"very cold and windy day [ ] we started before breakfast and traveled a few miles to wood and water where we cooked breakfast after which we resumed our journey [ ] we now came in sight of a herd of Bufaloe [ ] our hunters started after them and obtained 5 old ones and some calves [ ] we camped on a slough this night"
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Jacob Norton journal:
"Satturday May 1st 1847 [ ] A cold uncomfortable morning started before Breakfast & traveled about 8 miles when wee discovered a drove of Buffalo and halted while five or six hunters started in pursuit [ ] shot one but did not get it [ ] started on a few miles when a large Band of Buffalo was discovered grazeing quietly along the side of the Bluff about 3 miles from us [ ] wee pursued our journey along in sight of them some distance when a council of the Hunters was held and a plan adapted for the chase & some 8 or ten Horsemen started in pursuit while the camp moved on presently an Antelope started up [ ] Professor Pratt shot at him & he led off towards the Herd of Buffalo with two dogs in pursuit [ ] they all ran right in among them when they began to huddl together & roll off to the west along verge of the Bluff some time before the Hunters came up with them they having taken a circuit around on the hills & the Herd halted our Hunters after a little time came down upon them in gallant style [ ] a cloud of dust was soon raised which almost hid the dark rooling herd below [ ] wee could scarsely hear their guns but with the help of our glasses wee could see them drop down a dark spot now then upon green Prarie [ ] in a little more than an hour our Hunters came in having slaughtered one Bull three cows & 5 calves [ ] while the pursuit was going on one of our men at the head of the advancing colum of waggons shot a calf lying where its Mother had left it [ ] in fact the ground wee were now looked like an old summer pasture so completely was it fed off by the Buffalo & wild geise but bad as it was wee were compelled to halt & camp so as to take care of our Meat [ ] wee soon found a place on the bank of a small creek partly dry [ ] wee called it Buffalo Creek [ ] some light waggons were dispatched for the meat & about dark it was all in [ ] one Hunter Joseph Hancock who started on foot when the first party went out this morning did not come in at night fall, [ ] in the morning a good deal of anxiety prevailed among us lest the Indians had found & robbed him but a little after sunris he came in bringing a piece of a Buffalo cow he had killed [ ] with three men he went back after his meat but the wolves had taken the greater part [ ] they However killed two antelopes and brought in the meat [ ] I was the first watch with my Ten [ ] in the fore part of the night two Buffalo calves approached the guard when one of them fired & wounded one of the calves in the thigh when they fled [ ] the men pursued & caut the wounded one which made in all 12 Buffalo wee got besides several that were mortalty wounded during the chase [ ] another young Buffalo passed close one of my men on guard but he did not shoot at it [ ] this Buffalo chase took place opposite the head of Grand Island Lat 40° 41' 42' ."
