The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 4, March, 1903-December, 1903Oregon Historical Society
History
The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 4, March, 1903-December, 1903
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon -- History -- Periodicals
_Hon. C. A. Dodge._
Two letters by Tallmadge B. Word, written from Oregon Territory in
1846 and 1847. See "Documents" of preceding number of THE QUARTERLY
for an account of the author:
CLATSOP, Clatsop Co., Oregon Territory,
February 19, 1846.
DEAR BROTHER: It was with pleasure I received yours of March
8, 1845; also one from Cyrel at the same time (Nov. last,
1845), and was happy to hear of general health, and that I
am blest with the same, and have been ever since I have been
in this territory; and, in fact, I have not had an hour's
sickness for five years past. You ask me to give a sketch of
my travels since I first arrived in Missouri. It is not
possible for me to do so, with any degree of accuracy at
present. Although I have a Journal of much of my trampings,
it is now 200 miles distant, and I will not be able to get
it before our mail starts for the U. S. I have also a daily
journal of our journey to this country, and one of the
weather for the first year I was here, which I sent you by
the return party of 1845, but we have ascertained, that our
letters were all lost, so I am aware you did not receive
mine of '45, but hope it may not keep you from writing in
the spring.
The Ship by which I intended to send you letters, was sold
at the Sandwich Islands, and consequently did not return to
the U. S. Now of my tramp: I will mearly say that I have
ranged over nearly the whole country west of the Missouri
River and east of the Rocky Mountains, from the British line
on the north to the center of New Mexico on the south. The
country is nearly of a sameness, quite a barren, sandy
desert, with the exception of borders of streams, valleys,
mountains, &c. The whole country abounds in game and
Indians--the latter generally hostile. I could tell you of
some long hunting yarns, and Indian fights, but they are of
too little interest to spend time with now; so I will wait
until I take a walk down East, and then some long evening,
over a mug of cider and dish of apples, you shall have them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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