As the team prepares for the rest of the trip mostly by land we take one more look at Narcissa's thought from the river. Learn more about the paths the steamboats took during that time period. "Can scarcely resist the temptation to stand out to view the shores of the majestic river," she wrote in her diary as the boat approached St. Louis. "Varied scenes present themselves as we pass up - beautiful landscapes - on the one side high and rugged bluffs, and on the other low plains" (March 28, 1836). She was in good spirits. "I think I shall endure the journey well - perhaps better than any of the rest of us" (April 7, 1836). Learn more about ...

Having arrived at their halfway point, Liberty, MO, on April 7 and ended the portion of the trip on water, the Whitman’s and Spaldings took some time to purchase equipment and supplies for their journey. Marcus and Henry bought a heavy farm wagon and quite a few animals, including twelve horses, six mules and seventeen cattle of which four were milk cows. Narcissa described a tent she and Eliza created while staying in Liberty: “made of bed ticking in conical form, large enough for us all to sleep under, vis. Mr. Spalding and wife, Dr. Whitman and wife, Mr. Gray, Richard Takahtoo-ah-tis and John Ais – quite a little family, raised with a center ...

On April 19th a single man, William Henry Gray , unexpectedly arrived with an appointment from the American Board to join the Wihtman-Spalding party as a mechanic. Shortly after the mission company got started, a red haired, 19 year old youth named Miles Goodyear attached himself to the party until Fort Hall in Idaho. Miles Morris Goodyear (2-24-17 to 11-12-49) After leaving the party he spent the next decade as a free trapper. In 1839 he married Pomona, daughter of Ute Chirf Pe-teet-neet. The couple had two children. Read more about him here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Goodyear

Henry Spalding left Liberty on Wednesday, April 27, with two supply wagons and the animals headed for the Oto Agency Mission on the north bank of the Platte River. Marcus had arranged for the Satterlees, Allis’, Eliza, Narcissa and himself to be taken the 300 miles to the Oto Agency on the American Fur Company’s boat, Diana. They were to be picked up on Sunday, May 1. On Saturday, April 30 Martha Satterlee died. She had been sick since she and her husband had left Ithaca prior to joining the Whitmans in Williamsport, PA. The Satterlees and Allis’ were to travel with the party only as far as the Pawnee Indian mission.

On Sunday, May 1st as they attend the funeral service of Mrs. Satterlee the Fur Company's boat suddenly appeared on its voyage up the river. This was a shock to all of them as it wasn't suppose to arrive this early. The captain refused to stop and it was later learned he had not been told about the arrangements to pick them up. "A new burden had suddenly been thrust upon Whitman’s shoulders. He, more than any of the others, realized the absolute necessityfor the protection of their small party while traveling through hostile Indiancountry. Unless he and the two women could get to the Oto Agency,about 300 miles distant, in time to join the ...

Sunday, May 8, Marcus, Narcissa and Eliza stayed at the Methodist Mission for the Kickapoo Indians near Fort Leavenworth. Monday, they continued their difficult journey. Eliza wrote “This morning we leave this place and prosecute our journey through an uninhabited country till we reach the mission station among the Otoes.” Samuel Allis had ridden ahead to catch up with Henry Spalding and bring back the light wagon. Mid-week, he returned. After nine days of hard travel and sleeping on the open ground, they caught up with Spalding that week, only 18 miles from the Oto Agency.

The spring rains had swollen the Platte River and made it very difficult. Driving the livestock across was a simple matter, the real problem was the wagons and heavy baggage. They found an Indian canoe that was large enough to carry about six hundred pounds. Narcissa wrote: “We stretched a rope across the river and pulled the goods over in the canoe without much difficulty” [Letter 26]. In this same letter to Whitman’s brother, Augustus, Narcissa said: “Husband became so completely exhausted with swimming the river on Thursday, the 19th, that it was with difficulty that he made the shore the last time. Mr. Spalding was sick, our two hired men ...

On Tuesday, May 24, they rode for 60 miles and arrived at the Loup Fork of the Platte River late that night, to discover that the Fur Company’s caravan was camped on the other shore. Wednesday, May 25, now traveling with the caravan they passed some large Pawnee Indian villages. Narcissa described the caravan in a letter to her brother, “Now E. [Edward], if you wish to see the camp in motion, look way ahead and see the first pilot and Capt. Fitzpatrick, just before him, next the pack animals, all mules loaded with great packs – soon after you will see the waggons [sic] and in the rear, our company.” There were 400 animals, 70 people, and 7 ...

June 3 – On June 3, 1836 Narcissa wrote to her sister, Harriet and brother, Edward. It was a Friday evening and they had just made camp near the bluffs over against the Platte River. She describes the countryside as rolling sand bluffs, mostly barren unlike what they had been seeing the last few weeks. For cooking fuel they have been using dried buffalo dung as they had left them timber. They were brought their first buffalo meat by one of the hunters. Her husband, Marcus cooks the buffalo meat. At this time there are 10 people in their party; five missionaries, three Indian boys and two young men employed to assist in packing animals. She contin...

In her letter to Harriet and Edward Narcissa wrote, “I never saw anything like buffalo meat to satisfy hunger. We do not want anything else with it. I have eaten three meals of it and it relishes well.” Herds of buffalo have finally been seen and one bull crossed their trail. They “took the trouble to chase him so as to have a near view” and Narcissa and Eliza “got out of the wagon and ran upon bluff to see him.” In 1838, missionary Cornelius Rogers wrote “The [buffalo] meat is very sweet and easily cooked. Ten minutes boiling is enough, more will make it tough. The meat is sometimes “jerked” by being dried in the sun or over a slow ...