The Smith Party log
May 30, 1847
Every day, every night my mind is haunted by death, suffering, and pain. Here at the white capped Rocky Mountains our group has just received word of the fate of the poor Donner Party. Many of my friends that I used to laugh and play with, I now look at wondering, if maybe, just maybe, I will have to eat them. Life is harsh and dangerous. We have lost already 15 members of our original 68 to the harsh weather of the Rockies. What a fool our leader was. He told us leaving in fall would allow us to rest on the plains and make it to the Rocky Mountains in time for the snow to melt. Now we are trapped with no hope of a rescue. The closest settlement is over 200 miles from our location. This is the way of the Oregon Trail.
In November we started but it seems to be when I was young and carefree. Now at the age of fifteen I, Daniel Smith, have become the leader of our family ever since Dad died of the cold. I wonder about Amelia, my younger sister and Bill, my baby brother. No one needs to worry about my mother. She was never cared for, never noticed either. She doesn't even have a grave, the only monument she has is in my heart. Every day it seems we are lucky to be alive, but the euphoria doesn't last long. By the time we have already woken up and started to move it seems that we realize we are unlucky to be alive. It would be so much easier to die in our sleep than to live in sub freezing temperatures and feed off of the fat of our oxen. Even if we do survive the mountains the chances of us making it to Oregon are slim due to our limited supplies. It might be easier to just start a general store or a rest stop for settlers coming through the South Pass. I wish I could have seen Oregon, where everything is green, lush, warm, and beautiful. Ah, the life we could have had in Oregon where we would have always been happy and thankful. Why Oh God have you abandoned us here to die in pain and suffering?
June 5, 1847
Hoorah! Hoorah! Hoorah! I can see a spot of sun shining upon us like a gracious ruler does to his people. Alas all happy moments come with some sad. My Uncle Frank has just died of exposure. Although I did not know him well this forces me to realize that next it might be someone closer. Thanks to the sun the snow has partially melted and we now have started moving down the mountain. The going is tough without our oxen and without all our rope because we used it to create coffins for the dead. All we can hope for now is a continuation of the good weather.
June 21, 1847
Looking back now to my last entry it seems that it was only one good episode in a chapter of horrible ones. June 5 was deceiving in every way. Now again we have been trapped and without time to put up shelter nearly ten members have been lost in the blizzard. Amelia and I found a group of trees that are bent to cover a small cave. We have spent the last week there shielding Bill from the elements and just trying to live to see a better day.
July 4, 1847
Today is Independence Day back home in Virginia, but no one notices here. We are all preoccupied with the burial of loved ones. Yesterday night there was a colossal avalanche and even I have to deal with the loss of Amelia who saved Bill's life at the cost of her own. I can not help but crying while doing this and if the page gets somewhat wet then I am sorry. I put Amelia next to mother. They were always good friends and they would want to be together in Heaven.
July 13, 1847
At last our journey is at an end! After numerous hardships we have made it down the once impregnable Rocky Mountains. We decided to settle down here and start farms of our own. Many travelers come through the South Pass so we are sure we will have good business, trading and providing goods to the settlers that come through here. I am not so sure the price we paid to come here was fair as my heart still burns with grief and sorrow, but we now have another chance to build our lives. After all, this is the way of Oregon Trail…