I’m the historian who found this book. Let’s put some historical context into Edward’s story.
Like many other families, Edward’s family saw Abraham Lincoln’s announcement of the Homestead Act. Everyone wanted to move westward because many lands were still unclaimed and available. Lincoln encouraged westward expansion through the Homestead Act, which offered free land to settlers willing to travel west and build a new life there.
When families learned about this opportunity, they decided to travel to Deutschland, where the departure would take place. There was another condition: depending on the size of your family, you would travel and settle with two other families. To join the conquest of the West, you would receive Dutch nationality.
Now, it is time for you to read this journal.
Good luck!

Day -5 : Sunday, 15th 1862.
I’m the owner of the book, Edward. I’m 21, I have always been waiting for this because you need to be 21 years old to travel. Yesterday, I received a letter, it said : “I bid you good day Edward, you are very lucky, you are the leader of this adventure. You will travel with 2 families : the family Legros (3 people) and the family Franck (3 people). Your big family will take the name of Hoffmans.”
I’m very lucky. I bought many items to travel. This book, I think this can be good for the future. For the wagon, I got scammed by an old man. I bought the wagon for 1500 marks, it is expensive because we have 4 bullocks and we can sit in it. But why  was I scammed ? Because a while ago I saw that this wheels were broken ! I hope there is an engineer in the other families. In my wagon there are many things. There are some basic necessities to the family’s most treasured possessions. The wagon is structured with mostly wood and with many metal parts, to finish it has got an canvas top. It is pulled with 4 bullocks, 2 mules and 1 horse. May God bless our journey.

Day -3 : Tuesday, 17th 1862.
I received a letter which says all families are ready to start, you are the only one missing. After the letter, my family and I went to the harbour. Direction to Deutschland ! But the travel costs 15 gold coins.

Day -1 : Friday, 19th March 1862.
We got there. Deutschland is beautiful, the trees are green and the water is blue like the sky. We met the family, they look pretty cool but older than me. We went to an inn and spoke about us. Actually they are really cool, let me talk about them.
My family is composed of 5 people. Me, Edward, I’m 21. My wife’s name is Marie and she is 27. To finish, my children : Jian, he is 3, James, he is 1 and Roger, he is 7 months old. After my presentation, other families talked about them.
“I’m Eric and I’m 28, we are French and a bit cultured in English.
I’m Elizabeth, I’m 25 and my child is Henry and he is 4.
Nice to meet you, I’m Jeroen and I am 45 and we are German.
I’m Noor and I’m 47.
I’m Erling and I’m 16.”

Day 0 : Friday, 20th March 1862.
The awakening was really hard for all, we woke up at 5:00am. After, we took nearly 1 hour to prepare, tied up the animals to drag the wagon and put all of our things in the wagon. Now we are travelling to the harbour, indeed it is very long because of the wheel which is broken. Now we are in the boat, there was some setbacks. We almost missed the boarding because of this sh*t of wheel. Anyway, the captain did an announcement. He said : “Sorry for this mishap but we need to go to Ireland before the big trail.”
We are in Ireland ! Actually it wasn’t as beautiful as I thought. Now I know why we go there. It is to meet up another family, they are named the O’Connors. Because of them, there is no place in the boat now, they are many, nearly 11. And we are many too. But it is their wagon which takes the most place. We have just the place to move a little and, thanks be to God, we have got places to sleep.

Day 2 : Sunday, 22nd March.
This is really cool, we slept a lot and it is 12:00am. While eating, the leader of the other family defied me to play cards with him. He didn’t know I’m strong. I won (of course), so I won 5 dollars. I don’t wanted to sleep so I went outside. While I was walking to the corridor, I heard the leader speaking with his family. He says he lost because of his luck, he kicks me but it is not that at all.

Day 17 : Tuesday, 7th April.
I didn’t write in the book at all because nothing happened. But today, the O’Connors did a thing which I didn’t agree with. Their f*cking child vomited in the barrel of wine. I will take my revenge.

Day 38 : Friday, 28th April.
We finished the travel !!! we relieved ourselves in their barrel of wine, it is our revenge. Anyway the travel by boat was really speedy. When we arrived we met a family, they are really sick because of an animal attack from an enraged beast who always comes back. Their name is the Coopers. We made a good negotiation, we traded our ammo from Deutschland with a child.

Day 50 : Wednesday, 10th May.
It is the compulsory time, the time to start our travel. I didn’t write because we had to travel constantly to be safe when we started traveling. We dragged all of our things and had to drag the wagon quickly because the quicksand almost engulfed it. Fortunately, our animals are obedient and follow us by themselves. May God keep us safe on the trail.

Day 61 : Sunday, 21st May.
My God bless, no ! The wheel broke, so all of our things fell. It will take a lot of time to repair it. Praise be to God, one of us is a carpenter so we can repair it and we will. I took care of searching for some wood. This was really easy because we are by a forest. I could come back really fast. I got there at sunset. I could give the wood to Jeroen (the carpenter) and he made the wheel, I will put it on the wagon tomorrow.

Day 62 : Monday, 22nd May.
It is 6am, all of them woke up because of some noise. I hope it isn’t a beast. Actually, thanks to the noise that woke us up, we can start to repair the wagon. We almost finished to repair the wagon but we heard the noise again. I went to see. And I saw it. A big badger, it jumped on my face. I could get it off my face but it wounded my arse. I got many scars on my face and my arse. Then we could continue our travel.

Day 69 : Monday, 29th May.
Thanks Lord, we are finally out of the forest. The landscape is awesome, far far away I can see a Natives’ camp. I think we will go there. After that, everything was uneventful.

Day 70 : Tuesday, 30th May.
We are next to the village. I see some people or animals are watching us. Actually they are humans but they are scary because they have spears. I held up to my courage and I went to them. Actually they didn’t attack me and they are so kind, they housed and fed us. May the Lord bless these kind strangers.

Day 76 : 5th June.
We met another family. They are named the Coopers. They seem struggling and I think I know why. I suppose they are struggling because of this beast who is following them. I saw they have a gun and I wanted to help them. But nothing is free… We agreed to meet up at 4pm to negotiate. Now it’s the time for the negotiation. I decided to trade the ammunitions with a child. This is horrible but it’s our only chance to win the piece of land. And it was really difficult but we did it. We managed to negotiate.

Day 81 : 10th June.
The Natives are so kind that they already repaired our wheel. I saw her again, she is awesome. We did make eye contact. It was God’s will. I went to meet her. Actually she speaks English, so I spoke to her and I think I fell in love. But a little bird told me to speak about this with my wife. I spoke about Adsila to my wife and I was scared but she is actually agreeing. They will meet us tomorrow !

Day 89 : 19th June.
My wife couldn’t wait any longer, so she went to the meeting point too early, but Adsila was there too. I let them be alone together.

Day 90 : 20th June.
It’s already 1:29am and they didn’t come back. I started to get worried but I heard them laugh.

Day 92 : 22nd June.
Now, it is the time to leave the camp. But Adsila didn’t want to leave me so my wife proposed her to come with us and she agreed. Actually it was easy to leave the camp. We had almost twenty days to arrive.

Day 100 : 30th June.
This can be weird but… I conceived a baby with Adsila. We think, Adsila, Marie and I decided to give him the name “Mitzvah”. May God bless this child.

Day 109 : 9th July.
Jamie wanted to run on top of the wagon but he has got feet instead of his brain, he put his foot under the wagon so I think his foot is broken and I will slow the wagon down.

