Rj’S Journey: The Journals of Rebecca Jemima Callaway

By Ardith Nelson

The book contains the fictional journals of a young girls journey on the Oregon Trail and settling in Oregon. In journal 1, she records her adventures and relationships on the Oregon Trail. In journal 2, she continues her story and that of her family and friends as they settle in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512796506

Ardith Nelson

Ardie Nelson was born and raisesd in Nebraska. She enjoys studying American History, especially the pioneer era. Having grown up on what was the vast prairie of the Great Plains she still wonders what the landscape was like before highways, power lines and barbwire fences. She has taught in private a Christian school in Minnesota and colleges in Minnesota and British Columbia. She has worked professionally with children, youth and adults in churches in Minnesota and Texas. Currently, she lives in Missouri with her husband and near her children and grandchildren.

Book preview

JOURNAL 1

The Journey West to Oregon Territory in ‘58

My name is Rebecca Jemima Callaway. I was born August 1, 1845. I am 12 years old. My father is William Boone Callaway. He was born September 26, 1807, and on April 12, 1837, he married Malinda Silvy. Malinda Silvy Callaway is my mother and she was born March 18, 1819. I have four brothers and one sister. All except my brother Morgan are older than me. My ancestry includes my great, great grandparents Daniel and Rebecca Boone. They had ten children. I am named after Great, Great Grandmother Rebecca and their fourth child, my Great Grandmother, Jemima who married Flanders Isham Callaway. This journal begins in December 1857 when Pa and Ma made the final decision to journey West.

Rebecca Jemima Callaway

Blue Springs, Missouri 1857

December 1, 1857

I live in Missouri, but not for long. Soon we will be leaving for Oregon Territory. My father has been planning this move for several years. I am 12 years old now and will turn 13 before we arrive at our new home.

I am closest in age to my brothers Washington (15) and Morgan (11). Howard is the oldest and just turned 19. He has been married to Nancy for almost 2 years. They are not going West with us. It sounds like Howard and brother William (18) are both staying in Missouri. My one sister, Malinda (Lindy), is 17. She is coming with the rest of us. She can be bossy, but she also sticks up for me when my brothers’ teasing gets too annoying.

When Washington and Morgan are not teasing me or fighting each other we are good friends and have many adventures together. In some ways, I think we will miss our Missouri home, but adventure is in our blood so we are eager to start out West.

Washington, Morgan, and I enjoy exploring the creek bank, fishing, and re-enacting stories passed down in our family about the exploits of Daniel and Rebecca Boone. One of our favorites to re-enact is the kidnapping of my great grandmother Jemima. The story goes she and a couple of her friends were canoeing on the Kentucky River when Indians kidnapped them. My great, great-grandfather, Daniel Boone and some others went after the girls to find them. The girls marked the trail until the Indians made them quit. Daniel and the others found them anyway. One of the rescuers (Flanders Callaway, my great grandfather) eventually married Jemima. When we re-enact that event we go down to the creek and Morgan and I get onto the raft. We go down stream, get off the raft and go hide in the woods somewhere. Washington, who for some reason always gets to play the part of Daniel Boone, comes to find us and rescues me from Morgan who always plays the Indian who captures me. I, of course, play the part of Jemima. Morgan takes me to a different place every time we enact it. When Washington finds us he asks me if the Indians hurt me and I say, No, actually, they were mostly kind to me. We say these things because we have been told it is part of the true story. Depending on where Morgan has us hide determines how long it takes Washington to find us. One time we hid so well it was almost dark before he found us. Washington said we would all miss supper, but Ma had saved some food for us. We never hid that far away after that.

Rebecca Jemima Callaway

December 26, 1857

Yesterday the extended family came to our house for Christmas dinner. As usual there was plenty of food. Washington, Morgan and I had gone out earlier in the week to get the turkeys. We needed six of them according to Ma who was organizing the food for the meal. Pa had butchered one of the hogs with Howard’s and William’s help. Lindy and Ma saw to the preparation of the meat. Other relatives brought all the other food items including tasty cakes and pies. It was an extravagant spread.

The turkey hunt was another opportunity for the three of us to act like our great, great grandfather, Dan’l Boone. We pretended we were him – or at least Washington pretended he was Dan’l. I was Jemima and Morgan was whoever he wanted to be. Sometimes he was James. Sometimes he used the name Israel or Nathan or Jessie. They were all names of Daniel and Rebecca’s sons. I love pretending I am Great, Grandmother Jemima because I imagine her to be as adventurous as her parents.

