Oregon Trail Journal
By Wiliam Anderson
Entry 1
The first couple days on the Oregon Trail flew by. I was entertained by the constantly changing surroundings. The children loved the excitement of seeing the countryside. But soon boredom stepped in. By day 5, I could barely take the monotony of our everyday ride across the trail. My wife and I would just spend the days riding in the wagons and contemplating past events of our lives.
My family and I on the Oregon trail
Wagons on the Oregon Trail. Digital image. WHY "THE OREGON TRAIL" IS HORRIBLE,OVERRATED AND CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE. N.p., 8 Dec. 2014. Web.
View along the Trail
Chi, Yei Bi. The Totem. Digital image. Monument Valley. N.p., 2002. Web.
Trying to get the wagon across the river
Crawford, P.V. Snake River Crossing. Digital image. Snake River Crossing. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Entry 2
After spending the day with the other family , my family and I settled down and had our nightly dinner around a fire and enjoyed one another's company. As we were eating dinner, I heard a pack of coyotes howling in the distance. Hearing their beautiful but eerie chorus of howls sent chills up my spine. We were truly out in the middle of nowhere. The feeling was almost surreal. After listening to the coyotes for awhile, I got my exhausted children to fall asleep in the wagon before I started writing this entry.
Entry 3
Also, about a week ago, a child of another family was bitten by a rattlesnake. Thank goodness it was a dry bite, meaning the snake didn't bite with any venom, but it still doesn't look too good. It was hard to get to stop bleeding and it looks a little infected. Hopefully the boy will be alright.
Entry 4
We have gone through quite a lot this past month. We got attacked by some Indians which resulted in 4 causalities and 3 injuries, including a shoulder injury I received by an arrow piercing it. Along the trail, a small boy who seemed to have lost his parents was adopted into our family. Unfortunately, three days later he died of Cholera. His death was a hard hit on our family. Luckily we should be reaching Oregon any day now.