May, 1864 – The Hopeful Family Prepares. Meet the Character: Sarah Jane. “All confusion getting ready to start…” – Sarah J. Rousseau. Leaving behind their eldest daughter, Sarah and James put everything they had into this one, final adventure.
June 1864 – He Gives Until It Hurts. “One of our mares took sick… it died. I think it likely if he had stayed where we were, the Dr. would have cured her.” – Sarah J. Rousseau. Retired physician, land surveyor and mailman, Dr. Rousseau helped sponsor the Pella Company’s Oregon Trail adventure led by the notorious
Nicholas Earp.
July, 1864 – A Lusty Encounter Goes Unhindered by Dust. At twenty-nine, Miss Matilda Fields is an unwed spinster, indebted to the Rousseau family for safe passage. “TJ,” is a foul-mouthed cowboy and opportunist who does two things well: shooting and avoiding commitments.
August, 1864 – A New Friendship Leaves a Lasting Impression. Mr. Parker and Dr. Rousseau form a bond and in a dire moment, when everyone else turns their back on the Rousseaus, Mr. Parker does not. “For which,” Mrs. Rousseau wrote, “I shall always remember with gratitude.”
September, 1864 – Unto Us, A Son Is Born. A sudden “sickness” takes over the women of the Pella Company, followed by the arrival of a child. Three babes are born enroute. Meet Jane Hamilton and Eliza Hays: two first-time mothers who give birth when violence and disease are striking.
October, 1864 – A Wagon Train Divided. “[Earp] told the whole train he would give up his Captaincy unless they would adhere to the rules he gave.” To get across the Mohave Desert, the Pella Company would need a leader with more diplomacy…
November, 1864 – How Their Feet Must Hurt! “At last, the two grey mares in the carriage gave out. Couldn’t go any farther.” After thousands of miles, quicksand, poison water, slippery slopes, and barren jourandas, the Rousseaus find themselves stranded in the mountains when their ever-loyal horses put out their last bit of strength.
December, 1864 – The Worst Birthday, Ever. The wagon train is stranded in the mountains… in the winter… with no food. Meet Elizabeth, the daughter who chose to stay behind with her mother (diarist Sarah Jane Rousseau).