Day 111 : 11th July.
I see the settlement, its name is Kutney, I think it is 15 miles away. It’s almost finished (the travel). Suddenly, when my stallion saw a wild mare in heat in the distance, he sped up and I couldn’t control him anymore ! I lost control of the reins and in the chaos of the moment, the rest of the caravan followed us in a complete and utter mess ! Jamie thought it was a game so he jumped over the wagon. His head hit a branch and he discovered his senses, I just want to say, he is Socrates. Because of his big brain, he began to be annoying.

Day 120 : 20th July.
We finally arrived to the last settlement, but they were not as kind as I thought. They threw spears and they almost hurt us but at this time, we didn’t know where it was coming from. But we saw our heroes the blue coats. They shot through the forest and we heard those natives run away. The blue coats came to us and said :
“- Are you OK ?
Yes, God bless you were there !
No worries.
We need your help to plan things out said another blue coat.”
But suddenly we saw a spear fly as fast as the wind blew and pierced through his neck.
“- Lie down and go behind the wagon !” said the blue coats’ leader.
And we did it. We didn’t know the war had just started.

Day 123 : 23rd July.
For the first time, the brain of Jamie helped us, let me explain. We were in war and in our back Jamie sent a Morse code to the blue coats camp and they said : “We will get there in around 3 days.” Let me describe the war.

Day 121 bis :
It’s stormy and rainy, a weather unfavorable for a war. All of us are covered in mud included the savages, the wagon is getting deeper in mud. The spears are piercing through the air, the bullets are flying everywhere and the screams scared the hell out of us all ! The blood is spilling everywhere, the kids are shocked and they are crying. And at this time in our back, Jamie called the blue coats camp.

Day 122 bis :
By the power of God, we have a great weather but what is even more fortunate is that the savages fell sick. But they still outnumber us. May the Lord grant us victory.

Day 123rd : now.
Many blue coats arrived and saved us, so because of our number they capitulated. Praise be to God for our survival.

Day 130 : 30th July.

A baby was born ! Just two minutes ago ! I’m a dad, for the fourth time. Actually I didn’t say a thing… Before we conceived Mitzwah with Adsila, we already conceive → conceived another baby. But I thought it would not do anything. And we are finally arrived at the lands.

My apologies, this doesn’t have any sense, let me restart. So, as I said we have finally arrived. It is so beautiful that I feel I could come back from the dead to see it again. And the second thing is I conceived a baby with Adsila, actually a first or a second I don’t know how to say. Let me explain.

One day, Adsila’s dad kicked her and he didn’t want to stop. So as a good handsome man, I saved her. After, we ran out and it was love at first sight so I proposed some “drinks”. But we ended up drunk and we did it. This is how I arrived here. My wife is a little angry. To finish, we will name him Kvarastvelia.

Thanks be to God for the safe birth of this child and for our arrival in the West.

DAY 1 : October 10th, 1867

I bid you a good day, my name is Henry and I will tell you all about my journey across the American continent. First of all, this is my family. We are the Carters from America, and our party is composed of 3 couples with 3 children. This is our family, so you can understand better.

Today, we are quite upset because we are leaving our house, friends, and the rest of our family. The start will be at 4 a.m., but Dustin had a fit because he wanted chocolate, but we could not afford it. So we were 30 minutes late, and we have an old covered wagon with an old mule where Dustin and I ride. May God guide our journey westward.

DAY 2 : October 11th, 1867

Today, unfortunately, Marie was bitten by several mosquitoes while she was allergic, so she has a lot of itching and red patches all over her body. We had to stop in a small village to find a doctor. He advised us to use some plants to help Marie. We spent our day taking care of her.

DAY 3 : October 12th, 1867

Marie is not doing too well today; she is still recovering from her injection yesterday. So the rest of the family and I let her ride the mule to minimize her walking. As a result, I had the good sense to organize turns riding the mule every day.

DAY 4 : October 13th, 1867

During the night, at about 3 a.m., I heard some muffled screams. So I stood up and saw a fox attacking Jeremiah. I took a huge stick and hit it violently on the back, the face, and the paws. It finally left covered in blood, and Jeremiah was severely injured. So I thought that he could ride the mule, but the problem is that our rotation system for the mule will become a complete mess. Lord have mercy upon us.

DAY 5 : October 14th, 1867

Today was a simple day because we spent our time repairing the damage that the fox had caused yesterday after his mysterious attack.

DAY 6 : October 15th, 1867

Today I had a fight with my wife because she kept giving all our food to the children. Being the hothead I am, I lost my temper and yelled at her, telling her it was ridiculous and that if she did not stop, we would all starve to death. After that, she walked away and gave me the silent treatment all day.

DAY 7 : October 16th, 1867

Judith and I are always upset with each other. You can cut the air with a knife, and the whole family begins to get tired because of us. But I am right and she is wrong. We do not need things which are futile; they are not necessary! Well, the road is going well and we move forward slowly but carefully.

DAY 8 : October 17th, 1867

Today I reconciled with my wife because I remembered that we had to take advantage of our loved ones because at any time we could die. Praise be to the Lord for family.

DAY 9 : October 18th, 1867

Hi everyone, today my family and I are finally going to implement the rotation system for the mule. We decided on the following schedule:

• Monday: Judith
• Tuesday: Dustin / Jeremiah
• Wednesday: Katherine
• Thursday: Marie
• Friday: Jonathan
• Saturday: Christopher
• Sunday: Henry (me) / Virginia

DAY 10 : October 19th, 1867

Today the weather is gloomy and the road is pretty dangerous. We found an ad from the government encouraging families to move westward. The covered wagon is old and weak but still useful. Virginia is completely back on her feet. Fortunately, we have clothes of good quality; they protect us strongly from the cold. Dustin is annoying us almost every day. I am sorry for his parents, but he is exhausting.

DAY 11 : October 20th, 1867

We met natives in the distance. It seemed to me that there were five of them. We started to panic because we were afraid they would attack us. I saw fear in the eyes of my family. After seeing them all day, we hid because we feared they would come and attack us. May God keep evil away from our camp tonight.

DAY 12 : October 21st, 1867

Today was a pretty good day. We walked a lot and, after a mini crisis from Dustin, we discovered a magnificent and humid place where there were lots of wild animals and vegetation.

DAY 13 : October 22nd, 1867

Tonight I saw Jeremiah waking up, and I woke up too. I gave him a cup of beer and we talked together. He told me that he felt invisible in this family and that he wanted to change it. At that moment, I did not realize how serious his words were.

After maybe ten minutes of talking, I told him to go back to sleep because we would wake up early tomorrow.

The next morning Christopher woke me up in panic because Jeremiah had disappeared. We searched all day long in two different groups but we did not find any trace of him. Marie cried the whole day, and it broke my heart to see her like this. Still, I believe Jeremiah is brave and clever. God willing, we shall find him soon.

DAY 14 : October 23rd, 1867

Today we spent our day looking for Jeremiah because he left us a letter saying that he felt unloved and that nobody spent time with him.

DAY 15 : October 24th, 1867

Today, after three days of panic because of Jeremiah’s escape, we finally found him. It happened while the family and I were hunting. Suddenly we saw Jeremiah in a dark and gloomy cave. Of course, we brought him back with us. Thanks be to God for his safe return.

DAY 16 : October 25th, 1867

The day was pleasant and calm. Stress was absent today. Yet something feels wrong, as if something terrible is about to happen. Today it rained for maybe ten minutes, making the ground muddy and harder to cross, but thankfully the sun returned quickly afterward.

