Ingraham Expedition: March 21, Monday

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Ingraham Expedition: March 21, Monday

Original Source

Encoded texts are derived from three typescript accounts of the 1892 Everglades Exploration Expedition found in the James E. Ingraham Papers and the Chase Collection in the Special and Area Studies Collections Department of the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. Digital reproductions of the typescripts are available at:

Moses, W.R., Record of the Everglade Exploration Expedition

Ingraham, J.E., Diary

Church, A., A Dash Through the Everglades

Contents

Electronic Publication Details:

Text encoding by John R. Nemmers

Published by John R. Nemmers.

George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

2015

Licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License.

These manuscripts are available from this site for education purposes only.

Encoding Principles

The three accounts of the 1892 Ingraham Everglades Exploration Expedition have been transcribed and are represented in Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) P5 XML encoding.

Line and page breaks have not been preserved in the encoded manuscripts.

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View Page Image CAMP NO. 5, Ft. Shackleford, Fla. Monday, March 21st, 1892. View Page Image March 21 View Page Image [Monday, March 21, 1892]
CAMP NO. 5, Ft. Shackleford, Fla. Monday, March 21st, 1892.

Finished packing and sent one load to the Indian boat landing on the edge of the Everglades three or four miles distant, at 7 o'clock, having retained the ox team for that purpose. Ft. Shackleford is a pine island with perhaps half a dozen pine trees upon it and the only dry camping place for some distance, else we should have camped nearer the Glades. The surrounding country is prairie willow islands, small cypresses, etc. and considerable water, but shallow.

Messrs. Ingraham, Newman, Chase, and Church with 11 of the men accompanied the first team. Mr. Moses, Mr. George Hendry and the balance getting away with the second load about 10 A.M.

Mr. Frank Hendry left for Fort Myers with his one horse wagon shortly after breakfast.

Settlement was made with Mr. George Hendry in full for the use of his two teams and himself. He bade us good bye at the boat landing and took with him our last letters to mail at Fort Myers.

We left the boat landing a little after noon with the two wooden skiffs purchased at Myers and the two canvas boats brought with us all well loaded and waded about 1 1/4 miles into the Everglades, arriving at Camp No. 6 about 2 o'clock P.M. Did not pitch tents. Mr. Ingraham and Mr. Moses slept in the canvas boats. The camping place is nothing but a slight elevation covered with a few cypresses and bushes and rather wet. The balance of the party pitched their mosquito bars on this elevation, had a lunch of canned goods, crackers and what was left from breakfast.

The surveyors began chaining and leveling at Shackleford this morning and continued their work, while some of the party went after game. Except for a few ducks which carefully kept out of gunshot, a curlew or two and some gannets and herons nothing edible was seen. Snakes were conspicuous by their absence, but one of two being seen by anyone.

Messrs. Ingraham, Chase and Moses with one of the canvas boats visited a little hammock island, lying south of the camp about one mile on which evidence of an several Indian camp remained, - a lean to roof that once had been thatched with palmetto, a few poles stuck into the ground and half burned logs, end to end, some small lemon trees and pumpkin vine were found growing. The lemon trees and pumpkin vine indicated the absence of frost.

Water covered the surface to the average depth of .5 of a foot in the Everglades today. Rock appeared at various distances but with great regularity from the boat landing throughout the whole of this march at from 6 to 18 inches from the surface. Wherever rock is close to the surface the growth is very poor, being covered with somewhat of a coarse grained sand which seems to have but little nutriment in it, but where the rock is deeper it is overlaid with muck on which a rank growth of coarse leaves and other vegetation appears. The current is very sluggish, but as far as observation goes, flows in a southerly direction.

The difference in elevation between Fort Shackleford and Camp No. 6 is 2.1 feet. A short distance from the edge of the Everglades the land in one place fell .2 of a foot below the water level of the glades. March 21. Broke camp 5:30 A.M. Started survey from big pine, white flag, blue "Waycross" on it, at Ft. Shackleford. Line due S. 32 E. to Indian Landing on edge of Everglades.

Marched 1-1/2 miles on course S.36E. Wading all day. Camped on a cypress island. Next morning we were up early and after bidding the Hendrys and those who were to go back with the wagons to Ft. Myers goodby, we set our compass and ran S. 32 E. towards the Everglades.

