Great info, Don, thanks. I must say that, while I have but little doubt that an experienced and strong horseman with a healthy and young animal could accomplish just what you have stated. Nor would I question your notes that mounted infantry had made 14.5 miles per day for those 62 days. However I would wonder whether any eastern farm boy/man, even with his best work horses taken from the fields to the wagon hitch, could ever do more than that 20 mile, 12 hour day (1.7 miles per hour) without extended rest periods and occasional days of rest and grazing. Then too, I further would have to wonder, even if our imaginary wagon master was highly experienced and the passengers were healthy, able and could move at that rate day after day, whether such animals, at least those many of which I witnessed working for my Gfather and Father, would not have been broken down in but a few days. I would almost say that I am sure that the horses and mules that I watched could not have so worked weeks on end and day after day in the worst and the best of weather and through terrible heat or cold and rain, sleet, snow or mud. Please know again that I have no question as to your veracity or as to those rates of speed, given healthy, strong horses that were broken to such work and passengers that could handle that terrible dust, weather and stress. Thanks again, and Merry Xmas, Don :-) **************** -----Original Message----- From: .... Dick Cazier Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2007 4:35 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [DRAKE] [VA-SOUTHSIDE] Slow Goin' This has been a most interesting thread. Here's some information I have gleaned from my research. During the Mexican War, the Mormon Battalion, Iowa Volunteer Infantry marched from Ft. Leavenworth, KS to Santa Fe, NM in 62 days. It was a distance of 900 miles. That's 14.5 miles/day. But this march also included an unspecified amount of time of slow travel and stops to make improvements to the route (basically the Santa Fe Trail). They also stopped to make or improve waterholes. The trek purpose was to improve the trail to facilitate movement of military supply convoys to support troops engaged in the war. Obviously, while on the march, their speed had to exceed the figure listed above. As a side note, this march is recorded as the longest continuous march of U.S. Infantry unit in military history. Numerous documented early wagon train travels along the Oregon Trail (St. Joeseph, MO to Portland, OR) and Mormon Trail (from Council Bluffs, IA to Salt Lake City, UT) list average days of 20 miles, good days as 25 miles and slow days of 20 miles or less. Major river crossing, like the Missouri and Platte Rivers, often required 1 full day to just get a wagon train across the river. Most of these wagon trains included both horse and oxen drawn wagons. Most of these started by 7 AM and travel till about 7 PM , but also included the "nooning" stop to rest animals. Dick Cazier No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.4/1187 - Release Date: 12/16/2007 11:36 AM To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html