiving $50 a month which is better than nothing well they drove us home in great glee. Ma stoped at the Methodist minister’s house with the little ones & William & I went to a cabin which Mr Rickey was occupying we slept on the floor & it was quite laughable to see the big holes all around & above it not being as water tight as Mr Willis’s stable. I felt the wind very much but dont seem any the worse for it now On Sunday we all went to church but I had to come home before the sermon was over as Sissy was so fidgetty. In the evening William got the tents ready for me to come to, so I took up my abode there. it is such a fine tent so large. they bought it here for $10 it is a government tent, second hand but very strong. The one we made is used by the men. Wilm & I have slept in the light waggon since Sunday as we came to the tent & we prefered having a place to ourselves, but its very crowded in the waggon & I have to make baby a bed across our heads still I shall try & make it answer You will expect me to say something about California emigration here Well there are not near so many teams camped here as I expected to find but they say more than half that have been are now going out town look like a fair all the time This Kanesville is a poor little mean place I dont think there’s a brick house in it. most of them are log cabins We move out to morrow (Thursday) & go to a bottom about 10 miles off where there’s a ferry We shall camp there about a week previous to our final start as the grass is hardly forward enough. All the Dubuque company 4 will camp there & thus start together William has just sold that span of horses we came to your house with as one was not strong enough for the trip they were sold at auction yesterday for $165 without harness William is going to buy 3 more yoke of oxen One of the cows calved yesterday how I wish you could have the calf as our folks say they shall knock it in the head or give it to the Indians We gave a concert last night borrowed a piano in town I had the honor of playing duetts & singing. the house was crowded it being but small still we cleared $23 so that will pay some ferrages & is quite worth having John R, Thos & another young man does our cooking we have 2 little stoves. I would much rather cook for myself & Wm as the boys keep every thing so dirty but fortunately I’m always happy so dout mind the dirt so much & let John & the young men cook for the men but would not consent to do part without doing all as he said he wanted to use both stoves at a time for the men Friday night – Well dear Ina here we are at rest again We left Kanesville this morning & have come about 8 miles to day & expect to cross the river sometime as our ticket will come in turn then We are now camped on a large level bottom surrounded by magnificent bluffs at the base of which we have spread our tents We got in here in good time to day suppose about I o’clock there were not many teams in then so we had our pick of a camping ground & Oh how lovely is the view from here. many of the friends went up one of the steepest of the bluffs at the back of our tent & took a drum fife &c &c & what a noise they have been making then they all marched down in procession. There are now I should fancy 70 or 80 waggons just here so you may guess we have plenty of company, indeed the noise seems equal if not exceede any town I’ve seen of late years In our men’s tent they are playing a violin, banjo & bones. The noise has attracted such a crowd that its quite impossible to get in then the frogs are making if possible more noise than they do at Rockingham When we got here this afternoon our folks turned all the cattle lose as that was the way all were doing & now just before dark they collected them together tying them down to stakes ready for morning but 2 cows are missing they have gone back to Kanesville we hear so William has started off after them it is now dark they have been gone a long time so I fear he has had to go all the way one of the missing cows is the one which had a calf I wonder none of us thought she would go back to it if she had a choice. William has disposed of the calf. he offered it to a man for 50 cents but he was a mormon & selling out to go to Salt Lake therefore did not want it. soon after one of our men found a boy driving a calf in the street to take him if he wanted another. the boy said yes so he told him to come to our tent & he should have one well about an hour after a boy came & took the calf away. he had not been gone long before another boy came for it we then found it had been promised to 2 boys therefore the 1st that came got it but the second one went away swearing terrible about it & saying well theyd have a fight about it & the smartest man should keep it, so I dont know how they settled the matter Wednesday evening we had a storm the rain came down in torrents & continued near all night & what a miserable plight we were in for our folks had not dug a trench around our tents so as we were on the side of the bluff the rain soon came in our tent & there was not a dry spot any where & unfortunately the little waggon which Will & I sleep in was in town at the blacksmiths so we had to sleep on the ground for the first time but we had those 2 heavy bolsters & several pillows and [among] us. Ma had a straw bed Richey’s folks had moved out of the cabin they rented which was close by so William went down & made a large fire in it thinking we might as well occupy it Ma preferred staying in the tent but I consented to go so just before I went to it one of our boys went down to it & found it full of Indians who were apparently pleased with their good quarters William was quite mad to think he had been at the trouble of making a fire at night for Indians & scolded me because I refused to go & sleep there & let him turn them out so we let them remain in quiet & we got along as well as we might expect. In the morning near every thing was wet but William made us pack everything as he wanted to get here so as to be near the ferry so all was got in readiness but the rain continued therefore we had to wait that day towards afternoon the sun came out & we hung our bedding & clothes to dry & got all comfortable for an early start this morning I am pleased to tell you that Mr Gilbert whom we used to board with in Moline came in to Kanesville he went into the store where pa is & heard someone say Mr Cooke so Wednesday went & spoke to him & inquired if, he was from Dubuque & so soon found out where we were. he came immediately to our tent expressed great joy at meeting with us & indeed it was mutual for he is certainly one of the excellent of the earth we soon decided to go in company if possible Mr. G. invited Will & lover to their tent We went yesterday afternoon but found they had started off that morning for the ferry & are gone on to the river bank. we are now camped 4 miles from there but suppose we shall meet with them tomorrow as our turn to cross will come before theirs We left pa at the store He will quit to morrow night (Saty) I am sorry to find this is the last chance we shall have to write to you for some time & am much disappointed that you have not sent any letter to me here but feel certain you must have sent by the Newby’s who have not yet arrived but doubtless will soon catch up with us & then if they should bring me a budget what pleasure it will afford Pa got us a nice pair of waterproof blankets to put on the ground so I hope we shall do better now when it rains. Willm complains very much of the quantity of baggage Ma & I have I had a cry about it this morning as I seemed to have parted with almost every thing he was very sorry when he saw me crying & promised never to say anything more about it the 3 heavy waggons seem full to the top. ours carries our bedding my box & few other matters we rode very comfortably indeed from Kanesville baby sat in her little chair most of the time while Ma & I were sewing yest we were sewing as we rode along I have made Sis a little sun bonnet to day Soon after we got here a farmers waggon came up with corn, hay, chickens butter & eggs for sale we bought 4 chickens at 12½ cents each & had them for supper to night they were so nice Provision in Kanesville is very reasonable beautiful potatoes for 40 & 45 pr bushel & great plenty of them corn 25, eggs 6 cents each flour is dear now brings 10 dollars per barl Pa has got us 36 lbs prunes 2 boxes figs a lot of raisins, so we shall have some nice things occasionally Saty morn Dear Sister a gent has just come for the letters so I must hastily conclude give my warmest love to Mr Willis; Uncle Aunt & all friends. I wanted to write more but have not time shall write again from Ft Laramie

Yours with much love, Lucy Cooke

I mail a paper with this

 

