Note: In the Table of distances the left hand colum of figuers are the distances in english miles measured with a roadometer between the several points noted and the right hand colum the number of miles to each point noted from Winter Quarters [From: The Latter-Day Saints' Emigrants' Guide: Being a Table of Distances,
                     Showing all the Springs, Creeks, Rivers, Hills, Mountains, Camping Places,
                     and all Other Notable Places, From Council Bluffs, to the Valley of the
                     Great Salt Lake .... The Whole Route Having Been Carefully Measured by a
                     Roadometer, and Distance from Point to Point, in English Miles,
                     Accurately Shown. St. Louis: Mo. Republican Steam Power Press, Chambers
                     & Knapp, 1848.]

[There are, of course, no photographs of the journey across the plains made by James Hecox. The links in this document are to websites containing photos or drawings of places, plants and animals mentioned in the diary and that give an idea of what the wagon train must have looked like. After viewing each link, click on BACK to return to this diary.]

WINTER QUARTERS WEST SIDE OF MISSOURI 

Monday   June 26 1849 Today we organized  our Company by forming a constitution and by laws and electing one Captain one first and one second Lieutenant and one board of health consisting of two members   Our Company consisting of twenty ox waggons and one two horse carriage   number of pirsons seventy one   number of animals 181
[Note: Monday was June 25th, according to the perpetual calendar at http://www.tngenweb.org/sullivan/pcalendar.htm. We don’t know whether James Hecox misdated his diary, or this was a typographical error made during transcription.]

Tuesday  June 27 [sic]  This morning we raised the Star Spangled Banner yoked our teams and prepared to launch our barks on the vast plaines of the indian Territory. We traveled about ten miles and camped for the night by a tolerable good spring on the open prairie and had to go about a half mile for fuel

Wednesday  June 27   We went on eight miles this morning and came to Papped Creek and found the bridge had been sweped away by the recent high water and had lodged about six rods below where it formaly stood. With a good deal of labour we removed the bridge back to its former place  Crossed our waggons and camped on a beautiful little second bottom  formed our corral and put out our guard for the night

Thirs  June 28   We came on nine miles to the Elk Horn [Click on "image" to see sketch]  As we raised the ridge before decending to the ferry we had the most delightful prospect I ever beheld off to the southwest and west as far as the eye could extend was level prairie bottom with here and there a small strip of timber on the margin of some brook that winds its way from the highlands to Platte and bounded on the south and southwest by the long line of high bluffs and slip banks on the south side of Platte  We found the raft made of logs and poles large enough to hold up a waggon with two gutters  one for each wheel to run in from one end to the other of the raft  some of the men swam across and fastened a roap to a tree about an hundred feet above where the river took a bend to the east and than fastening the lower end to each end of the raft to hold it up against the current  we than fastened other roaps to each end of the raft and pulled it backward and forth put on and took eight waggons and the carriage by sunset

Friday   Jun 29   I left the camp this morning in company with Mr Tyrel to examine a bridge on a small creek about a mile and three quarter ahead   we walked along about a mile and on turning round a bend of the river we discovered a tall liberty pole about a quarter of a mile distent and on going up to it I discovered an old camping ground. I saw a low post near by and steping to it I found it at the head of one of four graves and on it was written with a pencil these words   Jacob Wetherby who was killed by the Indians June 20 1847.  I readily concieved that the emigrants had had a battle with the Indians and had raised the pole in commemoration of there victory allthough it was at the loss of four of their companions  We left the Elk Horne about noon and reached the Platte at dark and formed our camp on the bank of the river for the night  distence from the Horn 13 miles  There is no water except the river water and that is nearly thick with white clay or sand from the slip banks  The land is one continuous bottom from the Horn to the platte and I should think from its flatness that in high water it is overflowed from one bluff to the other which would make a river at times 12 or 14 miles wide  This afternoon we found a horse and three oxen on the prairie  strais without a doubt from some Company that had preceded us.  We saddled the horse and drove the oxen along with us

Page 2  TABLE of DISTANCES

List of landmarks, campsites, and mileages apparently copied into the Hecox diary  from the Mormon's Emigrants' Guide.

