New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-07-17
The Route to Oregon.

enquirer
The Route to Oregon.
We have before US several interesting letters
from the L. : Dragon corps, Col. Kearney, now on
their march to the Rocky Mountains as sort
escort or protection to the Oregon Emigrants. The
latest appears in the Ereniag Gazette, bearing
date
CAMP near Forks OF the Platte June 81, -.
write To you from the Forks OF the Platte or the
Nebraska as u Is more known eastward. We are 80
miles from Font Leavenworth. We followed our last
years trail the Pswneo villages part OF the distance,
then struck ouihwardy and ntersected the Great
Oregon Emigrant Trace about l2O miles from Leaven-
worth marching this trrce We struck the Platte.
this being $50 miles further since striking the Platte
the Fmant Trace leads it, night bank being pretty
nearly westward % miles. The North and South Forks
of the Platte must close in the neighborhOod The En-
rrant Trace ascend the south Fork for % miles
then comes 10 the North Fork. This l. the most
level route; but Dragons will 10 the
North Fork more Immediately and then ascend H. I'LL
meet the Emigrant Trace again thus saving some 10
or ~ miles II Is two hundred and niiyhve miles
10 Fort laramie celebrated trading fort. al the edge OF
the spurs OF the Rocky Mountains. THIS Is the jumping
OF place for the emgrass IL IS 300 miles 10 the south
pass from Laramie and then mile or two farther ana
Won ouar from the waters lowing the Mississippi
We have found the emigrants extremely numerous,
They in Of about 10 to 90 wagons. was
surprised md them IN respectabniiy FAR exceeding
any Of the new frontier settlers They organize them
selves NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 20 their laws-forbd whiskey
20 be sod-carcely any spirits Is taken with them, un-
lrs- Little medicine They converse intclllgcnty-
seem 20 have sensible views Of what they % expect
they behave quietly and dress neatly. Their girls and
women quite tidy, and walk along with an elastic
step which hetokcns freedom from care and hardship
indeed hardship scarcely exists The season mas oeen
an uncommonly tine Onc-very little rain, and not hot
Their wagons fitted up AS 20 be- secure from the
weather aud YOU md the women knitting and sewing
tor all the world if IN their ordinary farm houses The
single and stronger boys are protected by good
tents.
These people seem all reasonably well oa they have
invested in what they have had to spare and you
md generally six eight in each wagon. and nu
mer0us stock driven the hoof party Of 20 wag
ons had 900 loose siock-and we have this day come
up with another party iha, has 900 and over There has
been no sickness among any OF them, with me exception
II the accidental deaths of TWO young children
Since we have been the Platte We have found the
grazing bad from the nnumerabe butaoes which have
been here more early in the season.
Indeed travelling IS very rapid This IS seven
feenih day out, and we have rested but one dsy-a-
though have been unfortunate a. TO grass in several
% our camps. We left Leayenworh, A. you know, on
the 18th MAY and this ia only the Sd June whole
command IS ine and efficient order and but
one horse out Of condition.
Another letter written four days earlier runs
The BANKS or THE NEBRASKA OR PLATTE
Friday May 30. l-ij
Dear We arrived asst night the banks Of the
Platte. The distance marched Is 80 miles from
For Leavcnworth, and has been performed in twelve
days This is rapid marching over prairie country.
The command i in fine every and horse A.
efficient the day Of starting. The Colonel (Kear
neyl selected ~ men per company-i6 mounted. aud
I as Transfers W. have one company wagon, carry
ing 10 days stores besides officers provision and camp
equpage for troops two hOwirzers ten quarternasters
teams driven By dragons and TWO shi staff wagons
ons the surgeons the other the colonies.
On leaving IeaycnwOrth marched for several days
on our last wears trail TO the Pawnee We then
OF -outheriy the Crest Oregon emigrant
trail which niersected the 9th dsy-,he distance
holm hundred nd miles feayeuWorfh
We had the pleasing prospect OF OF the numerous
caravans IL winding way. neared the trail
since then We have passed four companies. Each com
pany generally divided INTO fractions OF about -
each following the distance Of halt day march apart
Each company has IL regular constitution ts executive
officers IL captains subcaytans and judges They
camp and move with military regularity and form
cuvs square with their wagons % enclose hef at
night have been surprised AZ the remarkably select APP
pearsnce Of the emyrsns All seemed highly respecta
be-many 1ch. They mostly in families with some
few extra young men seeking their fortunes and wives
10 Oregon. The wagons generally good and strong
nied up be comfortable hsbitafons They have
also tents for the young and stronger boys All seem
chccngl-tne cOntented and the women udy. some
times You see the young women riding and knitting
sometimes walking with elastic step, that betoSen-
freedom from All hardship. They have some articles of
furniture and have plenty u butter and milk the
one psrty-of forystx "ason.-aone had fifteen nun
tred mich COVE and oxen Our coming among them has
-eemln. confidence Our officers and soldiers mix
with them that friendly and considersie esng due
distant land II Oregon Il fed up with only such
ersl this Il vii indeed be a choice gem in tn. Unon
Not OF these parties has liquor with H. omitted
mention that their marches twelve miles per day
From what learned from several Of them should say
that the expense per grown person Of getting Oregon
must be less than twenty dolar--~hich Is fully made
up every bead VI stock driven Oregon OF the thou
sands Of cattle Il the en!granis have only TWO
dead the road and those died u the murrain
You and then md calves that have gwen out but
very few A this emigration and the territory Of Oregon
form top.cs Of such interest present hope dear cir
that you viii excuse NJ 90 long dwelling on them.
The number Of souls IN the parties already parsed By
parties ahead snd many yet 10 start from Missouri
bod grass the night before and. with our halted |
animals had pass the great dividing ridge between the
Lit-e Blue and Platte rivers. This = eighteen miles
scru-s from water o. wafer We found ourselves
what unexpectedly n and mad 20 make lcrcuitousy)
a thirty nile march Tweytwo 70 twenty I'VE il our |
a-ua daily distance. that the beaten trail
Night before last Lieutenant Franklin. Of the T0pogTs
yhca Engineers. up. having started from Lesven
worth on the afternoon OF the sd and thus making
hundred and seventeen miles IN ive days and part OF
Of one travelling the unknown prairies As his nsu
ments days march the rear, the Colonel len
him i've picked men. and Two good pack mules bring
them up. His previous return TO Leaveu
worlh-oeing whose tune il nearly out Major
Wharton def # Fort Lesvenworth) did not give u.
credit for the rate ofour marching
Yesterday met villsnous-lo looking Pawnees return
ING from their Spring buffalo hunt hope dear sir on
my return TO send you some results ofmy own"