Written early part of May 1852

In Waggon on the Plains of Nebraska

Dear Marianne

I wrote a letter & left it with the Ferryman at Loup Fork as he stated he would be going to Kanesville shortly & would then mail it with a bout a bushel more which had been given him Ma thought it very doubtful it you ever got it I have not written since then but will now try & give you some little account of our travels up to this time We had to wait at Loup Fork ferry from Saty to Tuesy before we could get across & then had to swim all the oxen which was quite a job as the river is wide full of sand bars & quick sand William earned a dollar by swimming a horse over for a man which he gave me to keep but unfortunately I had a hole in my pocket so have lost it & some more We made but about 6 miles that day & then camped at such a beautiful place Oh it was lovely how my dear sister would have liked to have been with us just then I went in the river to bathe in the evening could not get anyone to go in with me as there was such a cold wind blowing but I enjoyed it very much For 2 or 3 days nothing occured of particular interest so you will not lose much by my not keeping a regular journal We were very anxious to get up with Mr Gilbert who has gone some distance up the Platte river to ford instead of crossing it as we did Rickey’s Cony [Company] also followed their plan On Thursday night we had come 28 miles from the ferry & just as we were going to bed Mr Perrin found that 4 of his horses & a mule had run off William offered to go with others to look for them. they started & expected soon to meet with the missing horses but had gone 10 miles & seen nothing of them so they returned they were in their shirt sleeves & fixed up for a ride back to Loup Fork as all thought that was where the horses had started for Our train went on in the morning as we lent Mr Perrin oxen to draw his waggons We here heard of Mr Rickey who was about 11 miles a head but he was alike unfortunate in his horses as 11 of them had got away the same night Mr Perrins did & they succeeded in finding all William & the 2 men who accompanied him returned having been absent 2 nights & 1 day they had got all the horses found them standing waiting to cross the Loup Fork on their way back some ill disposed person cut the ears off one of the horses in the night they dont know who it was but was it not a shameful thing to do On Friday we all started off but it was quite a wet morning & continued to rain fast all day. You may judge therefore that we felt bad on arriving at our company ground with every thing wet to find that there was no wood to be had for fires Oh how miserable I felt I would have given anything to be able to have stepped into your house to supper Our men cut up one of the horses feed boxes to make a little fire to fry some meat & boil coffee but all the clothes had to remain wet till the next day when we hoped to meet with better luck. Saty noon we passed a buffalo skull stuck in the ground with writing on informing us that Rickeys had passed that place at 10 O’clock that morning We passed 3 graves near here but all of persons who died in 49 or 50. Saty evening we camped at a nice place having plenty of grass wood & water so the waggons were emptied & things put out to sun & dry There were 3 other camps in sight so we had lots of company here we stayed all Sunday May 23rd Some of us went to preaching in another camp about ½ a mile off we having gone previously to a creek to bathe The gent a methodist preached a good plain sermon from the words “If ye then being evil know how to give gifts unto your children &c &c” I enjoyed the service much particularly prayer by a gent Oh it calmed my feelings & made me feel as I used when blessed with religious privileges in days that have passed In the evening a prayer meeting was held at our camp in Pa’s tent it was tolerably well attended thus passed my 3d Sabbath on these vast plains Well now I’ve got to give account of last week’s travel which has been all along the plains where there has been but little variety we met 3 waggons one day returning & on inquiring the reason found that the heads of each of the 2 families had just died & widows were going back to their friends poor things they had our sympathies Pa has been out hunting most of this last week but succeeded in killing nothing but birds till yesterday when he shot a buffalo he carried some of the meat to tents in the evening which they all had for supper I was not able to eat any having got a very very bad mouth & throat my tongue is so swollen & in such ulcers that I m unable to speak much & can swallow nothing but liquids I never had my tongue in such a state To day (Sunday May 30th) we have laid by Pa having resolved not to travel on Sundays unless obliged We had quite a fuss about it this morn as we were the only ones in our company who did not wish to travel In consequence of our staying Perrins left us this morning Mr P being determined to a short distance every Sunday & so we have none left of those we first started with but we hope soon get with Rickeys some Sabbath keeping friends & then we shall feel more comfortable Our folks are very busy airing the things in their waggons There have been many teams past us while laying by here to day & one large flock of sheep for Salt Lake City This evening a prayer meeting was held close by us. Pa & Ma attended but I was prevented on account of my mouth & throat A doctor has passed here to day to visit some Cholera patients among the men belonging to the flock of sheep which have stoped a little above us (Monday June 1st) this morn we started early & have passed over some awfully sandy roads it seemed almost impossible for the cattle to pull through it We have met with the doctor above mentioned & learn from him that 2 of the men attacked by Cholera died last night & was dying this morning he said it was not much to be wondered at for they had nothing with them to eat but bacon, hot bread & coffee as juice, beans, pickles or anything of that kind necessary on such a journey We hear much of the cholera but I think generally speaking people frighten themselves into it for where we have so much pure air I cannot see how folks can catch anything of the kind. this evening we camped rather early by the side of a creek we have a very small party with us. All the other Dubuque folks have left for some cause or other. (Tuesday Morn June 2nd) to day we started very early so as to lay by in the heat of day We had travelled an hour or more before sunrise I felt quite cross at being awoke in the middle of the night. We stoped about 11 O’clock & started at 2 camped about 6 near a creek & the Platte river. the latter Ma, Lill & I went & bathed in but it’s a nasty muddy river with a very swift current still its better than nothing close by where we camped some folks came up who had a sick woman along I went to see what was the matter with her & found she had had Cholera but was getting better. (Wednesday June 3rd) We met with the sick woman on the road Pa & Ma went up & spoke to her She seemed much better & had quite a talk with them told them her husband had just died of Cholera We soon passed them & in about an hour heard the woman was almost dead & that those whom she was with were stoping to dig her grave!!! we were astonished at such unaccountable treatment we cannot believe the woman was dead, think she was only under the influence of laudanum which they were giving her pretty freely This evening we came up to the lone tree our guide informs us are not to meet with another [tree] for 200 miles we plucked some to send to friends but so many have done the same that there is but one branch of it left I intend sending you a sprig To night we camped by the side of a nice wide stream but very shallow & it being a very hot evening Ma, Pa the children went & paddled in it for near an hour I undressed baby & let her sit in the water Oh she did so enjoy it & so did I to see her Towards night a wind storm came up which blew away our tents down but we soon got used to these trifles N ear us are 5 men camped They draw a truck they 1st came up with us on Sunday & our boys made considerable sport of them, called to them & said there was good grass for their cattle where we were &c &c the men seemed quite pleased with the success they met with in traveling (Thursday June 4th) We have had to drive about 27 miles to day on account of a camping ground We are now with in sight of Rickeys & are a few rods ahead of Perrins so that we have come as well as they who traveled on Sunday I hope now we shall keep near Rickeys. We passed the 5 men who were with the truck & poor fellows it has broken down and they have now taken pieces of it for poles to sling over their shoulders & pack through I pity them. We have had a very pleasant day for riding as the sun has kept in all day & considerable rain fell last night There are great numbers of trains all the way We go & we hear there are thousands be hind Last week the mail carriage passed us on the way to Fort Laramie. We fear he will leave before we can get there to mail our letters We met a company returning from California they were the 1st we had passed going in an opposite direction to ourselves Oh the musquitoes are as thick as sand almost here Yesterday for the 1st time we put on the horsenets they are of great use but are almost too small for our horses as they come but little lower than their sides. Our horses are very aristocratic & these nets seem to make them feel more so We have all just been over to Rickeys camp & had such a meeting. they all seemed so pleased to meet again we intend if possible to keep near enough so as to attend meetings on Sundays in their camp (Friday) started this morn as what to me seemed a ridiculous time viz 3 O’clock Ma I & the young ones continued our nights sleep we rode till about 10 then staid for 2 or 3 hours by a creek to let the cattle graze We nicely played the joke on Rickeys by starting so early as we afterwards heard, for they intended to be off before any of us & had taken the bells off their cattle the previous night so as not to awaken us in the morning but we were too smart for them as they knew nothing of our going till we passed them. (Saty) We stayed by the side of the Platte river Ma I & Lill went in bathing which we do very often, so does dear baby This time we had poor camping little or no grass so on Sunday we moved further therefore had no chance to attend preaching My throat continues very bad I used Suger of lead once, but it had such a curious taste & turned my teeth so black that I could not endure to use it again I now keep sucking alum which seems to cleanse my mouth but really I dont know if it does further good (Wednesday June 9th) Here we are opposite Fort Laramie it being on the other side of the river Oh what a treat it does seem to see buildings again My dear husband has just been over to the store there to see if he could get anything for me & bless him he’s come back loaded with good things for which he has had to buy exorbitantly he’s brought 2 bottles lemon syrup at $1 ¼ each a can of preserved quinces 24 Seidlitz Powders 5 24 Soda do & packet of candy & a bottle of ink the latter is a 10 cent bottle but here it was 30 he says they have a splended store with every thing & everything that can be called for Oh it seems astonishing to meet with such a place out here away from all the world the store was full of folks & clerks were as busy as they could be There are but few soldiers here now as they are gone up on the Humboldt to protect the governor who is appointed to Salt Lake There are some 6 or 8 buildings here at the Fort, Warehouses Bakery’s &c &c I am very weak from my sore tongue & throat so much so that I can scarcely walk at all every movement makes my tongue ache so much it seems wonderful that dear baby continues so fat & well as she does she’s a little (tho not very little) picture of health & gets every day more engaging William has several times taken her to the river & bathed her I think it most probable we shall go by way of Oregon as so many think that route the most preferable & there we come to settlements 500 miles sooner. We have now posted over 200 miles without timber its so good to see trees again I frequently get very tired of riding & wish it were possible to step in to your nice home Oh how pleasant everything must look around you by this time We are now in sight of snow on the tops of Laramie peak, but the buffalo that we saw in the picture at Mrs. Telfair is not here I suppose that Indian killed him We have not seen Indians till now for 2 or 3 weeks These are the Sioux & a noble race they seem, not one comes round to beg as all the other tribes did & they are well dressed. We have had very good success hitherto with all our cattle 2 or 3 have had sore feet but have nearly recovered. I hear we are to have another calf soon one of our camp killed an antelope the other day. They said the meat was very nice. I have so lost my taste that its useless for me to try anything. I just live on chocolate & currant bread We have a good cook now. John R gave it up some time ago & it goes on much better without him he now drives the oxen in turn My baby cries so I cannot fill this sheet as I intended I shall most likely write again from Fort Hall or Salt Lake the latter we don’t pass if we go to Oregon but if we do go there i e Salt Lake we shall expect to be there to spend the 4th of July I shall continue writing to you as much as I can but since my throat has been so bad I’ve not been able to do it regular

William sends his kind love to you & respects to all dear friends. give your dear husband a kiss from me & my love to him & LeClaire friends we have not met with Mr Gilbert again I hope you are writing long letters to me to Sacramento City do there’s a love

I remain Your ever affectionate sister

Lucy Cooke

[The following was added below Lucy’s signature:]

I am obliged to close this abruptly as baby is crying to come to me

Give my kindest regards to Mrs Burnell & Adams’s also Mrs Coleman Mrs Wright Sarah Jane May 9th 18526

