Hi Listers: This is a sample of my gr gr grandfather's narrative about his 1843 crossing of the Oregon Trail. The complete story can be read at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cchouk/ford/n-ford.htm Please note: I did not write this! It's Nineveh Ford's narrative ! Nineveh Ford's narrative Time & Place: Room 8 (?) Chemeheta Hotel Salem, Oregon Monday June 17th 1878 Present: Ford & the writer. AB [1] (page numbers of the hand copied original document) Mr. Ford said: I was born in North Carolina on July 15th 1815. Emigrated to Missouri in 1840, and from Missouri to Oregon in 1843. My attention was directed to Oregon by reading Lewis and Clark's journal. The scenery described in that took my fancy; and a desire to see that and to explore the country and return home to North Carolina in 3 years induced me to start. From information from traders and trappers I was confirmed in my intentions. [Note: Although he does not mentioin him, Nineveh's younger brother Ephraim Ford made this crossing with him. Ephraim settled in Yamhill County about three miles South of McMinnville.] In the spring of 1843 Peter H. Burnett of Platte County Missouri and other prominent men were making up a company to go [2] to Oregon. It was in my neighborhood in Platte City. I was acquainted with the parties. There was another object: One grand objective we had was the prospect of obtaining a donation of land if the country was worth staying in. That was the object of Burnett and others to come and colonize this country, to take possession of the United States domain West of the Rocky Mountains. It was not at that time settled to belong to the United States. The controversy was up and there was some influence got to bear to induce people to colonize. The question was agitated in relation to the right and title of the United States to the country. I never heard that the Government desired to colonize. It was all a private movement and we came on our own responsibility. We had not any assurance that the Government would assist or protect us in any manner. Freemont Company which fell in after us I understood was [3] employed by the Government. But we did not travel together and we knew nothing of their going when we were making up a company. We rendezvoused at West Port West of Independence Jackson County Missouri. We Started from there in April. There were between 500 & 700 souls in the party and 113 wagons. Our Captain was Peter H. Burnett. He was chosen Captain at West Port. We had as additional officers Nesmith for ordirly (?) sergeant, he kept the roll of the emigrants, list of wagons and so forth. I do not recollect of any other officers. Our Pilot was John Gannt(?). He was a Mountaineer (?) and had been as far as Fort Hall. He engaged to pilot us as far as Fort Hall. I kept a Journal but my house burnt down and it was destroyed. We were not molested by the Indians beyond horse stealing and driving off cattle and having to pay to get them returned. They were friendly generally. We saw but few. They appeared to be wild and shy and afraid of the [4] wagons. Ours were the first wagons they ever saw, and the first that ever crossed the plains from Missouri with the exception of eleven wagons that came out in 1842 to Fort Hall and there stopped. The persons in that train packed through from Fort Hall. We came to the Buffalo Country on the Platte and there we made boats of beef and buffalo hides - putting them around wagon beds; and for some we made frames. We swam our animals from bar to bar where we could get a footing until we could get across. Cecil Houk, ET1 USN Ret., AG6I PO Box 530833 San Diego CA 92153 res San Diego CA 92154-3654 NEW EMAIL ADDRESS mailto:cchouk@cox.net ANDERSON-BLAKELY-EGGERS-FORD-HOUK-KIMSEY-MONTGOMERY-RULAFORD-SIMPSON Searchable GEDCOM: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~cchouk See also: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~donhouk My Web pages menu: http://members.cox.net/cchouk/