Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-01-24

Uncultvnted as a Wilderness
nm ms camp uneenslng din, the negh'ng steod,
OF service discipline, parade Five neibins gun
To heart, tho heart that longs for nourishmcnt"
Monday, Dec, 6. Left our camp at Choa-la-
pulcha, and marched northeast six miles to the
depot, which is ten miles north Of Fort Ke-
as on the border of tho Big Cypress swamp
The country is low wet prairie, of sterile sand
ovoraid with slippery mud from the nundalions
Unloaded the provisions and forage from the wag-
ons and pack mules, and returned the wagons TO
Fort Simmons for additional sunnIies Jeit herr
one company and the sick and disabled men.
Tuesdau Dec T. Again took m the line ofI
march on an east course along the borders of the
Big CYPRESS. Its nrpenrnnce from our troil which
was in an extensive prairie. was That of a distant
shore of a vast lake. On making six or seven
miles we came TO one of the entrnnces 10 the
swamp and encatnped for the night in pine ISL
and sufficiently dry for lodging. Here the great
question was to be tested whether tho retreat was
or was not accessible to the white man. Estab-
Iished small sub depot under Lieut. G. and thir.
" men, some disabled from marching One hair
the distance was travelled in ipater of various
depths, from three 10 eighteen inches Left Lieut..
y. sick, and Lieut.. s. with alIraled feet.
Wednesday, Dec. g. About sunrise put the col
umn, consisting now of $50 Infantry, and Captain
rs company I'd dragons with a train of 80 pack
mules, in motion, and entered the swamp We
pretty soon encountered spongy, DOGGY ground,
and three times in the course Of the day had some
difficulty in getting our packs along. Six men
were put to each mule and, when it was unable
TO proceed through The mud, the men, three on n
side lifted it upon its feet and urged il through
For the first six miles the country is perfect lev
el covered with about six inches of water. IL is
sandy, md. with the execution of the pInces men
toned, is not very borgy We here came to pine
dry land. which extends with occasional interrup-
tons for four miles. where we cncamped for the
nigh. on excellent ground Distance to-day ten
miles. Passed three Indian encampments. and
many old signs of Indians as palmetto (Cbamn-
rops Palmetto) cut for the cabbage Course south
for IL mile or Two. then southeast.
Thursday, Dec 9. Have seen to-day but little
cypress, (Cuprcssus distica c. Thyoidesl The
country is prairie, six miles by ten in extent,
with patches of saw-palmetto; some palmetto
tree hammocks and small pino islands. hive Ind
much less water in the road and, although the
prairie is in mary places spongy and boggv, we
have had no trouble with the nnck mules and by
three o'clock came to the southern border and en-
camped
FRIDAY, Dec. TO- Finding further progress ex-
cept on foot impractcable and striking a small
trail lend;nr ,yes,orlv nc tho oIas ;pcorr,od ~,
to some Indian fields, we left all our packs and
horses under Lieut.. S. md n runrd. md detached
Major g. and 100 men upon the trnil. nursuinr
our course to the villages of Sam Jones and lIo-
ta-ke- hadio the Prophet represented to be some
ten miles off taking three days provisions and
blanket upon our bucks Our course now was S.
$50 W.. the trail leading us into much worse trav-
elng than we had vet encountered, the water be-
ing knee deep and our feet at each step sinking
into the dsep mud beneath. Occasionally we
would strike patches of rotten limestone rock and
strips of pine timber which were out of water,
but at times inundated. Thus we laboriousy and
silently pursued our way through the cvpress
woods, (Cupressus distica C. Thyoides) darkened
by the thick growth of the air plant, (Viscum
which almost covered the bodies aud branches oil
every tree. 1he white, brown and rarely the
| pink curlews, the white heron and cranes, were
almost at every step rising in fiocks from HE wa,
ter and nlIghung upon the tops OF ihe Trees
\ spoke OF the rotten limestone. In calling 1t SO
followed the custom OF the country consider
1t, however, mlsnomer, as l deem II rather III
the state OF formation than OF decay, II consists
! Of comminuted sea-shells and sand, v;ih an nd