Polk County Oregon Teritory August 14th 1853
Dear children
It is with great pleasure that I seat myself this fine morning to inform
you by letter that we all arived safe in the willamattee valley on the 5th
Aug. after a long tedious journey, we found our friends all well and
doing well, and I am sure that we all ought to feel exceeding thankful
to our heavenly father for his protecting care over us, for of all our
friends notwithstanding so many has crossed the plains, not one of them
has died it has not been the case with a great many others. for we have
been where they have been buried along the road from the Missorie river
to this valley in greate abundance, we had but little sickness in in our train
The most of us had a light attack of what is called the mountain fever, but
in most cases it only lasted a week or two and even then we could
generly go about. I consider that I have been much benifited in praise of
health for I have not had an attact of my complaint with which I have
suffered so much since I started from home, and if my health continues as it
has been since I started I shall feel myself amply compensated for all my
trouble and expence which has been considerable I wrote to you at Fort
Laramie that Edward Ground had one of his mares stolen by the Indians
he never got her, he also had one of his best mares drownded in fall river,
my best mule got drownded at the same time and place, I will just tell you
how it hapened our loos horses and mules was driven till they got very dry
and when they got to the river about fourteen of them rushed into the water
just above the falls the hindmost pressing on those before and in an instant
they was all swimming and the water ran very swist which very soon
forced them over the falls, my mule and Edward's mare was both forced
over a large rock. I believe Edward mare sunk amediately, my mule sank
and rose frequently till it got below all the brakers it then swam about a
minute and sunk. Edward lost one waggon the one that Bolden made for
him it just broke to peaces it was a greate cheat. the above constituted
our losses we started with 47 persons in the train and when we reached
the valley we had 48 Elizabeth had a fine son on the Cascade Mountains,
and although we had to hall her over ten thousand rocks which you would
have thought a waggon unable to stand, yet she and the babe are both
doing well. You will likely want to know how I like the country. I will just
tell you that I have not seen enough of the country to form an opinion yet
though I can say that what I have seen is as good or better than I
expected to find it. It will cost me a good deal of money to live the first
year but after that I believe that I can live as well as I could in Illinois,
though I will write my opinion of the country in full as soon as it is formed.
John if it would not be too much trouble I would be glad if you would
write to me and make a memorandum of the names and amount of each
of my notes which I left with you. One thing more if you have not made
any disposition of our cattle keep them till you hear from me again. I
presume you would like to know how we old folks stood the journey
Your mother was considerably fatiagued and worn out but I stood the
trip as well as any of the young men. I drove my buggy nearly all the
way myself. After all thare is more depending on the disposition of a
person to stand that trip than the Constitution, for if a person cannot
accommodate themselves to their situation it will be hard to stand the
trip but if they can feel sattisfied to sit down in the mud or dust sunshine
or rain and eat what ever they have, then sleep on the ground or in the
waggon or any other place which they can get, then the trip will be easy
and half the dificuties surmounted. I write this letter to you all for the
reason that I have a very poor chance to write I will send it to Joseph
with the request to have him send it on to the rest of the boys in Illinois,
Joseph I intended to have came by your house but was prevented by
Hutchinson having to return to Oquawka which left me to take care of
every thing and it was out of my power to come Thomas went by and
did not get to the train untill noon next day in consequence of the high
water, which we supposed prevented you from coming atall. You must
write to me as soon as you receive this letter and let me know what you
intend to do in relation to mooving to this country and if you do come
I will write you some things which you will find to your advantage my
sheet is full so I must close
Your mother wishes you all to write often and tell all about all the children
and grandchildren and neighbours
*Tell us whether your uncle Isaac died in his sences and if so what he said
about dying
Give our best love and respects to all our old friends and kneighbours
Your Father
Peter Butler
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