Page 112 - Confronting Race Women and Indians on the Frontier, 1815 - 1915

C H APTER THREE

myth and media overemphasized such calamities to the point of distor­
tion. Moreover, some migrants were not above inventing incendiary
tales. In turn, newspapers, in the East and W e st, always searching f o r ways
to expand their subscription lists, published these fabrications with addi­
tional embellishments so that by the mid-nineteenth century mythical
massacres were sensational and commonplace.45
It is meant to demonstrate that the willingness of overlanders to
permit rumors and gossip to rule their lives imposed great rigidity on
their activities. On the trail they joined with so many other travelers
that parties became unwieldy and often created difficulties in locating
campsites, water, and grass. However, it was generally thought to be
better to experience the problems of a train that was too large than to
take the chance of being overpowered by unfriendly American
Indians.46 As Lavinia Porter pointed out, the warmongering attitudes
and actions of train members could actually create more danger than
they deterred. After remonstrating in vain with hostile train members,
she and her f a mily, f e aring retaliation f r om the Indians whom the
migrants had abused, left the train to attempt the journey on their own.
Their experience was instructive: not only were they never bothered by
Native Americans, but one traveled with them f o r three days as a guide.
When she learned that he had been sent to protect them, she remarked,
"If that were true, it went to prove that there was honor among these
savage tribes of the wilderness."47 Other migrants who were less trust­
ing stuck close to their train, refraining f r om enjoying the countryside
or even from killing game "for fe ar that the Indians might be near."48
Even though many of the alarms lacked credence, they did serve a
purpose fo r the migrants in reminding them to be cautious.49 As trail
discipline gradually relaxed, people did things like taking what one
woman called "fool-hardy" walks. Scares encouraged them to exercise
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more precaution. 5 In response to the rumors, many trains regularly cir­
cled their wagons, posted guards, and kept night fires burning in an effort
to protect their animals fr om theft. In 1840, fo r instance, Abigail Smith
wrote to her brothers and sisters that while crossing Missouri her party
routinely circled their wagons and posted night guardsY
Apparently, f o r many migrants rumor was f a r worse than reality.
Their f e ars were seldom realized, and their trepidations proved to be

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