Day 34 Mill Creek (near Quincy, IL) Mile 378
Oct. 7, 1838 May 26, 2006

Polke generally camped outside of a large city or on the opposite shore of a river town, probably to avoid any trouble in town and to especially deprive the soldiers, Wagoneers and Indians of alcohol which often led to trouble between an organized traveling party and a town. In the case of Quincy he did both -- stopping short of town at Mill Creek then crossing the Mississippi river and staying several days on the western shore.

The twelve mile trip from Hobson's Choice campsite to Mill Creek passed over rolling holls then across a high level prairie before dropping slightly to Mill creek. Polke planned to get up early in the morning and get the entire party safely across the river then take several days and "to allow the teamsters and others engaged in the service, sufficient time to repair their wagons, etc."

Other than reporting the journey pleasant and "better than usual supplied with water" the only other item is the almost daily common line closing out the journal, "a child died shortly after we arrived in camp."

AS FOR ME, after checking the marker in Liberty I walked to Mill Creek with little news and little thought. At the Mill Creek historical marker I sat soaked in the humidity until Sharon arrived the now-410 mile distance from our home in Marion, Indiana. The party of Indians took several days off on the western shore of the Mississippi and so shall I.

The half-way mark should be a celebration for me but it's not. It seems like this journey should be over by now, not merely half-over. I am tired and worn-out, have blisters on my feet and the bones in my ankles, heels and knees are screaming, "Go home with your wife tomorrow!" I am tired of walking, tired of eating whatever I can find, tired of sleeping on the ground, tired of the sun, tired of noisy trucks and dirty roads and the overly humid heat. I am tired of writing blog entires that I'm not sure are being read by many, tired of thinking about Indians 150 years ago constantly and continually, I'm tired.

I want to switch channels. I want to think of something else. Go home and write great prose in my air conditioned writer's studio. Attend a good movie. Read a book I don't have to carry in my pack all day. Sleep in my own bed. Go out to a quiet dinner with our friends. I'm tired of this trek. The romance and adventure have been displaced by drudgery. I want to quit. This is how I''m feeling here at the Mill Creek marker, waiting for Sharon to arrive.

I'VE BEEN THINKING TODAY (dictated for book)