DAY 17 : October 26th, 1867

Today nothing happened except the fact that someone stole Christopher’s pants. It is a mess because everyone accuses each other and there are many disagreements between the families.

DAY 18 : October 27th, 1867

This morning there was a lot of tension because of the disappearance of our clothes. All day we accused one another, which made everybody angry.

DAY 19 : October 31st, 1867

Today everyone is upset because of the quarrels from the last few days. We all try to stay together because we are a family after all. We did not make all these sacrifices just to argue endlessly. My parents used to say: “Never go to bed angry.” Perhaps they were right, because sometimes the night brings wisdom.

DAY 20 : October 29th, 1867

Today another garment disappeared; this time it was Virginia’s sweater.

DAY 21 : October 30th, 1867

Ever since she was little, Virginia has loved fashion, which meant that everyone accused her of stealing the missing clothes. She kept saying it was not her, but nobody listened. Everyone believed Virginia was the thief.

DAY 22 : November 3rd, 1867

Today was a hunting day. My family and I went hunting all day long. We were lucky, so we killed:

• 2 wild turkeys
• 3 jackrabbits
• 4 rabbits
• 1 pronghorn

I can proudly say that we had a successful hunt. We ended the day by eating what we had hunted. Praise be to the Lord for providing us food.

DAY 23 : November 4th, 1867

Thanks to yesterday’s hunt, we were able to make many kinds of clothes such as sweaters, shirts, gloves, and scarves. We used the animals’ skins to make them.

DAY 24 : November 5th, 1867

Today my family and I went hunting again, and we had enough food for two days, including wild boar and rabbit.

DAY 25 : November 6th, 1867

This morning Jonathan confessed something to me. He said that hunting had become a passion for him. He asked me for advice because he knows that I am a skilled hunter. He said that since I am getting older, it would be useful to have another hunter in the family. He even told me: “I fell in love with hunting.”

DAY 26 : November 7th, 1867

Today was strange because we found skeletons of humans and animals in the forest. We were searching for food when Marie discovered a bone. It was truly unsettling.

DAY 27 : November 8th, 1867

Today I noticed Jeremiah was not feeling well. He pushed everyone away, so I decided to talk to him. Suddenly he started crying. He confessed that he had argued with Virginia because she had cut his doll’s hair. I realized he felt terribly guilty about it.

DAY 28 : November 9th, 1867

Do you remember when Jonathan wanted to learn hunting? Well, now he is bothering me constantly. He always asks how, where, when, and what. It is exhausting. I was once the only hunter, and now everyone calls him “the hunter.” But he is not. I am the real hunter. Honestly, I am beginning to resent him, even though he is my son. Lord forgive me for these bitter thoughts.

DAY 31 : November 12th, 1867

Today my family and I discovered a tiny village hidden deep in a dark forest. Skeletons covered the ground and animals stared at us from the shadows. Once we arrived at the village, we ate because we were starving, and then we visited the shops.

DAY 32 : November 13th, 1867

Good morning everyone, it is Virginia writing today!

The tools we bought yesterday are wonderful. Grandfather bought me a hairbrush because Grandmother insisted a little bit. I absolutely love it! I brush my hair all day long, and now it is brighter and smoother.

Jonathan also bought some hunting equipment and trains every day with it. Grandfather repaired our wagon too, so now we can travel much faster. Thanks be to God for these blessings.

DAY 33 : November 14th, 1867

Today we broke a wheel on our cart, so we spent the entire day repairing it. Once it was fixed, we continued our journey westward.

DAY 34 : November 15th, 1867

This morning Marie screamed because she could not find her boots. She accused everyone angrily, even without proof. Despite the tension, we all searched for them together.

DAY 35 : November 16th, 1867

Yesterday another argument broke out because of Marie’s boots. Christopher complained about everything, Mary joined him, and Virginia agreed with them. All this chaos over a single pair of boots! Catherine agreed with me, but the arguments continued endlessly. I am exhausted.

DAY 36 : November 17th, 1867

Today I did not write much because part of the family ran away. Dustin, Virginia, Marie, and Christopher decided to leave because they were fed up with all the arguing. I have no idea where they went, and I fear greatly for their safety. May God protect them wherever they are tonight.

DAY 37 : November 18th, 1867

We are still separated into two groups because of the complaints and accusations. Everyone is tired of fighting, and the mood is terrible. I pray that we may soon become a united family again.

DAY 38 : November 19th, 1867

Dear reader,

What a surprise when Judith shouted because she saw the others returning! At first, we were not happy to see them again. We expected apologies, but then Dustin burst into tears and begged us to forgive them. He explained how hard it was to survive alone without hunters or proper shelter.

Seeing my grandson cry broke my heart, so I forgave them. They apologized to everyone and promised to remain united forever. It was an exhausting day. God bless our family and keep us together.

DAY 39 : November 20th, 1867

We went to a small village to buy food because we had almost nothing left to eat. We met kind people there and bought many useful supplies.

DAY 40 : November 21st, 1867

This morning we met a kind merchant named Bob. He owned a second-hand shop in a nearby village. We bought many useful things from him before continuing our journey.

DAY 41 : November 22nd, 1867

Today we met Bob again. At first we thought we were lucky because we had almost no supplies left, but his prices were outrageously expensive. One litre of beer cost forty dollars! We had no choice but to buy only the essentials.

We bought:

• 80 litres of beer
• 24 kilograms of flour
• 11 kilograms of beans
• 8 kilograms of jerky

Everything cost us 87 dollars. Years of savings disappeared in a single day. Bob looked friendly, but he was nothing more than a charlatan.

DAY 42 : November 23rd, 1867

Today we discovered that Jeremiah had caught a virus. During the next few days we will try to find a doctor and medicine to cure him. May the Lord heal the poor child quickly.

DAY 43 : November 24th, 1867

As you can see, our whole family is affected by this terrible epidemic. We are all too weak to write much more today.

DAY 44 : November 25th, 1867

Today Jeremiah’s fever became much worse. He could barely stand up and spent the whole day coughing and shivering. Marie cried while Judith tried to comfort her. We decided to stop travelling for the day so Jeremiah could rest properly. May God grant him strength to survive this illness.

DAY 45 : November 26th, 1867

The sickness is spreading through the camp. Dustin and Christopher are coughing too, and everyone feels exhausted. We boiled herbs and plants in water to prepare remedies. Jonathan hunted alone today because nobody else had enough strength to help him.

DAY 46 : November 27th, 1867

Thanks to the remedies, Jeremiah is slowly recovering. He finally managed to eat a little soup this evening. Everyone felt relieved to see him smile again. I thanked the Lord for sparing his life.

DAY 47 : November 28th, 1867

Today we crossed a dangerous river. The current was strong and the wagon almost tipped over. Virginia screamed when one of the trunks fell into the water, but thankfully Jonathan and Christopher managed to pull it back out. We lost some clothes and blankets, but nobody was hurt. Praise be to God for protecting us.

DAY 48 : November 29th, 1867

The weather is becoming colder every day. During the night we gathered close to the fire while Marie sang old songs from home to calm the children. For a short moment, we almost forgot the hardships of this journey.

DAY 49 : November 30th, 1867

This morning we woke up and discovered animal tracks around our camp. Jonathan believes they belonged to wolves. We stayed close together all day and kept the fire burning until sunrise.