Page 3
Sat   June 30   This morning we discovered a large number of Indian Wigwams nearby our camp   thay were all deserted by the indians and on proceding to them we percieved a number of newly made graves and quickly concluded from reports we had previously heard at Council Bluffs that thay had died with the Colera or small pox and on looking a little further we found several dead bodies leighing on the ground in different places and some of tham nearly distroyed by wild beasts  I have no doubt but thay were so badly alarmed by the malignity of the disease that thay left amediately without so much as burying their dead  This evening we took a vote whether we should celebrate the coming fourth of July or not it was a unanimus vote in the effirmitive  We still traveled upon the level bottom of the platte without anything worthy of note except two fresh graves of emigrants one on the horne the other on the bank of platte at the former of these we found a dog hanging about the place and to all appearance watching the grave of his master   Mr. P. Rice took him into his possession and soon found him to be an excellent dog

Tues  July 3d   We found a beautiful camping place on Bever river and a good bridge and though[t] ourselves in goodluck for we did not expect to find a bridge

Weds  July 4th   This morning the committee of arrangements consisting of Mr Imus  McGee and myself reported that the Michigan and Illinoise Enterprise Company should celibrate the seventythird aniversery of the American Independence by raising the American union flag on a liberty pole and firing a selute at 8 oclock A.M.  at 10 reading of the declaration by T. Healy  at 11 an Oration by Esquire Conger at 1 oclock dinner under a bush arbour which we erected for the perpes on the bank of the river   We had a excellent celibration and in the evening the young men and maidens had a cotilian party on a tent cloth spread on the green grass   On Monday last we saw the first antilope and made a vary [s]trong effort to kill one of tham for the celebration but could not succeed   thay ware to vary wild

Thirday  July 5   We still continue to travel on the bottom of the loup fork [click on "image"] of the platte the road being nearly all the same   a dead level plain with vary few ecceptions   About ten oclock today we discovered a fence a short distence a head and on approaching it we found probibly a thousand acres of land that had the appearance of having been cultivated and eight or ten houses and others having been burned down   We proceded about a mile and come to large tracts of broke ground and three large block houses well laid up with the roofs made of hewn timber the same as the side and several port holes threw the sides to fire through in cast of an attack from the Indians   it was partly enclosed by strong high piquits made of hewn timber and set firmal in the ground   Our guide informed us that it was the old Pawnee Mission station the last buildings had never been finished   About 1 oclock we came to the old Pawnee town it must have contained four or five hundred wigwams   some of tham 30 or 40 feet in dyameter and very ingeniously constructed of poles grass and earth   I wandered through the ruins for sometime admiring the skill exhibited by those rood and savage people through a growth of vegitation higher than my head and exactly rezembling our common sun flower when I heard a cry for help in a female voice and on proceding in that direction I soon precieved our hole company crowded together among the high weeds and on coming up I found that one of Esq Congers daughters 15 or 16 years old of St. Joseph Michigan had ridden her beautiful white pony into a hole where the Indians katched there corn about six feet deep of which there is a great number   We camped on the west bank of Cedar Creek a fine stream about five or six rods wide and two feet deep swift currant but water black and muddy as usual

Page 4
Continuation of Emigrants' Guide.

Page 5
Fri  July 6   This fournoon we proceded over a higher bottom and anumber of small steep reveans making it tolerable hard for our teams   About 10 oclock we passed a fresh grave on the head of which was written Robert Percival aged 64 years died June 18 1849   we arived at the ford of the Loup fork   we found here four more graves on a mound near the river   the names of the diseased were written on the head boards   one was Richard Parry who died of Colera  Jun 16   Dr. A.A. Graham drowned in corssing the ford June 12 from Adrian Mich   H. Rowe of Grant Co Wis who was killed by the Indians may 23 and Nelson McCarty who died of Colera June 22 aged 37 years.  The partic,ulars of their deaths we read from several papers and letters deposited at the head of one of tham rolled in a painted Cloth. Among the papers was two pieces of poetry written by Miss E.L. Beach on the deaths of Rowe and Graham   thay we[re] excellent and tuching to the simpthetic fealing   The circumstances of the murdered man was as follows   Soon after the Company had pitched their camp on the bank of the stream they saw about one hundred indians on the opesite bank   they amediately gathered their animels into their Corral and repared for battle but to their surprise when they came up that appeared vary friendly and after shaking hands made signs that thay wanted preants which the whites gave tham they soon departed taking a direction up a creek that emties into the river at this point   Two of the white men having straid up the creek and on discovering the indians one of tham screted himself   the other was murdered and robed of his rifle pistles and money

