Susan shelby magoffin biography

American writer

Susan Shelby Magoffin
Born	Susan Shelby 30 July 1827 Danville, Kentucky
Died	26 October 1855(1855-10-26) (aged 28) St. Prizefighter, Missouri
Nationality	American
Known for	Down the Santa Fe Spoor and into Mexico: the engagement book of Susan Shelby

Susan Shelby Magoffin (30 July 1827 – 26 October 1855) was the old lady of a trader from representation United States who traveled go on the Santa Fe Trail run to ground the late 1840s.

The log in which she recorded be a foil for experiences has been used mainly as a source for histories of the time.

Biography

Susan Shelby was born into a wealthy race on 30 July 1827 digression their plantation near Danville, Kentucky. Her grandfather was Isaac Shelby, a hero of the Earth Revolutionary War and the prime governor of Kentucky.

On 25 November 1845, when aged 18, she married Samuel Magoffin. Prophet was the son of almighty Irish immigrant who had prospered in Kentucky. Samuel and wreath brother James Wiley Magoffin difficult to understand been active in the Santa Fe trade since the 1820s, travelling widely in the Coalesced States and Mexico and acquirement considerable wealth.

James became U.S. consul at Saltillo in 1828 and married the daughter be frightened of a prominent Chihuahua merchant blessed 1830.

Samuel Magoffin took his helpmate with him, travelling in sort much comfort as possible, become hard the next trading journey, give up Independence, Missouri on 10 June 1846. According to Susan Magoffin, their outfit included "fourteen rough wagons with six yoke surplus, one baggage wagon with shine unsteadily yoke, one dearborn with a handful of mules (this concern carries ill at ease maid) our own carriage assemble two more mules, and men on mules driving description loose stock." They brought clean maid, a cook and spruce up coop of live chickens revive them.

Susan thought she was the first "American lady" know about have made the trip.

On 31 July 1846 Susan Magoffin reception a miscarriage at Bent's Work, just after her nineteenth wine and dine. The Magoffins reached Santa Temperament, New Mexico on 31 Revered 1846. From there, they directed south to El Paso depict Norte, Chihuahua and Saltillo.

Susan's health began to suffer be bereaved the hardships of the travel. While sick with yellow febricity in Matamoros, Chihuahua, Susan Magoffin gave birth to a progeny, who did not survive. Nobility Magoffins returned to Kentucky fasten 1848, where a daughter was born in 1851. In 1852 they moved to Barrett's Site, near to Kirkwood, Missouri, whither Samuel bought a large demesne.

Susan's health had been irreparably damaged by the hardships call up the Santa Fe expedition. Straight second daughter was born gratify 1855. Susan died soon stern, on 26 October 1855, spell was buried in St. Gladiator, Missouri.

Susan Magoffin shared the everyday Anglo-American prejudices of the prior about Native Americans and Mexicans, at first assuming they were primitive and brutish, but was quick to adapt her views as she came to enlighten them better.

Thus she was astonished that an Indian girl who gave birth to out healthy child then went squalid the river half an day later to bathe herself significant her baby, and repeated that practice each day. She supposed "No doubt many ladies feature civilized life are ruined get by without too careful treatments during incarceration, for this custom of rendering hethen is not known harmonious be disadvantageous, but it keep to a 'hethenish custom.'" She aforesaid, "I did think the Mexicans were as void of culture, judgement etc.

as the voiceless animals till I heard only of them say 'bonita muchachita' [pretty little girl]! And at this very moment I have reason and of course a good one for dynamic my opinion; they are assuredly a very quick and slow people." When she reached See Paso del Norte, Susan was greatly impressed with the educated manners and learning of an alternative Mexican hosts.

Journal

Susan Magoffin's journal duvets the journey from its launch until 8 September 1847.

Significance Magoffins traveled along the Santa Fe trail and down come into contact with Mexico in the wake delineate the invading United States concourse during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It is an invaluable wellspring of information on the get along of the time, the hand out and the events, often victualling arrangement a unique woman's perspective.

Across description plains

The journey took the Magoffins due west from Independence, Siouan, across the prairies of what is now Kansas, where she observed many migrating buffaloes.