So Dan’l (Washington) carried the rifle and Morgan and I followed along. Shooting turkeys requires much patience and a lot of sitting quietly in a thicket waiting for turkeys to walk by. Dan’l lost several opportunities to shoot because Morgan or I would rustle leaves or sneeze or giggle and frighten the turkeys off. He threatened to send us home if we could not be quiet, so we settled down eventually. Over a period of two and a half days we got the required number of turkeys. Morgan and I were the pack animals for Washington—we always had to carry the birds home. We got smart and brought leather strips with us so we tied the turkeys’ legs to a long, strong stick which we hefted to our shoulders. It made carrying the turkeys a lot easier and really made us feel the part of the Boones we were pretending to be.

Pa was proud of us when we brought the turkeys to him to dress. He said, You are going to be a great help on the trip West. Seems like everything we do now is about the trip West. At least it seems to be that way for Pa.

Another thing that made our up-coming move real was when Pa stood up after the big Christmas feast and announced to everyone this would likely be our last Christmas with all the family together. He said, Malinda and I have decided 1858 is the year our family is heading to Oregon Territory. I will always remember the hush that followed Pa’s announcement. The hush did not last long because shortly Pa left the table and most of the men and boys put their coats on and followed him outside with questions flying about the move. In the house the women queried Ma as they cleaned up the dishes and stored what little leftovers remained.

There was excitement and concern in the women’s questions. Some were sad we were leaving. Some were curious about the timing of the decision knowing Pa had been talking about it for years. He had kept careful watch of the conflict between Border Ruffians and Free Staters in Kansas Territory. He did not want to get caught in the middle of that conflict. Seemingly, the Free State men now outnumbered the Pro-Slavery Ruffians and skirmishes were not as frequent between them. When Pa said we were leaving Missouri in the spring a few of our guests had thoughtful looks on their faces. It seemed as if they were considering coming West at some point as well. (For several years land in Oregon Territory was being given to settlers. Since 1854 land began to be sold for $1.25 an acre with a limit of 320 acres. Pa had wanted to wait until the journey was safer than it had been at the beginning of the migration. But, now he did not want to wait longer in case land got more expensive. The issue of slavery was tearing our region apart and the threat of battle was hanging over us. Also, we children were old enough to travel well and help along the way. According to Pa, now was the time to move.)

In the evening when everyone else had gone home Pa and Ma gathered our immediate family (except for Howard, Nancy, and William). It was like a session of school. They began to teach us and prepare us for what we will need to have, what we will need to do, and how we will prepare in the coming months for our trip to Oregon Territory.

It is getting real to me now. Pa said Howard and William plan to stay in Missouri, but they will help us get ready to go. He, also, said Uncle Boone and Aunt Esther are going to travel with us. I was happy about that because it meant my cousins would be on the adventure with us. But, it did sober me to think Howard and Nancy would not be coming. They have just announced Nancy is in the family way. We will more than likely leave before their baby is born in May. I might never see my first little niece or nephew.

Brother William and I are not especially close, but he has always been kind to me. He is sweet on a girl from town, so I suppose that is why he is staying. Her father has a shipping business on the Missouri River. William has worked on one of the boats for over a year. He has worked his way up to supervisor of hands on the boat. He is following in our Pa’s footsteps as far as his work goes. Pa worked for many years on the Mississippi River before he met Ma. The difference will be William will marry young unlike Pa who was somewhere around 30 when he married Ma.

Now I know we are really going West. Things are about to change. Am I going to like the changes and the challenges? I am a Boone. It is in my blood. Of course, I will accept the challenge and meet everything that comes my way with courage in the quest for Oregon Territory.

R.J.

January 15, 1858

The days are short, the air is cold, and snow covers the ground. Ma is teaching us the 3 R’s (readin’, ‘ritin’, and ‘rithmetic). Pa is teaching us survival skills. I enjoy the survival skills the best. Some of them we already know like how to start a camp fire and shoot and field dress deer. He taught all of us, even Ma, to harness the oxen he bought recently. I am still a bit on the small side and not as strong as the boys or Lindy, but I watch and help as much as I am able. I am sure when I am a little bigger I will be able to do these things by myself. We all know how to saddle and ride Jake, too. We wish we could have another horse beside Jake, but Pa says one horse will have to do for now.

