Journal Entry: Day 32, Wednesday, June 30,1976 to Collingwood Park,Camden,NJ .... 19mi

Thunder and Breezy,ready to go, at Folwell School, all dressed up in their new bridles

        "Musical Horses" We try a few different hitches !

********************************

Journal Entry:Day 32,  Wednesday June 30, 1976 to Collingwood Park,Camden,NJ...19mi

This morning Lee had heard Melissa’s filly had died – but I could see it, so I knew it hadn’t.  They got the vet in and he said the filly has pneumonia and so it will be brought to a farm along with it’s mother to recoup. 

We Left at 7:10 am using Breezy & Thunder.  Scott is riding Hy-Guy  with us and  Paul Cabot , NH Teamster is ponying Daffy for us and we will switch them in when we  feel the need. Others are stepping up and helping us out just in case we need to switch in a horse to give one of ours a break. It's best to give them a try and see how they will work together so as the day goes on today we will hook up Hy-Guy and then  Daffy with one of our horses.

We are going down Route537 and just saw a sign that said Moorestown,  9 kilometers (6 miles).  All wagons are traveling today, hoping that they will make it.  About 8 o’clock meet the NY riders and the old fire wagon.  

 8:40-9:05 we stop for water.  Tom & Cathy meet us there & will meet us at every stop in case we want to truck our horses.  Lee told them to meet us at the next stop.  We have been having to jog to keep up & so have those behind us.  So to save them, Ranny is riding in front of Breezy so as to slow us down & it seems to be working rather well.  At 10am we stop again and we  hook up HyGuy with Breezy.  I am riding Thunder.  They went fine together.

Lee and Scott hooking up Hy-Guy

Hy-Guy and Breezy on the pole

 Then at the lunch stop we decided to take Hy-Guy & Breezy off and hook up Thunder & Daffy (NH Palomino ).  

 Daffy was the mare who came across the NH/Mass line on her hind legs ! After a month on the "Train" she has settled in and traveling great !

 After we took Breezy’s harness off, she rolled on some glass in the grass and cut her right front leg up under her shoulder so I had to truck her in and wait for the vet.  (Poodle Vet!!!)  He came and did not have any anesthesia so he had to go get some for Breezy & another horse that also got cut at the same rest stop. He didn’t even have a stethoscope with him.  Later it rained and we had  an awards “party” in the rain .

After the rain there was a rainbow that has faded from these photos : 

Just after the rain people started coming

Stan Bashura's Journal:

CT Wagon Journal Entry for Wednesday, June 30th, 1976.

There is excitement in the air, we are getting ever closer to Valley Forge!  We are headed to Cooper River Road, Collingswood Park, Camden, NJ.  We woke up this morning to another humid day.  We have a 19 mile trip today to Camden, NJ.  We did all the usual routine things we do in the morning, got the horses hitched up, I was standing by Colonel, checking his bridle, Duke and Bev were up on the Wagon seat.  Geri came over to me with her horse Gretchen and was getting ready to mount up when she stopped and turned at looked at me.  I could see something was bothering her.  What's the matter? I asked her.  Geri said she just heard a rumor around camp that Melissa's filly had just died!  Oh, no, I thought, this can't be.  Not now! Not this close to Valley Forge!  The Wagon Train got under way and we headed out for Collingswood. Shortly after we started out, we saw Roger and we asked him about Melissa's filly and told him what we heard.  He said that it was not true, thank goodness for that. Yes, the filly was sick, but it and it's mother and Melissa were sent to a local farm for treatment by a vet and rest. Duke and I noticed that the Rhode Island Wagon was swapping out horses a couple times today.  We figured that they were trying to match up a team so they could give their horses a break if needed, like when they had their spare horse "G".  It looked like they were doing okay!   We were all happy about that!  We pulled into camp about 3:30 pm.  Everyone seems to have gotten back the wonderful "Wagon Train Spirit"!  Shortly after we made camp, it started to rain and then it kept raining for quite a while, but we were used to being rained on and it didn't bother us a much anymore.  We had our Wagon Train Party at night and it was great.  They gave out "Gag" awards to the Wagons and Drivers and riders.  Our wagon, (the CT WAGON), got the "Holey Award"  for the most "holes" on our pilgrimage.  I guess because 75% of the time, we lagged behind everyone else leaving a big gap between us and the Wagon in front, because our Belgian Draft horses were kinda slow!  But all things considered, we were okay with that and happy to still be here!  Tomorrow, July 1st, 1976, we will be going over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge into Pennsyvannia!  Another big day ahead.