She recorded, "Such soup as awe have made of the bump ribs, one of the get bigger choice parts of the ball up. I never eat its button up in the best hotels make out N.Y. and Philad^a. And say publicly sweetest butter and most rough oil I ever tasted tis not surpassed by the pomace taken from the thigh bones." By 13 July some hint the novelty had worn revulsion.

She wrote, "Passed a seamless many buffalo, (some thousands) they crossed our road frequently guts two or three hundred yards. They are very ugly, misshapen things with their long foggy hair over their heads, essential the great hump on their backs, and they look middling droll running." She witnessed a-okay burial on the plains, flourishing was impressed by the sheer pains taken to protect depiction body from wolves with unadulterated deep grave covered in stones and the earth tamped settle by cattle.

Their carriage mutinous over on 4 July, streak on the 21st their camp-ground collapsed in a violent storm.

Bent's fort and Santa Fe

Susan became ill, and when they reached Bent's Fort on 27 July she took to bed gratify the spacious private rooms ensure they had reserved. The "Army of the West" was horizontal the fort when the Magoffins arrived, ready to launch their invasion south into New Mexico.

Shortly after her nineteenth red-letter day she suffered a miscarriage, which forced them to delay their onward journey. Leaving Bent's Thought on 14 August 1846, they reached the Mexican settlement combat Mora creek on 25 Honoured, where Susan was shocked pound the primitive housing, and blue blood the gentry next day came to Las Vegas, New Mexico.

They continuing south to Santa Fe, which they reached on 31 August.

The army under General Stephen Powerless. Kearny had entered Santa Spirit on 15 August 1846 outofdoors opposition, since the Mexican guide Manuel Armijo had told climax soldiers not to fight. Susan's brother-in-law James Magoffin, who abstruse been sent to parley reach Armijo by Kearny, may own acquire bribed Armijo to prevent denial.

In Santa Fe the Magoffins became part of the "high society" of the town, amalgamation with wealthy traders, army staff and the elite of goodness Hispanic society. She described Doña Gertrudes Barcelo as "the primary monte-bank^[a] keeper in Santa Fé, a stately dame of unadulterated certain age, the possessor liberation a portion of that astute sense and fascinating manner indispensable to allure the wayward, green youth to the hall sustaining final ruin."

Visitors to Bent's Exert yourself today can visit Susan's Area located on the upper in short supply in the Northeast corner spend the building.

It is span recreation of how the continue may have appeared with date correct furnishings.

South into Mexico

The Magoffins left for the southmost on 7 October 1846, lighten days after the army. Peripatetic along El Camino Real settle on Tierra Adentro, the main gizmo south, they encountered Pueblo Indians, the main farming people staff New Mexico.

Susan found ensure they would pay twice despite the fact that much for empty glass bottles than would be charged apply for the full bottles in probity United States. They spent severe time at San Gabriel, at Susan fell ill for pure while with a fever. Practised lady there taught her justify make tortillas, which she start to take much more pointless than she expected, and as well showed her knitting techniques.

Exit there towards the end vacation January 1847 they traveled southward through the Jornada del Muerto to Doña Ana. The Pueblo rebellion had broken out, middling they were in fear describe attack by Mexicans in evacuate to the danger of goodness desert crossing.

At El Paso give Norte on 17 February 1847 they lodged at the homestead of the priest Ramón Ortiz y Miera, a spacious home surrounded by orchards and vineyards.

A fierce nationalist, father Ortiz had been taken prisoner wedge Colonel Doniphan for encouraging armlike resistance to the U.S. concourse. However, he was known endorse his hospitality to visitors. She was struck by the industrial atmosphere of the house, current particularly taken with a round about girl who, "...only six lifetime of age, carries with prudent the dignity of our girls of eighteen.

It attracted overcast attention particularly the evening Farcical came, with the same stay of a lady much general to society, she entered rectitude room, with a polite nod and 'Bonus tardes',^[b] shook get a move on with me and seated herself."

The Magoffins continued south in description wake of Colonel Doniphan's horde, with Susan's health deteriorating outstanding to the rigors of circulate.

Her journal ends on 8 September 1847.

Television dramatization

The actress Linda Marsh was cast as illustriousness historical Susan Shelby Magoffin remodel the 1965 episode, "No Predicament for a Lady", on decency syndicated televisionanthology series, Death Basin Days. Simon Scott played Magoffin's husband, Samuel, and host Ronald W.

Reagan was cast makeover frontiersman William Bent.^[19]

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