Last Monday was dear Williams birthday 25 years old

Nebraska Ter June 10, 1852

we arrived in Salt Lake 8th of July

Dearest Sister

I mailed my last to you from Fort Laramie yesterday & now commence another epistle The road from the Fort changes considerable we have now past over the Plains & glad I am for theres so little to interest on them. yesterday we travelled about 18 miles & camped near Rickeys & several other companies on the banks of the Platte. Oh what rough riding it was all day but still the magnificant views made up for it. We were long before we could find water but at last did & the grass is abundant on the hill sides & very rich (Friday June 11th) Have come to day about 20 miles over plenty of rocks & stones I have rode the last 3 days in one of the ox waggons as I could better lie down there than in our own as its so crowded & I have been so very poorly My dear William waits on me hand & foot What should I do without him bless him My tongue improves but slowly, the ulcers seem as large & thick as ever We are coming near the Rocky mountains so suppose shall have nothing but jolt jolt now the mountains we pass have such splendid pines on [them] Oh you would enjoy some of the views We are teazed considerably with the “prickly pear” or Cactus in some places it nearly covers the ground there’s plenty of wild sage all around. We are now traveling without a guide [book] as the writer of the one we had went on the South side of the Platte from fort Laramie & we intend keeping on the North side & so head the river We met some packers to day on mules from Oregon they said the grass was abundant all the way so thats good news (Saty 12th) Have had a very pleasant days travel, magnificent scenery was hilly but not so rocky as the 2 previous days We are still in sight of Laramie peak & have been for the last 5 days We have camped to night near Platte river having traveled about 18 miles (Sunday) Quite a cold morning, my dear William had a bad tooth ache yesterday & to day his face is swelled up quite hideously he seems very poorly indeed so now its my turn to be nurse I let him have his breakfast in bed & made him starch at noon We have had quite a long day in airing all the things in the waggons for Sunday is the only time we have for such things The men mostly do their washing on that day We have just had supper consisting of fish Tomatoes Rice & ham with hot bread & tea I drink chocolate all the time since I’ve been sick. I’m thankful to say my mouth seems much better to day. I have been using a gargle made of sage tea, alum, borax & sugar & it seems to benefit We’ve all been bathing, Sissy as well, she loves it so much Oh how much I’ve thought of you to day & could see you & dear brother going along side by side to Davenport Oh shall I ever travel that rode again with you I dont know what I should do if I thought I should not return to Iowa to you again. Your home is the dearest place on earth to me I guess I must soon begin a letter to some of Uncle’s folks You must think my letter very disconnected but I have to leave off so often to attend to other things We found a sack of graham crackers to day spoiled from damp so we have to throw them away. I wonder if you yet have got any graham flour if not, do there’s a dear I’m sure it would be better than white for you How does Caroline come on & how do the currant bushes look Oh every tree & spot around you is as vivid as tho I was there yesterday How I should enjoy going over to Mrs Wrights to supper & see her clean house. I told you in my last I would enclose a sprig off the “Lone tree” but I forgot it Will try & remember it this time & then will sent a piece for Sarah Wright & Margaret Coleman you must tell them it the only tree we pass for 200 miles (Monday 15 [should be 14]) To day we have passed some magnificent mountains & for a considerable distance traveled along what seemed to have been the bed of [a] river as there was all the traces of water on the rocks We camped about sundown but had poor grass (Tuesday) Started this morn about 4 O’clock rode 6 miles then turned cattle loose there being rich grass staid about 1½ hours Rickey’s all passed but as we did not stop at noon we passed them then resting saw a dead mule in the road have come along a place where there were immense round rocks like cannon balls the scenery wild & beautiful camped on the banks of the Platte have drove about 20 miles to day. Pa bought a cow of a man the other [day?] She had calved a few days previous & seems an excellent cow the man only asked $20 for her it was a great bargain we all think so now we have 5 cows but there is so much bother to get them milking (2 are dry) that I frequently have to by milk (Wednesday) To day we have been travelling near all the distance through sandy roads as bad as that little piece between Hicksons & Davenport Oh how tedious it did seem we have got on a bad camping ground ½ mile from water & little or no grass & the only wood is two wheels which we picked up here There’s a ferry near by on the Platte which is the last we pass. the charges for crossing are enormous $5 for each waggon & then extra for our horses & cattle we however have no desire to go on the south side (Thursday) To day we have come 26 miles without any water excepting what we hauled as there was none but alkali lakes between where we camped last night & to night the poor oxen seemed very much done over as the roads were very sandy one Alkali lake we passed had a white substance (they say its saleratus) all around the banks of the thickness of 6 or 8 inches we picked some up When we had come 4 or 5 miles from it we passed a cow lying dead in the road from drinking some of it she was in a drove of cattle that passed just before we did. We have camped to night by a little spring but its as small & such crowds around it (it being the only pure water for 26 miles) that it takes a long time to get a bucket full however its the only chance we have for some distance. we have now joined in camp with a company from Dubuque they are all men the Gent who takes them through was constable of Dubuque we joined them because we shall soon be coming among the Crow Indians & its best then to be in a large company (Friday) Have to night arrived on the Sweetwater river. took baby to bath it has a very rapid current We are to night in sight of “Independance Rock” & the Rocky mountains we expect to drive but little to morrow so as to recruit the cattle have but poor grass to night & no wood (Saty) We have had a fine wild goose chase to day after each other In the morning we drove the horse waggon to Independance Rock & staid there some 2 or 3 hours examining names which are inscribed in every available place Lilly & some others climbed the summit but as sis was awake I had to remain below most of our folks added their names to those already there Wilm. did not he said it looked too much like hard work to clamber on the rough rock bare footed for the sake of putting his name there some of the names are cut in the rock others done with tar white, red & black lead & some few with paint I was not certain I knew any of the persons put down though there were many familiar I only went on one side of the rock as there was water so that I could not get all round without riding Our ox teams went on a head & with the intention of only driving to good grass & then lie by till Monday morn. We followed in the horse waggon about 2 hours after & expected to come up with them. we drove about 4 miles & then came in sight of them but here we arrived at another natural curiosity viz the “Devil’s Gate” so we left the horse waggon to continue on the road while Ma, Wm, Lill 1 & 2 or 3 young men walked up to the rock it is a most sublime sight almost worth going the whole distance to see the river Sweetwater rushes through an opening in the rocks which stand perpendiculary on each side to the height of 400 feet Oh how unbounded would have been my gratification could you my dearest Polly have stood by my side & gazed on the magnificent sight I wish I knew how to convey to your mind a representation of it but I cannot You remember Mr Averill’s Panorama exhibiting in Davenport while I was with you last time Well he showed Independence Rock also the Devil’s Gate we went to see it & she says it was very exact in both representations I bathed little Sarah’s feet & legs in the rushing waters When you go to Mrs Telfair’s do get that book again & look at the pictures of these 2 objects I will now tell you about our chase When we left the rocks it was about noon we had to walk some distance before we reached our horse waggon which was waiting for us Numbers of tents were pitched on the banks of the “Sweet Water” & we expected ours most likely ours were among but not seeing them we enquired of different camps & were told by all that they drove by between 11 & 12 that morn so were ahead. we therefore drove on looking out for them all the way our inner man admonishing us that it was long since breakfast. well on & on we rode till we began to be pretty certain that they had turned off from the road & was therefore behind but all whom we asked said no they were a head We were much surprised they had gone so far as it was settled only to go 6 or 8 miles & I had quite a large wash to do Well we went 10 miles & saw no signs of them & had nothing to eat, it was also near 5 O’clock so we accepted the offer of a company named the “Bull Heads” to camp with them that night we had met with them several times on the road & William was slightly acquainted with 1 or 2 of them (they were all from Iowa ) Well you may be sure we were glad of our supper I partook of biscuit, rice, stewed apples, & tea & felt considerably refreshed the young men were a fine set of fellows one of our young men was resolved to go still farther to see if our camp was a head so he walked on some distance & came up to Perrin’s camp & on entering found Pa & our cook there eating supper but most dead with fatigue they were of course mutually astonished at meeting. It appears Pa & the cook had visited the Devil’s gate then went along on the mountains & when they enquired for their teams were told as we were that they were a head but the fun of it was that they came across some good wood & seeing but a poor chance for any along the road they gathered about enough to last over Sunday & packed it between them past all the camps expecting every one they came near was ours they carried the wood about 4 miles & then threw it away Then they came up to a man who said our tents were 2 miles back they walked back found to the contrary then went on & on till they fortunately met with Perrin whom we had not seen for 2 or 3 weeks & here our young man met with them it was only about a mile from where we had camped so after supper Pa returned to fetch Ma Lill & Richard to share with Mrs Perrin hospitality & so Wm, I, Thos, & 2 others stayed till morn with the “Bull Heads” Our cook & one other would go back to our own folks although they were so tired so they started about dark The young men all amused themselves with dancing after supper in which Wm joined as hearty as any. the cook of the company we had camped with amused us all much as he had found the previous day a bundle of woman’s clothing which he had put on & had worn it all day, sun bonnet & all it caused considerable merriment all along the road & when dancing came off there was such a demand for this lady for a partner that Wm came for my saque dress & sun bonnet to wear Oh what guys the 2 did look but seemed well to enjoy themselves I sat looking at them till long after dark (Sunday morn) to day we drove up to where Pa Ma were Perrin’s having gone a head We camped on their ground Ma, Wm, Lill & I have been in bathing in the “Sweet Water” river. the Bull Heads have camped close by us & keep us in food till our teams arrive About 1 O’clock our folks caught up with us they have amused themselves much at our expense but however it made a nice little change (Thursday night) I have not noted our progress since Sunday It has been such very cold weather that I have felt so little inclined for writing all Tuesday & Wednesday we rode along side the Rocky Mountains & well indeed are they named for they are a mass of solid rock the roads have been awfully sandy & we have passed much alkali water on Wednesday we counted 26 head of dead cattle we are very fortunate in not having lost any of ours yet To day we have passed several banks of snow so you may guess we are in a high latitude the mountains are covered with it & at noon we camped alongside a large bank to night we have camped near the “Sweetwater” on such a pretty spot such lots of gooseberry bushes around we have a man in our camp taken very sick with Cholera its not expected he will live till morn he has his family along with him. Ma & I have just been to bathe in the sweetwater but Oh it was cold as ice we could only take 2 or 3 dips & run out again really what a strange country we are in here we bathing by the side of the snowbanks & in sight of mountains covered with it whilst at the same time the grass is good & gooseberries are growing in abundance I picked some to stew but they are none bigger than currants (Friday Morning) the sick man is still alive but very bad, has severe cramps Willm has gone off to hunt a doctor for him has returned with one who thinks the man may recover We have to stay here all day on his account for as they travel with us of course we would not leave them Wm & I have been all the morn picking gooseberries what a job we had we got about a pint I made 2 pies gave 1 to Ma what a treat it did seem to do a bit of cooking again I do long to get to housekeeping once more but every thing I do seems to bring you my dear so plainly before my eyes Wm & I were talking of you while picking gooseberries We said if he got enough to live on he should like to come back & settle down near you for he loved you Oh how pleased I was to hear him talk so as I think there’s still a hope of our meeting (Saty) The sick man is a trifle better some hopes are entertained of his recovery now We have only rode about 11 miles to day on his account This morn we arrived at the South Pass after which all the water we see will be running to the Pacific So we are now on the other side of the world & about 40007 feet above the ocean (Sunday) To day we drove a short distance to a better camping place but still there’s poor grass except what is in swampy ground. We are camped near Rickey’s Ma, Pa & some other attended service at their camp this morn. Baby prevented me going This afternoon Wm & I have been singing out of your hymn book it brought several round to join & we have had a very pleasant sing Since writing the above I upset my ink and lost my pen consequently all my writing operations have been suspended for some time & we have journied on each day bringing something fresh to notice We arrived at Fort Bridger 113 miles from Salt Lake City. at this place Pa traded off some flour & an ox for a pretty little indian pony. the ox had been lame for some time his hoof was coming off. Pa gave 7 bags of flour valued at $6 per hundred, all considered it a good trade as he was very soon after offered $60 for the pony he then concluded to ride him on a head to Salt Lake City in order to find good camping grounds also to see if employment could be obtained for any of our men folks while we stay’d in the City William had concluded to stay till Spring as we were so tired of being in the crowd things were so uncomfortable that we resolved to go the rest of the way alone We all got to the City 3 days after Pa started I was very much pleased with the appearance of the place it was a great treat to see houses again & I very much wished it might turn out for us to stay there the winter Pa had spoken to a man [at] a mill respecting William & he promised to engage him & his team for the winter to haul lumber from the mountains at $5 pr day William intends engaging in this as soon as his cattle are recruited The day we arrived here we camped opposite a boarding house so Pa immediately went over & engaged dinner for all our own family & Oh never did victuals look so nice before we had green peas, potatoes, roast beef, chicken, bread, butter, cheese & pie the bread & butter seemed the greatest treat it looked so clean to what we had been having & then the house was as trim as a little palace but so unused were we to chairs that when we walked in to the parlor we all seemed to prefer sitting on the floor it really seemed the most natural I quite hated the idea of going back to the waggons after being in such a nice house [illegible] 8 we succeeded in gaining information of a Mr Roberts (a Mormon) who was next door neighbour to Pa in Iowa City but had come to this place to live, so the day after our arival we started out to find [ ? ] as he had been here some time (a Mormon had acted very [ ? ] to our folks in Iowa City) we thought he could wait till William [ ? ] We found him without much trouble living in a pretty spot about 8 miles [ ? ] the city he was very glad to see our folks & wanted the whole tribe [ ? ] to his house to stay as long as we were in the place, however we did not accept this kind offer but William & I stayed all night in order to [ ? ] our stoping this winter Mr Roberts was very anxious for Pa to stop & said it was [ ? ] best for him to proceede with the passengers & leave Ma & the family here [ ? ] then if successful in California, get a home ready & send on for them in the Spring John Richard & Thomas is left to take care of Ma & little children John has the 2 horses & waggon to do teaming &c for their support & I’m in hopes the responsibility will have a good effect on him Ma has a little house in town & Wm & I are still with Mr Roberts & expect in 2 or 3 weeks to go to the mill to live as there’s a house close by which we can occupy Wm & John have again to work together at hauling for the mill as there’s plenty to employ both the machine at the mill is principally for cutting shingles of which large quantities are sold they also make some furniture our folks are to be paid in shingles which will be as good as cash as theres plenty of sale for them & they are assured they can easily make $6 or 7 a day William has 2 yoke of cattle & a waggon Pa having the remaining 2 waggons & oxen I really have so much to tell about that I dont at all know where to keep on I suppose you are aware that this valley is entirely occupied by the Mormons or Latter day Saints much has been said about them making them out to be a disgrace to the earth but as far as we have seen they are as hospitable & kind as any people I ever met with I cannot say I should like to stay here altogether because there are none but Mormons, no other churches at all & I cannot see as they do in many things still I do believe them to be Christians & it is truly wonderful to hear them account the dealings of God with them a more zealous people I never met wishing everyone they meet with among the Gentiles (as all are called not belonging to them) to join their church Last Saty was a great day with them the 24th of July it being the 4th anniversary of their arrival in this valley we went up to town to see the procession it really was very pretty indeed they marched round their tabernacle headed by 3 fine brass bands playing lively tunes & all was as merry & happy as “a marriage ball” in the first of the procession were 24 old ladies (constituting their “board of Health”) they were all dressed in black dresses with white net or muslin squares over their shoulders (Oh they looked so nice & neat) the formost carried a banner inscribed “Mothers in Israel, Our children are our Glory” then came a number of old men who were the bishops I could not see what was on their flags then came 24 young ladies dressed in white with light blue silk scarfs tied across one shoulder & under the arm they wore straw hats trimed with blue ribbon their banner was inscribed “The virtue of Utah” then were 24 little girls in white frocks & light blue silk spencers straw hats with a wreath of roses then came a number of little boys in white trowsers buff jackets & lastly a number of men each one carrying some instrument used in his trade one carried a little steam engine, he was an engineer, another a little ship another a bust (suppose he was a modeler) & so on altogether it was a very pretty sight, the company all went into the tabernacle a beautiful large building very plain & neat but a better one for accomodating an audience of 2,500 I never saw. there are 4 large doors at each corner which makes a good breeze through there are no galleries but the seats all raise from the front of where the speakers are I have been once on a Sunday the singing is so nice its led by an English man who sings good old english tunes the place is always full. The City contains a great number of English but what makes it so beautiful is that the whole city & country is trenched so that it can be quick watered at any moment the water runs through every street in beautiful streams their crops show the benefit of this irrigation nowhere would things grow better than they do here all kinds of vegetables are beautiful Respecting the pony Pa bought he made a good trade having sold the flour at the rate of $6 per 100 & here any quantity can be bought for $3 per 100 but he had bad luck with his bargain for on the 3rd morning after our arrival the pony was found dead in the field so that was quite a loss to Pa we could not tell what killed it unless the ride Pa had taken him was too much or else he was to have eaten some poison weed Pa however went on his journey with the passengers having stayed about 10 days I must now tell you who we met on Saty when going to the celebration we had been sitting in Ma’s house a few minutes when in came John Richards bringing Clarence Whiting & one of the Newby’s we were delighted to see them & I soon found they had letters for me I felt certain of a nice long one from you dear Polly but to disappointment there was not a line from any but English friends viz Mrs Shepperson Mrs Scott & Jane Critchley & they all concluded not to tell me anything in their notes as Uncle would tell me all so between them 1m but little wiser Mrs Shep-sent me a pretty neck ribbon & Jane said Mrs Grant had given Uncle some pieces for baby which I suppose you have got. I think Uncle might have sent me a letter giving me some account of his visit. William Newby says the letters were given him the day after we left however if any of you have sent letters to Sacramento City as I directed Pa will send them on to us as there’s frequent communication between the 2 places William has been harvesting & for 1½ days work at Cradling he got 4 bushels of wheat another lot he cradled for half the grain the general wages in the harvest field is $2 per day We are entirely without everything for house keeping & every thing here is very high I will give you a list of some Sugar 3 lbs for a dollar Coffee 40 cents, Tea $2 dried fruit 40 cts Soap 50 cents a bar so we have to be careful with washing & they dout have grease enough to make soft soap Wood is $10 pr Cord it having to be fetched from 8 to 20 miles there being none but what grows in the Kanyons which are the openings between the Mountains dry goods are also very high common calico 25 & 30 cents pr yard, ribbons the cheapest $1 I am glad I do not have my flannel gown covered with that dress pattern as I still have it to make up I have no bonnet but my old Sun bonnet & use the parasol you gave me. I think we shall learn to be saving while here & that will be a great matter Wm will not go to California if he can make a good living here. he says he will return to Iowa in 4 or 5 years if he makes enough this valley is a beautiful spot we are about 8 miles from the mountains on one side & about 20 on the other When it rains its wonderful to see the clouds they sometimes rest on the mountains more than half way down it looks so strange We are 20 miles from the Salt Lake the waters of which are so salt that from 3 barrels of water can be obtained one of salt & its the most beautiful I ever saw so clear & white Clarence Whiting is going to stay here a while & I think will engage in the mill Wm is going to work for The Newbys are gone on in good spirits Wm traded a yoke of his cattle for a yoke of ours as his were foot sore & ours had got over it from the rest of 2 weeks O what fine feed is there here for cattle they get very fat all winter on the grass which is as good as hay. no one takes any more care of them in winter than in summer excepting if they work their oxen then of course hay has to be cut Wm Newby said Mr Willis was really talking of going to California next Spring but I rather guessed it would end in talking well if you should there’s nothing to fear in the road so far as we have come for its nothing so bad as folks make out more than 2 thirds of this distance is as good as a turnpike road We had 2 mountains to descend some little distance from here which were very steep & long & one little place we let down with ropes but it sounds worse than it really is We had no breakdown at any place so think we had great cause for thankfulness we heard great talk of things being thrown away on the road but we saw but little that was of any good excepting stoves & there were plenty of them I never should think of taking one as a bakeoven like yours with frying pan & iron pot, to cook out of doors is far preforable to a stove The folks where we are staying drink wheat coffee & it surely is the most nourishing drink I ever tasted let me beg of you to try it for yourself It is so nice use it just the same as other coffee but its best to boil milk in it To give you some idea of the fertility of the soil Ill just give you an instance Mr Roberts tells us that he found grow from one kernal of wheat 30 stalks each stalk producing 50 kernals so if all yielded in that manner they would beat the world Potatoes are very fine no rot has at present appeared They are cultivating the sugar beet & apparatus is on the road from France to manufacture sugar the people now make their own molasses from it I shall try to do so this fall as its a very easy process There’s but little fruit here of course at present The bushes on the sides of the mountains produce an excellent berry called the service berry. all the inhabitants try to go to gather them Our folks are going to day I’m to keep house they take a tent & stay all night the berries are about the size of cranberries but are so sweet that when ripe require no sugar they dry them for winter use I wonder how your horse net speculation succeeds we have let Mr Roberts have ours & he is to make us a good table for them so that will be pretty made as Pa bought a table for Ma & gave $10 cash for it & its nothing but a common kitchen table furniture is very dear indeed Wm has ordered 3 chairs & a bedstead for us to be made at the mill the commonest bedsteads are $11. we shall be some thing before we can afford to get sheets its fortunate I’ve got towels table cloths, & pillow cases along with me If we had known we should stay here we might have brought many of our things along which would have saved us a good bit. Clarence Whiting & the Newby’s never met till they were crossing the last mountains There’s such a lovely creek close by here so surrounded by bushes that I go to bathe with sissy every day & sometimes twice Sis has not yet cut a single tooth I’ve not yet weaned her nor do I know when I shall it will be such a job I dread it much she wont stay with anyone 5 minutes if I’m near I have to carry her when ever I go & she’s such a great fat puss She wears me out some times. I fear she’s taken the hooping cough its very much about & she coughs a little she cannot yet walk alone but trots all over the room pushing her little chair in front of her. she still sucks those 2 fingers We still sleep in the waggon I much prefer it to a house Wm has taken the box of & it stands on the ground so that is all the house we possess We have a tent which we shall use when we go to the mill all the inhabitants have their waggon beds standing outside their houses to keep things in The houses are all made of unburnt bricks they call them “dobies” imigrants are arriving every day there’s good chances of making money with cattle most of those that are now brought in are so poor that imigrants will trade off 2 yoke of poor cattle for one in good condition well then the poor ones recruit in a few weeks with rest & good feed Wm says he thinks he shall go to town & trade off his yoke for 2-last week we saw a man wanting to give a first rate mare for a yoke of cattle The cows here are quite a sight they get so fat you never saw any so large Pigs are rather scarce I’ve only seen 2 or 3 since I’ve been here. Wm regrets he did not try to bring a grain drill out here. they would answer first rate & would be a fortune to anyone that had one for a pattern to get others made from

