Mon July 23   Our camp today is a fare reppisentation of meat market you could see around you all at once buffalo bull  cow  calf  Venison and antilope meat  some coming in drawn by oxen   some skining and dressing  some frying boiling and roasting and a great deal spread out on poles over a fire in the proces of being jurked.  It is a great deal of work to prepare fuel to carry on our journey there being nothing but green cottonwood or willow   We had to cut it into short length set it up into coal pits cover it with dirt and partially burn it in order to season it for the Stove   This evening three of our hunters  Mr. Imus & sons came into camp after dark bringing with tham on their horses the hind quarters of two vary fine fat cows and a calf which we sliced up and salted before sleeping.

Wed July 25   Nothing of interest passed yesterday ecept the same rotine of dressing meat and drying wood untill about 1 oclock this morning when I was suddenly awoke from a sound sleep by a terable rumbleing noise and springing instantly from my bed my first thought was that a large herd of buffalo had rushed through our camp but on looking out I quickly discovered that our cattle had taken fright at something and ware rushing out of the Corral apast the guards with all posible speed some springing into the river forming one side of our Corral   some bolting against our waggons with such a tremendous force asto move some of tham two feet out of their former places but it happened thay did not run more than a hundred yeards before thay stoped and getting around tham we drove tham back into the Corral where thay laid down quietly untill half after three when the guards turned tham out to graze and on getting up we saw some of tham about a mile off and not having had any trouble of any consiqunce heretofore we ware not in any peticular hurry in going for tham  but when we did go about twenty five or thirty cows and some oxen were all that could be found   five or six men were quickly mounted on horseback and went in persuit of tham.  About ten oclock two of the men came in bringing in to cows that they met coming back   thay informed us thay had struck their trail which was leading to the bluffs distant about four miles  the balance of the company having followed on the trail. 

About two oclock P.M. we discovered a storm coming up from the west the wind being than strong from the east we prepared ourselves as fast as posible to meet it by securing such articles as ware likely to be damaged by wet   In the meantime on came the storm in all the grandure and madgesty of a west India huricane   It struck us allmost like a Clap of lightning taking off some of our waggons covers and blowing down tents &C   It amediately commences raining in perfect torrants  ices with hale stones some of tham as large as pullets eggs almost compleetly covering the ground and amediately creating an extream change in the atmospere from being quite warm to vary cold   the hale storm lasted about an hour but the wind still continued to blow vary cold.  About the time it stops haling one of our footmen who had been out in search of the cattle came in driving five head but nearly pelted to death with hale stones he having gone out without eather coat or vest on   Cleared up about dark and was a clear cool evening   I stood guard the forpart of the night and was quite cold with thick cloathes on.  The black  white and prairie wolf ware vary plenty coming right into our camp and around our fire in spite of some ten or twelve dogs that we had with us   Our hunters came in without finding any more cattle there being now about seventy at home and about one hundred and twenty missing   We conjecture that our cattle having straid down the river about a mile to a buffalo fording place thay have been scatered and scared off by the buffalo into the hills and bluff

Thirs  July 26   cloudy and commenced raining about 9 oclock  wind southeast cleared up about 4 oclock with a pleasant evening   Our men all came in but brought no news of our cattle.

Fri July 27   this morning was clear  wind southeast   We sent out six men on horseback with directions to follow the road on bottom back east at least 30 miles if thay did not find tham sooner   About ten oclock we discovered a train of waggons oposite to us on the other side of the river   We sent Mr. Sentor over to see tham  he had to cross both fork of the river and two Creek that swam his horse   He found tham to be a train transporting military stores to Fort Laramee   they ware ascorted by a company of United States Infantry that ware marching for the vally of the Great Salt lake.  The soil on hill and bottom  the hills espessially is vary sandy with scarsly any grass on tham  the bottom waring a heavy grouth of rich grass intermingled with beautiful rich coulered flowers   Four of our men came in this evening bringing no news of our cattle having been ten miles up the river   this evening the buffalo gathered on the bottom near our camp about a mile distant in countless hundreds presenting the finest sight I ever beheld blackening the ground for miles in length

