red paper boat

Some of the women speak rarely, if ever, of their babies. Lucy is not one of them. I think that’s due to the fact that she was writing letters home to her sisters instead of keeping a regular journal. Her family would surely have wanted news of little Sissy’s progress.

Aside from giving regular updates of her progress in weaning Sissy, Lucy also talked about the baby’s developmental milestones: walking, talking, teething, and potty training. This is the first time I’ve heard the word “occasions” used in this way, and the crudity of the subject matter juxtaposed with the oblique primness of the description made me laugh.

[October 1852]

I have not said a word about dear little Sissy. she is not weaned yet & I guess I shall not do so till spring she does not talk yet & has not run about more than a month She has 8 teeth all cut since she was a year old & strange she cut her eye teeth first She’s a cunning puss knows all we say tell Mrs Wright she has 2 great faults which I am continually whipping her for one is poking her fingers into the bread when set to rise the other is opening my box & sitting on the top of things & twice she did her occasions in it.

Cooke, Lucy Rutledge, 1827-1915, Letter from Lucy Rutledge Cooke to Marianne Rutledge Willis, October, 1852, in Covered Wagon Women: Diaries & Letters from the Western Trails, vol. 4: 1852: The California Trail. Holmes, Kenneth L., ed. & comp. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.

As bad as things could be on the overland trails, there were also rare moments of levity. Lucy always speaks warmly of her husband, and it’s clear from her letters that they shared a strong bond of friendship as well as marriage. I can just about picture him, decked out in her clothes, kicking up his heels.

[June 18, 1852]

The young men all amused themselves with dancing after supper in which Wm joined as hearty as any. the cook of the company we had camped with amused us all much as he had found the previous day a bundle of woman’s clothing which he had put on & had worn it all day, sun bonnet & all it caused considerable merriment all along the road & when dancing came off there was such a demand for this lady for a partner that Wm came for my saque dress & sun bonnet to wear Oh what guys the 2 did look but seemed well to enjoy themselves I sat looking at them till long after dark

Cooke, Lucy Rutledge, 1827-1915, Letter from Lucy Rutledge Cooke to Marianne Rutledge Willis, June 10, 1852, in Covered Wagon Women: Diaries & Letters from the Western Trails, vol. 4: 1952: The California Trail. Holmes, Kenneth L., ed. & comp. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.

I think this was the first mention of vaccinations in the covered wagon diaries. Which vaccine isn’t stated explicitly, but if Wikipedia is to be believed, it would have to have been for smallpox, because that was the only vaccine in existence in 1852. I’m assuming that what Lucy means is that her daughter was vaccinated by “arm to arm” contact with someone–Richard W.–who had already been vaccinated and had developed pustules around the vaccine site. By rubbing the infected area against the skin of an uninfected person, the second person–Lucy’s dear babe–would then develop a minor infection and so become immune to the disease.

April 19th 1852

My dear babe was vaccinated from Richard W it was only done in one place but it has taken nicely so I’m glad I only had it once R W had 3 & it made his arm dreadful bad. Tell Mrs Wright Ma is not afraid to use cold water at such a time for R W’s arm was in such an inflamation that she had to keep putting wet cloths to it all one night.

Thursday Afternoon

Dear M my little babe is so sick I was up all night with her she takes little or no nourishment & what she does she throws up directly poor babe she moans all the time & is in a high fever We think perhaps it proceeds from her vaccination

Cooke, Lucy Rutledge, 1827-1915, Letter from Lucy Rutledge Cooke to Marianne Rutledge Willis, April 19, 1852, in Covered Wagon Women: Diaries & Letters from the Western Trails, vol. 4: 1952: The California Trail. Holmes, Kenneth L., ed. & comp. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.

This entry is short and sweet, and it made me laugh. I suspect that eating fried pudding is the beginning of trouble. It sounds repulsive!

April [13], 1852

Started for California amidst the tears and sighs of our friends which is indeed a comforting depression upon our spirits. We find the roads very bad. Went fourteen miles and stopped at a little place called Pavilion [Illinois], rather a romantic name for a few miserable huts. I stayed at a public house and ate fried pudding. This I expect is the beginning of trouble.

Cummings, Mariett Foster, 1827-, Diary of Mariett Foster Cummings, April, 1852, in Covered Wagon Women: Diaries & Letters from the Western Trails, vol. 4: 1952: The California Trail. Holmes, Kenneth L., ed. & comp. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.