The Oregon Trail Diary Entry of Elizabeth Geer, 1847

September 15. This morning our company moved on, except for one family. The woman got mad and wouldn't budge nor let the children go. Her husband had the cattle hitched on for three hours and coaxed her to go, but she wouldn't stir. I told my husband, so he and Adam Polk and Mr. Kimball each too a young one and crammed them in the wagon and the husband drove off and left her sitting. She took the back track and traveled out of sight. She cut across and overtook her husband. He had sent his boy back to camp after a horse that had been left. When she came up, her husband said, "Did you meet John?" "Yes," she said, "I picked up a stone and knocked out his brains." Her husband went back to ascertain the truth of what she said and while he was gone, she set fire to the wagon that was loaded with their store goods. The cover burnt off and some valuable articles were burned. He saw the flames and came running up and put it out, and then mustered up spunk enough to give her a good flogging. __Elizabeth Geer, 1847