[begin page 769]

When Clemens began to work on Roughing It in July 1870, he asked his brother Orion to help him recall the details of their stagecoach trip to Nevada Territory in July–August 1861: “Have you a memorandum of the route we took—or the names of any of the Stations we stopped at?” Orion responded by forwarding his journal of the trip, which Clemens found to be “ever so much use” in writing the overland chapters.1 Unfortunately, this journal is no longer extant. Its contents survive, however, in a letter that Orion wrote to his wife—Mary Eleanor (Mollie) Clemens (1834–1904)—upon his arrival in Carson City: Orion copied the journal, probably in its entirety, into this letter, which is transcribed below from the original in the Mark Twain Papers (CU-MARK). Mollie, who had remained with her family in Keokuk, Iowa, joined Orion in Nevada in October 1862 with their daughter, Jennie Clemens (1855–64). The portion of the letter giving the trip itinerary is thoroughly glossed in the explanatory notes to the Roughing It text; notes for the remaining portion are provided below.

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Carson City, Nevada Territory,

September 8, 1861.

My Dear Wife:—

Thinking you may take some interest in my journal, I copy it:

July 26.—Left St. Joseph. Started on the plains about ten miles out. The plains here are simply prairie.

July 27. Crossed the Nebraska line about 180 miles from St. Joseph. Here we saw the first Jack Rabbit. They have larger legs bodies, longer legs and longer ears than our rabbits.

July 28. Saw first prairie wolf, and first antelope., and first prairie dogs [begin page 770] and villages. Also came in sight of the long range of Sand Hills. 2 P.M. Timber of Platte in sight. 7 miles further arrived at Ft. Kearney, 296 miles from St. Joseph. The Platte is a muddy, shallow stream, full of sand bars. This was the South Platte. In places it is skirted by timber, but generally it meanders through the plains like a ribbon, without a tree or shrub on its banks.

July 29.—Saw the first Indians, 75 miles from Kearney, with Buffalo skin wigwams, the hide dressed on both sides, and put up on poles, sugar loaf shape. Here we found Buffalo robes at three to six dollars, beautifully dressed, and some of them wonderfully large. This is the Buffalo region, and robes are higher as you go further, either east or west. Saw an Indian child’s grave on a scaffold about eight feet from the ground, supported by four stakes. Sand Hills and Platte river still in sight.

Tuesday, July 30. Arrived at the “Crossing” of the South Platte, alias “Overland City,” alias “Julesburg,” at 11 A. M., 470 miles from St. Joseph. Saw to-day first Cactus. 1:20 P. M. across the South Platte.

Wednesday, July 31.—Sunrise. Court House Rock, Chimney Rock, and Scott’s Bluffs, in sight. At noon passed through Scott’s Bluff’s pass., 580 miles from St. Joseph. This was the first high ground, since entering upon the plains. All was vast, prairie, until we reached Fort Kearney. Soon afterwards, we struck the barren region, and thenceforward we had a level expanse covered with sage brush, and that was the character of the growth until we arrived here, the plains being more or less elevated, or broken, but in other respects preserving the same characteristics. After we crossed the South Platte we found a great deal of cactus. When we crossed Scotts Bluff’s we had been traveling in sight of the North Platte river all day. In the afternoon we found alkali water in the road, giving it a soapy appearance, and the ground in many places appearing as if whitewashed. About 6 P. M., crossed the range of Sand hills which had been stretching along our left in sight, since Sunday. We crossed this long low range near the scene of the Indian mail robbery and massacre in 1856, wherein Babbitt alone was saved, though left for dead. The whole party was killed, including some passengers. There was some treasure in the coach, which the Indians got.

