Pages 359-361

Andrew McCoskrie, father of Lewis McCoskrie, whose sketch appears on another page of this volume, and son of Isaac McCoskrie, received but a limited education until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he attended school at Edinburg, Missouri. Quakerlike, he took no part in the Civil war. Andrew McCoskrie was one of the '49ers who crossed the plains to California. He made the start from his Missouri home on the 15th of April, 1849, with a team of six mules, the harness having been made by his father, and the awl is still in possession of the family. The team consisted of six spirited mules. There were five men in the party, and they were well supplied with camp equipage and eatables for the long journey. They crossed the Missouri river at St. Joseph. Until they reached the plains their trip was uneventful, although meeting many Indians. Teams en route to the gold fields were numerous. Many of the gold hunters were attacked with cholera on the way, and scores of them died, as was indicated by the fresh made graves along the trail. On the dividing ridge the travelers were accompanied for several days by six hundred United States cavalry and two hundred government wagons. In the region where the antelope were numerous it was sport to watch the cavalry corral the wild animals, some of which they killed. Habitations on the route were few. From St. Joseph on the Missouri river to Fort Carney, a distance of three hundred miles, not a house was seen. From there to Fort Laramie and up the Big Platte river many herds of buffalo were met with and chasing them was great sport. Prairie dogs were plentiful and, as the little grandson says of his grandfather's account, it was great fun to watch the men shoot at them with small arms. When one was shot the others would carry the dead dog down the hole and deliver it to the "dog undertaker."

Many tribes of Indians were met with after passing Fort Laramie, and they were at war with each other, but friendly with the emigrants. After crossing the Black Hills their route lay between the North and South Platte rivers. A raft of logs was made to ferry the wagons over the latter stream, while men and mules swam across. The caravan then wended its way on to the summit of the Rocky mountains by way of Willow Springs and Independence Rock in a beautiful valley, thence up the Sweet Water by the Devil's Gate, then crossing the summit to the Little Sandy river, the first stream encountered flowing down to the Pacific ocean. Then the travelers crossed the desert to Green river, a distance of fifty-two miles, thence by way of the Soda and Steamboat Springs, and on through Thousand Springs valley where they found both hot and cold springs. From there they continued their way to the Humboldt river and on to a place called the "Sink," where they found plenty of grass, which borders on the Great Sandy desert and extends to Carson river, a distance of ninety-five miles. On this route over the desert many deserted wagons were seen. The journey was continued on up the Carson river to the foot of the Sierra mountains, where it was necessary to double teams, having twelve mules to one wagon, while as many as twenty-two yoke of cattle were used to haul some of the wagons to the summit. There was no grass on the summit, only a few scattering scrub oaks from which the boughs were cut for forage for the mules. Thence they descended down the mountain to Weaver creek and into California. None of the party were miners. Finding holes where other miners had prospected the men would scratch around with a knife or spoon, get the dirt pulverized, blow out the dust and then took intently for the glittering gold. If any was found the lucky one would make a great outcry and all the rest would come running to view the find. At first honesty and confidence prevailed, but strategy and trickery soon succeeded and then every man was for himself.

When this hand left their Missouri homes there were five of them, but when they reached the gold fields only three remained. One died of cholera in St. Joseph and one was drowned in Carson river, The party were five months making the trip. The first winter was spent on Weaver creek and the second on Deer creek. The little party mined in nearly every section of east California. It was a rough, wild life. Some days not more than twenty dollars were panned out while at other times some two hundred dollars would be realized.

After two years Andrew McCoskrie sold his mining interest and sailed from San Francisco for home, going by way of Apulcho, Mexico, thence by pack train to the Isthmus of Panama and down the Chagris river to Panama City, where he and his partner shipped for the United States and home. When reaching Charleston, South Carolina, the vessel was considered unsafe to complete the voyage, but by a vote of the passengers the captain agreed to undertake it, and all landed safety in New York. From there he went down the St. Lawrence to Buffalo, thence to Cincinnati by rail and by water to Brunswick, Missouri, and from there walked home, a distance of almost fifty miles.

Another trip Andrew McCoskrie made was in 1863, to Salt Lake City, Utah. On this trip he was accompanied by Joe McDarnold, Dick McDarnold, Pete Sutliffe (who was killed en route by Marion Lovell), Crockett Austin, Marion Lovell, Felix Comstock, Alfred Stone, Almon Butler, William Butler, Dr. Flint and family, of Baltimore, a Mr. Thomas and son of Indiana, and an old man named Smith and his two sons from Illinois and Warren M. Hudgins and family. Many of these people are well known in Livingston county.

After two years Andrew McCoskrie sold his mining interest and sailed from San Francisco for home, going by way of Apulcho, Mexico, thence by pack train to the Isthmus of Panama and down the Chagris river to Panama City, where he and his partner shipped for the United States and home. When reaching Charleston, South Carolina, the vessel was considered unsafe to complete the voyage, but by a vote of the passengers the captain agreed to undertake it, and all landed safety in New York. From there he went down the St. Lawrence to Buffalo, thence to Cincinnati by rail and by water to Brunswick, Missouri, and from there walked home, a distance of almost fifty miles,

Another trip Andrew McCoskrie made was in 1863, to Salt Lake City, Utah. On this trip he was accompanied by Joe McDarnold, Dick McDarnold, Pete Sutliffe (who was killed en route by Alarion  Lovell), Crockett Austin, Marion Lovell, Felix Comstock, Alfred Stone, Almon Butler, William Butter, Dr. Flint and family, of Baltimore, a Mr. Thomas and son of Indiana, and an old man named Smith and his two sons from Illinois and Warren M. Hudgins and family. Many of these people are well known in Livingston county.

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