We come to the spring of 1860 when I was just past nineteen years of age. An age when one in robust health, and without a fixed habitation is apt to welcome adventure. Gold had been discovered at Pikes Peak. Stories of fortunes quickly made there were told, and from all parts of the country a rush was made to the land that held out such inducement. I was strongly impressed with the flattering prospect, and with the opening of spring was ready to embark in an enterprise that promised so much. Carlton Babcock my fellow workman of the winter, and his brother-in-law Henry Rose were also willing to brave the dangers of the plains to secure a fortune. So it was arranged that we should go to Pikes Peak. Each of my partners had a family and a home, such as I should have been loth to leave. But they, like myself, having the utmost confidence in the outcome of the expedition, felt they could afford to make a temporary sacrifice, while I had no sacrifice to make. There was but little money in the outfit, consequently there was little to loose. Both Babcock and Rose were carpenters, and a few tools were taken along. It was thought best to make out trip by the water to Quincy, Ill., thence across the state of Missouri to St. Joseph at which point expeditions were fitted out to cross the plains. To this end, provided with a neat sailboat, made by Rose we embarked upon the waters of Wolf River at Fremont on the 10th day of April.

We passed down the Wolf River to the mouth of the Fox, ascended that stream to near Portage, passing thence into the Wisconsin River through a short canal. From this point we followed the course and current as it wound its way among the bluffs toward the gulf. Our boat, though small, was really a thing of beauty, easily managed, and under favorable winds could be made to run at a high rate of speed. We used but little force to propel our craft along, but were content to let it drift with the current which by the way was quite rapid in places on the Wisconsin. We carried our blankets and a few cooking utensils. Our stock of provisions was not large, but it could be replenished from day to day as required. At night our boat was taken from the water, turned over and used as a shelter, under which our sleep was as refreshing as it could have been in quarters more elegant and costly.

We stopped at the principle towns as we came to them. This gave all of us an opportunity to look over the places and Rose a chance to ask questions, at which he was an expert. If we did not obtain a fair knowledge of the country we passed through it was not because Rose failed to ask questions about it. Our first stop after getting into the Mississippi River was at Dubuque, Iowa. We remained here until after dark in order to hear a political speech. I do not remember the name of the speaker, but he was a Republican and he strongly advocated the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for President. This was a new name to me then, but it was heard throughout the width and breadth of our land. We saw something of the lead mines of Galena, Ill. and witnessed the process of making shot. We stopped at Clinton, Davenport, Muscatin, Burlington, Fort Madison and Keokuk. All of which places are in Iowa. Babcock and Rose received letters form home at some of these towns. At Fort Madison was located the Iowa Penitentiary. We obtained permission to visit it. I think there were about four hundred confined there at the time, some of them remarkably fine looking men. I presume they were shrewd, one does not have to be a fool in order to become a criminal. Visitors were not allowed to converse with prisoners of course. This was hard on Rose. He would have obtained a personal history from each had it not been contrary to the rules. Prisoners were supposed to pay no attention to us, but I heard several of them, in a whisper, plead for a chew of tobacco. The prison seemed to be well kept, and the prisoners well cared for. We made a brief stop at Canton, Mo. where we first trod the soil of a slave state.

We arrived at Quincy, Ill near the last of April, having made a trip, by water, of five hundred miles. Here we were to dispose of our boat and leave the Mississippi river for St. Joseph, Mo.. When we offered our boat for sale there were plenty who admired its beauty, but they hesitated to but it because it was said that many boats were brought down the river and sold which proved afterward to have been stolen. We did however dispose of it for $25.00 just about one half of its value. After selling out we concluded to go aboard of a large fleet of timber and float down to Hannibal, Mo. twenty miles below, at which place we arrived the next day. Between Quincy and Hannibal we encountered a very severe storm which for a time threatened to scatter our raft to the four winds. Its force was so strong that it drove one corner of our raft on to the bank thirty or forty feet from the waters edge. Large trees upon the banks were torn out by the roots or broken off, two or three of them falling upon the raft. For a few moments the situation seemed perilous, but no material damage was done. It was the worst storm I had ever been caught in, and we all felt relieved when it was over.

St. Joseph was west from Hannibal 225 miles. The H & St. Joe Rail Road connecting the two places had been completed the year before (1859). Neither of us would have objected to a ride over the distance, but as we had more time than money, we decide to walk. Rolling our blankets and few possessions into a bundle which we swung across the shoulder, we were ready to take our course to the westward. In our march across the state we concluded use the railroad track, this being the most direct route. Our "tie tickets" secured to us this privilege. But we found it a hard road to travel. Very little grading had been done on the road. The ties for the most part had been laid upon the surface of the ground, with but little filling between them. That peculiar jolt that we felt as we stepped from tie to tie became tiresome and monotonous.