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Emigrants' Guide

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Sat July 29   The whole bottom for a mile this side the bluff is still covered with buffalo beside the hills are compleetly black with tham.  We sent six or seven more men out this morning with a pack horse to carry provisions and blankets for two or three days hunt.  About 10 oclock two of our men came in who went out yesterday without any enteligence of the cattle.  About sunset I discovered a large buffalo bull among our cattle about a quarter of amile from camp  I took rifle and walking I shot him and he fell but soon arose again and fired a second time he nearly fell but recovered and hoisting his tail he made at me with all speed but fortunately he did not come far before he stagered and stoped and laid down   I had no more amunition with me and it was dark and I left him an the next morning he was gone

Mon July 30th   Nothing worth noting passed yesterday    Today about 1 oclock all our men came in without any information of our cattle having been gone some of tham four and others three days   Mr. Imus and Mr Rice went out this morning with his horses and carriage and have jest came in bringing in a fine fat cow and a large fat buck

Tues  July 31   This morning two companys went out in search of our cattle but our horses being nearly run down one Co of tham took two yoke of oxen and a waggon to carry their provisions and bedding so as to be able to stay out a week or more if thay should think propper   The other Co taking with tham a pack horse.  We have already searched the country around in almost all directions to the distance of thirty or forty miles

Thirs  Aug 2   This morning I Ustace and A Eads came in to camp having got lost from the pack horse Co and reported thay had seen a drove of wild horses about 15 miles distent from camp   Mr. Imus & son  I Ustace and myself started amediately in presuit thinking that prehaps thay might be strays that had left some company that proseded us but on finding tham we soon preceived that they never had been handled  they ware six in number and three or four of tham ware fine large fat horses  Mr. Imus shot at one in hopes to crease him in the neck and fell him to the ground so that we might secure him with ropes but he shot to high and missed him and thay amediately tuck to flight and laughed at persuit  we followed tham three or four miles and lost sight of tham   We traveled some four or five miles towards home and camped for the night in a deep hole among the high sand noles of wich the whole country is composed and wraping ourselves in our blankets lay down   I was so thirsty I could not sleep having drank nothing sence leaving the camp except a little nasty bitter water that stand in small holes when the buffalo came to drink   it was thick with filth   About 1 oclock there came a most tremendous thunder storm and for two hours it was one encessant flash of lightning and peal of thunder striking the knoles in every direction around us   I tried to cetch some water to drink on my oil cloth hat brim but could not get enough to do much good and what I did tasted vary bad having I suppose been avaporated from those filthy ponds among the hills

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Fri Aug 3   We came this morning to the river about three miles above camp and to our surprise saw a waggon standing on a sand bar out in the river  on enquiring the cause we found there had been a terable hale storm the day before at the camp and our men coming in from hunting the cattle came to that place   when the hale stones as large as hens eggs struck their oxen  thay ran off the bank into the river turning over their waggon and loosing a good many articles such as cooking utentials boots shoes &c   On getting into camp we found three imigrants who had come up on horse back during our absence and to our great joy efformed us that apart of our cattle  had been taken up by the Mormon company back at Wood river having traveled in two days and a half 13 1/4 miles the balance of tham having been taken up by the soldiers at Ft. Carny  [Fort Kearney] that being the name of the fort on Grand Island enstead of fort Childs [From Fort Kearny State Historical Park website: "The new post was first named Fort Childs, in honor of Col. Thomas Childs of Mexican war fame (and Woodbury's father-in-law)."]  As I traveled over the sand  hills today I found great quantitys of sand Cherrys   thay are now ripe and excellent fruit nearly equal to the tame cherry and about the same size  the bushes grow from six to eight inches high   Our fellow travelers who came with horses left us about noon regreting much that we had not our cattle so that we could bare tham company

Sat Aug 4   We ware disturbed last night again by the bellowing of the buffalo on the opposite side of the river and this morning a little after sun rise a herd of about four or five hundred came across a little below our camp filling the river nearly full from one bank to the other  some of our men went down and shot a cow but she proved to be not vary good meat so we let hir lay

