Jesse Applegate

The restless urge to go west has been a way of life for Americans since Daniel Boone opened up the Cumberland Gap in 1775. The Oregon Trail became a popular route to a better life in the 1840s. Thousands ventured along the trail in caravans and parties. These pioneers sometimes formed large companies with captains, lieutenants, and pilots (navigators). One of the largest companies set out for Oregon in 1843 with almost a thousand pioneers and five thousand cattle. This group soon split into two. Jesse Applegate was the captain of the second group named the "Cow Column."

Applegate wrote this account for a reunion of Oregon pioneers. It is a fascinating glimpse into an eighteen-hour day on the trail. Applegate reveals that a wagon train was not a simple enterprise. They are many jobs to be done. Hunters go out...