The Misery Trail

In 1850, GEORGE HEARST visits his older friend and neighbor JOHN WITHINGTON to propose that John lead a wagon train from Missouri to the gold fields of California. Against the express wishes of his young wife, SALLIE, John accepts. He enlists his eldest son from his first marriage, STEPHEN, to join him as a guide, since Stephen fought in the war and has traveled in the West.

John peruses applications for the train. The emigrants include Hearst's nephews, JOE and JACOB CLARK; John's nephews, EMILIAN and JOSEPH YOSTI; the BUNDY family; John's neighbor, GEORGE YOUNGER; spinster teacher OLIVE DARLING; Irish immigrant PATRICK O'BRIEN; hopeful mail-order bride ANNA ADAIR; and German immigrants LOUIS ALTHEIMER and JACOB and SIMON BAMBURGER. John's former family slaves JOHN HUNTER, his wife LYZA, and their as-yet-unnamed toddler son join the train. John ensures that the paperwork that proves their freed status is in their possession and his, should they run into trouble on the trail.
John's teenage son J.R. joins the train against Sallie's wishes, as do his teenage friend JOHN TURNER and his new wife, LYDIA. On the night before the train leaves, John and Sallie talk and reconcile, and Sallie gives John a journal so that he might write a chronicle of his journey.