Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/55



REMINISCENCES 47

I have from his son, Lieutenant Duncan, who was with General Howard in the Bannock Indian war.

"We passed Fort Bridger and stopped at Salt Lake City.

"I do not remember what would be called a two-story house in the city. There were no paved streets or sidewalks in the city. The foundation had been laid for a building, which they called the Tabernacle. It was built up from four to six feet above the ground. From Salt Lake the next houses we saw were on Weber river, about 40 miles. Some four or five Mormon families constituted the settlement. They had raised some corn and vegetables, of which we bought some. From there we saw no houses till we reached Hangtown (Placerville), Cal.

"From Weber river we followed the main trail to where the road forks to Oregon. Colonel Loring had left Colonel Porter at Fort Hall with two companies. Captain Morris had two men whom he left behind to be punished for some- thing. Captain Morris was 10 days on the trip. Our escort had now been cut down to 19 men. Lieutenant Haynes was in command. We were getting short of supplies and were making forced marches. At nearly every camp we came to notices were posted by the emigrants telling of men shot or wounded and stock stolen by the Indians. We met Lieutenant Hawkins with a supply train for Fort Hall on Goose creek. He had General Joel Palmer for guide. Late in the season, as it. now was, General Wilson had General Palmer hired to guide our train to California, and he was to have $2000 for the job,"

At the sinks of the Humboldt, we stopped to cut wild grass to feed the teams while crossing the desert. Captain Morris rejoined us here.

"Lieutenant Haynes reported to Captain Morris the conduct of the teamsters in refusing to stand guard. We soldiers were on guard every other night. We had been traveling about 20 miles a day, and living on bread and coffee. When Captain Morris heard the report of Lieutenant Haynes,