The writing on the side is very much smeared-over but little Sissy did it she stands by my knee jiggling about all the time I wish you could see her I think she looks so sweet, folks say she’s pretty child she wore her red saque the other sunday. it was so much admired. How I run on from one subject to another but you must look over all defects snow is to be seen above the mountains although the weather is so hot now. In the former part of this epistle I promised to send a sprig of the Lone Tree I found a piece but in touching it it all clumbled to pieces so you must all take the will for the deed. I’ve sent instead a few seeds of cactus which we gathered on our road I could not send more as we only noticed one flower gone to seed. you can dispose of them as you please they must be set in a very sandy soil & I think require but little water Mr Willis would do well at his trade here for Mr Roberts has 2 wash tubs which he made himself & he says thousands would be bought if they could be obtained at $5 a piece & buckets also would fetch an enormous price so that if you conclude to start for California next spring why you can stay one winter & get quite rich the inhabitants make considerable by going out some 50 or 60 miles to meet imigrants & sell them butter vegetables & fish one man came to our camp with butter at 50 cents pr pound we took 1½ pounds but it was last years butter so I should think that paid them well John Richard came from town to day & tells us Ma has sold the cow Pa left with her (the one he bought for $20) to a cabinet maker who is to let her have a bedstead & 6 chairs Well now I ve told you about all I can think of just now & the mail goes out in a day or two. I find it leaves every month for the states I shall not write again till I hear from you I hope you will not fail to write soon as you receive this & then tell me all the summer’s news Give Mr Willis my kindest love tell him I think much of returning to see him & you & your pretty house so that he must not go to California for I want to settle down near you – this is the wish of both William & myself give lots of love to Uncle & his folks try & get them all to write now I’m so far away to Mrs Wright & Sarah, Mrs Coleman &c &c give any pretty message you can think of I’d like to see them all very much hope I shall when I return to Rockingham I wonder if Lydia is married yet I intend to write to Emma perhaps shall do so by next mail I wish she was here to wean Sarah If Ma was like most grandmammas why she would take that trouble but its useless to look to such a quarter Well now dear sister what can I say in conclusion I can only wish & pray that the God of peace may preserve us & permit us once again to meet in this world & finally send us safe in heaven this is the earnest desire of your ever affectionate sister

