Entry #1 – April 26, 1846

                We were on our way to Fort Kearney. I was with my friend’s family for I was not married. All the wagons before us slowed down and so did ours. So I jumped out of the wagon to take a look to what was happening. When I got there I saw Merl Chesterfield with three Indians.

“Hey Merl what’s wrong?” I asked.

”These Indians what toll so that we can pass the land,” Merl said as he shocked his head, “but me scouts tell me that these Indian’s tribe are up more north and don’t control these land.”

But then, my good friend Charles Testors came to me and Merl and said, you’ll get in the wagon and cover those children’s ears.”

He got his revolver and shoved into his pants.  Then some other men from the other wagons did the same. I went back to the wagon and told my friend’s family to cover their ears. Then I head three shots.

 Bang, Bang, Bang! We waited a couple of minutes. Then Charles came back with one bullet missing from his revolver. He said, “Well that’s done and the bodies are gone.”

The wagons continued on to Fort Kearney but after that event, I knew that this was just the beginning.  Over and out.

                                                                                                Billy Robert Jones

Entry #2 – May 9, 1846

                I guess it has been a months before I started to write down more in this journal. The fire we had, had burn of some pages but some survived. The Folkersons up ahead had tried to make a family fire, but the embers blew out and started a prairie fire. It spread fast and quickly so some of us got some water and through it on. But it kept on going so we got shovels and start to dig and cover the fire.