The Sager Family Saga

Catherine Sager's father was a restless man who had emigrated from Ohio in 1838 to Missouri.  In 1844 it was time to move again to Oregon.

Catherine remembers:

"not having accustomed to riding in a covered wagon, the motion made us all sick and the
uncomfortableness of the situation was increased from the fact that it had set into rain, which made it impossible to roll back the cover and let the fresh air in.  It caused a damp and musty smell that was very nauseating.  It took several weeks of travel to overcome this "seasickness".

Water ran through the tent, the bedclothes were saturated with water.  Soon we came to a place in the road which had quite a embankment on one side, and notwithstanding Father's best efforts to prevent it, the team ran on to this and overturned the wagon, nearly killing mother.  A tent was set up and Mother carried to it where for a long time she lay insensible.  The wagon was righted up, the things loaded in and Mother having recovered we drove on."


Catherine shares this terrible scene on the trail:

"On the first day of August we halted to noon in a beautiful grove on the banks of the Platte River.  The children had become so accustomed to getting in and out of the wagon as to lose all fear, and would get out on to the tongue and keep clear of the wheel without putting Father to the trouble of stopping the team.  On the afternoon of this day in performing this feat, the hem of my dress caught on an axle handle precipitating me under the wheels both of which passed over me badly crushing my left leg before Father could stop the oxen. 

Seeing me clear of the wheels, he picked me up and carried me in his arms and ran to stop the team which had become unmanageable from fright.  A glance at my limb dangling in the air as he ran revealed to him the extent of the injury I had received and in a broken voice he exclaimed, 'my dear child, your leg is broken to pieces!'

The Sager's journey was full of trouble and tragedy as we continue on next time...

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 Today in Pioneer History:  On August 6, 1874, law officers kill Jim Reed, the first husband of the famous bandit queen Belle Starr.