17th. Our company held a council and elected me Captain of the train
this morning, which is by no means a desirable post, as it is attended
with greater responsibility and much more care and labor than a less
noted position. However there was no help for it, the company
unanimously insisting on my acquiescence, so I was forced to yield to
the "public voice," and accordingly entered upon the discharge of my
duties.
We struck our tents at half past six A.M., and crossed the branch where
we became the involuntary witnesses of a terrible accident which
happened to a train that started from above us about the time we left.
As we approached the main road we were alongside of them, and some of
our company finding old friends in the other train, both trains were
stopped to have a little friendly conversation. A few moments
afterwards a dog belonging to the other train, frightened the mules
belonging to one of their wagons, ahead of which there were a span of
high spirited horses, causing them to break out of the train and run,
when instantly the dog jumped upon one of the mules and bit him
severely, and adding much more to their fright. The wagon was loaded to
the top of the bows, on the top of which sat the driver who reined the
horses and mules for some time until a line broke, when they turned
down a steep gully, turning the wagon completely over, and burying the
driver under the load, the leaders (horses) broke clear from the mules,
and the latter turned over and came upon their feet, the reverse from
their original position, the nigh one being on the off side, and the
off one on the nigh side. The horses ran in one direction, whilst the
mules ran in another, with the forward wheels attached to them, and the
dog with another belonging to the train chasing them. The horses were
soon caught by Litwiler, who sprang upon one of our horses and gave
chase, but the mules were not caught until the dogs were shot, although
frequently surrounded by the men, they being so frightened that they
would have ran directly over them. We got the driver out from under the
goods as soon as possible, found him badly bruised and cut up, and
bleeding freely, but sensible, which was more than we expected, as we
thought we should find him killed outright. The wagon was completely
broken to pieces, and they were compelled to encamp the train to repair
the damage and to take care of the injured man. I never saw him
afterwards, and have never heard whether he recovered; it is possible
that he did, yet as they had two doctors in the train it is uncertain.
The train belonged to Hennepin, Ill., and the same unlucky dog I was
told had killed a mule for the train once before since they started.
We reached the Little Blue river about noon. The Little Blue is about
30 feet wide, and about 3 deep, good banks and sandy bottom; the water
is good, and flows in a quick current. It is skirted with cotton wood
trees, with some oak and ash the whole length of it. The timber
generally lies on the west bank of the river, and averages from 20 to
100 rods in width. It furnishes good camping grounds all along its
bottoms.
One of the men killed an antelope this evening which was divided up
amongst the different messes in the train.