NPE Journal Segment 1
Journal Segment 1
This is the diary of a grandmother from Georgetown, Beaver County, PA who travelled by steamboat with her husband to Montana Territory in 1869. The journal, although literarily unrefined, is an invaluable historical document that reveals, first-hand, the dangers and tedium and beauty of the unsettled frontier. The author of this journal was Nancy Poe Ebert, the wife of Capt George Washington Ebert. The journal chronicles her trip on the upper Missouri River in 1869.
The first segment of the journal, dating from May 6 to May 30, is a small advertisement notebook from a dry goods dealer named McCandless, Jamison & Co 103 Wood St Pittsburgh, PA. The book is dated “1869 SPRING TRADE 1869”.
The transcription of the journal that follows is a rendering with spelling errors and missing punctuation uncorrected. Some words are unintelligible and places where the text has been torn are noted.
Sixth
May the 6 was at Yankton
left there 6 oclock a very nice
little place run up a few miles
layd up for the night May
the eight run a five or six miles
got a ground spaird about
four hours got of run 3 or
four miles got aground again past
the rock of Antelope stoped to
take wood we went a shore seen
some Indians visited thair wig
wams the tempest is now a loung
side bertha is in sight all have
been a ground today___the sun
is just going down o how pirty it is
we are running all the time
towards sun set that is very strong
to we ar now a ground dark got
off about twelve oclock that night layd
up till morning
May the Eight – a very bright
morning the wind blowing very hard
almost impossible to look out
the sand is flying so we stoped to wood
twice this morning we went a shore
to geather flowers cauld on a ladey they
lived in olden times still every
thing very clein seen a great many
Indians this morning half breed
white dame lived in littel log)
caben with mud ruff som in
what they call teepes we are now
passing some very butifull
seenery in the shape of mountains
my attention this moment has
been cauld to the most butifull
pairie I neve see any thing
so butiful in my life not a tree
to be seen on neather side of the
rive can see for thirty miles
Eight
about 2 oclock this after noon we
landed to take wood seen the first
wild looking Indians bought
wood from them they was well
aqiped with tomehocks knives
and pistels I tell you they looked
savige was a ground twice to
day going all right now passing
some butifull seenery I canot
compair it to any thing but
the clouds if I live to get home I will
not regret my journey to the rockey
mountins well my attention has
again been cauld to a nother seen
of Indians some with feathers some
children with clothes as others naked
as they was born all running to
see the boat
May
The Ninth Sabeth butifull
morning landed to wood very
eirly a five or 6 miles above
yankton agency bough
wood of a Indian 2 dollars a cord
he did not like the price his poney
run off and left him we run
up about 2 miles further took
wood again from Indians 3
dollars they did not like the
prise wanted five dollars seen
a grate many Indians som of the
cuitest little fellows I ever seen
not more than 2 years ould they
could rap thair blanket
around them to perfection
we did not make very much
progress on our journey
yesterday was sparing all day
Monday May the Tenth
we are now a ground opeset
a Indian vilige cauld white
stone criick I suppose thare is
a thousand wig wames we are
on the opeset side of the river
a very butiful mourning sun
shining also very hansom
senery whare we are laying
ten oclock
have been aground all morning
just got off and going a head at
a very slo rait wind blowing
very hard evining laid up
after tea got off run a
about a mild laid up for the
night All well
May the elevent
Left the place whare we was
Laid up for the night run
Eleventh May 11
About three lenths of the boat
got a ground the wind blowing
very heard and raining a very
could rain all most snow
never got off till about four oclock
all wirked very heard going
very nicely sounding te water
at next barr
May the 12 A very brtight
and butiful morning the sun
shining laying at shore pilots
sounding the water they took
out part of our fraight in the
morning took it in again in the
evining thinking the river was
raising well we went a shore
to explore the mountins and
geather flowers the further we
went the higher they get so we
Twelveth May
thought it best to retreat to the
boat for fere the Indians might
capture us I found a butiful
Cacktess have it in a little box
it is grate little pet for me as
I am very found of plants and
flowers thair is some very
butiful flowers in this country
for the residences I canot say
what I have not seen what I would
call a butiful one sins we
