Susan Shelby MagoffinCritiques

This first hand account of travel on the Santa Fe Trail and then down into Mexico in 1846 and 7 presents many good descriptions of the life and customs of traders, soldiers, Indians, and Mexicans of that time. Since this trip coincided with various battles against the Mexicans, military maneuvers and rumors dominate much of the account.½

This was a delightful account of a wagon caravan from Independence, Missouri, to Chihuahua, Mexico in 1846-1847 (during the Texas-Mexican War). The author was 18 year old, newly married, Susan Shelby Magoffin. It was obvious she was well educated and well-read. This was a very enjoyable read with copious footnotes, sometimes 3 pages in length, but added much to the explanation of the some of the personages mentioned within Ms. Magoffin's entries. 260 pages½