In May 1865, just as the battles of the Civil War had finally come to an end, twenty-four-year-old Sarah Raymond mounted her beloved pony and headed west with her mother and two younger brothers. Traveling by wagon train over the Great Plains toward the Rocky Mountains, the Raymonds had no certain idea of where they would settle, but they were determined to leave war-torn Missouri behind them and to start a new life.
Sarah's diary, written beside campfires and in spare moments on the long journey, provides a unique first-person account of life on the trail. Here detailed recording of each day's activities and adventures provides a rare glimpse into the private lives and hardships endured by the many pioneer women who traveled west with their families, but whose names and experiences have been lost to time.
Originally published in 1902, Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865 is an inspiring tale of a truly remarkable young woman and a tribute to all the emigrants who made their way west.