have been on this river pirty
much log cabins with mud
roofs we have maid several
calls some famileys have
nothing to set on but four leged
stools and no table at tall (thair
beads a laid up in 2 pins in
the wall
Thirteenth
we have just crost a very
bad place to get threw they are
afraid they will have trouble
gitting over the next Pilots
are sounding the water
laying at shore men out
cutting wood for the first
ten oclock going all right
this is a very nice morning
except wind blowing and
very mornafull looking ones
they are to me not a tree on them
Fourteenth
Left the bijoe hills going
a loung very well a very nice
morning the bertha is just
a behind is in sight I have
been making pies this morning
we will have a pie feast for
dinner well dinner is over
my pies got great prais
we get a loung very well this
evening thare is four boats here
all togeather Arcanser St Johns
Bertha Mooley all trying to cross a
bar after dark we are a head and
laid up for the night all all well
but my self I have got the head
ake very bad good night
the fifthtenth May Saturday
a butiful morning crossing
a bar Bertha a loung side
May the Fiftenth Saturday
All well and wirking
Very hard we are a ground
Got the spar set we have just
got off I here the Captain say all
clear looked out and seen
the boat was moving sloely
Afternoon 2 oclock been gitting
aloung very well today landed
to take wood at Indian Agency
see about three hundred men
wimon and children dressed in
all sorts of stile some of them
was very fancey we are
now landing again to take
wood this is a butifull place
the wind has commenced
blowing and very could
six oclock
Fiftenth Saterday ten
Oclock at night hard a
ground I do not expect to
get of till twelve oclock
all hard at wirk
Sixteenth
of May Sunday 2 oclock
six miles abouve fourt
thompson laing at a sand
barr taking out fraight ondely
3 feet water in chanel can not cross the
the barr without lightning all
well dinner is over Ebert has
just gone to bed to take a little
rest this was a very butifull
morning sun shining very
bright the wind has just
comenced blowing very hard
And a little clodey by times
Seventeenth Monday morning
a very nice morning
sun shining and could a ground and
has been all night out off wood
all hands heard at wirk Bertha in
sight a ground part of our fraight
laying on the sand barr All well but
Mr Peppard they have been bringing
Wood to the boat in the yawl
Afternoon noon
we have got off and laying in
the midele off the river tied to a
big snag all hands at wirk
fering the fraight to the boat in the
yawls this is the most a musing
part of our journey they have their
little boat named and runing
rases to see wich can beet to the
boat the Bertha is taking out her
fraight She will soon be over
the barr 6 oclock we have got
all our fraight over and laid up
for the night
Eighteenth May 18
left whare we was layd up for
the night
going ahead all right Bertha
in sight taking wood whare
the Indians killed 2 whitemen
last spring the river is raising
so the pilotts think four
oclock going a loung very
nicely today have qiute a
rais in the river stopped this
four noon at St Johns wood
yard we all went a shore to
take a little walk called on
some of the Indians they
treated us very kindley they
was half breeds all except
three 2 wimon one man they was
pirty well sivelised we are just
striking a sand barr 3 feet water
18 Tuesday
The sun is just sinking
behind the mountin o how
pirty it looks this moment my
attention has been called to a
flock of elk the first we
have seen on our journey
they fired two shotts at them
without any efect they
fled for life over the plain
till lost from sight run
till eleven oclock laid up for
night
X Wensday the 19
a very plesent morning going
aloung very nicely all well
seen som antelope this morning
I coming to the wild Indians
also wild game one of our
deck men got very badley cut
yesterday by one of the other deck
men I have not herd from him
this morning got in a fight
Thirsday the twentieth 20
a cloudy morning goin
a loung all right all well
came very near gitting
atacted by Indians whare
we was laid up for the night
one of the fire men was the
caus of the trouble we are
five or ten miles above fourt
salley put of a grate many
letters at the wood yard last
night
Alven oclock hard
a ground have been seven hours
found arrow sticking in
the boat laid up for the night
whare we was run a gournd out
of wood all hands wirked very
hard got off about dark all
hands out cutting wood
Seven oclock
21 all well a very plesant
morning sun shining
going aloung very well
stoped to cut wood 2 oclock
still going ahead 2 boats in
sight
four oclock well we just
now past a large flock of
antelope shott at them but
they was too fare a way o but