Sun  Aug 5   We had preaching at eleven oclock today by the Rev Mr Owen our Captain and an excellent discourse he gave us

Mon Aug 6   The Mormon train of 100 waggons have jest come up 3 oclock P.M. bringing our cattle and delivered tham up to us in a gentlemanly manner and ware vary thankfully received by us although thay had fell away vary much and two cows had dyed.  Thay seem to be nearly all vary fine honest people   Then one of the three men that came up on horseback and informed us that our cattle ware found came back to our camp this morning  thay went on about 30 miles from our camp  the next morning two of their horses ware missing and he came back in persuit of tham

Tues 7   This evening we once more made a start and traveled about five miles   camped on the bank of the river near a small spring  but the water was so brackes it was not vary good   the ground all a long the road is covered with effloresence of salt and some times considerable ponds of salt water mixed with niter and salasatus [saleratus or bicarbonate of soda]

Wed Aug 8   We started at quarter past seven oclock the morning and traveled thirteen miles to North bluff where we halted for noon the road tolerable rough from the effect of recent rains and the ground nearly bare the buffalo having eaten the grass entirely clean.  We found here two of the horse men before mentioned who had lost their horses   thay ware camped a short distence above   thay had not found their horses yet   The river here is about half a mile wide and I should think it could not be more than a foot or eighteen inches deep in the deepest part from the number of sand bars that are to be seen in it   While we halted for noon Mr. Collins and myself walked on about two miles to a high sand bluff that came out to the river   I found the sand of which it is composed where the water had washed it   it seemed to be rather hardening into stone waring by degrees into fantastic shapes   The prospect was a fine one up and down the river as far as my vision could extend of white sand bars intermingled with small green Islands while on eather side of the river were seen large herds of buffalo feading on the plains 

Thirs Aug 9   We traveled abut six mile this morning and came to Bluff Creek a beautiful little clear stream about four feet wide.  Our road has been over sand hills a considerable part of the day and sometimes vary deep hard wheeling   The river seems to get small quite fast having the apearence here of being not more than eighty rods wide and vary shallow and full of sand bars.  The bottoms on this side hav become quite small the sand bluffs frequently coming square out of the river   I noticed yesterday and today a number of flowers more than usual the characteristic being the sun flower and pink morning glory groing on a stem resembling a small weaping willow  The cacti or Prickly Pair is becoming more plenty and of a larger size   The buffalo are vary scarse today.  We traveled about 15 miles and camped on a small spring run at the west foot of the bluff

Fri Aug 10   The river today runs near the south bluff making wider bottoms on the north side   We found a vary fine looking Cow this morning feeding near the road   She had along rope trailing from her hornes and did not apear to have been left longer than a few days as she still continued to give milk.  We pass Cedar bluffs this afternoon on the south side of the river   The bluffs here throw out a stratum of conglomerated limestone simelar to the rock seen everyware in the Galenalead mines   We traveled about 15 miles and camped for the night on the bank of the river four miles above Cedar bluffs  [Note: James and Ida Hecox's son Oscar Theodore Hecox was born 7 June 1840 in Galena, Illinois. It is possible that James and/or his brother Adna Andress Hecox worked in or near the lead mines at some point.]

Sat Aug 11   The road was some sandy this fornoon   about 10 oclock we discovered about a mile ahead and on the opposite side of the river that we could not make out   Mr Imus mounted a horse and rode over to it and on getting there he found it to be the remains of a dead Indian who had been laid on a scaffold about 6 or 7 feet from the ground   his tomahawk knife and other accouterments with him   We halted for noon on the west bank of Camp Creek where we found the grave of A. Fisk of Maquiauita Iowa who died June 21th 1849 aged 57 years   We traveled 14 miles today and camped for the night on the bank of Wolf Creek   Rock apeared in the bluffs on the north side of the river this afternoon I examined it and found it to be a strata of soft lime and merl and amediatly under it an other strata of conglomerated lime and sand stone the soil of the bottom consisting prnsably of merl and sand baring a heavy groath of vegitation   After we had encamped this evening we saw on the oposite side of the river that atracted our attention and on going over to it we found it to be a sorel mare tolerable poor and a vary soar back