Thursday, Aug. 1. Found ourselves this morning in the “Black Hills,” with “Laramie Peak,” looming up in large proportions. This peak is 60 miles from Fort Laramie, which we passed in the night. We took breakfast at “Horseshoe” station, forty miles from Fort Laramie, and 676 miles from St. Joseph. After dinner we climbed to the yellow pines. This afternoon passed, near La Parelle station, the little canon in which the Express rider was last night when a bullet from Indians on the side of the road passed through his coat. About 2½ hours before the station keeper at La Parelle had fired four times at one Indian. At noon we passed a Morm train 33 wagons long. They were nooning. About midnight, at a [begin page 771] station we stopped at to change horses, a dispute arose between our conductor and four drivers who were at the Station. The conductor came to me for a pistol, but before I could hand it to him, one of the men came up and commenced cursing him. Another then came up and knocked the conductor down, cutting a bad gash in his upper lip, and telling him he would have killed him if he had had his boots on, and would have killed him then if he reported him. I had not heard the fuss before the pistol was called for, and supposed it was for the Indians, who, it was said, would be dangerous along this part of the road. The four drivers were drunk.

Friday, Aug. 2.—3 o’clock, A. M., passed over North Platte bridge, 760 miles from St. Joseph. 2 P. M., reached “Sweet water” creek, “Independence Rock,” the “Devil’s Gap,” the “Devil’s Gate,” and alkali, or “Soda Lake,” where the mormons shovel up the saleratus, take it to Salt Lake, and sell it for 25¢ per pound. A few days ago they took two wagon loads. Also, the “Rocky Ride,” all within two or three miles of Independence Rock., which is 811 miles from St. Joseph. Passed in the night, “Cold Spring,” an ice water spring, issuing near one of the Stations,. Now, or at any time of the year, the men at this Station by scraping off the soil, sometimes only to the depth of six inches, can cut out pretty, clear, square blocks of ice. This “cold spring” is 36 miles from “Independence Rock,” and 847 miles from St. Joseph.

Saturday, Aug. 3. Breakfast at Rock Ridge Station, 24 miles from “Cold Spring,” and 871 miles from St. Joseph. A mile further on is “South Pass City” consisting of four log cabins, one of which is the post office, and one unfinished. Two miles further on saw for the first time, snow on the mountains, glittering in the sun like settings of silver. Near the summit of the South Pass appears in sight Fremont’s Peak. The wind river mountains, in which we first saw snow, are about 50 miles distant. About 7 2 6 miles beyond the very summit of the South Pass of the Rocky mountains, is Pacific station, in Utah Territory, near the Nebraska line., where we got an excellent dinner. Near this Station are the Pacific Springs, which issue in a branch, taking up its march for the Pacific Ocean. The summit of the Rocky mountains, or the highest point of the South Pass, is 902 miles from St. Joseph.

Sunday, Aug. 4.—Crossed Green River. It is something like the Illinois, except that it is a very pretty clear river. The place we crossed was about 70 miles from the summit of the South Pass. Uinta mountains in sight, with snow on them, and portions of their summits hidden by the clouds. About 5 P. M arrived at Fort Bridger, on Black’s Fork of Green river, 52 miles from the crossing of Green river, about 120 miles from the South Pass, and 1025 miles from St. Joseph.

Monday, Aug. 5.—52 miles further on, near the head of Echo Canon, were encamped 60 soldiers from Camp Floyd. Yesterday they [begin page ] fired upon 300 or 400 Utes, whom they supposed gathered for no good purpose. The Indians returned the fire, when the soldiers chased them four miles, took four prisoners, talked with and released them, and then talked with their chief. Echo Canon is 20 miles long, with many sandstone cliffs, (red) in curious shapes, and often rising perpendicularly 400 feet.

4 P. M., arrived on the summit of “Big mountain,” 15 miles from Salt Lake City, when the most gorgeous view of mountain peaks yet encountered, burst on our sight.

Arrived at Salt Lake City at dark, and put up at the Salt Lake House,. There are about 15,000 inhabitants. The houses are scattering, mostly small frame, with large yards and plenty of trees. High mountains surround the city. On some of these perpetual snow is visible. Salt Lake City is 240 miles from the South Pass, or 1148 miles from St. Joseph.

Wednesday, Aug. 7. Bathed in the warm spring. Mountains in the morning, Southwest and East enveloped in clouds.

