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Hi Myron,
Courtney Walker didn't leave the Wyeth expedition at Fort Hall. He went on to Fort Vancouver with the Lee party, then at John McLoughlin's suggestion, they all came back down the Willamette in canoes with Indian paddlers he provided, to what is now called Mission Bottom near today's Salem.
After Courtney completed his year's contract with Jason Lee, he went to work for Wyeth running Fort William on Wappatoo Island (now Sauvie Island) in the Columbia north of present-day Portland. Among other things, he was running an Indian moccasin-making enterprise, catching and drying salmon, etc., I think for supplying trapping brigades. He became friends with Ewing Young and sold him various provisions during that time because Young was being blacklisted by McLoughlin due a misunderstanding about some stolen horses down in California. (Courtney's "Sketch of Ewing Young" is now posted online.)
When Wyeth's outfit was unable to compete with the Hudson's Bay Company and went belly up (around 1839, as I recall), Courtney went to work for the HBC. It was shortly after that that he became clerk at Fort Hall under Francis Ermatinger.
In 1840 the entire fur trade was pretty close to being defunct, so Courtney joined up with Joe Meek, Caleb Wilkins, Doc Newell and other retiring trappers to take a couple of wagons from Fort Hall (southeastern Idaho) back to the Willamette Valley--which was the first time anyone had ever done that. That was the beginning of what in a few years would become the Oregon Trail.
Joe Meek and his Nez Perce wife Virginia had spent the previous winter at or near Fort Hall, where their son Courtney Walker Meek was born. I'm guessing that Courtney's wife Margaret McTavish Walker was there to assist at the birth, but being part Indian she rarely got an official mention.
By the way, if you have copies or transcriptions of the two Caffery letters you mentioned, I'd really appreciate seeing those. Email: deged@delphian.org
Here's something I found online the other day:
Jessamine County Will Abstracts and Inventories 1798-1813
WALKER, COURTNEY February 7, 1804 March 1804 Legatees; Helen Call, Margaret Temple (sisters), Susannah Aldridge (niece), Andrew Walker (bro), Jacob Walker (nephew, son of David Walker). Ex: George Walker (bro). Wit: James Harris, David Walker, Jr.
Since my Courtney Walker was born in Jessamine County in 1812, what Courtney Walker would this be?
I also found the following that somehow made it into a deed in Missouri:
B:197 17 February 1835, John Walker of City of Jefferson certified that the holder of this instrument, James C. Wilks a negro who was 21 years of age on the 12 November 1833 was born in my house while his mother a freed woman named Nancy belonged to me; which said negro woman Nancy was set free by will of Courtney Walker, whose will is recorded in Jessamine County, Kentucky, and that Nancy lived with Walker until she was 25 years of age at which time she became entitled to her freedom as well as her offspring. James has lived with me from the day of his birth until he came of age and is to be considered a free man since 12 November 1833.
Cole County chapter, pp. 54-5
from:
Genealogical Gems from Early Missouri Deeds, 1815-1850
Information from Selected Missouri Land Records
Marsha Hoffman Rising, CG, FASG
Again, this has to be some other Courtney Walker, but WAS there another one who lived in Jessamine County?
Best,
Dege
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