DAY 50 : December 1st, 1867

Today we finally reached a larger settlement where we bought fresh food and medicine. The people there warned us about terrible storms further west. Still, we have no choice but to continue our journey.

DAY 51 : December 2nd, 1867

A terrible storm struck us during the night. The wind was so violent that part of the wagon’s canvas flew away. Everyone was terrified, especially the children. We prayed together while trying to protect the supplies from the rain. Lord have mercy upon us.

DAY 52 : December 3rd, 1867

After the storm, we spent the entire day repairing the wagon and drying our belongings. Dustin tried to make the younger children laugh by pretending to dance in the mud. Even Henry smiled a little.

DAY 53 : December 4th, 1867

Today we met another family travelling westward. They shared stories about their journey and warned us about bandits nearby. In exchange for some flour, we gave them a few blankets and fresh meat.

DAY 54 : December 5th, 1867

We walked for hours through thick forests and muddy roads. Everyone is exhausted now. Judith’s feet are badly injured from all the walking, but she refuses to complain.

DAY 55 : December 6th, 1867

Tonight we heard strange noises outside the camp. Jonathan grabbed his rifle immediately while Christopher kept watch near the wagon. Thankfully, it turned out to be only wild animals searching for food.

DAY 56 : December 7th, 1867

Today Virginia finally admitted that she had secretly kept some of the missing clothes because she wanted more beautiful outfits for herself. Marie was furious at first, but eventually we all forgave her after she apologized sincerely.

DAY 57 : December 8th, 1867

The snow has started to fall heavily. We struggled to move the wagon through the icy roads. Dustin slipped several times and everybody laughed except him.

DAY 58 : December 9th, 1867

This evening we stopped near a frozen lake. The landscape looked beautiful under the moonlight. For the first time in many weeks, everyone seemed peaceful and calm.

DAY 59 : December 10th, 1867

Food is becoming scarce again. Jonathan and I hunted all morning but only caught two rabbits. We shall need to ration our meals carefully during the next few days.

DAY 60 : December 11th, 1867

At dawn we saw smoke rising in the distance. We feared an attack at first, but it was only another caravan camping nearby. They invited us to share coffee and stories around the fire. Thanks be to the Lord for kind souls on the trail.

DAY 61 : December 12th, 1867

Today little Henry fell sick after spending too much time in the snow. He has a strong fever and cannot stop coughing. Judith stayed beside him all day long.

DAY 62 : December 13th, 1867

Henry is finally feeling a little better. Marie prepared warm soup while Virginia entertained him with stories and songs. It warmed my heart to see the family united again.

DAY 63 : December 14th, 1867

The journey is becoming harder and harder. The roads are dangerous and the cold bites our skin constantly. Yet we continue to move westward because there is no turning back now. May God light our path through this wilderness.

DAY 64 : December 15th, 1867

Today we finally left the frozen mountains behind us. The roads are still difficult, but the weather is slowly becoming less cruel. Everyone felt relieved to see greener lands ahead of us.

DAY 65 : December 16th, 1867

This morning Jonathan discovered footprints around the wagon again. They looked human this time. We stayed alert all day long and kept our rifles close to us. The children were frightened, especially Henry. May the Lord keep danger away from our camp.

DAY 66 : December 17th, 1867

We found an abandoned cabin in the middle of the forest. It was old and broken, but it protected us from the freezing wind during the night. Inside, we discovered old blankets, rusty tools, and a Bible left on a dusty table. Judith said it was a sign from God.

DAY 67 : December 18th, 1867

Today we repaired one of the wagon wheels again. I feel like this wagon is held together only by prayers and old wood. Christopher joked that the wagon is older than Grandfather himself.

DAY 68 : December 19th, 1867

We crossed paths with hunters who warned us about bears nearby. Jonathan immediately wanted to hunt one, but Marie refused and called him reckless. Honestly, she was right for once.

DAY 69 : December 20th, 1867

The snowstorm returned during the night. We could barely see a few metres ahead of us while travelling. Dustin kept complaining about the cold every five minutes until Judith threatened to make him walk alone behind the wagon.

DAY 70 : December 21st, 1867

Today we stopped travelling early because everyone was exhausted. Virginia braided Marie’s hair while the children played near the fire. For once, the camp felt peaceful.

DAY 71 : December 22nd, 1867

This morning we met a preacher travelling alone across the trail. He prayed with us before leaving and told us that “faith is the strongest shelter against despair.” His words stayed in my mind all day long.

DAY 72 : December 23rd, 1867

Food is running low again. Jonathan managed to catch only one rabbit today. We shared the meat equally, even though the portions were tiny. Nobody complained because we all knew the situation was serious.

DAY 73 : December 24th, 1867

Tonight is Christmas Eve. We gathered around the fire and sang together while Judith read passages from the Bible. Even with so little food and comfort, tonight felt warm and peaceful. Praise be to God on this holy evening.

DAY 74 : December 25th, 1867

Christmas Day. The children were excited despite our difficult conditions. We offered handmade gifts to one another: carved toys, scarves, and little drawings. Marie cried quietly during the prayer because she missed home terribly.

DAY 75 : December 26th, 1867

This morning we found fresh deer tracks in the snow. Jonathan and I followed them for hours and eventually managed to hunt one. Thanks to this, we now have enough meat for several days. The Lord truly provides for us.

DAY 76 : December 27th, 1867

Today we met another caravan of settlers heading westward. They warned us about thieves attacking travellers farther along the trail. Because of this, we decided to travel together for a while.

DAY 77 : December 28th, 1867

One of the children from the other caravan became sick during the night. Marie and Judith helped the family by preparing warm remedies and soup. The poor mother thanked us endlessly.

DAY 78 : December 29th, 1867

The weather was beautiful today. The sky was bright blue and the snow glittered under the sunlight. For the first time in weeks, the children laughed and played freely.

DAY 79 : December 30th, 1867

Today our mule suddenly collapsed from exhaustion. We feared it might die, but after resting and feeding it properly, it slowly stood up again. We truly depend on this poor animal for everything.

DAY 80 : December 31st, 1867

Tonight we celebrated the New Year together around a large fire. Everyone shared stories and memories from home. At midnight we prayed together for a safer and happier future. May God bless this new year and protect our families.

DAY 81 : January 1st, 1868

A new year begins. Even though the journey has been cruel and exhausting, I feel hopeful today. We have survived storms, hunger, illness, and fear together. Perhaps this means that better days are finally coming.

DAY 82 : January 2nd, 1868

This morning we saw smoke in the distance again and feared another attack, but it was only hunters cooking near a river. They traded us dried meat in exchange for blankets and ammunition.

DAY 83 : January 3rd, 1868

We travelled through a rocky canyon all day long. The echoes of the wind sounded almost like human screams, which terrified the younger children. Dustin nearly fell from the wagon while trying to look over the edge.

DAY 84 : January 4th, 1868

Today Marie confessed that she sometimes regrets leaving home. I understand her feelings because I feel the same way at times. Yet we have sacrificed too much to turn back now.

DAY 85 : January 5th, 1868

Jonathan has become an excellent hunter. I must admit I am proud of him now, even though I once felt jealous. Today he caught two rabbits entirely on his own.

DAY 86 : January 6th, 1868

Tonight wolves surrounded our camp again. Their howls echoed through the darkness for hours. We kept the fire burning all night long and nobody truly slept.

DAY 87 : January 7th, 1868

This morning Virginia slipped on the ice and hurt her ankle badly. She tried to pretend she was fine, but she could barely walk. So we let her ride the mule for the day.