Sun Aug 12   This morning we discovered a train of Waggons traveling east on the south side of the river and on going to tham we found tham to be a train of United States waggons who had been to Larimee with stores for the Garison and ware returning loaded with lime for Fort Kearney   thay had four and six mule teams.  We sent a large packet of letters by tham to our friends and thought ourselves lucky in having the opertunity   We stoped here over Sunday and about noon some four or five of us went the Creek into the hills two or three miles.  About one mile above our camp I found a beautiful little fall of about 6 or 7 feet in the Creek which is there about ten or twelve feet wide   A short distence above we found the remains of two Indians who had dyed and their bodys ware deposited in trees on scaffolds about ten or twelve feet above ground   I clomb up into one of the trees and examined one of tham.   It was an infant child and had been sweathed in clouths that ware beautifully worked with Porqupine quills and beads and over all had been wraped a buffalo hide   Near and at the same place we found large quantitys of wild black Currents   we soon gathered a fine parsal of tham and returned to camp   Two dragoons came to our camp this afternoon from Fort Larimee on horseback   I mistrusted from their apearence thay ware deserters

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Mormon Emigrants' Guide entries

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Mon Aug 13   We  have had an excellent road today except 3/4 of a mile this morning over sand bluffs where we found it vary hard on our teams the sand being vary deep   We passed the Grave of Hiram Shackelford of Adams Co., Ill. who dyed of cholara June 17 1849   We also passed two or three dead Indians their manner of depositing their bodys ware to stick four or five poles into the ground and fastening the tops together thay hung a kind of rude baskit under tham and sit the boddy into it in an upright posture and cover it over with a buffalo robe   a number of ladles spoons and cooking utentials blankets ware left with tham   We passed Castle Creek this afternoon and also Ash hollow a small grove of ash on the south side of the river seraunded by high bluffs   We also passed the Lone Tree a large red ceder about 3 feet in diameter at its foot and the only tree for over an hundred miles east an west on the north side of the river.  We traveled 17 miles and camped for the night on the bank of the river two miles west of Castle Creek

Tues Aug 14   We passed the dry beds of two or three Creeks today their beds consisting of clean sand and fine gravel thay had the apearence of being considerable streams in wet weather  We havenot seen any buffalo for two or three days consiquencely we havenot had any fresh meat.  I have discovered the last day or two a handsome kind of mustard groing about three feet high and baring a beautiful purple flower   its taste is strangger than any I have ever tasted before   I saw this evening a number of large flys or small huming Birds flying about and sucking the bloms of the mustard   I struck one of tham to the ground and caught it it was a beautiful insect seemingly between the hum bird and butterfly   We traveled about 17 miles and camped for the night on the bank of the river 

Wed Aug 15   We crossed several beds of dry creeks this fornoon  some of tham I should think an hundred feet wide and nothing but a bed of sand and gravel   Mr. Tyrrel  Mr Collins and myself went ahead after crossing Crab Creek in order to see the Celebrated Chimney Rock but the morning was so smoky that we could not see much at any distance   I went onto the bluffs this afternoon and could see the Chimney Rock vary distinctly the road has been quite sandy and tolerable hard on our teams and the bluffs on the right formed thamselves into curious and pickturesque shapes having the apearence of old ruined castles and fortifications with here and there a tower or chimney shaped piller runing up to the hght of an hundred feet   I saw a great deal of mustard each side of the road and wild sage or artamentia [Artemisia] made its apearence for the first time   We traveled 19 miles but couldnot find any water and was obliged to dig a well to obtain it.