Tom Boyd, one of the men from Ft. Myers, who had agreed to go through with us, became frightened at the prospect before him and decided to go back with the wagons. Before we reached Miami many a man in our party wished he had swapped his valor for some of Tom Boyd's discretion in this matter.

After running about four miles on our course we struck the Everglades as far as the eye could reach a vast expanse of saw grass and water was seen, dotted however with islands here and there. A part of our force was detailed to set up the canvas boats, store the provisions, and equipage they were to carry, while the rest of us went on with the survey. Where we entered the glades the water was only ankle deep, clear except when stirred up by some movement in it, and the ground was not so boggy as we found it further in. The saw grass seemed to be stunted, for it was only four or five feet high, and lay in detached bodies and not a solid mass as we afterward found it. On all sides small clumps of trees or islands could be seen, and we felt confident if they were as numerous as this all the way across we would always be able to find a camping place.

My first experience with saw grass was not very encouraging, for that day in forcing my way through some of it I had my right hand cut severely in several places, but after being tied up in a cloth greased well with mutton suet it gave me very little trouble.

We camped that evening about a mile from land on a little cypress island hardly above the surrounding water, and after bringing up all the wood we could find for our camp fire made a place for our beds. Each bed was fixed for two, and when practicable we always had a foundation of ferns or leaves of some sort; on top of this mattress we put our oilcloths to keep out the moisture from the ground, and then the blankets, one to lie on, and the other to cover with. As soon as our bed was made the mosquito bars had to be hung, and for this purpose four sticks were necessary.

After we had made [camp] that day those men who were not too tired waded out to explore the neighboring islands; on their return they reported they had seen a deserted Indian village about which was growing a lemon grove, and on another island what seemed to be a bears' den, but no bear could be discovered. That night all were in good spirits except Handley, who vomited and seemed to be threatened with an attack of fever. The bare idea of any of the men falling sick in this wilderness made me faint at heart, and that night I could not help feeling uneasy on that account.
X (Close panel)Text:
View Page Image CAMP NO. 5, Ft. Shackleford, Fla. Monday, March 21st, 1892. View Page Image March 21 View Page Image [Monday, March 21, 1892]
CAMP NO. 5, Ft. Shackleford, Fla. Monday, March 21st, 1892.

Finished packing and sent one load to the Indian boat landing on the edge of the Everglades three or four miles distant, at 7 o'clock, having retained the ox team for that purpose. Ft. Shackleford is a pine island with perhaps half a dozen pine trees upon it and the only dry camping place for some distance, else we should have camped nearer the Glades. The surrounding country is prairie willow islands, small cypresses, etc. and considerable water, but shallow.

Messrs. Ingraham, Newman, Chase, and Church with 11 of the men accompanied the first team. Mr. Moses, Mr. George Hendry and the balance getting away with the second load about 10 A.M.

Mr. Frank Hendry left for Fort Myers with his one horse wagon shortly after breakfast.

Settlement was made with Mr. George Hendry in full for the use of his two teams and himself. He bade us good bye at the boat landing and took with him our last letters to mail at Fort Myers.

We left the boat landing a little after noon with the two wooden skiffs purchased at Myers and the two canvas boats brought with us all well loaded and waded about 1 1/4 miles into the Everglades, arriving at Camp No. 6 about 2 o'clock P.M. Did not pitch tents. Mr. Ingraham and Mr. Moses slept in the canvas boats. The camping place is nothing but a slight elevation covered with a few cypresses and bushes and rather wet. The balance of the party pitched their mosquito bars on this elevation, had a lunch of canned goods, crackers and what was left from breakfast.

The surveyors began chaining and leveling at Shackleford this morning and continued their work, while some of the party went after game. Except for a few ducks which carefully kept out of gunshot, a curlew or two and some gannets and herons nothing edible was seen. Snakes were conspicuous by their absence, but one of two being seen by anyone.

Messrs. Ingraham, Chase and Moses with one of the canvas boats visited a little hammock island, lying south of the camp about one mile on which evidence of an several Indian camp remained, - a lean to roof that once had been thatched with palmetto, a few poles stuck into the ground and half burned logs, end to end, some small lemon trees and pumpkin vine were found growing. The lemon trees and pumpkin vine indicated the absence of frost.