Thursday, Aug. 8.—Arrived at Fort Crittenden—(Camp Floyd) 8 A.M., 45 miles from Salt Lake City. Arrived at the edge of the desert, 95 miles from Salt Lake City, at 4 P. M.

Friday, Aug. 9.—Sunrise. Across the desert, 45 miles, and at the commencement of the “little Desert.” 2 o’clock, across the little desert, 23 miles, and 163 miles from Salt Lake, being 68 miles across the two deserts, with only a spring at Fish Creek Station to seperate them. They are called deserts because there is no water in them. They are barren, but so is the balance of the route.

Saturday, Aug 10. Arrived in the forenoon at the entrance of “Rocky Canon,” 255 miles from Salt Lake City.

Sunday, Aug 11.—Passed points declared by the driver to be the highest we had crossed. Saturday and Sunday nights were very cold, though the days were very warm.

Tuesday, Aug 13.—Arrived at Carson Sink where Carson river loses itself. It is a beautiful lake, 25 miles long by 15 wide, and 60 miles from Carson City.

Wednesday, Aug. 14,—Arrived at Carson City 580 miles from Salt Lake, or 1700 miles from St. Joseph

Carson City, N. T. Sept 9, 1861.

My Dear Wife—

I am very sorry to find from your letter of Aug. 9th that you are sick; I will accept that as your apology for not writing every week as you promised. Your description of the events going on around you are very interesting. It must be deeply exciting to you all. Even to me it comes home, very close home, when I see the names of intimate friends engaged in the battle, near both to Memphis & Keokuk, and some of them wounded. The [begin page 773] Walker family is singularly divided. Tarrence’s2 speech was eloquent., though brief.

I am very glad indeed you waved your handkerchief to the soldiers in St. Louis. It was a noble impulse, and they will always remember it.

I received to-day your letter written to-day August 2 at Lagrange. Have you any idea what made Jennie’s face become a running sore and a scab? Poor little thing, I hate to hear of her being in that condition. Tell her I love her and want her and her Ma out here very much, and I am sorry she is not well. I think Tom Bohon will do very well for Belle.3 Give my love to Cousin Mary.4 It gets pretty hot here about noon, but the climate is too dry for sweat. It has not rained since I have been here. I have just read the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy.

To-night I received from you the most fearful letter I ever read. When I commenced reading it I felt like I did when in Tennessee on my way to Memphis, I picked up a paper announcing Henry’s death—the same stopping and stillness of the heart.5 How thankful I was when I got through the letter, and found the dear little creature was thought by the doctor to be out of danger. Her affection for and thoughtfulness of me touches me deeply. How could we spare her? What was the matter with Jennie? What caused her convulsions?

I am sorry you had to pay out any money on the trunk. I hope, as Congress has made an appropriation for us I will soon have some money to send you. I brought my dictionary with me. I wrote from Salt Lake. Nothing keeps me from depression on account of your absence, but being busy from the time I get up till I go to bed. I do not know that I am any more attached to the Swedenborgian6 than the Presbyterian faith.

Do they still send you the Tri-weekly Democrat.?7 What a relief the last part of your letter was after reading the first part. I shall look for a letter every day, until Jennie gets entirely well. You have indeed passed through a terrible trial—only three hours sleep in three days. I send you [begin page 774] many kisses, and don’t forget to give Jennie a great many for me. I wish you were both with me.

Good night.

Your affectionate Husband,

Orion Clemens.

[begin page 775]

The following chart summarizes, in schematic form, the overland itinerary as set down in Orion Clemens’s letter to his wife of 8 and 9 September 1861, and as described by Mark Twain in Roughing It. Its purpose is to enable the reader to determine, at a glance, the major points of similarity and difference between the two accounts. The mileage figures in the second column are either taken directly, or calculated, from Orion’s letter. An arrow (→) in the “Roughing It narrative” column indicates that the text agrees with Orion’s account, and was presumably based on it. Whenever the text specifically mentions time and/or distance, it is noted in this column. Entries in italic type indicate that Mark Twain used exact wording from Orion’s account. Entries in boldface type indicate incidents mentioned in both accounts, but on different days of the journey. Entries in small capitals indicate incidents unique to Roughing It. The chart does not include incidents and anecdotes in the narrative of the book which cannot be linked to a particular time or place in the itinerary, such as the description of overland facilities in chapter 4, the anecdote of Eckert and the cat in chapter 7, or Greeley’s ride in chapter 20.

