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joined by
Jason, on h the 5th, who records a meeting with
Dr. Bowen,
Mrs. Bowen, and
Jessie and
Eliza Horton.
The entries until the 10th record the purchases of wood for spears, staples, chains for mules, and canvas for wagon cover.
A horse and buggy was swapped for two horses on the 13th; on the 14th tents and tent poles were carefully packed in the wagons, and additional blankets purchased.
July 15, the entry is, “The party crossed
Iowa River,” (Fort
des Moines River at
Red Rock, from which the autobiography is dated,) “stopped at noon on the stream beyond Six Mile House.”
The entry of Aug. 9 records the “arrival of
Col. Forbes,” (at
Tabor,) who from the frequent mention made of that work, the deference which the entries betray for the military judgment of the
Colonel, and from the fact of the discovery of several copies of his work among the effects of Old Brown, we suppose to be
Hugh Forbes, author of a Manual of the
Patriotic Volunteer, the reading of which was the daily occupation of the writer, varied with the “cleaning of rifles and revolvers,” and “fired twelve shots, drilled, cleaned guns and loaded, received letters from J. and
G. Smith.”
September 23, the record acknowledges the receipt of letters from
Redpath and
G. Smith; on the 30th the writer finishes “reading
G. Smith's speech,” and states that “efforts were made to raise a fund to send cannon and arms to
Lane,” but adds that they proved a failure.
On the 1st of October the journalist visits
Nebraska City with “
Mr. Jones and
Carpenter.”
October 3d proves a lucky date to the writer, who records the receipt then of “seventy-two dollars from friend
Sanborn.”
The succeeding day (Sunday) our journalist improves his leisure by perusing speech of
Judge Curtis, delivered before the students of Union College, New Jersey, and of Dartmouth College, and at the Normal School Convention,
Westfield, Mass., and at Brown University, R. I. ; the entry of the same date continues, “Read of the awful disaster to the
Central America, formerly the
George Law; read answer of the
Connecticut men to
Buchanan, and had to shed a few tears over it.”
On Nov. 4, the journalist rose at “ten minutes before four o'clock,” elate with the remembrance that he is “thirty-three years old this day.”
, two days after him. They were obliged to remain there, inactive, till the 2d of November, in consequence of being out of funds.
