Day in the Life

Jul 17, 1849

Journal Entry

July 17, 1849 ~ Tuesday

17 I arose this morning vary lame from yesterdays walk
I have 15 miles to reach St Johns I walked one mile & found
A Merchant Mr Beaty who gave me a ride with him into the
city of St Johns which I considerd A great Blessings. I
found St John to be A plesant business place esspecially for
Mills & Lumber. The whole face of the Earth that I saw
from Fox Islands to St Johns was vary rocky barren & rough, timber
mostly spruice & ceder. A few days before I arived at St Johns the
Orange men of that city had a walk were attacked by the Catho-
licks
A fight ensued 20 or so were killed & many wounded I
went onto the scene of Action saw the ball & shot Holes in the

doors & windows & buildings as we passed along this was in the
edge of the burnt district there has been some vary destructive
fires in that city. I spent 2 Hours here then went to Indiantown
went on board of the Forest Queen steemer bound for
Frederickton 90 miles up the St Johns River it was quite
A rainy windy Afternoon yet I walked the Herricane
deck to view the country for the scene had now change
from A vary rough country to A delightful plesant one for
the whole country for several miles each side of the river
from St Johns to Frederickton was in a high state of cultivation
& settelled, more resembled the farms of Illinois then the barren
Hilly, rocky country which I have before visited in the colonies
I never saw 90 miles on the bank of any river more bea-
utifully cultivated or plesantly located than the St Johns
River It is quite A steream for fish. I saw the salmon
& sturgeon jumping out of water as we went up the river
we arived at Frederickton at 8 oclok I put up at the tem-
perance Hotel in York street distance of the day 115 miles

Quotes

View selected quotes from this page in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

July 16, 1849 ~ Monday 16th I left Mr Eldridge & sho^o^ld shouldered my travelling bag & walked and walked 7 miles to MCCorrells & waited 3 Hours for the stage to go to St Johns when it came along it was loaded down & could not take me. Here I was 42 miles from St Johns on foot & no conveyance with A Heavy travelling bag with A vast burning forest to go through I did not stop to meditate or complain of my situation but swung my carpet bag over my shoulder again & started on my journey on foot, in good spirits
~ Wilford Woodruff

Jul 17, 1849