they did run they looked very
pirty runing over the mountin
five oclock stoped to take
wood bought some antelope
expext to have antelope
for brickfast
Nine oclock
laid up for the night
river raising have maid
a pirty good run today
22 a very nice day
sun shining quite warm
all well we have been runing
a loung very nicely till a
fue minutes ago the pilot stuck
the boat in the mud this is twice
we have been in the mud this
week we have just got off and
going a eleven oclock 2 boats
in sight we have seen a grate
many antelope this morning
they look like a flock of
sheep at a distance
4 oclock have had
some trouble gitting over a bar
about dinner time Silver Lake
colosses past up while we was aground
they are just ahead we will soon
ceatch them if no bad luck
5 oclock well we
just past grand river heards
the place for Indians about fifteen
22
hundred men wimon
and children this was a grate
sight to me whare they had
a grate many buried some looked
as if they had just been
laid up I can not say buried
for they are laid up in a
caffun I did not feel very
coumfortable while we was
passing them this place is called
an Indian comsitian we
took wood about a mile below
silver lake calosaal we was
all their to geather they left
the wood yard ahead of us we
are almost up to them will soon
over take them I amagined thare
was a ould fellow pointing his bow
and arrow at the boat I soon
disappeared for a fue moments
I did not feel very much like
standing (thari) for a mark
22 Past the colossal twice this
evining had quite a exciting
time for a while we are good
distance ahead are going to
stop soon to clean out the
boylers all well Silver Lake
ahead all in sight all three 11 oc
boats in harber together for the night
23 Sabeth morning 8 oclo
very warm appears a little
like rain still the sun is
shining we are going a
loung all right just about
passing Silver lake Colossal
past behind this look a little
more like home to see more boats
than one Molley and Silve Lake
landing to take wood a grate many
Indians hear we past a grate many
this morning o hear comes
a ould squaw with
2 children one of the
cutest little girls you ever
seen dressed like a white child
with its little blanket roped
around it it has atracted
the attention of every one on
the boat a white dress and yellow
sun bonnet Miss Black and I are
going a shore to see them
One oclock A
going aloung very nicely
passing beaver river whare we
have been taking wood hurd
the Indians had killed a man
of a nother tribe thare yesterday
and wounded 2 more Negroes
kept this wood yard
well all we can do on the
Sabeth hear is to clean up and
read our the Bible and look at the
buties of nature we have grate
reason to be thankfull for that
23 Six oclock—Well
we are just passing canon
ball river I will tell why
they have this river that name
the bluff is sticking full
of round stone just like
canon balls it is a very
romantick place we also seen
a very large flock of antelope
I suspose about fifty we will
soon be to the fourt rise just in
sight … we are landing at the
fourt hear we see the first white
ladeys we have seen sins we left
the states & this look a little like
civilation we have run up a fue
miles landed to cut wood all well all
hands at wirk cutting and
sawing for life left thair
picked up a snag run up
threw the gards done very damage
run till one oclock laid up
24 Monday A very plesant
morning cloudey raining a
littel very warm stoped
to cut wood Silver Lake came
up past landed to take wood
twelve oclock going aloung
all night dinner is over Ebert
has just laid down to take
a knap O this is my first
night of tarrow we landed to
take wood I walked out to see
what was to be seen well what
do you think here come a
party of Indians on the war
path singing with 2 calps
keriging on poles o how they
did look and yell
well we have them all on
board as soon as the boat landed
they all rushed on and they could
not get them of with out a fuss
we are going to lay hear all night
and wait till the Silver Lake
comes up she is in sight
but I am glad
25 fifhts
Tuesday a very disagreeable day
raining and the wind blowing
a pirfick herican we ondely
run a twenty miles and are now
wind bound o up a gainst
a sand barr the Indians all
on deck dancing a round
thair 2 calps this tribe is call
(keas) they number thirty five
one of then goys by the
name of bloody knife they have
five chiefs and one squaw
I do not like the looks of them very
much I tell you Ebert is going
to put them off at fourt
thompson we expect to lay am
this bar till morning all well on
board
26
TwentySixt Wensday
we ar off and going aloung do
not know how loung I expect
the wind will keep us back today
it is very cloudey and cauld
it is caould a nuff or snow
the ould Indians is hooping
and yelling on deck I wish
