Page 171 - Confronting Race Women and Indians on the Frontier, 1815 - 1915

FRON I E R PROCESS: H U MANIZING
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infiuence." 188 And Harriet W a rd maintained: "Indeed I think what is
often termed suffering is merely a little inconvenience, fo r I had so often
read and heard of the difficulties and dangers of the overland route to
California, and I find from experience that the pleasure thus f a r quite
overbalances it all."189
In spite of the ever-present threat of Indian attack, such women
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slept very soundly. 190 In 8 53, Oregon-bound emigrant Helen Love said,
"I was not so afraid as to keep me f r om sleeping."191 In 8 59, Catherine
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Bell stated that although the Indians were "very bad" she slept as though
she were at home.19 2 Even the sight of a scalped Pawnee with f o ur or
five arrows implanted in his corpse f a iled to keep Frances Sawyer awake.
She wrote, "Morpheus cozily wrapped us all in his arms last night, and
the pleasant dreams of our f a raway Kentucky home were not disturbed
by the Indians, dead or alive." 193 e t another woman added that she slept
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with an ax by her side, but never had to use it on an Indian. 194
These women do not sound terror stricken. Many went fr om "very
much scared" to casual.195 For instance, Allene Dunham, who crossed
the plains to California in 1 8 64, began the trip curled up in her bed
because she f e ared that Indians would cut offher f e et if they protruded
f r om the wagon. Dunham concluded the journey by emphasizing how
much she had enjoyed her visits to Indian camps.196Y e t others came to
see the humorous side of the situation. After traveling saf e ly throughout
the e st with her journalist husband during the 1870s, Carrie Strahorn
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derided the anti-Indian ideas she had picked up in the East.To Strahorn,
it was ridiculous that easterners saw life "on the other side" as one of
hardship, dagger, bandits, and "rubbing elbows with the slayers of
Custer." 197 For Dunham and Strahorn, their experiences were enough
to change their minds regarding Indians.
Still other women admired and respected specific Indians. Caroline
Phelps, whose husband traded with Indians on the border ofIllinois and
Iowa between 1 8 30 and 1 8 60, began her life in the W e st complaining
about Indians: they drank, f o ught among themselves, and would surely
rob her. After several disasters that she survived through her f o rtitude
and help from Indians, Phelps began to see herself and American Indians
through different eyes. Eventually, she attended native dances and other
ceremonies. When her sister f r om Dubuque arrived f o r a visit, Phelps