John BAILHACHE left Alton, Illinois, 29 April 1850, on his trip West to the California gold fields. He went by boat up the Missouri River to Weston, Missouri, arriving 8 May. Setting off overland in the party of "Captain HALL," he reached Ash Hollow 11 June, Chimney Rock 14 June, Fort Laramie 17 June, Devil's Gate 26 June, South Pass 1 July, Raft River 18 July, and Tragedy Springs in the Sierra Nevada 22 August. He reached the Sacramento Valley 27 August 1850. His complete journal was published in the Napa [California] "Sunday Journal" in 1952, in weekly installments between 2 March and 20 April.
In my opinion, Bailhache's journal is "above average" for descriptiveness, and it is an enjoyable read. He gives a number of surnames for people in his party, but few Christian names. Several people he met along the way are identifed. Perhaps the most valuable part of his narrative is his documentation of recent graves along the trail. At the time of his travels, cholera was wreaking havoc on the emigrants, and people were dying daily. He apparently made a note of every recent grave he passed.
Listed below are the named members of his party, people he met, and graves he saw. Pretty much all the useful information on these people as recorded in the journal is provided below.
Members of Captain Hall's Wagon Train
ALBERT
ALLEN, Felix - died of cholera 4 June 1850; age 17, from Scott
Co., MO; son of Col. ALLEN of Benton, MO.
ALLEN, William - brother of Felix; died of cholera 7 June 1850.
BALLINGER
BLUMM - native of Switzerland; had smallpox, and they apparently
expelled him from the train.
COFFIN
EWING
FERGUSON
FRY, George
GALE
HALL - Captain of the train
KING
MARTIN
McCUTCHEON
MOORE
MORAN
MORELAND
MORSE
RITCHIE - from Cape Girardeau, MO; died [apparently cholera] 25
June 1850
ROWLAND
SEARCH
SWAN
WALKER - from Benton Co., MO; died 8 June 1850
WEST
WILKINSON
People on the Way
KELLY, John - visited with Bailhache
in camp at Weston, MO, 16 May 1850, before the wagon train crossed
the river.
HART, Henry
RICKARD, Dick
STILLYS, "Messrs." - Hart, Rickard and the Stillys were
in camp near Big Sandy, Wyoming, 3 July 1850, and Bailhache stopped
to visit with them for awhile before catching up with his own
wagon train.
New Graves along the Way
ACTON, C - from Boone Co., MO; died
7 June 1850
ARMSTEAD, Levi - from Pike Co., MO; died 10 June 1850
BAKER, Jim - from Ray Co., MO; died 6 June 1850
BEST, Alexander - from Illinois; died 20 June 1850
BLANKENSHIP, B. - died 26 June 1850
BULLOCK, William - age 20, from Jefferson Co., IL; died 22 May
1850
BURY, C. - age 21, of Missouri; died 9 July 1850
CAPLINGER, J. - age 77, from Cedar City, MD; died 1 June 1850
CLARK, Ebenezer - age 45, from Linn Co., MO; died 4 June 1850
COALS, Emily - 3 month old daughter of E. A. COALS; died 17 May
1850
COFFRIN, ___ - from Brookfield, LaSalle Co., IL; died 18 May 1850
DRUM or DUNN, T. - from Hazel Green, WI; died 15 June 1850
ENGLES, H. - from Seneca Co., OH; died 27 May 1850
FARRIS, ____ - age 21, from Missouri; died 6 June 1850
FRANKLIN, Samuel - from Will Co., IL; died 13 May 1850
GABBERT, Gordon D. - from Buchanan Co., MO; died 26 May 1850
GITTINGS, B. A. - from Indiana; died 4 June 1850
GOODMAN, Dr. William - from Coles Co., IL; died 3 June 1850
GRAVES, N. - from Cass Co., MO; died 7 June 1850
GRAVISON, I. S. - from Lincoln Co., MO; died 10 July 1850
GROOMS, I. M. - from Greencastle, IN; died 10 June 1850
GUTGEY, George - from Ohio; died 5 June 1850
HARSHAW, William - from St. Louis, MO; died 28 June 1850
HICKS, John - from Ray Co., MO; died 6 June 1850
HILL, Jefferson - from Cape Girardeau, MO; died 11 June 1850
INGE, Maj. ___ - funeral at Weston, MO 16 May 1850
JOHNSON, James - age 47, from Pike Co., IL; died 4 June 1850
KNOWLTON, M. S. - from Erie Co., OH; died 26 May 1850
LANERS, ____ - age 50, from Missouri; died 6 June 1850
LEWIS, Samuel - died 15 June 1850
LOCKHART, Dr. A. L. - died 26 June 1850
MALONE, Robert - from Randolph Co., MO; no death date given -
accidently shot himself in the head
MARKS, Frederick - from St. Louis, MO; died 12 July 1850
MASON, Luisas - member of Dr. Knox' train from St. Louis, MO;
died 6 June 1850
McCARTY, ___ - from Cape Girardeau, MO; died 13 June 1850
METHINY, William - from Orford, OH; died 6 June 1850
MILLER, James - from Johnson Co., IA; died 15 June 1850
MILLER, Smith - from Orford, OH; died 6 June 1850
MILLER, W. S. - age 60, from Missouri; died 6 June 1850
OLIVER, Samuel - from Wisconsin; died 2 July 1850
ORR, D. S. - from Indiana; died 26 June 1850
PALMER, Steve M. - from Missouri; died 13 June 1850
PARKER, John - from McHenry Co., IL; died 27 June 1850
PHILPS, S. - from Wisconsin; died 1 June 1850
RANDLE, William C. - from Missouri; died 11 July 1850
RICMAN, ____ - a member of Capt. COR__ train; died 21 May 1850
ROBERTSON, James E. - from Rushville, Scuyler Co., IL; died 5
July 1850
SHUEY, I. - from Elkhart, IN; died 6 June 1850
SMITH, Birden G. - age 33, from Decalb Co., MO; died 30 May 1850
SMITH, S. - from Lewis Co., MO; died 15 June 1850
SNEAD, Sarah A. "and child" - from Cass Co., MO: died
7 June 1850
STOKES, I. - from Marion, OH; died 4 July 1850
TEAGUE, F. M. - from Lincoln Co., MO; died 5 July 1850
THOMPSON, William - from Lawrence Co., MO; died 30 June 1850
UTTERFIELD, A. L. - died 6 June 1850
WAGNER, Jacob - from Cass Co., MO; died 10 July 1850
WATERS, W. - from Marshall Co., IN; died 16 June 1850
WOOLSEY, N. N. - died 6 June 1850
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