they was off some parts of my
journey has been very plesant
but those Indians
puts a damper on part of the
plasure I have put over 2
fearful nights if god spairs me
to reach the States this will be my
last trip to Indian land all
tho as I have tould you
part of my journey has been
very plesant 4 oclock will
soon be to fourt Thompson
the ould fellows is painting
them selves up to a grate rate
black red blue yellow and all
coulars I forgot to tel you
what tribe they have been
fighting it was the Sews killed
2 got 2 of thair party wounded
they have just gave Ebert a young
antelope head stuffed that
will be very nice to take
home to our gran children
I will drop my pen till we get
to the fourt thair they will have
a qubelle over those calps I do
not want them to get mine
to regois over if I can help it
six oclock we have arrived and
departed from the fourt the
Indians had a grand Jubelee
on the (heri ear) just before we
landed firing off thair guns
to call up others to help them
regois over their victory
such carian on I never
seen now never expect to see a
gain the ould squaw running
and jumping going threw
all sorts of actions I maid
a mistake in the name of this
tribe thair name is the Crees they
had us in thair power four
nights if they had a mind
to do us any harm as we
had no guns we got four
guns at this fourt and some
aminition Now I feel a little
better sadisfied laid up
for the night ten miles above
fourt thompson cutting wood all
will be on board the wind camenced
blowing just after dark and
blue a perfick herican all night
Thirsaday
The Twenty Seventh
go to fourt birthall a bout
breckfast time thair we took
wood seen a grate many Indians
thair got Indian 2 Indian passengers a
man and a squaw they have
a lott of corn going up to the
next fourt the dear loge pas
down just after we left thair
have been running very slow
all day on the account of
green wood has been pirty cam
all day it is now almost dark
the wind has just commenced
blowing and raining looks
very much like a storm
thair has been a little bird
falling the boat all day some
of the crew catched it
and let it go again we are
passing the little
missouri river we have
just got in trouble the boat
struck a snag broak one of the chiminy
guies we will lay hear till morning
Twenty Eight May
a very cloudy morning
and raining going aloung
all right will soon stop
take wood we are passing
very butifull mountins to
day in almost every shape
they look as tho they had been
maid by hands we have
past mountains that looked
like blood they tell me thair
is whare the Indians get their
paint it is now after supper I do
not knew whair we will lay up
for the night we are
tied up for the night
seen a huge bair just before
we landed several of our
passengers fired at him but did
not do him any harm the last we
seen of him he was clymin the mountin
goin it to forty
all well but
miss stack she is quite sick
May the twenty ninth
going aloung sloely a very
plesant day we are passing
mountins today looks like
grate citeys at a distance they
look butifull seen the first
dear today quite a flock or fellows
still fire at them but does not
kill them they are to far away
we are now
laying a shore for the night
have cough up with the
Peter balon she left St Louis
some time a head of us all
well tonight onboard the
mountains is still gitting
higher and more butifull
I canot compair them to any
thing but ould ruins and
ancin citeys laid in all sorts
of ruins shapes I think this
country has been grate
sea of water at wan day
May the thirteth 30
this is a butifull
Sabeth moring and I belive
the first time in my lifeI forgot
when the Sabeth came whare we was
taken wood Miss Slask and I
went a shore I tore my dress
when I come to the boat I
commenced sowing a way for
dear life did not know it was the
Sabeth tell henery mc fall came
in my room to get som a (ckser) he
ask why are you sewing on Sunday
I pirty soon laid up my wirk and
says why is this Sunday they all said
it was o how bad I did feel I hope
god will forgive me o what a
countery no civilation what
ever no sounds of chirch bells to
be heard we ought to be a happy
people to think what privileges we
can enjoy when we are at our
homes I wish I could e thair
this morning with my dear
little gran children and see them
all going to Sabeth school
laid up for the night at a wood
yard a grate many Indians thare
felt very much frightened when
I seen them so was our Indian
passengers they was on the war path
demanded a fiest of the boat gave
them barrels of heard bread and a
(batch) of meet the Peter balon
laining aloung side they gave
them a barrel of heard bread and
a sack of bacon I did not sleep
much that night.
End of Segment 1
Copyright © 2009
Francis W Nash
All Rights Reserved