Lucy Cooke

Utah Territory

Direct to me at Great Salt Lake City

William sends lots of love to you both

he often talks of your home

end of Oct 1852

Dearest Polly

Just to while away a Sunday afternoon I set me down to write to you I long have been wishing to hear how you get along & quite expect a letter next mail O how often you are the subject of our conversation and still oftener do I wish I was seated on the lounge by your side in that sunny room of yours telling you some of the wonders of travelling for you know travellers do see wonders. I suppose you have received my letter written from here soon after our arrival so that I must only tell you our proceedings since that time I believe I sent word Clarence Whiting was going to winter here but he soon decided to the contrary & went to California. But to relate of ourselves, William assisted Mr Roberts (the friend who took us to his house) through his harvesting which took up some time he then went to cutting hay for our 2 yoke of oxen for as they have to be worked through the winter they cannot be turned out to eat their own food as others do We lived in Mr R’s family about 4 or 5 weeks & then pitched our tent opposite their house so that I could cook for ourselves which we found a vast deal more comfortable for its nice living in a tent in fine weather but when the wind storms come along then its trying for although ours is an excellent tent still the dust you cannot keep out We lived thus about 6 weeks & then moved to the mill where Wm was engaged to work & here we are at present We have quite a snug little one roomed log cabin just as large as I want to have to keep clean myself it is close by the mill & 2 other houses so that its far more lively than Tete de Mort but still the folks are all Mormons which I dont like; but to return to a description of our dwelling we have 4 shingle blocks for seats also a rickety wash bucket which is our seat for company our mantelpiece ornaments are (centre) that tin bottle I had made like yours, the tin feeder a box of mustard Williams bowie knife his rasor strop & flute I often compare the things to yours on your mantelpiece Oh me Oh me what a difference!!!! what shall come to next We have no bedstead so sleep on the floor but I dont mind that at all indeed the whole furniture of our dwelling is as good as I care about for the place & sometimes we are pretty happy & at all times very snug as it has a nice open fire place & good shelves also 2 nice little windows. We have put our waggon cover over head for a ceiling which is the custom here We have no crockery at all, all tin ware & but little of that We have had many difficulties to contend with since we came in the valley for as William has only just commenced earning we have had to do without almost every thing for weeks I could not get any soap & twice washed with castile we have only had $1 worth of sugar 2½ lbs that lasted us 4 or 5 weeks no candles, indeed the only things we could get was flour & potatoes this seemed like hard living for us & very unthankful we frequently felt on sitting down to our frugal meals William has now commenced hauling for the mill & if he could keep staying at it we should soon have plenty but its such dreadful hard work he has injured his back several times with lifting logs so he had to lay up he only has 1 yoke of cattle has hired the others to a man who works with him. before the days were so short they could haul a load a day & chop it which would make about 2000 shingles & they had half for hauling. shingles sell for $10 pr 1000, so that is pretty good work Wm only cares to work ½ the time indeed none keep steady at it would be too hard on team & driver the Kanyon where they get the wood is only about 2 miles from here but then they have to go more than 5 miles up it which is an awful road nothing but rocks to go on theres never a day but what several waggons break down in it William has traded off his waggon for a tremendous heavy one so that he has only broken the reach twice & turned over once folks come and borrow his waggon to fetch their loads home when they have had a break down. the snow begins to cover the mountains pretty freely now. We expect next week to go to town to lay in our winter groceries for the stores will be bought empty of such things long before more can be brought and we have already a nice lot of potaoes squash & sugar beets these latter are not grown in the States the seed has been sent from France where sugar is made from them they are delicious eating We have also plenty of meat now as Wm bought a hind ¼ of beef of the man who owns the mill this we have salted down so that now we are living much more comfortably only I do miss groceries but Wm tries to cheer me by telling me he’ll get all I need in a little time now. We have all along done better than Ma has in the city for John makes a poor one at providing for a family though I dont think he’s lazy but they manage so poorly so that whenever we go to see them they have nothing but bread & potatoes now fortunately whenever they have come to see us we’ve had a bit of butter or something different to their fare I often think of your nice preserves & the sugar to [be] bought at 10 or 12 lbs for $1 Dear Polly since writing the above I have rec[eived] your letter written Sep 13th Oh how delighted I was to hear from you I am the first that has heard from the States Ma was very anxious to hear if anything was said about any of her friends but there was not You dont seem to have a very high opinion of the Mormons Neither have I & much will you be astonished (but perhaps not) when I tell you that about 5 weeks ago I witnessed the baptism of Ma she having joined the Mormon Church & on Sunday next John & Lill are to be baptized Oh dear my only fear is that she will influence my dear Wm. for myself I fear but little as regards that matter & at present Wm is very much opposed to them. I’m glad we live away from the city as that is a good excuse for our not attending their meetings often but Ma says we lose a great deal from not having that privilege for she does if absent from anyone of them I will now look over your letter the first thing I notice is that poor “old bones” is dead how Wm did burst out laughing when I came to that part. And so Lydia is married. I wonder if she’s a mother yet. This letter as you may suppose is a long while in hand having to be laid by for a week or 2 after every few lines are written & now I’m happy to say we heard from Pa in California. May recd 13 letters one of which was yours to me I now feel so full of news that I dont know how to do anything or what to tell you first We never recd a letter from Uncle so how very much I feel for poor Mrs Burnell in losing her dear babe he was a lovely child I thought do give my kind love & sympathy to her if she’s returned from the east how often I wish I would have such as her for my friends here but they are not met in the every day walks of life do you think they are? I hope her dear babe is well & that it will be spared to her What fine times you seem to have had at C Williams’s wedding I should like to have been among you just then Pa seemed to have a good time in getting through I dont think he lost any cattle tho’ poor things some nearly gave out crossing the desert 2 oxen laid down & moaned for water & after a while Pa met with a chance to buy some at 75 cents a bucket which revived them considerably he afterwards passed a place where it was being sold for $5 a bucket but fortunately he then had a supply one cow gave out & then would have had to leave her but they met a relief train from Cal – who bought her & gave Pa [ink blot]!! & a good breakfast for all his men with feed for the cattle so was not that pretty well the rest of the cows fetched $ 100 each & the oxen $ 100 a yoke as they were very poor when they got in Pa visited many of the principal cities in the mining district things were very dull for want of rain which would set all in motion again he had not when his first letters were written obtained any work but in his last he stated he was engaged to superintend a farm a short distance from S. F. it is owned by a firm on that place there are 5 hired hands. Pa has a nice house to live in a house keeper also a horse to ride, on which he goes down to the Pacific to bathe every morn his salary is $75 for the 1st month it was all he asked he has no work to do only just to tell what is to be done We wonder how he manages as he is no farmer. he says he took the situation with regard to Wm taking it when we go on in spring he thought it would not suit him & would be a home to go to at once which it would. I think very likely Wm will go there for a while Pa had not recd Ma’s letter about her joining the Mormons so he dont know he’s got to come back here to live for Ma will not go on to California now I guess he’ll not hesitate to join them for he said before he left that he was almost a Mormon He speaks very highly of California & its products says he is about purchasing land for all his boys (Wm included) as farming is the most profitable way of getting a living he wrote me a very kind letter said he did it to tell me he loves me. this perhaps he thought best from the fact of Wm & I having several disagreements with them on the road so much so that I think it unlikely either party will think as much of the other again now this dear M A I dont wish mentioned to any friends as nothing need ever be know[n] of it but we used sometimes to come to very high words so much as that Wm tried to get a waggon & team for us to travel alone but Pa was unwilling consequently we determined to stop at Salt Lake But coming to California has many disagreeables few very few companies get through without disagreeing & separating it is the most trying to a persons temper, even dear Pa I saw twice in a passion such a thing as I never witnessed before & thought it impossible almost you will not wonder then that I was irritable You know how much Wm & I thought of Mr Gilbert of Moline & that Mr & Mrs Hubbard were in company with him (the latter kept house for him in Moline) on their way to Cal— well even they had to separate Mr & Mrs H remain here till spring we expect to go in company then In the former part of this letter I said we expected soon to go town to make our first purchases for housekeeping we have been & will relate what we got the shingles William got $8 a thousand for cash which is a very scarce article here We bought at the tin shop a small bread pan $1½ a small camp kettle (sheet iron with lid) $2, tin coffee or tea pot like the one you use in common $1 lastly a little tin bucket with lid $1 so that was $5½ in as many minutes Then we went to the store & bought 12 lbs of sugar at 40 cents 5 lbs coffee 40 cents ½ lb tea $2 ½ gal molasses at $3 pr gal, 1 lb saleratus 40 cents, 2 bars soap 50 cents a pretty linsey dress for me 50 cents pr yard 3 yds calico at 25 cents to make sis apron ½ a quire of paper 50 cents lastly a pair of buckskin mittens for Wm $1½ pr Oh what a little compass all the things went in & yet cost so much We also got a nice piece of beef with some beautiful suet for puddings Wm being very fond of them We bought a lump of tallow 25 cents pr lb this we use for pie crust & candles is it not handy Since I commenced this letter Wm has traded off his 2 yoke of cattle for a span of horses & harness so now we drive our own horse team & go where & when we please he has also traded off the heavy waggon for a lighter one one of the horses is older than Wm likes & is blind in one eye so we are about changing him off for one which Wm & indeed most folks that have seen him thinks is a very fine animal but shall have to pay a high price for him i e the blind horse & 5000 shingles but Wm thinks him worth it We shall then have a good horse team to go to California with which will fetch considerable there though after all we may go on with oxen for Wm says he shall propose to Pa for him to send him money to buy up cattle & then deliver them to Pa free of expenses in Cal— Wm having the use of them to haul flour to sell in Carson Valley that being a scarce article there. We have had a heavy snow storm the mountains are covered in white Wm is now unable to do any hauling until the snow packs down he & 2 others have been up in the mountains to day with their cattle to try & cut a road through so as to continue working but they returned without doing it as the snow was in many places breast high so that nothing more can be done until the snow will bear. They saw 5 mountain sheep on the rocks & could have easily have shot them had they had guns along – their horns are much than an ox’s horns some young men are going up on the mountains tomorrow to shoot them as they are not likely to be far from where they were to day. Bears are often seen & frequently killed Mr & Mrs Hubbard live 9 miles back in the mountains there’s a lumber mill up there which he has built. I have never been to see them. Wm has been there often as he has to go near there to get shingle timber. Pa sent Ma a lot of new music so as we had no piano we all went to the Governor Brigham Young to try it over he is very friendly indeed said Wm must let him know when we next came in town as he would invite a gent (a comic singer from England) to meet him at his house I have not said a word about dear little Sissy. she is not weaned yet & I guess I shall not do so till spring she does not talk yet & has not run about more than a month She has 8 teeth all cut since she was a year old & strange she cut her eye teeth first She’s a cunning puss knows all we say tell Mrs Wright she has 2 great faults which I am continually whipping her for one is poking her fingers into the bread when set to rise the other is opening my box & sitting on the top of things & twice she did her occasions in it. I’ve just made her a little black watered silk hood out of that bonnet of mine. she wears that red de laine dress and a petticoat made of that piece left of Jemima Parkhursts cloak I saved that nice quilted skirt you gave her & shall when there is cold weather shorten it for her while that piece of red flannel will make her a best dress that place on her head has only just healed up I’m hoping it will not break out again. she’s a great hand to kiss. every meal she has to smack her lips to Wm & I & when no one else is in the room she toddles off to kiss the cat every time a dog barks she trots to the door clapps her hands & kisses having seen us do so when cattle were in the yard. She always wears the pretty red saque when dressed in best. its not at all dirty yet I find her cloak very useful wonder how old she’ll be when you next see her for I cannot think it will be a very distant period Wm often wishes we were back & says he’ll return as soon as he gets any more than he came with. I always fancy I’d like to live somewhere near Morey’s farm If I was anxious I know Wm would send me to you in Spring & he start on to California alone but I think we had better keep on together now I’ve got this far With regard to clothing I ve been poorly off having bought no bonnet since I’ve been here That old pink calico sun bonnet has been the only one I’ve had so have worn it Sundays & week days until it was really so mean looking I cant use it no longer I then made another out of a piece of an old lilac dress I brought from England & that is what I’m wearing now tho I shall make a black silk hood soon as I get a good pattern which will last till we arrive at the El Dorado then I no longer dress as a poor woman Of course had I know[n] we should winter here would have brought several things which I left behind my old cloak would have been worth at the very least $10 I’ve nothing to wear now but the green shawl as Ma cut the cloak she lent me to make Eddy clothes so that when I go out riding I have to bundle up in a comforter by the way in the former part of this letter I said we slept on the floor Thomas has since made us a bedstead of course its all in the rough just hewed out still it does well enough for here so long as we’re leav[ing] I care so little for appearances for there’s no one here I care a snap for Wm sold his good thick over coat at Kanesville for $3 as he was told there’d be no use for it & we never passed a night on the road but what it would have been a comfort & now it would be of great service but I guess he’ll do without one as they are so dear here he therefore wears a waterproof blanket (one Pa bought in Kansville) with a hole cut in the centre for his head to go through this is the Spanish fashion in California Pa says the Chinese are as plentiful there as Americans & they adhere to their own customs such as eating rice with chop sticks &c &c My dear little pet is now asleep Wm is gone to town with Mr Alexander the gent who owns the mill so I ve again sat down to write a few lines it seems as tho I’d never get through your letter as I have to tell you all I can knowing that you will be pleased to read it I’m sorry you had but a poor crop of fruit this last season. I thought so much about it as we have none at all here except dried apples & peaches which are 40 cents pr lb Wm bought us 8 lbs of the latter You say in your letter that you’ll get the LeClaire folks writing to me but no letter at present has arrived intend writing to them this mail if I can also to Mrs Hill Dubuque As to English letters I dread beginning them as I know not how to condense what I’ve to tell friends & have not time to write long letters dear Mrs Shep— I shall regret if she never hears again from me it will seem as tho I was unmindful of all her kindnesses I fear she’ll soon leave this world I should hardly say fear for to her it will be intrinsic gain many in the humble walks of life will remain to mourn her loss & so Mr Shep— is not dead as you surmised how is it she has not mentioned him in her few last letters When we first met with Mr Gilbert of Moline just after we crossed Missouri for the last time he gave me a letter from his sister a Mrs. Thompson wife of judge Thompson from Michigan she with 2 interesting little girls came to board at Mr Gilberts a week or 2 before we left there I never had much conversation with her as she seemed a very retiring lady & seldom left her room but at meal times well after I left there & Wm returned to settle up affairs with Deere Tate & Gould just after Sissy’s birth he stayed a day or two at Mr Gilberts & met this Mrs Thompson again & had considerable conversation with her. The cholera was about in Moline & around proving very fatal which alarmed Mrs T— she being a very delicate lady & moreover her husband was absent at Chicago. Wm tried to cheer her up & comfort her mind which so touched her heart that he an impenitant should seek to administer comfort to a Xtian (which she is) it touched a cord (to use her own expression) in her heart which has often vibrated when bowed before the mercy seat in prayer Oh dear M A its is a beautiful letter she wrote I think I must inclose it for your perusal as I’m sure it will give you pleasure to know of any left behind who have offered up prayer for me & mine if I do inclose it I must omit sending Mrs Shep’s this time but will take good care of it & send it next opportunity or perhaps if I write I will send it in theirs. That will be better. I’ve written to Mrs Thompson this mail in which letter I tell her of you & beg her to visit you I wish she may as from her letter you can see she’s a sincere Xtian & a real lady in her gentle unassuming manners You must take care of her letter & return it when you next write for I prize it much for when feeling cast down from seeing nothing but worldly characters around I read this letter it raises my thoughts & feelings heavenward Oh there’s so little here that looks to me like Christianity no one mentions their Maker’s name unless in oaths Why am I placed here Oh when shall I hear the voice of a Xtion minister. These & all such feelings come over me when I think of you & the many privileges which (compared with me) you have & why should I so weak in the faith be removed from all these I wonder what you’ll say when I tell you the Mormons are building a theatre & that it will belong to the church it’s to be opened at Xmas. Ma is one of the actress’s she has been voted in by the committee in 3 different plays of course all the performances will be strictly moral in this respect it will differ from all others the kind & you know many persons (of which Ma is one) are of the opinion that if carried on aright much good might tonight from the stage this the Mormons are professing to aim at it remains to be proved how far they will fall I feel sure you will not coinside with their notion Ma is teaching school for a quarter until the Music Hall is finished she is then to have a room assigned her to teach Music. Brigam Young has bought a superior English Piano & Melodion for her use in the Hall. John is now employed by Brigham in hauling wood from his Kanyon which is close by he has $2½ pr day & Brigham keeps his horses so he only has to drive to the house for them a col’d man takes them & unharnasses & that’s all he has to do with them Wm talks of going to Brigam to get a similar birth if he cannot get shingle stuff but I hope he will not have to do it as I want to keep him from working in town Thomas works in the mill by us he does not seem to like the Mormons though as he’s Ma’s favorite of course she’s anxious he should be connected to her faith How strange it does seem that they should think it right to have so many wives. they say the more children a man has the more will be his glory here after & that the bible states that in the last days 7 women shall cleave to one man to be called by his name to take away their reproach. I dont know how many Brigam has there are various reports but none but his first wife is seen at his house the others are all kept in little log cabins near his dwelling the doctrine would not suit me for if I was married to a man I would not be kept in the back ground the[y] profess to have had revelations from God to adopt his “Plural System” as its termed I think most of the men have more than one, some 5 or 6 Wm told Ma the men were a perfect set of whoremongers he thought. she reproved him very much for saying so said he did not understand it yet