Lines written on the death of H Rowe by Miss Elizabeth L Beach written on the spot where the deed was done
 

Ye sympathising friends draw near
The spot that holds his cold remains
And o’er him drop one friendly tear
To show that sympathetic hearts are here
With kind blood corsing in their vains

Oh think of his untimely doom
To fall before a savage foe
So far removed from childhoods home
Where much loved friends remain from whom
Will raise a wail of piercing wo[e]

The sister [?]ais can I withstand
The sho[c]k caused by my brothers doom
Who fell benearh a savage hand
And in their wild and dreary land
His bones now molding in the tomb

But who will tell the dreadful tale
To those where first he drew his breath
But sighs and tears will not avail
The die is cast and friends bewail
His cruel and untimely death

Mondy  July 9th   We have jist all safely landed on the west side of Loup Fork   We examined the river for a space of five miles for three days by waiding and swiming to hunt a ford  the bed of the river being composed of soft quicksand that washes about with the current in all directions so that a man may be on hard ground the water not 6 inches deep and the next step be up to his arms in sand and water and if we found a good place to cross at night we could not depend on its being there in the morning   We traveled over a flat sloughey bottom five miles and after rising the bluffs about two or three miles we camped for the night among low sand hills

Page 6
Tues  July 10   This morning we saw the first Prairie dogs   there ware probably an hundred houses in the village and several dogs old and young to each house   we pitched our camp on the west bank of Prairie Creek for the night   a narrow stream but bad to cross being mirey and deep coming into our waggons   Here we found the grave of A. Kellogg who died of Colera June 18 aged 23 years having had it when the Company left Loup Fork but supposed to have been getting better when he left   this we learned from the papers left at the last graves
 

Wed  July 11   We have had an excellent road today over a level sandy prairie with the exception of one or two small sloughs but to our misfortune we came to the bank of Wood river about a rod wide and said by our guide [the Mormon trail guidebook] to be 1 foot deep but we now find it to be five or six feet deep   We are building a bridge in a cheap manner on account of the scarcity of timber   we cut two logs 30 or 40 feet long made a gutter in one side for the waggon wheel to run in than laying tham across the creek parrelel to each other and the same width of our waggon wheels we rolled our waggons across by hand and swam our animels   our women and children walking a log

July 12   We all got safely across Wood river and traveled about 10 miles and camped for the night on the open plain without wood or water except what we carried along with us.  We are now and have been for a day or two traviling oposite Grand Island on the head of which is Fort Childes   We passed this afternoon the Grave of Mrs L. Carter member of badger Co who died June 5th 1849  aged 25

Fri July 13   Last night we had in camp a vary sudden and sevear attack of what we supposed to be the Cholera but we took efficient means and stoped it amediately and the man was about his business the next morning   We are still traviling by side of Grand Island   it appears to be about a mile or two in width and all prairie except a narrow belt of timber cottenwood or willows amediately along the margin of the stream  We pass the grave of Mr. Moses Vale of Bee Town Wis who died of Cholara July 1.   We traveled this afternoon over a low wet prairie among villeages of prairie dogs   thay resemble the ground Hog but not as large   We raised on a littler higher land and camped for the night

Sat  July 14   We passed this morning two more graves of mormans   one died the 4 the other the fifth of July of Cholera.  About 2 oclock this afternoon we discovered a train of 18 or 20 waggons on the south side of the river about oposite where we ware and not having seen any person for so long a time it raised quite an excitement in our train allthough thay ware three or four miles off

Sunday 15   We came to Elm Creek about 2 oclock this afternoon and supposing ourselves to be in the neighborhood of fort Childes we camped in order to find the fort if possible but having rode all the evening we concluded we must have passed it some miles and abandoned the persuit

Mon July 16   This morning a large majority of our Company was in favor of staying through the day in order to overhall our waggons and do some washing some of the men ware opposed to it wishing to travel on and Mr Conger and Mr Dunbar and families seven men in all and four waggons went on and left us allthough their hired men four in all said to us on going away that thay would not go with tham any further than the next Creek six miles untill we overtook tham.

