Settler Diaries- David Campbell

http://lib-operations.sonoma.edu/specialcollections/finley/aaa-0712.html

I have chosen to use the journal of David Campbell, who travelled across the plains to California in 1846, and at the time this journal was published in the Review in 1910, Campbell was the last living pioneer in California. 

The pioneer mission started out with 250 wagons in Independence, and this is something that was not uncommon. Many people migrated west in last groups of people so that a new community could be established upon settlement at the desired destination. This large group of settlers is just one example showing the popularity of Western expansion/migration at the time. Campbell speaks of how their 'company had a good road most of the way considering it was a mountain road and had never been worked.' This shows that this party in particular had a lucky journey in comparison to others, who would have, perhaps, not experienced the same good fortune. This is not the only aspect of the journey that was on their side, Campbell also speaks of a tribe of Indians they came across and traded with, and describes them as 'very friendly', the tone of which -in this context- is of surprise, as there was a common perception at this time of the Indians as savage. However, this is not a perception that lasts for long. Further on in the journal, it is implied that the Indians are savage and animal-like; 'three of our men were killed by Indians. They used poison arrows'. 

The migration group was split into four companies, which made for faster travel, however, it soon became evident that faster was not necessarily better. One of the companies that decided to rush ahead found that their cows could not take the strain of covering so much land without rest, and gave out somewhat before the other companies did. All of the companies had to adapt to life on the plains, and in some senses it was in a way that was not dissimilar to the Native Indian way of life, by using all the available resources as a means of survival, the buffalo included. Campbell wrote that they would kills as many was ten buffalo each day, calling it a 'fine sport', as there were 'a great many buffalo on the plains at that time'. This implies acknowledgement of the near extinction of the buffalo later on purely because of the settlers who killed so many of them for food and various other resources. 

Fifty of the wagons did not make it to California due to there being so many deaths in their families, due to a 'raging mountain fever', so they went to Oregon instead. The Donner party decided they would take another road at the Hastings cut off, going the way of Fort Bridger, which actually proved to be a longer, worse road, which caused some conflict within the party, resulting in some men being forced to leave, which is when they came across Campbell's group. This shows that the journey was not at all easy, and the fact that three men were forced to part from the Donner party demonstrates the real struggle there was even before arriving at their destination. Campbell's group are just one group of settlers who could be, perhaps, seen as lucky. This is because, like the Donner Party, not everyone had such a smooth journey, 'fortunately the rivers were all very low that year'. However, the Donner Party became known for their misfortune whilst travelling west, they got stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains and some even resorted to cannibalism merely as a means of survival. 

Then, once arriving in California, those who survived the journey, did not find it easy to settle on any land, as there were many disputes with the Spanish over whose land it was. However, despite all the hardships the migrants did experience, it is important to note that the journals and diaries of the actual people who moved west, are mostly positive because those are the people that lived to tell their tale, as opposed to the really awful events that frequently occurred, and the awful conditions the settlers experienced, which there may not have been any survivors of to inform others of this.