The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926 Page: 203
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From Texas to California in 1849
stance from El Passo to Goat Peak at Seven hundred and thirty
eight miles (738)
Oct 5th. We are encamped eight from Goat Peak-and have
been here five days- we have been waiting upon Harrison, one
of our traveling companions who has been very sick with typhoid
fever- We have just learned the sad news of the death of Mrs.
Mudget- She died a few days after we left them- She leaves
a family of small children their loss may be her gain-but who
can estimate the measure of affliction opportioned to the Father-
Surely his cup is full- The weather is getting quite cool, indeed
the nights are cold- In the evening (5th) we moved on eight
miles- passed the grave of a young man, W. S. Christian, from
Scott County, Ky- Lay by on the 6th- Next day traveled
twelve miles-and the 8th seven miles-9th ten miles-and the
10th sixteen miles- no grass at either camp, but at the latter
an abundance of Musquite Beans-
11th. Moved on four miles and obtained good grass- This
was our last camp on the Gila River, being one mile above its
junction with the Colorado of the West-On which Stream we
encamped Friday evening, Oct 12th-having been six months, less
three days, on the road and having traveled in all sixteen hundred
& four miles- There is a company of U. S. Dragoons stationed
on the West side of the River, under the command of Leutenant
Couts [Coutts],42 as escort to an Engeneir Officer,48 whoes object
is to get the paralells of that point preparatory to running the
boundary line between the United States and Mexico-
The principal crossing of the Colorado, in fact the only one
"Lieutenant Cave J. Coutts, a native of Tennessee, was educated at
West Point; he took part in the Mexican War, and under the command
of Major Lawrence P. Graham marched from Chihuahua to California in
1848. At San Diego he was put in charge of a small force to escort the
Boundary Commission to the Colorado. His manuscript diary in the
Bancroft Library records his experiences with the passing emigrants, their
destitute condition, and his inability to help them materially. The fol-
lowing entry for September 26, 1849, is typical: "The Emigrants! Oh!
Still they come. I never was in my life so annoyed. To set and tell them
of California, work on maps and way bills for them, is only a pleasure.
But them fellows begging for sugar, flour, molasses, pork, a little fresh
beef, rice, coffee & etc., and God only knows how they have the face to push
such entreaties as they do. They have stopped me on the route and kept
me up at night listening to their stories of Indian depredations on the
Colorado, stealing their animals & etc. when they go up, and almost
under my own eyes, steal my mules! . . ."
"4Lieutenant Amiel W. Whipple, of the topographical engineers.203
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926, periodical, 1926; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117141/m1/223/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.