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Page.line	Day	Miles	Orion’s letter	Roughing It narrative
6.4	Day 1, 26 July	0	departure from St. Joseph	→
12.18	Day 2, 27 July	180	Nebraska boundary	→ 180m
12.25	↓		first jackass rabbit	→
——	Day 3, 28 July		first prairie dogs, cayote	——
26.18	↓		timber of Platte, 2 p.m.	→ 2 p.m.
26.21	↓		——	crossing of platte, 5 p.m.
26.22	↓	296	Fort Kearny	→ 56 hours out, 300m
30.5	Day 4, 29 July	371	Indians, buffalo region	first prairie dogs, cayote
40.5	Day 5, 30 July	470	Julesburg / Overland City, 11 a.m.	→ noon, 5th day, 470m
41.11	↓		crossing of South Platte, 1:20 p.m.	→
41.27	Day 6, 31 July		——	breakdown, bemis & bull, dawn, 550m
50.2	↓		——	pony-express rider
52.8	↓	580	Scott’s Bluffs Pass, noon	→
52.10	↓		alkali water	→
53.14	↓		sand hills, mail robbery, 6 p.m.	→
55.1	Day 7, 1 Aug	636	Fort Laramie, at night	→ 7th day
55.2	↓		Black Hills, Laramie Peak	→
55.7	↓	676	Horseshoe station	→ 676m
55.10	↓		La Prele (“La Parelle”) station	→
55.13	↓		attack on pony rider	→
55.20	↓		attack on Indian	→
——	↓		Mormon train, noon	——
57.13	↓		altercation at station, midnight	→
67.14	Day 8, 2 Aug		——	breakfast with slade
——	↓	760	North Platte Bridge, 3 a.m.	——
76.1	↓		——	Mormon train, after breakfast, 8th day, 798m
76.10	↓		——	bath in horse creek
[begin page 777] 76.19	↓		Sweetwater Creek, 2 p.m.	→ afternoon
76.19	↓	811	Independence Rock	→
76.23	↓		Soda Lake	→
77.3	↓	847	Cold Spring, at night	→ at night
——	Day 9, 3 Aug	871	breakfast at Rocky Ridge station	——
77.15	↓	872	South Pass City	→
78.16	↓	902	South Pass summit	→
81.38	↓	908	Pacific station	leaf and watermelon anecdotes
84.15	Day 10, 4 Aug	972	crossing of Green river	→ 10th day
85.4	↓	1025	Fort Bridger, 5 p.m.	→ 5 p.m., 1025m
85.7	Day 11, 5 Aug	1077	soldiers from Camp Floyd	→ 1077m
85.15	↓		Echo Cañon, 20m long	→ 20m long
85.27	↓	1133	Big Mountain, 4 p.m.	→ 4 p.m., 1133m
85.33	↓		——	supper with a destroying angel
87.4	↓	1148	Salt Lake City, nightfall	→
89.8	Day 12, 6 Aug	——		salt lake city sightseeing
92.19	Day 13, 7 Aug		bath in warm spring	visit to brigham young
107.1	↓		——	mormon bible
120.15	↓		——	departure, late evening
122.1	Day 14, 8 Aug	1193	Camp Floyd, 8 a.m.	→ 8 a.m., 1193–98m
122.3	↓	1243	edge of desert, 4 p.m.	→ 4 p.m., 1238–48m
122.7	Day 15, 9 Aug	1311	desert crossing, 68m across	→ 68m across
122.13	↓		Fish Springs (“Fish Creek”) station	unnamed station
126.2	Day 16, 10 Aug	1403	Egan (“Rocky”) Cañon, afternoon	→ 16th day, 1398m
126.6	↓		——	goshoot indians
130.1	Day 17, 11 Aug		highest points on trip	→ 17th day
130.6	Day 18, 12 Aug		——	reese river station, 18th day
130.23	Day 19, 13 Aug	1640	Carson Sink	→ 19th day
137.29	Day 20, 14 Aug	1700	Carson City	→ 20th day