DAY 88 : January 8th, 1868

The roads are becoming easier to travel now. We are finally approaching our destination. Everyone speaks excitedly about the houses we will build and the lives we hope to start.

DAY 89 : January 9th, 1868

Today we stopped near a beautiful river surrounded by pine trees. I think this is one of the most beautiful places we have seen during the whole journey. Judith said it looked like Heaven itself.

DAY 90 : January 10th, 1868

At last, we can finally see the lands where we shall settle. After months of suffering, fear, and exhaustion, our journey is almost over. Everyone cried with relief when we saw the valley in the distance. Thanks be to Almighty God for bringing us safely to our new home.

DAY 91 : January 11th, 1868

Today we officially settled on our new land. Everyone helped unload the wagon and organize the supplies. Jonathan and Christopher immediately started planning where to build the first house, while Judith and Marie prepared food for the evening. For the first time in months, we finally slept without fear. Praise be to the Lord for this blessing.

DAY 92 : January 12th, 1868

This morning we began cutting trees to build our homes. The work is exhausting, but everyone is motivated because this land now belongs to us. Even the children carried small pieces of wood to help.

DAY 93 : January 13th, 1868

Today Virginia planted the first seeds near the river. She said she wanted flowers to make this harsh land feel more like home. Judith smiled and called her “the hope of the family.”

DAY 94 : January 14th, 1868

The first walls of our house are finally standing. We worked from sunrise until sunset. My hands are covered with blisters, but I have never felt prouder in my life.

DAY 95 : January 15th, 1868

Today we explored the nearby lands. We discovered forests, rivers, and large open plains perfect for farming. Jonathan believes there is plenty of wildlife nearby for hunting.

DAY 96 : January 16th, 1868

During the night, strong winds nearly destroyed part of the unfinished roof. Thankfully we repaired the damage quickly this morning. Life here is difficult already, but at least we are together.

DAY 97 : January 17th, 1868

This evening we all gathered around the fire and spoke about our old home. Marie cried again while speaking about the family members we left behind. I think part of her heart will always remain there.

DAY 98 : January 18th, 1868

Today little Henry asked me if our journey was finally over. I looked around at our new land and answered: “Yes, son, this is our home now.” He smiled brighter than I had seen in months.

DAY 99 : January 19th, 1868

We finally finished building the barn today. The mule now has proper shelter from the cold nights. Dustin joked that the mule has a better house than he does.

DAY 100 : January 20th, 1868

A preacher from another settlement visited us today. Together we prayed and thanked God for helping us survive the trail westward. Hearing prayers inside our own home felt comforting. May the Lord forever protect this land and our family.

DAY 101 : January 21st, 1868

The children spent the day playing near the river while the adults worked on fences and storage sheds. It was peaceful, and for once there were no arguments.

DAY 102 : January 22nd, 1868

Today we hunted deer in the nearby woods. Jonathan successfully led the hunt, and I realized he had become a true man during this journey. I felt proud beyond words.

DAY 103 : January 23rd, 1868

This morning Virginia slipped while carrying water and broke one of our buckets. She was terrified that everyone would shout at her, but instead we laughed together. We have changed a lot since the beginning of the journey.

DAY 104 : January 24th, 1868

We planted the first crops today. Wheat, corn, and beans now cover the small field near our home. Looking at those rows gave me hope for the future.

DAY 105 : January 25th, 1868

Tonight we celebrated our new life together with music, stories, and food. Christopher played old songs while the children danced around the fire. Judith said she had not felt this happy in years.

DAY 106 : January 26th, 1868

This morning we discovered fresh animal tracks near the barn again. Jonathan believes wolves are still nearby, so we strengthened the fences around the animals.

DAY 107 : January 27th, 1868

Snow began falling once more today, but it no longer frightens us. We finally have walls, a roof, and a warm fire. The wilderness feels less dangerous now.

DAY 108 : January 28th, 1868

Today I reread the first pages of this journal. I could hardly recognize the frightened man I was at the beginning of the journey. The trail changed all of us forever.

DAY 109 : January 29th, 1868

Jonathan suggested building a school someday for the children of future settlers. Marie loved the idea immediately. Perhaps this wild land will become a real town one day.

DAY 110 : January 30th, 1868

Tonight we prayed together before supper and thanked God for helping us survive hunger, storms, illness, and fear. Looking around the table, I realized that despite every hardship, we had made it together. Thanks be to Almighty God for leading us safely westward.

DAY 111 : January 31st, 1868

Today we began building a small chicken coop beside the barn. Dustin complained all morning about carrying wood, but by the evening he admitted he was proud of the work we had done.

DAY 112 : February 1st, 1868

This morning the river was frozen solid. The children tried sliding on the ice while Judith shouted at them to be careful. Even after all the suffering we endured, hearing their laughter filled my heart with joy.

DAY 113 : February 2nd, 1868

We met settlers from another nearby camp today. They traded fresh milk and vegetables with us. It feels strange to finally meet people peacefully instead of fearing every shadow in the wilderness.

DAY 114 : February 3rd, 1868

Jonathan and Christopher spent the day hunting while the rest of us repaired tools and cleaned the house. Virginia decorated the walls with flowers she had dried earlier in the season.

DAY 115 : February 4th, 1868

A terrible storm struck during the night, but unlike before, we were protected inside our home. We listened to the wind outside while sitting safely around the fire. Praise be to God for shelter and warmth.

DAY 116 : February 5th, 1868

Today I walked alone through the nearby fields. I thought about everything we had lost during the journey, but also about everything we had gained. Perhaps suffering truly changes a person forever.

DAY 117 : February 6th, 1868

Marie and Judith spent the day preparing food stores for the end of winter. They dried meat and organized the supplies carefully because nobody wishes to suffer from hunger ever again.

DAY 118 : February 7th, 1868

This evening we heard wolves howling in the distance again, but the sound no longer frightened us as much as before. Jonathan simply smiled and checked his rifle.

DAY 119 : February 8th, 1868

Today little Henry asked if we would ever return home one day. Nobody answered immediately because deep down we all know this land is our only home now.

DAY 120 : February 9th, 1868

The first signs of spring are finally appearing. The snow is melting slowly and the fields are beginning to recover their colour. Everyone feels hopeful again.

DAY 121 : February 10th, 1868

We spent the entire day strengthening the fences around the crops because wild animals keep wandering too close to the fields at night.

DAY 122 : February 11th, 1868

Virginia and Marie planted more flowers today near the entrance of the house. Judith laughed and said that even in the wilderness, women always find a way to make life beautiful.

DAY 123 : February 12th, 1868

Jonathan returned from hunting with a magnificent deer. Tonight we celebrated around the fire with a proper feast. Dustin ate so much that he could barely stand afterward.

DAY 124 : February 13th, 1868

This morning we discovered smoke rising from another distant settlement. More and more families are arriving in the West now. Perhaps one day this region will become a real town.

DAY 125 : February 14th, 1868

Today Marie told me she no longer regrets the journey. She said that despite every hardship, this land gave us a future. Hearing those words lifted a great weight from my shoulders.

DAY 126 : February 15th, 1868

A travelling preacher visited our settlement once again today. Together we prayed for the souls of those who died on the trail and thanked God for allowing us to survive. May the Lord watch over all the families who still travel westward.

DAY 127 : February 16th, 1868

The children spent the day helping Jonathan repair traps and tools. Watching them work together made me realize how much they had grown since the beginning of the journey.

