The Rose–Baley Party Gillum Baley

19th-century depiction of wagon trains entering santa fe, new mexico

in april 1858, baley , brother right assembled wagon train travel california intended spend rest of lives. time gillum , permelia baley had 9 children, youngest 6 weeks old. right baley , wife nancy had 8 children, , pregnant 9th. in party missouri neighbors, thomas , joel hedgpeth , families. in mid-may while resting @ cottonwood creek, near present-day durham, kansas, joined party led leonard rose had left iowa in april , intended travel california via santa fe trail. in interests of safety, groups agreed informal merger. when combined party reached albuquerque, new mexico, decided attempt final stretch california via beale s wagon road, @ time little more rough trail.

on 30 august, emigrants preparing cross colorado river, first of party s wagons arrive @ crossing point attacked mojave indians, leaving twelve emigrants wounded , 8 dead, including 5 children. having lost of livestock , fearful of further attacks, surviving members of rose–baley party trekked 500 miles albuquerque. 2 baley families made safely albuquerque in november 1858, despite extreme hardships of journey back, , remained there several months. made 2 more attempts reach california following year. first ended in failure when cattle died , provisions gave out. faced starvation returned albuquerque. made california on third attempt, time crossing colorado @ fort yuma, , made way visalia in san joaquin valley begin new life.