A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic InformationGray, W. H. (William Henry)
History
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information
Gray, W. H. (William Henry)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Oregon Territory -- History
Two days before we reached Soda Springs one of the mission party became
quite unwell, and unable to sit upon his horse. He was left, at his own
request, on a little stream, while the caravan passed on some six miles
further to camp. After remaining alone and resting some two hours, The
Lawyer and an Indian companion of his came along, picked up the sick
man, put him upon a strong horse, got on behind him, and held him on
till they reached camp. Dr. Whitman gave him a prescription, which
relieved him, so that next day he was able to continue the journey with
the camp. This transaction has always been a mystery to the writer. The
place where the sick man was left was a beautiful stream, and a good
place for a camp for the whole caravan. The sick man was wholly unable
to proceed; did not ask the caravan to stop and bury him, but simply
informed them he could proceed no further; his strength was gone; they
could leave him to die alone if they chose. A word from McLeod would
have stopped the caravan. Should the mission party remain with him? He
said: "No; go on with the caravan and leave me; you will be compelled to
seek your own safety in continuing with the caravan; I am but an
individual; leave me to my fate." He requested a cup that he might get
some water from the stream, close to the side of which he wished them to
place him. Dr. Whitman remained with him as long as was deemed safe for
him, and passed on to overtake the caravan. The Lawyer and his companion
came along two or three hours afterward, picked up the dying or dead man
(for aught the caravan knew), and brought him into camp. My impression
of this transaction has always been that McLeod wished to get rid of
this young American, who was then in the service of the mission party.
"That d----d Indian, Lawyer," as the Hudson's Bay Company's men called
him, by his kindness of heart and determination not to let an American
die if he could help it, defeated the implied wish of these Hudson's Bay
Company's men in this case. The Lawyer says the sick man vomited all the
way into camp, and called for water, which his young man got for him.
From the Soda Springs the Indian camps went north into the mountains for
buffalo.
The Hudson's Bay Company and mission party continued their journey
through the spurs of the mountains over on to the waters of the Portneuf
to Fort Hall. It is due to Dr. Whitman to say that notwithstanding this
was the most difficult route we had to travel, yet he persevered with
his old wagon, without any particular assistance; from Soda Springs to
Fort Hall his labor was immense, yet he overcame every difficulty and
brought it safe through. I have thrice since traveled the same route,
and confess I can not see how he did it, notwithstanding I was with him,
and know he brought the wagon through.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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