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James Bryant Hoover and 132 other men from Dallas County, Missouri, were part of Captain Thomas Jones's Company B, Mounted Santa Fe Trace Battalion, Missouri Volunteers, in the War with Mexico. The Company arrived at Fort Leavenworth, September 8, 1847, and was mustered in on September 11.
Lieutenant Colonel W. Gilpens [sic] Battalion of Missouri Cavalry volunteers for the plains. This book giving a true statement of our travel from the day we left Buffalo, the county seat of Dallas, showing the day's march and encampments and many other things.
| Buffalo, Missouri to Bent's Fort | Distance |
| August 30, 1847 -- Buffalo, Missouri | 0 miles |
| 31st -- Encamped at Mr. Tucker's in the edge of the North Prairie | no miles given |
| September 1st -- One mile north of Warsaw | no miles given |
| Second Day -- One mile from Calhoun | no miles given |
| Third Day -- Camped in Grand Prairie near Carpenters | no miles given |
| Fourth -- Camped in Grand Prairie near Daniels | no miles given |
| Fifth Day -- Camped five miles from Independence | 5 miles |
| Sixth -- Marched to Independence - then camped on the Big Blew | no miles given |
| Seventh Day -- Passed Westport, camped in the Indian Nation | no miles given |
| Eighth -- Marched within two miles of the Fort and camped | no miles given |
| Ninth -- Marched through Ft. Leavenworth two miles and camped | no miles given |
| Tenth -- remained at camp | no miles given |
| Eleventh Day -- Mustered into service of the United States | no miles given |
| Twelfth -- Marched into Fort to be organized | no miles given |
| Thirteenth -- Returned to former camp | no miles given |
| Fourteenth -- Went to Fort to draw our bounty money | no miles given |
| Fifteenth -- Returned to camp - paymaster behind | no miles given |
| Sixteenth -- Went back and drew our pay | no miles given |
| Seventeenth -- Went to Weston for supplies | no miles given |
| 18th -- Remained at our camp writing letters | no miles given |
| Nineteenth -- Still at the camp shoeing our horses | no miles given |
| Twentieth -- Still at the camp shoeing our horses | no miles given |
| Twenty-first -- Still at the camp shoeing our horses | no miles given |
| Twenty-second -- Ordered to march to Mansfort [Fort Mann] - marched two miles | 2 miles |
| Twenty-third -- Marched within six miles of Caw river, camped in Delaware Nation | no miles given |
| Twenty-fourth -- Crossed the river, camped in the Grand Prairie | no miles given |
| Twenty-fifth -- Marched towards Pilot Grove and camped | no miles given |
| Twenty-sixth -- Marched, camped at Yawkernut Pond | no miles given |
| Twenty-eighth -- Marched into plains, camped at Bee Tree Ponds | no miles given |
| Twenth-ninth -- Marched all day till eleven in the night, camped 110 mile Creek | no miles given |
| Thirtieth -- We lay by | no miles given |
| October first -- Marched six miles to Swisters Creek, camped | 6 miles |
| Second Day -- Marched and camped on Creek | no miles given |
| Third Day -- Marching fifteen miles, camped on Big John Creek | 15 miles |
| Fourth -- Marched three miles, camped at the Council Grove | 3 miles |
| Fifth day -- We lay by | no miles given |
| Sixth -- Marched 20 miles, camped at Diamond Spring | 20 miles |
| Seventh day -- Marching 20 miles, camped at Lost Spring | 20 miles |
| Eighth -- Marched 15 miles, camped at the Cottonwood | 15 miles |
| Ninth day -- Marched 20 miles, camped on Turkey creek | 20 miles |
| Tenth day -- Marched 25 miles, camped on Little Arkansas | 25 miles |
| Eleventh day -- Remained at the same place, Buffalo hunting | no miles given |
| Twelfth day -- Moved our camp one mile down river | 1 mile |
| Fifteenth day -- We turned for Ft. Man | no miles given |
| Twenty-fourth day -- Camped on Big Cow creek | Six days march |
| Twenty-fifth -- Marched 20 miles, Camped on Big Arkansas river | 20 miles |
| Twenty-sixth -- Marched 10 miles, camped on Walnut creek | 10 miles |
| Twenty-seventh day -- Marched 3 miles and camped | 3 miles |
| 28th -- Remained at the same camp | no miles given |
| 29th -- Remained in same camp | no miles given |
| 30th -- Still lay at our old camp | no miles given |
| 31st -- Marched 8 miles, camped at the mouth of Ash Creek | 8 miles |
| November first day -- Marched 16 miles, camped on Pawnee fork | 16 miles |