DAY 128 : February 17th, 1868

Tonight we shared stories from Ireland and from the old days before the journey began. Even Dustin stayed quiet while listening. For a moment, the wilderness outside seemed very far away.

DAY 129 : February 18th, 1868

Today we finished building the final storage shed near the barn. At last, our settlement truly feels complete. Looking around at everything we built with our own hands fills me with pride.

DAY 130 : February 19th, 1868

This will probably be my final entry in this journal. Our journey across America is over at last. We survived hunger, storms, fear, sickness, wild animals, and despair. Yet somehow we remained together through it all.

When I look at our home, our fields, and my family gathered safely around the fire, I understand that every sacrifice was worth it. Perhaps one day our children and grandchildren will read these pages and remember the courage it took to cross the continent.

Thanks be to Almighty God for guiding us safely to our new life in the West.

You can read our logbook in room 25 ! 

The O’Connors’ Journey West

We are the O’Connors, and we are from Ireland. There are eleven of us. My name is Christopher, and I am the leader of this family. I left Ireland with my pregnant wife and my children, as well as my brother, his wife and children, and my sister, her husband, and their children. We travelled to the western United States after seeing Abraham Lincoln’s advertisement. May God guide our journey.

Saturday, March 11th, 1862

We woke up after our first night on board the Mermaid. This morning, we ate dried fish, but Jeffrey threw his fish in Geneva’s face, which made her bleed. She was furious, and we felt embarrassed in front of the Hoffman family. The rest of the day, we stayed in our linen-separated section.

Sunday, March 21st, 1862

Today, we played cards with the Hoffmans. This family is strange because during the game they shouted at us in a foreign language. Moreover, one of their children, who is rather foolish, kept kicking Elisabeth. I did not like that, so I decided to strike their leader. Indeed, I beat him up. Everyone on board watched the scene, so we decided to remain as discreet as possible afterward. Lord, forgive us for our anger.

Wednesday, April 7th, 1862

We did not write for a long time because we drank spoiled milk and became sick. Jeffrey became especially ill and vomited in the Hoffmans’ linen-separated section.

Tuesday, April 24th, 1862

We are now in the final stage of our trip. We reconciled with the Hoffman family over a very fine meal. Thanks be to the Lord for bringing peace between our families.

Sunday, May 12th, 1862

Today is the final day of our voyage. The night felt endless, but after one long month we were finally able to see the coast. The entire family was overjoyed, and in his excitement Roger dived into the water. Praise be to God, we have finally reached America.

Monday, May 13th, 1862

We finally arrived in America, whose air feels wonderful. The city is called Charleston, and it seems very beautiful, with crowds of people everywhere. After a short walk, Jam performed a ridiculous dance and broke his leg, so we could not travel far. We therefore took a room at an inn for three days. God blessed our family throughout the journey. Praise be to the Lord for bringing us safely to America.

Tuesday, May 16th, 1862

We went to buy provisions and a stagecoach with two horses. Once we arrived in downtown Charleston, we decided to purchase the least expensive stagecoach.

We bought:

• bedding

• clothing

• trunks

• furniture

• oil lamps

• a shotgun

• knives

• ammunition

• a rifle

• a plough

• a shovel

• a rake

• a saw

• an axe

• a hammer

• ale

• a stove

• saucepans

• frying pans

• cutlery

• corn seeds

• wheat and other crop seeds

• a covered wagon

However, we did not have enough money, so we bought many things second-hand.

Wednesday, May 17th, 1862

After a good night in a saloon, we bought what we could with the rest of our money and left Charleston at first light. After around ten miles, we crossed a small river. Thomas tried to catch a pike, but the fish struck his hand. Moreover, he slipped on a rock and was carried away by the current, but his little brother Henry saved him.

Tonight, we shall sleep in a gloomy forest. May God watch over us during the night.

Saturday, May 20th, 1862

Today, by the mercy of God, nothing unfortunate happened, and Thomas feels much better than he did on Wednesday.

Monday, May 22nd, 1862

Today, we met another family. They were tiresome because they refused to trade our two ears of corn for five bandages, even though we had used all our bandages for Thomas.

Tuesday, May 29th, 1862

This is the end…

We have eaten all our food. It is a secret, but I believe the foolish Jam ate everything during the night. Please, God, help us find more food.

It is now nightfall, and the children are hungry because we found nothing to eat throughout the day.

Wednesday, May 30th, 1862

God heard our prayers, because this morning a herd of buffalo crossed before us. I took my rifle, and with the rest of the men we tracked them. Thanks to this, we enjoyed a great feast. Moreover, we skinned the beasts in the hope of selling their fur. Thanks be to the Lord for providing food for our family.

Saturday, June 3rd, 1862

Today, the situation is dire. Jeffrey ate a spoiled piece of buffalo meat and became terribly ill. Indeed, he developed a fever. The fool was even reading a book while relieving himself.

Thursday, June 5th, 1862

Today, we rested in a village and sold the buffalo fur we had obtained last Wednesday. We made an excellent trade because an old villager bought it for fifty dollars. With the money, we purchased a new horse for thirty dollars, and with the remaining twenty dollars we bought more food supplies.

Friday, June 6th, 1862

During our journey, something strange occurred. While we were walking behind the stagecoach, we saw a mysterious shadow. Two seconds later, our new horse was struck in the hindquarter by an arrow and galloped deep into the forest. Then the shadow returned and let out a terrifying cry that sounded almost like a song. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Monday, June 9th, 1862

Danger is drawing nearer.

Today, while gathering berries, the women saw natives and ran back to the camp in fear. At the same time, we were attacked during a hunting trip. Jam nearly died when a native arrow narrowly missed him. Throughout the night, we kept watch over the camp. May the Lord protect our souls from evil.

Tuesday, June 10th, 1862

At six o’clock this morning, Roger woke everyone because many natives stood before the camp holding food on wooden trays. They wished for us to come to their village. In truth, they were friendly.

Their traditions seemed unusual to us because we spent the evening dancing around the campfire, though it was very enjoyable. Later, Jeffrey argued with one of the young natives, and the tension became unbearable. We therefore chose to leave quickly. May the Lord guide us safely along our road.

Friday, June 11th, 1862

This morning, we woke to discover even more food than yesterday:

• three ears of corn

• two rabbits hidden beneath our wagon

Before going to sleep, Jam confessed that he was terrified because he believed the natives wished to kidnap and eat us.

Wednesday, June 22nd, 1862

Nothing notable has happened for a long time, so we have travelled many miles. However, we encountered a mishap today: the stagecoach became stuck upon a large rock. The rock was too heavy to move, so Jam, Thomas, and I pushed the coach free.

Claire, who is with child, collapsed from exhaustion because of the unbearable heat. We shall therefore remain here for two or three days.

Tuesday, June 23rd, 1862

Nothing happened today, except that Claire continues to suffer from stomach pains.

Friday, June 24th, 1862

OH, HAPPY DAY!

My wife gave birth. To me, however, the child appears rather unfortunate in appearance. He has a huge head and a tiny body. Moreover, he squints, his nose resembles a pig’s snout, and he possesses only one curly hair upon his large head. At least he is healthy. May God watch over the child despite his strange appearance.

Wednesday, June 29th, 1862

This morning, we woke because of the little brat. At times, I think I would have preferred not to have children at all.

Thursday, June 30th, 1862

Today, we broke a wheel on the stagecoach, but fortunately we managed to replace it. During this time, we lost Jamie in the forest. To our astonishment, we later found him beside a tree while a snake bit his toe. We removed the snake and poured alcohol over the wound.