Water covered the surface to the average depth of .5 of a foot in the Everglades today. Rock appeared at various distances but with great regularity from the boat landing throughout the whole of this march at from 6 to 18 inches from the surface. Wherever rock is close to the surface the growth is very poor, being covered with somewhat of a coarse grained sand which seems to have but little nutriment in it, but where the rock is deeper it is overlaid with muck on which a rank growth of coarse leaves and other vegetation appears. The current is very sluggish, but as far as observation goes, flows in a southerly direction.

The difference in elevation between Fort Shackleford and Camp No. 6 is 2.1 feet. A short distance from the edge of the Everglades the land in one place fell .2 of a foot below the water level of the glades. March 21. Broke camp 5:30 A.M. Started survey from big pine, white flag, blue "Waycross" on it, at Ft. Shackleford. Line due S. 32 E. to Indian Landing on edge of Everglades.

Marched 1-1/2 miles on course S.36E. Wading all day. Camped on a cypress island. Next morning we were up early and after bidding the Hendrys and those who were to go back with the wagons to Ft. Myers goodby, we set our compass and ran S. 32 E. towards the Everglades.

Tom Boyd, one of the men from Ft. Myers, who had agreed to go through with us, became frightened at the prospect before him and decided to go back with the wagons. Before we reached Miami many a man in our party wished he had swapped his valor for some of Tom Boyd's discretion in this matter.

After running about four miles on our course we struck the Everglades as far as the eye could reach a vast expanse of saw grass and water was seen, dotted however with islands here and there. A part of our force was detailed to set up the canvas boats, store the provisions, and equipage they were to carry, while the rest of us went on with the survey. Where we entered the glades the water was only ankle deep, clear except when stirred up by some movement in it, and the ground was not so boggy as we found it further in. The saw grass seemed to be stunted, for it was only four or five feet high, and lay in detached bodies and not a solid mass as we afterward found it. On all sides small clumps of trees or islands could be seen, and we felt confident if they were as numerous as this all the way across we would always be able to find a camping place.

My first experience with saw grass was not very encouraging, for that day in forcing my way through some of it I had my right hand cut severely in several places, but after being tied up in a cloth greased well with mutton suet it gave me very little trouble.

We camped that evening about a mile from land on a little cypress island hardly above the surrounding water, and after bringing up all the wood we could find for our camp fire made a place for our beds. Each bed was fixed for two, and when practicable we always had a foundation of ferns or leaves of some sort; on top of this mattress we put our oilcloths to keep out the moisture from the ground, and then the blankets, one to lie on, and the other to cover with. As soon as our bed was made the mosquito bars had to be hung, and for this purpose four sticks were necessary.

After we had made [camp] that day those men who were not too tired waded out to explore the neighboring islands; on their return they reported they had seen a deserted Indian village about which was growing a lemon grove, and on another island what seemed to be a bears' den, but no bear could be discovered. That night all were in good spirits except Handley, who vomited and seemed to be threatened with an attack of fever. The bare idea of any of the men falling sick in this wilderness made me faint at heart, and that night I could not help feeling uneasy on that account.
X (Close panel)Text:
View Page Image CAMP NO. 5, Ft. Shackleford, Fla. Monday, March 21st, 1892. View Page Image March 21 View Page Image [Monday, March 21, 1892]
CAMP NO. 5, Ft. Shackleford, Fla. Monday, March 21st, 1892.

Finished packing and sent one load to the Indian boat landing on the edge of the Everglades three or four miles distant, at 7 o'clock, having retained the ox team for that purpose. Ft. Shackleford is a pine island with perhaps half a dozen pine trees upon it and the only dry camping place for some distance, else we should have camped nearer the Glades. The surrounding country is prairie willow islands, small cypresses, etc. and considerable water, but shallow.

Messrs. Ingraham, Newman, Chase, and Church with 11 of the men accompanied the first team. Mr. Moses, Mr. George Hendry and the balance getting away with the second load about 10 A.M.

Mr. Frank Hendry left for Fort Myers with his one horse wagon shortly after breakfast.

Settlement was made with Mr. George Hendry in full for the use of his two teams and himself. He bade us good bye at the boat landing and took with him our last letters to mail at Fort Myers.

