Mostly oxen and mules

Portions of Susan Magoffin's diary of life on the Santa Fe trail and in Mexico during the Mexican War are enjoyable out-loud reading. As the wagon train moved, she knitted and cared for the poultry. When the sun was high, if they found shade and water they stopped and napped. When there was no firewood to be had, they ate ham and cold biscuits. Once they start getting entangled in matters related to the war, the diary becomes less enjoyable, although the footnotes are interesting in that they show how very small the regular army was, most commissioned officers having graduated from West Point. Did one of the Flashman books feature life at Bent's Fort also? Yes.