The house where she lives there are 3 wives of one man. he has just gone to England on his way to Prussia on a mission & the day before he left he married a widow so that he has 4 now & his daughter told me he had 2 more some where but that they had left for her father would never keep a woman if she was not satisfied The other night Wm & I went to a party there were some young ladies there I enquired who they were of the mistress of the house she replied they were her husbands wife’s children how strange it seemed to me but there are many of the Mormons themselves who cannot believe the doctrine is right & according to their talk if when Pa returns Ma should live with him before he joins their church she would be living in adultery the boys plague her about this I must really now conclude give our very kindest love to your dear husband with a kiss from me & wishing you to write soon I remain your affectionate sis

Lucy Cooke

This is finished on the 27th of November having been in hand about 5 weeks

[Added note on flap 1 of outside sheet:]

I dont expect you will get this much before spring as the mails are so delayed on account of the snows still they have to leave every month if they return when reaching Weber river which I’m told they do & that that is the way this letter will go What did Fanny say in her letter & have you heard anything of Beatie’s

[Added note on flap 2 of outside sheet:]

I dont know if I’ve sent any kind messages to Davenport & Rockingham friends if not be sure & give them tell Mrs Wright Sis sucks her fingers as much as ever & [it] dont seem they look different from the others I hope Sarah Wrights will not marry Sargent

Great Salt Lake Utah Terty

Jan 30/53

Dearest Sis

It seems such a long long time since I heard from you that I got quite uneasy and wonder why you don’t write I have only just this moment thought of writing to you & shall now have to look sharp or shall not get it off in time to mail I cannot write a decent letter now as I feel in such constant excitement about leaving here that I cant settle to nothing Oh how I wish I was back with you I am so sick & sick at heart of this Mormon country We have no Sunday whatever Oh it seems so sad. Mr & Mrs Hubbard of Moline have been sharing our little cabin for the last 2 months & will until we start for Cal you may guess we are pretty crowded. we have 2 bedsteads, each with only 1 leg as they are poles drove in the wall we can scarcely turn round still we get along very well for the circumstances Mr & Mrs H lived about 9 miles up in the Kanyon till the snow fell so deep as to make it impossible to stay so we offered them part of our dwelling & well they accepted it as it was the means of savings their lives. After they left their shanty in the Kanyon some men went to cut timber up there & occupied a cabin close by Hubbards. the wind blew very hard so as to cause the fireplace to smoke so they went over to Hubbards the house being empty & engaged in baking bread when a snow slide or avalanche came down from the mountain & buried the house so as not to leave the slightest sign of a dwelling There were 3 men in the company but providentially one had just stepped out & was walking down the road when he heard a tremendous crash & on turning round saw what had happened he was a lone so could do nothing he accordingly ran down to a mill about 2½ miles & obtained help to return & dig for his 2 companions. they at length succeeded in finding one, quite dead, apparently instantaneously by the falling of a rock which partly formed the fireplace as he was just turning the bread they dug some hours & could find nothing of the other man at length gave up the search. when some others came & dug being determined not to leave till they found him they at last heard a call from under the snow but it was so indistinct as not to give the least idea of where to find the sufferer they left the house & commenced digging out of doors for an hour or two then went back & after working a length of time came to a boot they scarcely dared to hope they might find him alive they moved it and what was their joy to find it move again of course they lost no time in getting him out he was lying his full length with his arms extended over his head & so had laid 6 hours one of the poles of the house over his hands which hurt them pretty bad. he had no chance to move an inch after he was knocked down, poor fellow he was quite sensible all the time but thought his hour was come as he was getting quite overcome with sleep when they found him The neighbors treated him very kindly & as quick as they could get into the valley came for a team to fetch him & the corpse out William took his horses the next day & brought them out of the Kanyon The young man was not able to do any thing for some weeks but has now recovered They belong to a company from Farmington Ill. on their way to California & were engaged to put up a mill in the Kanyon under Mr Hubbards superintendance the man that was killed left a wife & 5 children in Farmington what sad news for them! there are frequently snow slides when the wind is high it makes me so uneasy sometimes when William is in the Kanyon. one day as he was driving up one came down within a few yards of his horses heads it filled the road completely so that he had to turn round & return home But all the talk, work, & trading is for California the emigrants all seem so tired of the valley We are wishing to start with the 1st emigration which will be beginning of March Mr & Mrs Hubbard have engaged their passage through with a family We tried to do the same but. could not so I expect we shall go on with our own waggon that is if we can get a young man to help drive & do chores I believe I wrote that we had sent to Pa to send means to buy cattle for us to take through but we cannot wait to hear from him William has had so poor a chance to work that he wants to leave as quick as possible I have not written to any friends in England yet & really dont know when I shall get an opportunity & there I must pay postage to them which I cannot until we get where cash is paid for work. every dime we see has to go for victuals Pa sent a gold dollar for each of us as a Xmas gift We had to spend our 2 for meat & sissys went for a pair of shoes for her I felt quite bad at having to part with them he also sent Ma a very rich brocade silk dress, some silk velvet for a bonnet, ribbon, gloves &c &c a pair of gloves for me also. he is doing first rate Oh what a treat it will be to get where provisions are reasonable. We have been without sugar and tea for some time, however Wm managed to get a store order for $6 so he got that out in tea, coffee & sugar, but it bought but little. still we try to be thankful for small favors Since I commenced this the gent has called who is going to take Hubbards through & he still seems to think he will take us I wish they may. they are a nice family & he is I think a Christian man which would to me be a great comfort they expect to be 4 months on the road as they have to stop in Carson Valley perhaps 4 or 5 weeks but there is plenty of employment there, gold mining &c &c I have not seen Ma since Xmas day we rode up there to see her but I feel so different to her to what I used now she has turned Mormon & stage actress. the theatre is in full operation now Wm went last week. he says it was first rate but I hope never to countenance it here or in any other place. The Mormons are great for parties think of nothing else in winter I have been to several amongst the neighbours & at Xmas I was engaged to write invitation tickets for a ball given by the person Wm works for they gave a first rate supper which was a treat to us

Hubbards had two nice little pigs they were fattening to use on the road but as they have hired their passage do not need them then, so we killed one the other morn before breakfast as we were quite out of meat & had been some time it weighed 56 lbs the other is a trifle larger but it will readily sell for $10 when we start. We are trying to sell every thread of clothes we can. Wm sold his best coat for 400 lbs of flour. Several want to buy my satin dress which I have offered for a good cow. Ma wants to buy it but I dont care for her pay as it would be trust I hope I shall have a letter from you before we leave but I fear its doubtful Oh how different I hope things will be in California I think we’ll never trouble Salt Lake again though the Mormon Patriarch when giving Lilly her blessing (according to their custom) prophesied that Wm & I should join their church He also said Lilly would live to see the coming of Christ We rather doubt these things I must now close as the men are wanting my letter to go to town I shall write again before we start which I hope will be in 4 or 5 weeks Sissy is quite well I am trying to wean her she has not nursed in the day time for a week but I cannot dry up the milk easily.