[begin page 778]

On 10 March 1871 Clemens asked Orion to “torture your memory & write down in minute detail every fact & exploit in the desperado Slade’s life that we heard on the Overland—& also describe his appearance & conversation as we saw him at Rocky Ridge station at breakfast” (NN-B). Orion’s response, written the following day, is transcribed below from the original in the Mark Twain Papers (CU-MARK); it provided Clemens with ideas for much of the material in chapter 10.

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agents wanted for overland through asia, knox. uncivilized races, or natural history of man, wood. innocents abroad, twain. beyond the mississippi, field, dungeon and escape, personal history of grant, rich-ardson. great metropolis, browne. the great rebellion, headley. history of the bible, stebbins. pebbles and pearls, abby sage. illustrated family bibles.

e. g. hastings, pres’t.　　　　office american publishing company,

e. bliss, jr., sec’y　　　　　　　　　　　　149 asylum street.

f. e. bliss, treas.

hartford conn. March 11 18 71

My Dear Bro:—

your letters of 9th & 10th just received. I showed them to Bliss, who is much pleased.

I don’t think we heard of Slade till after we had left Rocky Ridge Station—the last before reaching South Pass station where w the clouds looked so low, where we saw the first snow, and where a spring with waters destined for the Atlantic stood within a man’s length (or within sight) of another spring whose waters were about to commence a voyage to the Pacific. There was nothing then in a name to attract us to Slade, and yet I remember something of his appearance while totally forgetting all the others. Perhaps the driver’s description caused the difference. We got there (to R R Station) about sun up. There were a lot of fellows, young and rough in a room adjoining that in which we sat. They —if indeed it was not in the same room. They were washing in a tin pan, joking, laughing and chaffing each other, and kept it up at the table. I don’t remember what they said, or anything they said, but I believe the subject was their hostelry and silly trifles. I think Slade got to the table after every body else did, and shewed good appetite for the bacon slices, &c. I think he was about your [begin page 779] size, if any difference rather shorter and more slender. He had gray eyes, very light straight hair, no beard, and a hard, looking face seamed like a man of 60, though otherwise he did not seem over thirty. I think the sides of his face were wrinkled. His face was thin, his nose straight and ordinarily prominent—lips rather thinner than usual—otherwise nothing unusual about his mouth, except that w his smile was attractive and his manner pleasant. Nothing peculiar about his wa voice. It does not leave a pleasant recollection.—but I don’t know in what respect—it was neither very fine nor very coarse. My impression is that he was a division agent, from Overland City to Salt Lake.—having two several conductors under him.—one each The one who wanted us to lend him a pistol, I think had about two hundred miles or 240 miles of the road. Slade was not a conductor. He had the conductors and drivers under him. They were a wild and desperate set, and the contractors on the Butterfield line (It seems to me that was the name of the old weekly or monthly line there and when the new daily line came on that he (Butterfield) took his stock south and ran the southern overland route through Santa Fe.,) kept him a long time after they knew of his infernal deviltry, because he was the only man they sconductors, drivers and station men held in awe. It seems to me we had got down off the Rocky mountains—no, now may be it was before we reached the foot of the last ridge on this side, after all, that the driver commenced telling about Slade. I was sitting outside with the driver. I don’t recollect whether you were sitting with us or inside, and I told you afterwards. Any how it was getting late, we were on level ground and hasting to make the next station, when the driver pointed out to me (or us) a corral and told us that there had been a fight there. Some spaniards were keeping the station. They were contumacious in some way and Slade brought some of his driversmen over from other stations. The Spaniards used their for corral as a fortification, but Slade’s party was victorious. There were several, but he killed them all. One of them had a wife squaw wife and two little children. Slade fastened them up in a house (or the house) and setting fire to it burned them to death, swearing none of the breed should live. There had been bad blood between him and the Spaniards some time. Once they got him fastened up in the station by fastening the door when he was in, mounting guard outside, and giving him half an hour to prepare for death. He entreated them to pre permit him to bid farewell to his wife. They finally consented that he might send for her. He dispatched a note for her by the pony express which seems to have come along about the right time. She came immediately on horseback and was allowed to enter his room. For a wonder he seems to have been caught without his arms, and that he only needed a visit from his wife to supply the deficiency, for soon after her arrival he issued with her from the station, withhaving a pistol in each hand, with which he defied his guards, and mounting the horse with his wife galloped away.