Friday, July 1st, 1862

This morning, Thomas discovered Jeffrey sucking Jamie’s toe in an attempt to drink the alcohol from the wound. When Thomas told his father, Jam spanked Jeffrey in front of the entire family. I must confess that I found it rather amusing.

Monday, July 4th, 1862

WE ARE FORTUNATE!

Today, we met some bluecoats beside the road. They were starving and thirsty, so we shared our food with them. In return, they agreed to protect us from the Navajos.

Wednesday, July 6th, 1862

Step by step, we are nearing our destination. I believe we shall arrive within two days. Jeffrey has become friends with one of the bluecoats, a man named John who is fifty years old, though Jeffrey does not seem to mind the age difference.

Thursday, July 7th, 1862

The weather is dreadful! Since four o’clock this morning, a violent storm has raged, and now the rain pours endlessly. My wife is washing our clothes with the rainwater, but we cannot continue travelling. We built a shelter for the day.

I hope we shall arrive tomorrow because we possess only two steaks for the whole family and one bucket of beer.

Friday, July 8th, 1862

Thank you, bluecoats.

During the night, the campfire went out, and a mountain lion attacked us. Fortunately, John was awake. He seized his shotgun and killed the beast.

Today we reached Hartland. Our final destination lies only nineteen miles away, but night is falling, so we shall continue tomorrow. Praise be to the Lord for saving us from the beast.

Saturday, July 9th, 1862

STRAIGHT AHEAD!

Today is the final day. In approximately seven miles, we shall arrive. Everyone was filled with joy.

Yet all smiles soon vanished. As we approached our destination, an arrow struck one of the bluecoats, and a rain of arrows fell upon us. It was the natives. Chaos erupted.

Roger, Jam, Jeffrey, Thomas, and I seized our shotguns and fought alongside the bluecoats. I myself was struck three times. By the end, nothing remained but blood and corpses.

When I gathered the bodies, I found John dying. We tried to save him, but he passed away thirty minutes later.

Finally, we burned the bodies of the fallen natives. May the Lord forgive our sins and welcome John into Heaven.

Sunday, July 10th, 1862

Today, every member of the family prayed for John and the bluecoats so that they might enter Heaven. May God grant peace to their souls.

The Mac Courts Quest

3 October 1856:
Today, we left our homeland forever because we craved more adventure out of Ireland. I heard that the American president Lincoln offered free territories in America… God willing, this will be a new beginning for us.
Well this is my family: (see logbook)
So we were offered land next to the “Blackfeet” colonies, so we accepted. God speaks in mysterious ways!

4 October 1856:
Today, our family is on the boat for America to educate the children in the countryside and my crops were rotten in fact, that is another reason why I left Ireland with my family. And I decided to write a logbook to document why we left Ireland and have memories of this adventure. Jack and I bought a covered wagon and all the stuff that we will need for the journey.

21 November 1856:
We arrived in America, the kids were surprised but they were reserved because they were scared. I guess… it was about the new world and a new environment and all. Tonight, our family is going to settle a camp and it’s my turn to cook dinner for everyone.

22 November 1856:
Today, the adventure is here, we saw an old man who had ammunition, so we traded with him for money, cow fur and food. Then, we hunted animals like:
cows
bears
and a buffalo…
Tonight, we’re gonna eat this. Praise the Lord for this meal.

23 November 1856:
Today, it was an eventful day…
In the morning, I was going hunting with Cole, Jack, Conrad and Jamie. When Jamie decided to become annoying… What a brat! But after that, we were attacked by a solitary lynx and Cole was hurt. So Jack took the rifle and shot the animal. We didn’t need to worry about Cole because he just had a little wound. This day was exhausting!

24 November 1856:
This day was very calm. Elisabeth and Juliet made a bouquet of flowers!

25 November 1856:
Today, we went for a walk to find some food and with some luck, we found corn and two pumpkins. So we put them in a canvas bag but on the way Conrad saw a hole in the bag and there was already half of the maize missing. Night was coming and we couldn’t go back to the field. But we still have the pumpkins for dinner…

26 November 1856:
Today, we are in Springfield, one of the cities of the USA! In the middle of the city, there were lots of shops and even a drug shop. So we bought two more medicines and some remedies.

27 November 1856:
Today, we are staying in Springfield because the mule was tired. Conrad was annoyed so he went for a walk and he met a girl, her name was Ollie. Marie and I think that Conrad is in love!

28 November 1856:
Today, we left Springfield to continue our way to our new place.

29 November 1856:
Today, it’s an uneventful day, the way was very calm and there were beautiful landscapes.

1 December 1856:
We continued the quest to our destiny when we took a break near an inhabited village. We stayed in a quiet corner where we could rehydrate ourselves and the mule and took a nap. Violet didn’t want to tell the others but she said that she allegedly saw weird people in the long grass. I will be more vigilant next time because it could be those natives that I heard about… they could be dangerous for the kids. May God protect us on the road.

14 December 1856:
Today, I’m kinda nervous. Like Violet said last time, we’ve seen more of these strangers, we are not really reassured especially me… Never mind, we hit the road again and the mule was in good shape. We were able to do 50 kilometres. We met a farmer who kindly gave us bread and milk. We have now arrived at Lincoln, another city that looks like Springfield. And now we only have 40 kilometres left before reaching our new place.

16 December 1856:
Yesterday, I didn’t have time to write something because we had a harsh winter, it was the worst thing ever. We tried to light a fire but it stopped immediately… Jack and Marie were saving food for the children whereas I took the cow fur so the kids could get warm. But Margaret was going a little crazy because she didn’t have much hope that we would survive. She said: “May God bless us!” And she was kinda right… Her husband Cole was taking care of the kids and the mule so they could survive, but he ate nothing at all so he didn’t live through the night. After that, Margaret was starving with Jamie in the cold and they saw what looked like Cole’s silhouette… So they went to Cole but he seemed dead. Jamie was crying and Margaret prayed that he would stay alive. May the Lord have mercy upon his soul.

17 December 1856:
Today, we are still finding it hard to forget what happened before… We have no choice but to hide the truth from the children about the death of my cousin’s family. My fiancée is still crying, Jack and Violet didn’t sleep very well. But after all, I still hold out hope that they are still alive… I don’t really know why I am thinking about it. God only knows what awaits us.

18 December 1856:
Today, we are in Lincoln! While Marie and Jack were buying medicinal plants and Violet was keeping an eye on the covered wagon and the children, I was chatting with a long-lost friend… He told me there’s a tribe called the “Blackfeet” not far from where I’m going to live. He said that there was another tribe not far from there named the “Dakota”. Now that he said that, I am more scared than I was before… May God protect our family on this dangerous journey.

19 December 1856:
On the way, we met the Carter family… They had one of their children who was sick and they had many munitions, so we negotiated. We gave them remedies and cures, and they gave us munitions. The Carters had another girl, her name was Virginia… I think Virginia fell in love with Conrad but she didn’t want to tell him. After that, they continued their way… May the Lord guide them safely.

20 December 1856:
Today, we are staying in Lincoln because there are 5 days left before Christmas!

25 December 1856:
Today, Christmas is here! The children are excited, we prayed and we thanked God to protect us from danger. We wrapped some presents and we offered them to each other. We had an excellent dinner with the family. And I prayed for Cole’s family, I hope they are still alive… Praise be to the Lord on this holy day.