We left the boat landing a little after noon with the two wooden skiffs purchased at Myers and the two canvas boats brought with us all well loaded and waded about 1 1/4 miles into the Everglades, arriving at Camp No. 6 about 2 o'clock P.M. Did not pitch tents. Mr. Ingraham and Mr. Moses slept in the canvas boats. The camping place is nothing but a slight elevation covered with a few cypresses and bushes and rather wet. The balance of the party pitched their mosquito bars on this elevation, had a lunch of canned goods, crackers and what was left from breakfast.

The surveyors began chaining and leveling at Shackleford this morning and continued their work, while some of the party went after game. Except for a few ducks which carefully kept out of gunshot, a curlew or two and some gannets and herons nothing edible was seen. Snakes were conspicuous by their absence, but one of two being seen by anyone.

Messrs. Ingraham, Chase and Moses with one of the canvas boats visited a little hammock island, lying south of the camp about one mile on which evidence of an several Indian camp remained, - a lean to roof that once had been thatched with palmetto, a few poles stuck into the ground and half burned logs, end to end, some small lemon trees and pumpkin vine were found growing. The lemon trees and pumpkin vine indicated the absence of frost.

Water covered the surface to the average depth of .5 of a foot in the Everglades today. Rock appeared at various distances but with great regularity from the boat landing throughout the whole of this march at from 6 to 18 inches from the surface. Wherever rock is close to the surface the growth is very poor, being covered with somewhat of a coarse grained sand which seems to have but little nutriment in it, but where the rock is deeper it is overlaid with muck on which a rank growth of coarse leaves and other vegetation appears. The current is very sluggish, but as far as observation goes, flows in a southerly direction.

The difference in elevation between Fort Shackleford and Camp No. 6 is 2.1 feet. A short distance from the edge of the Everglades the land in one place fell .2 of a foot below the water level of the glades. March 21. Broke camp 5:30 A.M. Started survey from big pine, white flag, blue "Waycross" on it, at Ft. Shackleford. Line due S. 32 E. to Indian Landing on edge of Everglades.

Marched 1-1/2 miles on course S.36E. Wading all day. Camped on a cypress island. Next morning we were up early and after bidding the Hendrys and those who were to go back with the wagons to Ft. Myers goodby, we set our compass and ran S. 32 E. towards the Everglades.

Tom Boyd, one of the men from Ft. Myers, who had agreed to go through with us, became frightened at the prospect before him and decided to go back with the wagons. Before we reached Miami many a man in our party wished he had swapped his valor for some of Tom Boyd's discretion in this matter.

After running about four miles on our course we struck the Everglades as far as the eye could reach a vast expanse of saw grass and water was seen, dotted however with islands here and there. A part of our force was detailed to set up the canvas boats, store the provisions, and equipage they were to carry, while the rest of us went on with the survey. Where we entered the glades the water was only ankle deep, clear except when stirred up by some movement in it, and the ground was not so boggy as we found it further in. The saw grass seemed to be stunted, for it was only four or five feet high, and lay in detached bodies and not a solid mass as we afterward found it. On all sides small clumps of trees or islands could be seen, and we felt confident if they were as numerous as this all the way across we would always be able to find a camping place.

My first experience with saw grass was not very encouraging, for that day in forcing my way through some of it I had my right hand cut severely in several places, but after being tied up in a cloth greased well with mutton suet it gave me very little trouble.

We camped that evening about a mile from land on a little cypress island hardly above the surrounding water, and after bringing up all the wood we could find for our camp fire made a place for our beds. Each bed was fixed for two, and when practicable we always had a foundation of ferns or leaves of some sort; on top of this mattress we put our oilcloths to keep out the moisture from the ground, and then the blankets, one to lie on, and the other to cover with. As soon as our bed was made the mosquito bars had to be hung, and for this purpose four sticks were necessary.

After we had made [camp] that day those men who were not too tired waded out to explore the neighboring islands; on their return they reported they had seen a deserted Indian village about which was growing a lemon grove, and on another island what seemed to be a bears' den, but no bear could be discovered. That night all were in good spirits except Handley, who vomited and seemed to be threatened with an attack of fever. The bare idea of any of the men falling sick in this wilderness made me faint at heart, and that night I could not help feeling uneasy on that account.