Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/151

 chief sources, keeping generally near its north bank, to the South Pass. Such was our route of travel up to the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains, covering fully, in actual travel, one thousand miles, but not over nine hundred miles air line.

Returning now to a detail of the journey, and its early vicissitudes.

Neal Gilliam, an intrepid and well known soldier of the South had been elected general, and the whole company had been divided up into three bands, with a captain for each, Morrison being one of the three captains. At Black Vermillion, owing to some little indisposition of one of the general's married daughters, we camped a day and a half within two miles of the stream, during which time Col. Nat Ford's company crossed it with ease. From the time of leaving the Missouri River till reaching the Vermillion we had been receiving showers of rain,—often copious ones, too,—almost every day.

At this point, in order to refresh my recollection, or perhaps to avail myself of the language of another participant in the troubles of our train, I take recourse to the journal of Rev. E. E. Parrish, and find the following entry for May 31: "The first birth occurred in our camp. Much lightning, wind, and rain is noted; the extreme south branch of the Nimahaw River is bridged and next morning the train passed over but camped for two days out of respect and care for motherhood"—dates and entries of E. E. Parrish. (I kept a journal myself during the first two months, but the only points I now venture to quote from mine is that during that time there were only eight days marked fair.)