Though I like learning the survival skills, I have to admit I do like the academic lessons as well. Ma says I am smart and catch on to the subject matter quickly. She has me help Morgan with arithmetic. She thinks I might be a teacher someday. I do not know what I want to be. All I know is I want to be adventurous like my ancestors.

Lindy does not need to be in school any more. Once in a while she passes on knowledge she has gained in her reading. She reads a lot and it is interesting to learn about history and science from her. She is very smart. She is especially interested in biology, anatomy, and physiology. Otherwise, Lindy’s chores are to milk Bessie twice a day and help Ma with the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Last autumn she and Ma dried herbs and vegetables from the garden and canned meat in preparation for winter and our trip West. Many of the herbs are for medicinal purposes. Lindy fancies herself as a midwife/doctor.

Lindy has more than one young man who makes eyes at her when we go to town or to church. I think she half-way likes the attention but so far there is no one who has won her heart. I am glad because I want her to go to Oregon Territory with us. She says she wants to go. She thinks there will be many opportunities for her to practice her medical skills on the trip and when we get settled in our new home.

Pa has sold all the sheep, pigs and cattle. We are keeping Bessie, our milk cow. She will travel west with us. She has been bred back, so there will be a calf born in Oregon Territory. The work horses have been sold to neighbors. All except the one Howard bought. He says he will do a small amount of farming on the place, but he will spend most of his time working at the grist mill in town. Ever since the migration started our little town of Blue Springs has been a stopover place for pioneers heading West. Howard has been working for six years already in town at the mercantile and grist mill. I guess that is how he can afford to pay Pa for our little farm.

R.J.

March 15, 1858

Pa is getting eager to set out. He has studied and prepared and decided so many details over the past years and months. I do not know everything he or Ma have done to get ready, but I know they are getting excited. If they do not wear themselves out before we leave it will be a wonder.

Speaking of wonder, it is a wonder to my mind how they can give up so much to make this move. They have sold or given away much of our household possessions. They have told us children many times the wagon is small and we can only take the bare necessities with us. That means our wagon will be filled with food for us, medicine, wagon parts and food for the animals. There will only be a few items for our comfort, like bed rolls, the canvas cover we will use at night, and utensils for cooking. Ma has insisted on bringing her sewing rocker. Pa agrees it will be good for her to have it in Oregon Territory.

Howard and Nancy are going to move into our house when we leave. William is going to stay in the house, too. I am thinking he will not be there long because I heard him propose marriage to Emily last night. He told her she was his one true love. It all sounded mushy to me, but Emily cried and laughed and cried some more. I could hear her say, Yes, to his proposal. William looked so happy and proud I thought his buttons would pop off his shirt. He announced their engagement to the family at breakfast this morning. Pa slapped him on the back and Ma got teary-eyed. That is when I realized none of us would be at the wedding.

Back to what we can take on the trip. Ma is planning what cooking supplies to take. Our meals will be simple, but ample, she says. We have the eight oxen, a milk cow, a horse and a dog. They will not take up room in the wagon, of course, but Pa says we will take some grain along for feed. We will also buy some along the way until the grass on the prairie gets green. We will have a big water barrel strapped to the outside of the wagon. Most of our travel will be along rivers and creeks, so water should not be a problem along the way.

Besides clothes and bedding we children can only take two prized possessions with us. I am not sure what the boys are bringing, but I have my little Hannah doll Ma made for me when I was 3. She does not look too good anymore, but I am pretty sure I would not be able to sleep without her. My other prized possession is this journal. Then of course we all get to have Little Dan’l our puppy. Pa and Ma gave him to us kids for Christmas. They said he would be big enough to walk alongside the wagon by the time we leave. Pa said he would be a good watch dog. Washington, Morgan, and I have fun playing with Little Dan’l and are happy he gets to go with us. He is solid brown with floppy ears and big black eyes.

Pa and Ma have it all planned out for the food that will be packed into the wagon. There will be lots of bacon. It will be packed in strong sacks. Flour will be packed in double canvas sacks. Ma and Lindy are sewing those sacks now. They will be big enough to hold 100 pounds of flour in each sack. When the time is closer to our leaving we will preserve butter by boiling it and skimming off the scum that rises to the top. The clear oil that remains will be sealed up in tin canisters. Sugar will be put in sacks. The herbs and vegetables Ma and Lindy dried last autumn will be part of the provisions, too.

I have to admit seeing all the preparations being made is getting me excited. Today Pa said we will meet up with other families and join a wagon train to Oregon Territory on April 15. That is