Gold Rush Era Letters

done. We encamped at 11 1/2 oclock [o'clock] today upon fine grass where shall remain untill [until] Monday, as we could not reach a camping place short of sixteen miles from this on Tuesday night we expect to camp on the big Platt [Platte] River. Our camp is surrounded by a perfect bed of a variety of the sweet Pea which is now in full bloom filling the air with its fragrance they are more beautiful than any of their Kind I ever saw, probably because they remind me of "Home". I have also observed a variety of Pink bearing a yellow flower, also a flower very nearly resembling the China aster in appearence [appearance] & fragrance the Briss pear is becoming very common in sandy localities we have had one or two mizrs of wild onions, and are to have a dish of Turtle soup Tomorrow as Billson had the good fortune to catch a very fine turtle night before last. We shall season our soup with wild garlic of which there is a good supply at hand. We learned from a young man who came up since we encamped that Capt. Roberts was a few miles behind us and he will doubtless come up tomorrow as we shall lay by. There are a great many persons going out by this route that is from the various points on the Mo [Missouri] River.

I think they will amount to 20,000 we are ahead of the mass and I think shall be able to keep so. There was a man killed by one of his Comrades a mile below us last night, either accidently or on purpose I believe that latter, making in all six deaths that have taken place on this road that we know of. I tell you this that you may not be frightened by the stories you may hear & that we heard before we started from St Joe [St. Joseph] and which we have found to be false. Our whole camp are entirely well & have been so, but I find I am coming to the bottom of my page and as it is getting too late to write another, every one [everyone] in camp Except myself, the guard and others similarly occupied, are snoring an accompaniment to the wind which is blowing tremendously making the canvas of our tents flap & pop as though it would split. I think we shall have some more rain before long but a line to my sweet one you must not blot your letters up so with your tears save them to shed for joy over my safe return recompensed for the sacrifice which I am making for the good of my family. My dear I wish I could write some word that would express the extent of my love for you but I cannot & must leave you to set your own estimate upon it.

Your affectionate Husband

B A Watson

that I saw were as ugly as the mud fence which sur rounded them, though there is no accounting for tastes as the girl said when she kissed the cow. the East side of the Fort is the main Entrance on that side the Houses are two stories high the roofs are almost flat sloping slightly inward & Composed of Earth thrown on logs of cedar laid close toget=her the wall of the fort extending above the roofs of the Houses forms a most admirable beam work for defense. There were a large number of fine wagons drawn up before the fort which they had bought for the Enormous sum of five doll =ars a piece which had been abandoned by Emigrants on account of their being too heavy they had thousands of pounds of bacon which they had bought for 1/4 & 1/2 cent pr. h/" and every thing [everything] else in proportion. We came up with Capt. Roberts here who had left us two Sundays before he and Henry Spottswood had, had a fight and seperated [separated] here. Two of the men going with Henry & four of them going with Roberts among them "Aut" you can tell John Ives this item. Roberts traveled with us this week but left us yesterday evening he I suppose not wishing to lay over on Sunday. Today the camp was thrown into a state of great excitement by three buffaloe [buffalo] being discovered making their way directly for the camp, notwith standing it was Sunday. I could not with stand the tempt= ation but seized my gun and got fair shot at one of them about a hundred yards off though I did not get the meat I am certain I killed the animal. Doson & Saterly killed one yesterday evening about four miles from camp upon which we are now feasting. The meats on our table today consits [consists] of Buffaloe [buffalo], meat & liver, antelope, fish, Hare, & Bacon, a first rate assortment we have plenty of fresh meat all the time, but I must resume my Journal.

You will understand unless something unusual occurs that we always remain in camp on Sundays & of which I make no note.

Monday June 11 = started at 6 A. M. rode some 8 miles, when the road diverged from the river, to which it did not return for the distance of six miles. The trains Halted for noon on the High Table land and I having taken a "cut off" or a bye path which led along the river but impassable for teams I came out far ahead of the wagons & lost my dinner but some of the most beautiful flowers I have yet seen, we reached the Larimies [Laramie's] fork of the Platt [Platte] at 4 oclock [o'clock] which we found a very fine rapid river it was most too deep to ford but we blocked our wagon beds up & come through safly [safely] & encamped on this side about 1/2 mile East of fort Lar= imie [Fort Laramie] upon very poor grass at 6 oclock [o'clock]. Distance today 23 miles.

12 -- Started at 6 /2 oclock [o'clock] above the fort where we sold some of