I swapt that calico dress which I had unmade at your house to Mrs Hubbard for a black alapacca dress made as she wanted a calico so I made considerable by that trade I shall be glad of a black dress on the road I am quite out of under clothes & cannot get anything in the city. theres not a yard to be bought

Mrs Hubbard gave me a large night dress of hers to make me 2 chemises so dont you think we are hard up We’ll want every thing new when we get to our journey end

Try & get Uncles folks to write to me as I seem so far from all my friends give my kindest love & a kiss to your dear husband Wm sends lots of big love to you all including LeClaire friends

I had such a job to get a pair of shoes for sissy & at last had to cut the tops off a pr of mens boots & get the shoe maker to make them he charged a dollar there were none in the stores

Well dearest sister farewell I trust we’ll meet again in this world I think we shall

Yours Very Affectionately

Lucy Cooke

South Mill Creek

If I get to Cal I’ll pay the postage on my letter but at present we are so poor I cannot Thomas bought a little rocking chair for Ma last week it was like that little one of yours he paid $7 for it!!

 

Great Salt Lake City Utah Ter

March 12/53

My dear Sister

I am now with Ma paying her a last visit preparatory to leaving for California She has just received quite a budget of news from Pa among which was a letter from Pa to William & one for me. Mine contained a letter from Uncle dated Sep 7th which he sent by Mr Bratton [ ? ] there was nothing particular in it as Uncle doubted if it would ever reach me I wrote to you some 2 months ago but its so uncertain when you will get my letters on account of snow still I wished to let you know when I started we are so rejoiced to have the time for leaving come, being so tired of the valley Pa is very anxious to have all the family come as he has a very good berth & is doing fine his employers also wish the family to come on & promise to do great things for them I guess they will Ma will go but not until July or August as Ma has just commenced giving music lessons so she will have to finish the quarter Pa wants Wm there much as there are chances for him to have the management of a farm belonging to merchants in the city Pa has the entire charge of everything does just as he thinks best. he says he found the chickens getting rather numerous on the place so he took 150 to the city for which he got $300!! & $2½ pr doz for the eggs. Flour was selling at $50 pr 100 he says he never before witnessed so much wealth & poverty as it is to be met with in San Francisco I shall try & enclose my letter from him which will give you further particulars Well now with regard to our going we have paid our passage thro with a family who stayed here last fall on their way to Cal We give them a yoke of oxen & a waggon for our 2 selves & $30 for Sissy for which Wm drives 2,3rds of the way I have nothing to do but mind Sarah so I think we may be more comfortable than when last on the road We have a wide track wagon with projections at the sides our bed is the whole width & will remain all day as at night so that we can lie down when ever disposed Mr & Mrs Hubbard go in the same company We are to be taken to Sacramento city & shall there have to take steamboat to San Francisco We shall have to stay in Carson Valley some 4 or 5 weeks till the mountains are passable doubtless we have a dreary time before us & there is considerable danger from Indians when near our journeys end. all go well armed Wm has a brace of pistols & bowie knife but still I trust we shall see no occasion for blood shed the Lord is able & I pray that he may be willing to protect us all our journey through I’m thankful to say our healths have been fine all winter I was weighed last week & would you believe I’ve gained 17 lbs since on the Missouri Rvr & I then weighed 115 lbs I now weigh 132! so I’m in first rate condition dear Sarah weighs 25 lbs so she’s pretty chunky I’ve not quite weaned her yet she nurses on going to sleep at night I had considerable trouble in drying up my milk at first but its no trouble now I wish she was weaned. she’s such a great fat girl dont talk yet except to say pa pa, go, stop it. I’ve just cut up that green shirt you gave me to make her a petticoat on the road its so nice & warm for the little puss Oh how often I wish you could see her she’s just getting so cunning but if we all are spared a few years you will see us back as this is our first desire & prayer and it’s our intention to return I’ve been quite busy preparing for our journey have pulled my three comforters to pieces had them washed you will perhaps remember 2 were lined with white which was filthy dirty I have to taken the linings for pr of sheets & used instead that comfort you made before I was married the red flannel binding I’ve saved & used for binding several things so glad to have clean & sweet bed clothes again I’ve sold my satin dress to get Wm an overcoat which is a good broadcloth very heavy & well lined also bound with silk binding in fact it’s much too good for our purpose being valued at $25 still he needed one so bad & my frock was only in my way & of no use till we got to Cal I can then get another quite as cheap I got a new figured alpacen dress besides the cost $1¼ pr yard I needed a second best dress to wear when at our journeys end My black silk is about done for i e the waist is I’m delighted to say our boxes have arrived at Pa’s he had to pay $50 freight my chest the hassock was off but Pa thinks nothing was gone 2 of the cups 1 saucer & a salt was all that was broken I so long to see them again We have all been to the governors 9 twice lately he treated us all exceeding kind wished us to go bid him good bye before we left he has lent Ma one of his pianos a very handome one she has 3 pupils I’m quite disappointed at not hearing from you before I leave as I shall now not hear till I arrive in San Francisco which will doubtless be 4 months in the meantime dear M A you have my fervant prayers & best wishes

March 22nd Dearest M A We are expecting to leave to day its beautiful weather We have been out visiting every day for the last 2 weeks Wm went to bid the president good bye yesterday he gave him his blessing & said he would prosper We have met with much kindness among the Mormons & shall always have reason to speak well of them I enclose a scrap of paper Pa sent respecting the mails & if I can get a letter to enclose I will do so Wm desires kind love. be sure to give my best to dear brother Willis I often wonder how his health is I long to hear O I had most forgot to tell I’ve just met with some Bedford folks living here the lady Mrs Smith (a milliner) knows the Hills well Martha & her were married at the same time. wife was apprenticed to Mrs T— to learn the business I really must now conclude as I have to get my things ready for the wagon we expect soon with much love & best wishes to yourself Uncles folks & all friends I remain your affectionate Sis

Lucy Cooke

I need not tell you pen is bad you can see it

[Written addition on flap # 1 of folded letter]

As soon as we get to Cal & have a dime to help ourselves with I shall pay postage I hate to make you do it all the time but we are so poor

Ma has treated us very kindly while staying with her.

[Written addition on flap #2 of folded letter]

I have just finished a saque for myself made out of a summer coat of Pa’s I ve lined it with a blanket Ma gave me its so nice & warm I had nothing to wear but my little green shawl & we expect some very cold weather I enclose Pa’s letter to me & ½ a sheet of Willms for you to see the picture Sissy is waking so I can say no more except how much I think of you & love you dearly Yours ever

Lucy

 This letter commenced latter part of April 1853

My dearest Marianne

As I am again on the road I shall try to give you an account of our travels tho I daresay I shall not do so as regular as I did last season We left Salt Lake City on 31st March tho this you will know before as I mailed a letter to our Uncle on that day We have now been on the road about 3 weeks 1 week of which we laid bye as we were on good feed & no use to hurry as we cannot cross goose creek mountains (on account of snow) for some weeks I have very much enjoyed being out on the road again Oh it is so nice so much preferable to living in the Valley & I can assure you we live “first rate.” hitherto its so nice to have women manage affairs things look so much sweeter I dont know that the folks we are now with have more variety than Pa had last year but they make it seem better we often have pies & to night for supper we had fried sausages, eggs, bread, butter boiled cabbage, tea &c &c its so nice to have such an abundance of milk also butter & eggs. We have potatoes but not many however I must not write too much about our eating but give an account of other things. We have a very comfortable waggon & all to ourselves pleasant most of the loading is under the bed & but 2 meat barrels in front which have clean flat lids so they make me nice tables then theres room to move about comfortably Oh how different to the huddled up way we were in last season still the main point is not so good as then i e the cattle Pa had fine, very fine teams & now we have very light ones being mostly cows & in poor condition from the exceedingly hard winter our wagon has only 2 yoke, 1 of oxen 1 of cows all Pa’s wagons had 4 yoke. the passengers seem sure we cannot take all 4 waggons thro’ We crossed Bear River last week on a little raft of 9 small logs theres always a ferry there in the season but as we were very early in leaving the valley we arrived there before the ferryman and not bin willing to wait his arrival some agreed to procure logs from the mountains & build a raft which was just large enough to take on 1 waggon at a time there were between 20 & 30 crossed in this way. then the cattle had all to swim across which was a tiresom job the river being so wide. I met with a trifling accident in crossing. When our waggon was put on the raft it was thought I might as well go over at same time not inside as that was not safe so I was told to stand by the hind wheel Sarah was in my arms the raft was let loose from shore & owing to the wagon not being pushed far enough on it backed of into the water sending the raft & some portion of my legs under water I was much scared as the jerk had made sis fall back over my arm I thought my child was gone I screamed Oh my child but William who was on with me threw his arms round my back & caught her & held us both tight in his arms to the wheel until they pulled us back to shore everyone praised me for the courage I displayed as I never spoke except the above sentence. they said if it had been any other woman she would have screamed all the time. Well the hind part of the wagon was all under water but we were in hopes it had not gone high enough to hurt anything they at length got it out & sent it over first rate tho I remained behind to go in a skiff (belonging to the ferryman which the folks found hid on an island) at length we all got over safe, but could not get our cattle to swim across after having had them driven into the water twice, poor things what trouble they seemed in they all clung together by the bank of the River while some 30 or 40 men were hallowing & whipping them with all their might we were obliged to let them come out & remain on the other side till morning it being most dark In the morn they were again sent in & after being beaten for about ½ an hour they swam over We then thought our difficulties were over for a while but we presently came to another stream which we were told would be bridged but found it had swollen to a wide river & no bridge visible. they after consultation took one wagon bed off & sent the waggon to Bear river for the skiff while they were gone I thought it a good opportunity to clean out my waggon & dry any thing got wet the night before when 10 on opening my box which was under the bed found the contents saturated with water I cried with vexation but finding it did no good set to work & took everything out & hung up to dry my towels & tablecloths were all wringing wet & so stained also Sissy’s white clothes which I had no nicely starched & ironed ready for her use on arriving at Sacramento I was really vexed you may be sure for instead of having a box of clean linens its all stained & dirty but suppose the affair was a trifle for this journey but now to return to crossing this stream which is set down in the guide as being the worst (on account of mud) to cross in all the journey the skiff arrived waggons were emptied of heavy things which were sent over on the skiff & a man undertook to wade & swim the river to ascertain its depth he managed to walk pretty well the water not coming in its deepest places higher than his armpits the cattle were therefore sent over & it was thought best for men to take the wagons in the water & draw them partly over having found part of the bridge by walking round with poles which however was not safe for oxen so W m & some 5 or 6 others waded the water up to the waists from noon till near sun down taking the wagons about ½ way & then a man with a yoke of cattle was wading the other side to draw them out then there was a job to pack all the wagons again Oh the pleasures of going to see the Elephant!! 10 I wish you could have seen the men in the water with the wagons they made such noises as tho it was very funny for my part I was glad when it was over