After passing Palmyra, sixteen miles from Hannibal, we crossed some quite extensive prairies, which at that time had not been brought under cultivation. Occasionally a farm house could be seen in the distance to the right or left along some stream or timber belt, but not many on the prairie along the railroad. Stock in abundance ranged at will in all directions. Cheap mules could be bought everywhere. The forty years that have elapsed since then has brought with it great changes. The H & St. Joe R.R. has now a fine road bed, and is a well equipped as any in the country, and farms as well improved as any in the Mississippi Valley. Shortly after leaving Palmyra we met two mounted men, armed with shotguns, followed by eight or ten blood-hounds, hunting for runaway slaves. They were going north. I suppose their stray chattels had moved toward the north star in their quest for freedom. We saw but few slaves as we passed along, but Rose was eager to interview those we met. I have since thought that perhaps we was fortunate in seeing so few, for if we had been amongst them much we might have been arrested as "Abolition nigar thieves". Rose would have given us away by his inquisitiveness.

The third day out from Hannibal we came to Monroe City where we obtained information that led us to abandon our trip to Pikes Peak. It seemed that the tempting reports of gold discovery in the Pikes Peak region had induced large numbers of people to rush out there, many of them, like ourselves without food, anticipating no trouble is securing a supply at the end of the route. But the supply proved not to be equal to the demand upon it, and the result was many deaths and much suffering from hunger resulted. These reports were so discouraging that Babcock and Rose at once decided to abandon the trip. I was strongly inclined at first to push ahead and take my chances in the rush, but upon further reflection I decided not to do so alone. Our " tie tickets" being equally good both ways we turned our faces toward the Mississippi River.

Neither one of our party thought of returning to Wisconsin at once. Babcock and Rose each had relatives living in Yazwell County, Ill. and we all decided to go there. Our purpose to acquire sudden wealth in the west having been thwarted, I felt quite indifferent as to which was I went. I realized however that if I would still have to work for a living, and if I could get a job I would be contented anywhere. It was on Saturday that our party started east from Monroe City. Toward night we stopped by the road-side to talk with an old gentleman who, with several slaves, was at work in a corn field. He was very friendly, and upon learning that we were strangers, and that two of our party was carpenters, he very cordially invited us to stop with him over Sunday. Of course we accepted his kind invitation, and I shall always remember him for the generous hospitality he extended to us. He was to build a new residence and he availed himself of the opportunity to talk to carpenters in regard to its construction, and he highly appreciated the information our party could give him about the plan of building.

Mr. Johnson (our host) was the owner of an extensive tract of fertile land, and apparently one of the wealthy prominent men of that section. He owned a number of slaves to whom he seemed indulgent and kind. He was free to talk about the institution of slavery, of course from the standpoint of a southern man, though he manifested a reasonable regard for the opinion of those who differed from him upon this question. On Sunday quite a number of his neighbors gathers in who held extreme views in regard to politics and were much less inclined to tolerate a difference of opinion. Politics was their whole theme of conversation. Some of them were very bitter in denouncing "Black Republican Abolitionists" and threatened that dire calamities would befall the Country if that party should elect a president the following fall. "The south would never submit to it." They would secede and break the d-d old union up first." None of our party appreciated such talk at all, but we realized that much of it was for the purpose of drawing us out, and perhaps to provoke a quarrel with us. Consequently we thought best to say but little as we had no desire for controversy. For once even Rose was squelched. Expressions of such sentiments in the south at that time, was an indication of the gathering storm that shortly after swept over the country and caused the shedding of rivers of the best blood of the land.

On Monday morning we bid farewell to our kind friend, who would receive no remuneration for our generous entertainment, and took up our line of march to the eastward. Instead of going back to Hannibal, we went direct from Palmyra Junction to Quincy which place we reached in less than two days. Here we took passage on a river steamer up to **** Ill from which place we wished to go due east about one hundred miles to Yazwell County. We spent a little time in looking over the ruins of the deserted Mormon town, then started out on our four hard days march. We reached our destination, twelve miles south of Pek** on Sunday about the 12th of May. In following the meandering river course, together with our trip into Missouri and out to Yazwell Co., Ill. we calculated we had traveled fully eight hundred miles since starting from our Wisconsin home. We were tired and footsore and would have enjoyed a few days rest, and I think Babcock and Rose did, but I met with an opportunity to work and the next morning I commenced my job. I hired to a farmer by the name of Hiram Sweet at $13.00 per month. My partners obtained employment shortly after. I saw but little of them, two months later they returned to Wisconsin.

Chapter Four --->