Page 8
Tuesday  July 17   Today we met two of the men who had left us yesterday coming back one of tham undertook to drive Mr Phillps team for his board  the other young Dunbar went on with us untill we overtook his father   There is no difference in the apearence of the country over which we are traviling worth mentioning for the last hundred and fifty miles   it is a regular level bottom still from five to twelve or fourteen miles wide

Wed July 18   This morning we found Mr Conger and Mr Dunbars horses at our Camp   We caught tham and took tham along with us   thay had straied back about twelve miles   we overtook and passed Mr Congers party this evening and camped about half a mile ahead of tham

Thirs July 19   This morning we discovered fresh signs of buffalo and the whole plain is strewn with their bones   Mr Imus mounted his horse and steared for the bluffs and in about an hour we saw him in full chase after an old bull which he found along in the hills.  At noon we came to the river where the sand holes or bluffs joins it having quite a picturesque apearance the river being about a mile wide and full of small green island   This evening our Camp is perfect excitement   there is considerable herds of buffalo in sight and our hunters Mr. Imus and others have killed three   we halled two of tham into camp and had a supper of buffalo beef

Fri  July 20   This morning our Captain gave orders not to kill any buffalo unless thay ware near the road so that the train shouldnot be detained in getting tham for we wished to travel 22 miles today in order to get to a place where we could get wood and water so that we could stop and cure the meat but after having traveled about a mile and a half we came to Conger and Dunbars camp   their cattle had straid off the night before and our company all volinteered to help hunt tham up  two of our men Mr Chambers and Mr Smith were so eager to kill a buffalo that thay followed tham so far thay got lost and did not get back before the next morning   Some of our teamsters coming in having found the cattle we moved on five or six miles passing a vary large splendid spring   We met Mr. Imus who said he had killed a cow not far from the road ahead but an old bull who was with hir would not let him go to hir.  We went on untill we came oposite the place and camped   Mr Imus   Mr. Anter & myself went to the place on horseback   we found a large herd there who all ran away eccept the bull who stood his ground untill we came up within seven or eight rods and shot three bullets into him when he fell   he was a vary large and most noble looking animel but night coming on we could not get tham in that evening and the next morning the wolves had nearly eaten tham up

Sat July 21   We camped about noon tiday in order to cure some buffalo meat for our journey and also to take what wood we could carry with us as there is nomore on this side the river for the next two hundred miles and but vary little and that vary poor

Sun July 22   We remain in camp on the north side of the north fork of Platte a short distance above the junction.  There is thousands of buffalo in sight today and we could scarsly sleep for the roaring thay made around us last night.  A large one came to our camp this evening with our cattle   it was a fine treat for our Company and in less than ten minutes he fell pierced with seventeen rifle bullits.  He was fine and tender.

Return to July 4th diary entry.

The Jo Daviess Co. USGenWebsite contains letters written by Arthur Tyrrell to his family during the overland journey of this wagon company and then during his time in California. The first letter, entitled "Head Quarters of the Enterprise Company - 1849" contains the following mention of James Hecox:
 

We crossed a number of small streams by building bridges and wadeing water the next stream is the Skunk River.  a small stream out rightly named it was at this stream that we broke down the wagon wheel crosing it. it was a hind wheel We cut a pole and put under and went on to Newton about 10 miles distance. Mr Heacoks (a man in our company) filed the wheel and we went on after crosing a number more small streams We arrived at Big Skunk River ...

Mr Tyrrell's letters are an interesting accompaniment to this diary as they describe the early part of the journey, before James Hecox began recording his own observations at Winter Quarters.

To find the Tyrrell letters on the Jo Daviess County website, in the lefthand column click on "California Goldrush Letters."

Return to June 29th diary entry

Hecox Notes

Richberger/Hecox/Ross Introduction