May 1st Its now dear M A a long time since I began this since we have changed again having left the company we started with & joined one which had been travelling near us for a while We left the former because they expected William to do camp duties i e fetch wood water &c &c this he wanted not to do having paid his passage (& plenty more persons think) to have such things done for us as there were plenty of hands in the family to do chores Willm helped with the milking & took his turn in churning but as they expected more & said he could not go with them unless he did chores he at once drew out his wagons & yoke of cattle & joined the other company who take us thro’ for the same. as far as teams are concerned we have made an excellent change the man we are now with having as fine a set of cattle as could be got he brought them all through last season from Chicago Oh they are such pictures & so fat then he has loose cattle which is a great advantage being never obliged to work any but those which feel first rate The company we first joined could only travel very slow & such a job it was when we come to a mud hole or hill on account of the cows being so poor the company we now joined concluded to leave them as we could travel so much faster so we left them they talked of waiting a week where they then were camped Mr Holly the gent we are now with has with ours 6 wagons 37 head of cattle & 3 horses, his wife rides in a horse wagon as we did last year. directly we joined him he put 3 yoke of fine large fat oxen on our wagon which is lightly loaded having but 5 sacks of flour besides our own clothes I assure you its some what different to riding behind cows why we go right right along thro mud, mountain, snow or anything that happens to come next so as I before said as far as teams are concerned that’s the principal thing we have made a happy change but we live very poorly the bacon they have is awfully musty & no vegetables nothing but bacon bread & dish cloth coffee I missed the milk & butter so much but Wm tried around the camp to get the former & has got a cow to milk keeping the milk for his trouble so as long as the folks travel with us I’m well off for milk I have now got 5 lbs of butter which is as choice as gold I got it of our folks when we left them I should not have got it but I had a new pair of leather shoes I bought in the valley for $3 as one of their women folks was most barefoot. they were glad to get them so paid me ½ in butter at 30 cents pr lb it was a mutual accomodation for I did not need the shoes I think I told you or Unde there were 3 single men in our first company well they left & joined this one for the sake of getting through quicker we crossed Goose creek mountains about 9 days ago we had to double teams through some of the snow drifts & got over them in 1 day with out so much difficulty though 1 or 2 of the ascents were almost perpendicular my waggon seemed as tho it was going to stand on end I rode all the time for it was a very disagreeable day the snow was falling fast & wind blowing as hard however when we got down in the valley we found quite pleasant weather but on looking back could see it still snowing on the mountains we had just crossed. Last Friday it snowed hard we camped as soon as we could get a spot but it was so comfortless the ground being covered with snow & no wood but sage brush & that a long way off we all 3 went to bed to keep warm & slept away the time as much as we could & with the exception of 2 wagons which have gone a head to establish a ferry on the Humboldt we are the first company on the road tho there’s plenty behind us To day being Sunday we have camped for the day there’s another company just come near us to camp they have a 1000 head of sheep along so we shall try & keep a head of them How I wonder if you have come into the sheep raising business We meet Indians every day now & to day there’s a party come & camped on the opposite side of the creek I dont know what thats done for some say they’re watching the sheep the Indians we hitherto have met do not appear hostile tho there’s no trading for buckskin with them as they will take nothing but “caribee” i e guns or ammunition for them. this we wont trade as either of them might be used to our own disadvantage The weather is very cold we are surrounded all the time with snow clad mountains What a comfort my flannel gown is to me in the day time I hold Sis in it & at night sleep in it. I’ve weaned Sis some 3 or 4 weeks. She made no fuss about it Oh she looks so well her cheeks are red & purple with health She tries to talk catches hold of both corners of my bonnet & holds quite long conversations in my face I say yes, yes, yes, all the time & so on she talks tho not one word do I understand She still sucks her fingers I dont yet try to brake her of it notwithstanding Mrs Wrights counsels Oh what a comfort the little puss is to me I cannot think how I go on without her she’s up to every trick I know Pa will make a great fuss with her & so would you if she was near you May 14th I’m not very regular in writing our travels but when a person has been so many weeks & months on the road it seems an old story. We have now been travelling on the Humboldt river some days the weather is much warmer quite hot at noon We have seen some 8 or 10 graves this last day or 2 so suppose its unhealthy in hot weather One grave we passed was that of a young man who was shot by an Indian while on guard (this the board of the grave informed us) he lived 2 days. We have seen but few of this new Indian tribe “Diggers” they are very shy & back in the willows along the banks of the river we saw 3 day before yesterday but they were across the river we however were anxious to have a nearer interview as they were said to be so different to other tribes so bread was thrown in the water to induce them to swim over to us they were very unwilling to come but at last they did & rather put some of us modest females to the blush they being perfectly naked except a “breech clout” i e a strip of rag between their legs. they had little or no forehead & no eyebrows when they found we were amicably inclined they followed us some miles & took dinner with us & one we found at our camp next morn before breakfast. yesterday we had to camp soon after starting for a cow is lost to day we have come about 8 miles & have again stopped for the same cause but suppose will go on in 2 or 3 hours the calves are to be carried in the waggons for a few days. We crossed the bridge I mentioned above (but then called it a ferry) Wm paid for our waggon going over as Mr Holly was going to ferry the stream using one of the waggon beds for a boat but as that leaked so much & the risk seen of wetting our things besides the trouble of taking everything out of our wagon we preferred paying the toll of the bridge which was very reasonable the ferryman charged us but $1½ as we had to pay ourselves the usual toll being $3 Mr Holly after gave Wm 75 cents towards it as it did n’t cost us much Holly had also to treat his men with $5 worth of whiskey for going in the water & they dropt over a bag of sugar weighing 100 lbs it nearly all got wet as he would have been better to have paid the toll & gone over without losing a day’s time. I had a chance to trade with the Indians while our folks were getting over the stream I swapt one of my small blankets for a pretty robe of prairie dog skins I think there are 10 in it all nicely sewed together my blanket was getting quite old I wonder the Indian was willing to trade for his robe is new & will look so pretty over me when in a buggy riding but they think so much of a blanket another Indian had some beautiful mink skins tied over his shoulders & under his arm it caught my eye as being enough to make a nice flat boa so I got an old red flannel shirt of Williams that he was quite willing to swap for. its a nice piece there are 3 skins in it but only 2 tails so would now have but one at each end or none at all! if I made it round of course 2 tails would be sufficient but I prefer it flat If you had not so good a boa I most certainly would keep it for you It’s just like one Mrs Drew had. dont you think I got a bargain I Well then a young man in one company traded for some wild cat skins one of which he made me a present its nice & will make a pretty muff, as it’s such beautiful long soft fur not unlike fox skin I intend keeping it for you as I think you will value it I shall be sure to find a chance to send it I remember you had just got a black muff which you must make last till this reaches you I’ve also had a present of a large wolf skin so I’m set up for fur Oh what dreadful plains we have had to go through lately the mud at the banks of some of the forks of the Humboldt was so deep that in one place a yoke of our large cattle had to be put to I wagon & then it was a dreadful pull the chains broke pretty fast. yesterday Wm called me out of my wagon to come & see an ox down in the mud nothing could be seen but the top of his back & head his nose was quite covered I often wonder what you’d do in crossing such places Almost every week & sometimes twice we have to place boards on the projection of our wagons & put all the loading on them for the streams we cross come quite a piece up our waggon box but every stream brings us nearer our journeys end. yesterday while camped some Indians were with us & our company think they have persuaded 2 to go with us they have kept close by ever since & one who is I think ½ Spanish seems very proud of the idea he has had his hair cut & looks quite civilized having on a red flannel shirt & his legs covered with the sleeves of another the other Indian is dressed in skins & lots of ornaments Should they continue with us we are likely to less trouble with any of the tribe Oh what a loss I’m at to know how to amuse myself for tho I have little sewing yet its nothing that must be done & what I cannot well do while riding my principal job is to sew bosom & wrist 2 of Wms shirts I might knit but have only red yarn which I bought for Sis & its too near summer to commence woolen socks If I only had some muslin how nicely I could be preparing our under clothes for we are all quite destitute & it will be such a job when we get to Cal. I have no night dress at all sleep in a col[ore[d saque Sissy will have no clothes when we get through she now wears a little red flannel dress made out of the piece you saw & that green quilted skirt which on warm days is too heavy but I have no fears of getting things when we arrive at Pa’s for he’ll set us up in all we want I’m sure of that It seems quite providential he went on last year for we all have a home & something to expect now so different to going unknown. Oh if I could but see my dear Marianna & have a long talk with her how happy I should feel. still I look forward to such a season as not at all unlikely my earnest desire is that we should end our days near each other & I think we shall

Carson Valley June 5/53

Dearest Sis

We arrived here about a week ago & shall be detained until early part of July not being able to cross the Sierra Nevada mountains with wagons on account of snow

Willm is hired out at mining $50 pr month & board, which is $2 pr day I am helping round the house of Willm employers so that I get my own & Sissy’s board free which is considerable its a tavern & store where we are stoping but only the mistress of the house to do the work so as she [ ? ] very pleasant young woman we get along first rate & have such nice living I have a chance to send this to Sacramento to mail so send it off in a hurry

We are all well give our kindest love to Mr. Willis & accept the same from yours ever affectionately There are 20 boarders here most of them working in the mines

Write to San Francisco & when I get there will write again not quite in such a hurry.

1 Louise Barry, The Beginning of the West, Annals of the Kansas Gateway to the American West, 1840-1854 (Topeka, 1972) gives the best summary of Missouri River steamboat activity in 1852 on pages 1073-1075.

2 Louise Barry, The Beginning of the West, P. 1073, tells of the Saluda having “burst her boilers” on April 9-Possibly some 135 persons died. This was the worst wreck of the season under very bad river conditions on the Missouri. The saying about this unpredictable river was, “The crookedness you see ain’t half the crookedness they is.”

3 On April 27, the Pontiac No. 2 was reported sunk 20 miles below St. Joseph at Smith’s Bar. Her hull was under water and broken. Although the cargo was a total loss, there were no lives lost. Barry, op cit.

4 In the printed version, Lucy Rutledge Cooke, Crossing the Plains in 1852 (Modesto, California, 1923), there is published after the printed edition of this letter (pages 18–19) the “Bye-Laws and Resolutions of the Dubuque Emigration Company to California” and also a list of the male members of the party.

5 Seidlitz Powders were made up of a mixture of sodium bicarbonate, tartaric acid, and Rochelle Salt (potassium sodium tartrate). This combination was a laxative named for springwaters at Seidlitz, Czechoslovakia.

6 Someone has added here “June?”.

7 South Pass is really 7,412 feet altitude. Aubrey L. Haines, Historic Sites Along the Oregon Trail (Gerald, Missouri, 1981), P. 235.

8 All of the omitted words here are a result of a large blot of ink on the paper. She mentions earlier having spilled the ink.

9 Brigham Young.

10 “The Elephant” was a term used for the overland trail either to Oregon or to California. Shirley Sargent has edited James Hutchings’ Journal to California as Seeking the Elephant, 1849 (Glendale, California, 1980).