27 December 1856:
Yesterday was crazy! We were walking to our new place when suddenly, we’ve been ATTACKED again but it wasn’t animals… It was those strangers who were following us… We allegedly walked on their territories, so they waged war on us. But thanks to the Carters who gave us ammunitions. Eventually, they are one in the same… Fortunately, no one is dead, we were very lucky. But I am still worried about the rest of our journey because there is still that “Blackfeet” tribe near my new home that my friend told me about… I suppose the “Dakota” tribe wasn’t too dangerous because there were not very many of them. May God continue to protect us from danger.

1 January 1857:
Today, there are 20 kilometres left before we arrive at our future house. Jack’s family and mine were still depressed because of the death of Cole’s family until… Juliet and Elisabeth saw what looked like Cole, Margaret and Jamie’s silhouette. And it was them! We were so happy to see them again. By the way, yesterday night we celebrated the New Year! Meanwhile, Marie, Violet and I were drinking small ale whereas Jack was taking care of the children… And I still feel a bit dizzy after that! Thanks be to God for this miracle and for the new year ahead of us.

2 January 1857:
Today, Jack and Violet have shared some news with us that they’ve been keeping to themselves for many months. They said Violet was pregnant with a baby boy and there were still a few months to go before he would be born. We were so cheerful, especially Juliet because she will become a big sister. May God bless this child before his birth.

3 January 1857:
Today, we went to Colorado, we hope not to cross paths with the natives. We almost arrived at our new place, the kids were excited to live there. But our covered wagon lost one of the wooden wheels. Fortunately, Jamie found another wheel and we fixed it with it!

24 January 1857:
Tomorrow will be the birthday of my fiancée Marie… Jack, Cole, Violet, Margaret and I helped the kids with their gifts. Me, Christopher, husband of Marie, will get her anything that could make her happy! God willing, she shall enjoy this special day.

25 January 1857:
Today is Marie’s birthday! She is 22 years old and she was so happy to have all these gifts, especially mine. Well, it was a good celebration…

2 February 1857:
Today, we met the Leister family and we negotiated with them… They gave us the direction to find the blue coats and we gave them remedies and cures. We had many of them. The Leisters were a large family… I guess it is complicated to look after 7 children.

15 February 1857:
Today, there are 5 kilometres before we finally arrive at our future house. The kids were happy to know that we almost arrived. We will welcome Jack’s son called Justin… Praise be to the Lord for guiding us this far.

17 February 1857:
Yesterday was an eventful day… We’ve been ATTACKED by the “Blackfeet” tribe! They said that apparently, they were threatened because of us… But thanks to the Leister family who showed us the direction to find the blue coats. They helped us to beat them. “Thanks be to God for this miracle.” Today, everybody is fine, Violet and her baby are safe too. We had a lot of luck.

20 February 1857:
Today, we built our house. I can’t believe that we left Ireland and today we will live here for the rest of our lifes. We have achieved the goal that we had always dreamed of. May God bless our new home.

2 April 1857:
Today, we are joyful! Violet gave birth to her son Justin… I was able to experience the joy of becoming an uncle again. Thanks be to the Lord for this happy birth.

Sunday, August 17th, 1855

This day is truly sad, for we buried one of our heroes, James. His general, Georges, delivered a speech in tribute to him:

“James, you were one of my best friends, and you are a hero of the Langmores. Those disgusting creatures destroyed your life, but we triumphed against those creatures made by the devil. Thank you for all the years we spent together as companions. I am sure that God is with you. Goodbye, my friend. I love you dearly.”

It was a beautiful moment until Mary said:

“I hated this man. It is good that he is dead.”

She was violently scolded by the whole family. She is not worthy to be the sister of my wife. May the Lord receive James into Heaven.

⸻

Tuesday, August 19th, 1855

The blue coats are gone. We scolded Mary throughout the entire night.

We met the Mac Courts near a town called Wichita, in Kansas. They asked us whether we had any ammunition because they desperately needed it. From what I remember, they said something like this:

“Hello, dear Langmores. We are so glad that you are here. We truly need help because there is a tribe of Indians on our path, but we do not have enough weapons to fight them. Do you have any ammunition?”

We traded our ammunition for some of their remedies and medicines. In my opinion, it is important to carry remedies and cures; they are extremely useful.

⸻

Wednesday, August 20th, 1855

My wife, Elizabeth, is very upset. She says that trading our ammunition for remedies from the Mac Courts was a terrible idea.

I hope that she will be in a better mood tomorrow because it is making Claire even sadder than she already is. She continues to have nightmares about those savage Indians.

⸻

Sunday, August 24th, 1855

It is terrible. Six highwaymen attacked us, and they took Mary away.

We searched for her for eight hours, but we lost her trail. I do not think the highwaymen realize what a burden Mary can be. Poor fellows.

Conrad did not seem too bothered, even though she was his wife. We organized a wake in her honor, but nobody appeared saddened by her absence. The atmosphere was strangely cheerful.

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Tuesday, August 26th, 1855

We were hunting bison when we encountered another group of blue coats. It was not the same group we had met before.

They were very friendly, though terribly hungry, so we shared some of our bison meat with them. In return, they decided to travel alongside us until we reached the Shoshoni territory, as they were afraid to face the Indians alone.

May God guide our path safely.

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Wednesday, August 27th, 1855

Today, we took shelter at a ranch because of the heavy rain outside.

A man welcomed us warmly. He was very kind and offered us food and drink, including ham and beer. He told us that he had lost his wife three months ago; she died after suffering a seizure.

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Monday, September 1st, 1855

We met the Leister family near the ranch. They had many children, and Elizabeth became fond of one of them.

In exchange for helping the blue coats, we were entrusted with Elizabeth’s favorite child. The blue coats seemed disappointed, as though they themselves had been traded like mere tools.

May God bless them all.

We decided to rename the child Conrad Junior.

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Tuesday, September 2nd, 1855

We are now close to the Shoshoni lands. Anna believes that we still need to travel one hundred more miles before arriving there, where, according to what people say, a tribe of Indians resides.

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Friday, September 5th, 1855

Claire discovered a remarkably rare flower while she was gathering flowers and strawberries. Anna believes that the flower is extremely uncommon.

Conrad Junior attempted to eat Claire’s flower. He behaves exactly like Albert, which is deeply disappointing.

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Saturday, September 6th, 1855

Conrad Junior is very ill. The flower he tried to eat was poisonous.

William believes that he will need at least one week to recover. He is just as foolish as Albert.

Lord, have mercy on the poor child.

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Tuesday, September 16th, 1855 — 11:00 AM

We have reached the Shoshoni territory.

We can see a camp of those creatures made by the devil. One of them is approaching us. He carries no bow, so I believe he does not intend to fight.

Albert and Conrad Junior are crying. They are terribly frightened.

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Tuesday, September 16th, 1855 — 1:00 PM

The Indians invited us into their camp.

Conrad believes that we should follow them because refusing their invitation might offend them, and they could become hostile. I pray that no trouble comes from this encounter.

May the Lord protect us among strangers.

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Tuesday, September 16th, 1855 — 3:00 PM

The creatures invited us to share a meal with them. They served us rabbit meat. It was unpleasant, but I did not wish to offend them.

At last, we may settle down. I believe that we shall build a ranch here for my family.

I can finally stop recording our travels in this diary, for our journey has come to an end. This voyage was a gift from Heaven itself.

Thanks be to God for guiding us safely to our new home.