Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/168

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152
John Minto.

for the dates of deaths, births, and marriages, and for fixing day of arrivals at prominent points, and for this purpose I shall use them as I proceed; the language, however, under the dates as given, being mine. I will, however, here insert a few more entries of his journal, showing situations and progress at this time. In his notes of July 15, following the formal resignation of Messrs. Gilliam and Nichols, Mr. Parrish proceeds: "This is a gloomy day to my mind. I pray to the Lord to grant that it may be overruled for the best of all concerned. We are no win companies. This company is called the California Company: Captain, Saunders; Mitchell Gilliam, the general's brother, Lieutenant; James Marshall, First Sergeant; Gamaliel Parrish, Second Sergeant; William Gilliam, the general's nephew, Second Corporal; Solomon Shelton, First Corporal, and E. E. Parrish, Judge. S. Shelton left the company some time ago. An order by Captain Saunders to hitch up and roll away was quickly obeyed. After traveling some miles on the best kind of a road we again camped on a high bank near the river.

"July 16.—A clear sunrise, but soon became cloudy and looks like rain. It cleared off and we had a brisk wind, with a cool, pleasant day. We got along finely to-day. Three hunters gone out to kill buffalo. We are now camped near a small pond at the foot of the bluff, with no wood except what we brought with us, and buffalo chips, which make a good fire. The general, his son-inlaw, Grant, and his son-in-law, Gage, with their families, are in this company. We have in all seventeen wagons and a carriage. The hunters, Captain Saunders and two others, came in late this afternoon, having killed two buffaloes and brought in as much meat as they could