Crossing the Plains, 1865

In the midst of the Civil War, Congress enacted the Homestead Act, entitling any head of family, anyone over the age of 21, or any veteran of military service to 160 acres of land. With the end of the war, many took advantage of the offer, filling the westward trails with wagon trains loaded with all their earthly possessions. Before the end of the century America's frontier had been extended to the Pacific and then officially declared closed.
The decision to make the trek could not have been an easy one - motivated no doubt by hard times at home and the promise of better times to the west. Sarah Raymond was one of those who made the journey along with her father, mother and brothers. Her diary doesn't reveal her age, but we can assume she was young, probably a teenager. The family began their journey on May 1, 1865, in Missouri and arrived at their destination in Virginia City, Montana Territory on September 6. Sarah details each days' events - accidents, sickness, river crossings, Indian encounters, mud, dust, monotony, and terror. We don't know much about Sarah beyond what appears in her diary except that she married and stayed in Virginia City the rest of her life. She first published her journal at the request of friends at a local newspaper, the "Rocky Mountain Husbandman", in the early 1880s. Her diary was published in book form in 1902.

Monday, June 12

We stood by the graves of eleven men that were killed last August by the Indians. There was a sort of bulletin board about midway and at the foot of the graves stating the circumstances of the frightful tragedy. They were a part of fourteen, twelve men and two women, wives of two of the men. They were encamped at Plum Creek, a short distance from where the graves are. They were all at breakfast except for one man who had gone to the creek for water, he hid in the brush, or there would have been none to tell the tale of the massacre.
There had been no depredations committed on this road all Summer, and emigrants had become careless and traveled in small parties. They did not suspect that an Indian was near until they were surrounded, and the slaughter had commenced. All the men were killed and scalped, and the women taken prisoners. They took what they wanted of the provisions burned the wagons and took off with the horses.
The one man that had escaped went with all haste to the nearest station for help. The soldiers pursued the Indians, had a fight with them and rescued the women. One of them had seen her husband killed and scalped and was insane when rescued and died at the station. The other woman was the wife of the man that escaped. They were from St. Joe, Missouri.

To be continued...