Thirs  Aug 16   The bottoms are becoming narrower and the road not quite so smooth  the bluffs today on the north side of the river are quite low   The river here is about half a mile wide and vary shole and the bluffs on the south side of the river at and near the Chimney Rock are formed into curious and fantastic shape  two that are just oposite our camp this evening look vary beautiful  one of tham having the apearence being about two or three hundred feet in diameter at the base and rising to the highth of two or three hundred feet above the level of the serounding plain  the other about fifty or an hundred yeards west of the former has something the apearence of a large three or four story buildings  Two others about four or five miles west had before coming up near tham the exact apearence of the great Pyramids in Egypt   It has been vary warme for the last two or three days today and we havenot traveled but 14 miles and camped for the night again on the bank of the river having crossed no streams for the last two or three days 

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Fri  Aug 17   We had to turn off from the road about three miles in order to get water for our cattle at noon today and it being vary warm one of the Rices oxen gave out and laid down before we got to the river but he soon got better but we did not moove untill next morning   About 3 oclock several of us started on foot for the Chimney Rock on the oposite side of the river and distent we supposed about three or four miles but we traveled near three hours before we got there and calculated the distence at 8 or 9 miles   It has a most grand and magestic apearence the walls about 200 ft and from thence a perpendicular shaft about 30 by 30 feet squair rises to the highth of about 150 ft more   I clomb to the highth of about 200 ft and there enscribed my name among I do not doubt one thousand others.  We traveled in sight of this rock three days before we came oposite to it.  The hindmost waggons in our train saw the mail carryer today who came across the river to see tham directly from the Salt Lake   He informed tham that there is abundence of Gould at and near that place that wheat was worth five dollars per bushel but that a days work of a man would bring him a bushel

Sat  Aug 18   We left the road this morning and followed the bank of the river in order to be more convenient to water and halted for noon a short distence above the Chimney Rock   We found the way some rough but excellent grass.  We still kept near this afternoon but soon found a blind road that kept getting better untill it bacame a hard beaten road   This evening we met Capt Dicksons train on their return from Ft Larimee to Ft Levingsworth Mo   thay encamped for the night nearly oposite us

Sun  Aug 19   I went across the river this morning and Mr Dickson carrying our packet of letters to be sent to the states.  Our road ran this afternoon over a high bottom with scarsly any grass but an excellent road   I saw a great deal of Prickley Pair along eather side of the road   We traveled about fourteen miles and encamped for the night clost under the brow of Scotts Bluff that made a most grand & nobel apearence in beautiful clear sunset evening  the bottom here on the north side is seven or eight miles wide and bluffs vary low  the river in front of our Camp and amediatley at the foot of the bluff is about half a mile wide and full of beautiful little green Islats

Mon Aug 20   We did not start this morning untill nine oclock on acount of giving our animals a chance to fead there being a late burn and eccelent grass.  We traveled up the bank of the river about four miles to Spring Creek where we struck the main road having turned off last night in order to get to water    This Creek was in 1847 famous for trout   Buffalo have entirely disapeared and we have not seen one for the last week.   Timber became more plenty on the Islands this afternoon and our road passed over a tolerable high bottom and was fine and smooth   We turned off the road again this evening a short distance and camped for the night on an arm of the river that is devided from the main part by an Island

Tues  Aug 21   We traveled over a more sandy road today and vary little fead  the grass on the sandy planes being nearly dried up  scarsly any green apearing but Prickly Pair (Cacti) so we had to turn off the road to the river in order to get water and grass   We found a great many signs of wild horses in the hills today   The Islands are becoming more timbered and look quite refreshing after being so long out of sight of it  today again we did not travel more than 14 miles  a number of our oxen have become foot sore from traveling over the gravlly roads.  We camped again on the bank of the river.  And here I would caution people  whoare traveling this road to be aware of letting their cattle drink of the water in the ponds and holes beside the road if thay can avoid it espessially if thay are warm and dry for it is alkaly and will injure tham materially.  This kind of water commences a short distence west of Wood river and continues more or less untill you get nearly ot the south pass in the Rocky Mountains   Salt your stock well and let tham drink if possible of the river or some stream
 

Hecox Notes

Richberger/Hecox/Ross Introduction