Died on the trip west on the Oregon Trail, near the Umatilla River, about 200 miles from the Willamette Settlement. The unconfirmed story is that when the wagon train reached an area up the Umatilla River near Pendleton, Oregon, James was splitting wood and cut his hand. James passed away October 4, 1852 from blood poisoning.
However, slightly different information is provided in 1925. Milton Marshall, a grandson of James Marshall, wrote a letter to his family about their ancestor's travel on the Oregon Trail. In it he stated that while they were camped there, one of the oxen got sick and died. James was curious about what caused the ox's death so he cut it open to see if he could determine the cause. James had a raw sore on his arm, and it most likely got infected from the ox, and this led to his death. "They had no lumber to make a coffin, so they sewed him up in a fether (sic) bed and let him down in the grave and covered him up."
In this letter, Milton Marshall states that James' last words to his wife, Ruth, were to tell her "…follow my steps." She and their children continued on to Oregon.
However, slightly different information is provided in 1925. Milton Marshall, a grandson of James Marshall, wrote a letter to his family about their ancestor's travel on the Oregon Trail. In it he stated that while they were camped there, one of the oxen got sick and died. James was curious about what caused the ox's death so he cut it open to see if he could determine the cause. James had a raw sore on his arm, and it most likely got infected from the ox, and this led to his death. "They had no lumber to make a coffin, so they sewed him up in a fether (sic) bed and let him down in the grave and covered him up."
In this letter, Milton Marshall states that James' last words to his wife, Ruth, were to tell her "…follow my steps." She and their children continued on to Oregon.
Died on the trip west on the Oregon Trail, near the Umatilla River, about 200 miles from the Willamette Settlement. The unconfirmed story is that when the wagon train reached an area up the Umatilla River near Pendleton, Oregon, James was splitting wood and cut his hand. James passed away October 4, 1852 from blood poisoning.
However, slightly different information is provided in 1925. Milton Marshall, a grandson of James Marshall, wrote a letter to his family about their ancestor's travel on the Oregon Trail. In it he stated that while they were camped there, one of the oxen got sick and died. James was curious about what caused the ox's death so he cut it open to see if he could determine the cause. James had a raw sore on his arm, and it most likely got infected from the ox, and this led to his death. "They had no lumber to make a coffin, so they sewed him up in a fether (sic) bed and let him down in the grave and covered him up."
In this letter, Milton Marshall states that James' last words to his wife, Ruth, were to tell her "…follow my steps." She and their children continued on to Oregon.
However, slightly different information is provided in 1925. Milton Marshall, a grandson of James Marshall, wrote a letter to his family about their ancestor's travel on the Oregon Trail. In it he stated that while they were camped there, one of the oxen got sick and died. James was curious about what caused the ox's death so he cut it open to see if he could determine the cause. James had a raw sore on his arm, and it most likely got infected from the ox, and this led to his death. "They had no lumber to make a coffin, so they sewed him up in a fether (sic) bed and let him down in the grave and covered him up."
In this letter, Milton Marshall states that James' last words to his wife, Ruth, were to tell her "…follow my steps." She and their children continued on to Oregon.
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