THE QUARTERLY
of the
Oregon Historical Society.
DIARY OF THE EMIGRATION OF 1843[1]
By James W. Nesmith.
[James Willis Nesmith, one of the foremost of Oregon's pioneer citizens, was of Scotch-Irish parentage, and was born on the border line between Maine and New Brunswick, on July 23, 1820. At least two of his forefathers had fought for American liberty in the Battle of Bunker Hill, and others of the family had upheld the cause of the colonies during the great struggle against England, with the result that the young man inherited his love of country by natural consequence. His mother died while he was in infancy, and his early years were spent among relatives in New Hampshire and Ohio. As early as the winter of 1841-2 he had traveled as far west as Jefferson County, Iowa, and had heard of the party that intended leaving Independence in May or June, 1842, under the leadership of Dr. Elijah White. He endeavored to accompany the emigration, but arrived at the starting place too late, and was forced to abandon his trip for the time being. He spent most of the ensuing year in the employment of the Government as a carpenter in the construction of Fort Scott in Kansas, and was on hand at Independence early in May 1843, ready to become a member of the emigration that was to be led across the plains to Oregon by Dr. Marcus Whitman. At the time of the writing of this diary, James W. Nesmith was twenty-three years of age, and his education had been confined almost exclusively to the reading of a few books by standard authors—The editor is indebted to Mr. Lewis Ankeny McArthur for the preparation of the Nesmith journals for publication.]
Thursday, May 18, 1843.—The Oregon company met at the grove West of Fitzhugh's Mill on May 18, 1843. The meeting was organized by calling Mr. Layson to the chair, and Mr. Burnett secretary. It was moved and seconded that there be a committee of nine appointed to draft rules and regulations to govern the company. Resolved, that a
- ↑ For further information concerning the emigration of 1843, see articles which have been published in The Quarterly as follows: "The Oregon Trail," with map, December, 1900; "[[../../Volume 1/A Day with the Cow Column in 1843|A Day with the Cow Column in 1843]]," December, 1900; "Document," December, 1900, page 898; "Documentary," June, 1901, page 187; "Documents," June, 1902, page 890; "Documents," June, 1903, page 168; "Recollections of an Old Pioneer," March, 1904, page 64; "Recollections of an Oregon Pioneer of 1843," March, 1906, page 56; "Route Across the Rocky Mountains," March, 1906, page 62.