Once Slade had a quarrel with a huge teamster, and in an apparent [begin page 780] excess of courage dared the latter to fight. Whether the teamster had got him “covered” first, or whether Slade was afraid of the result on some other account, he proposed that each should throw away his pistol and fight a fair fist fight. The teamster agreed and the pistols were flung one side; but the moment the teamster’s pistol left his hand Slade sprang for them,pistols, obtained both and shot the teamster dead.

Slade had a desperate fight at Overland City with Julian a Frenchman. Slade had a pistol and the Frenchman a shot gun. He was as desperate a man as Slade, and forced the latter to retreat into a house where he took refuge behind a door which stood ajar. They shot at each other through the door, and Slade was so badly wounded about the body as that he was confined to his bed several weeks. Julian improved the opportunity to leave for the purpose of avoiding Slade’s vengeance. He went to Pikes Peak and was gone about six months. He returned and was captured by Slade or his friends near one of the stations., and bound to a tree. Then Slade cut off his ears, tantalized him, poured out invectives on him, shot his so as barely to miss him several times, and after torturing him half an hour in these ways, killed him.

I don’t know how he came to leave that road, but he went to Montana, where he was worked up into hanged by a vigilance committee. I believe his offence was belonging to a gang of horse thieves and robbers, with some particular murder laid to his charge. On the scaffold he was unmanned by terror and begged piteously for life.

Charlie Kincaid1 had a rough time on that old mail route with the Indians once. If you want it I guess Mollie will remember something about it.

I have done the best I could on Slade—told all I can remember—and more than I recollect distinctly or w feel entirely certain of—trusting that it would be practically near enough correct.

Lo Bliss don’t think you can sell your house soon.

Love to wife and baby.

Bliss has a queer notion about things. He can work at his business all through the month and then in a day or two sit down and spin off no end of insurance articles, and if I am not down here in the office where he writing and where he can holler at me he to go after a proof or do something about the paper he thinks I aint doing any thing, and instead of hiring a girl to write on wrappers has put me at it, because, I suppose, I spent time walking to think in the fresh air, or staid at home to pol after meals to polish up what I had written where I could be uninterrupted, having writ seized the opportunity to write the rough drafts at the office while Bliss was away at New York, for when he is away the others don’t bother me. I [begin page 781] dispair of making him comprehend the matter, and so accept the situation, being resolved to publish nothing of any importance which has not been well considered. I feel some delicacy in speaking to him also, because if I were to object to my girlish duties and and on the ground that I wanted time to think, and then fail to produce anything valuable he he would consider that I had merely made a shirking excuse and was humbugging him., hoping eventually to work into something higher.

He shows about the same discernment in grumbling because your portrait goes into the Aldine.2 I laughed at him telling him you couldn’t and propose it for this paper and he hadn’t thought of it and the Aldine people had. I’ll work along here the best I can till I get my machine out,3 and then I shall hope for better things.

Your Brother,

Orion.

Knox4 has a column for this paper he charges $10 for.

What I am at work on is the exchange list—copying from a book—perhaps 5,000 papers—to help out till first April as they are taking stock.