| 2nd day -- Marched 12 miles, camped on the Arkansas | 12 miles |
| 3rd day -- Marched 15 miles, camped on Arkansas | 15 miles |
| 4th day -- Marching 14 miles, camped on the river | 14 miles |
| 5th day -- Marched 8 miles, passed Grand Cave spring, camped Jackson's Grove | 8 miles |
| 6th day -- Remained at the Grove | no miles given |
| 7th day -- Marched 15 miles, camped at Mans Fort | 15 miles |
| 8th day -- Remained at the Fort, engaged in writing letters | no miles given |
| 9th day -- We still lay by on account of the snow | no miles given |
| 10th day -- Marched 7 miles up the river and camped | 7 miles |
| 11th day -- Marched 10 miles and camped | 10 miles |
| 12th day -- Marched 10 miles | 10 miles |
| 13th day -- Remained at camp | no miles given |
| 14th day -- Marched 6 miles, camped in an island | 6 miles |
| 15th -- Marched 14 miles, camped on the river | 14 miles |
| 16th -- Marched 12 miles, camped at the Indian Island | 12 miles |
| 17th -- Marched 14 miles, camped 2 miles above the Cheyenne encampment | 14 miles |
| 18th -- Marched 15 miles and camped at the Porcupine camp | 15 miles |
| 19th -- Marched 16 miles, camped on the main river | 16 miles |
| 20th -- Marched 12 miles, camped in a salt bottom | 12 miles |
| 21st -- Marched 10 miles, camped on Arkansas, in an island, lower end big timber | no miles given |
| 22nd -- Marched 10 miles, camped in the big timber | 10 miles |
| 23rd -- Lay by at the old camp | no miles given |
| 24th -- Moved in order to get better range for the animals | no miles given |
| 25th -- We lay by | no miles given |
| 26th -- Marched 10 miles, encamped above the Cheyenne village | 10 miles |
| 27th -- Marched 12 miles, camped on main Arkansas | 12 miles |
| 28th -- Marched 6 miles and camped on the river six miles below Bentsfort | 6 miles given |
| 29th -- Moved across the river and camped | no miles given |
| 30th -- Remained in camp | no miles given |
| December the first day -- We lay by | no miles given |
| Second day -- We still lay by | no miles given |
| Third day -- Also lay by | no miles given |
| Fourth day -- We still lay by | no miles given |
| 5th day -- Still in camp received some Indian Lodges for winter quarters | no miles given |
| 6th day -- Still lay at the old camp drilling and received supplies | no miles given |
| 7th day -- Still lay at camp | no miles given |
| Remained near Bentsfort until the 31st of December and buried William Bridges at Bentsfort | no miles given |
| January 1, 1848 -- We still lay near Bents Fort | no miles given |
| 9th day -- Still remained at same camp | no miles given |
| 16th of January -- Still remain at same camp | no miles given |
| January 17th -- Still remain at same camp, there are no provisions to draw on today | no miles given |
| 19th -- Still remain at same camp, pack mules reached us with provisions | no miles given |
| 22nd -- We moved our camp two miles up the river to get better range | 2 miles |
| 24th -- Remained at same camp | no miles given |
| 25th -- Escort of ten men sent to Bents | no miles given |
| 29th -- Express passed from the States to Santa Fe, no news from the war or letters | no miles given |
| February the first day -- Moved camp 3 miles down the river for better range | 3 miles |
| 2nd day -- Rapaho Indian came to our camp and ate dinner with us | no miles given |
| 4th day -- Remained in camp, [A]Rapaho nation passed up river on opposite side | no miles given |
| 8th day -- Remained in camp, in evening our boys returned from Red River | no miles given |
| 9th to March 4th -- Remained in same camp | no miles given |
| 5th and 9th -- Preparing to march against the Comanche Indians | no miles given |
| 9th -- Express from Leavenworth arrived at Bentsfort, letters from family and friends | no miles given |
| 10th -- Took up line of march to Comanche country, 6 miles, camped on Arkansas | 6 miles |
| 11th day -- Traveled 12 miles and camped on bank of small creek, spring little salty | 12 miles |
| March 12, 1848 -- Marched 15 miles and camped on same creek | 15 miles |
This was apparently the only volume of James Bryant Hoover's diary. The transcript published in the Buffalo Reflex in November, 1929, ends with the March 12, 1848, entry.
Santa Fe Trail Research Site
"E-Mail & Home Page"
Larry & Carolyn
St. John, Ks.
© "Forever"