The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1845-07-31
Letter from Lieut. P. X, an intelligent pfIirf Of
the I. ;. Isl Dungeons, 10 an Ollicer in Wash.
ington City.
The Banks Of the Nebraska, or Platte,
Rridar Mar n lalh.


Friday, May 80, 1916.
"DEAR We arrived last night on
he banks OF the PLATTE. The distance.
IS marched. is $50 miles from For
I.eavenworih, and has been performed in
twelve DAYS. This is rapid malehing
over prairie country, where is grass is
The sole Subsistence for our cattle. The
command is in fine stale; every man and
horse IS efficientas on The day ofstarting.
The Colonel kearney) selected so men
per compsny-46 mounted. and 4 rs tea
mers. We have one company wagon. car
rying 10 day stores, besides officers pro.
visions and camp equipage for troops; two
h0wiizers: I, quartermas.eis' teams. dn-
ven BY dragons, and two light ,taff wag-
ons--one Ike surgeons The other the CO.
lonel's; 90 head OF oxen. and 25 sheep.
driven on the hoof; and four citizens
leans, that are turned back rs fast as
empiied.
ed iof Several days On our Pass s S iIs.
u the Pawney towns. We then struck
OF more sou,ierly 10 the Great oregon
emigrani trail which We iniersected on The
9th day-the distance being one hundred
and twenty miles from Leayenworih.
We had the pleasing psospec, Of one of
The nuGerous caravans on its winding
way, as we neaTed the trail. Since then
we have passed four companies. Each
company is gencralIy divided into frac.
liuns Of about so sagons each, following
al the distance Of halt days march apart.
Each company had its regular conslitu.
tion: its executive officers. as captaias,
sub-caItains. and judges. Trey eneamp
and mos With military regularity, and
form carre (squarel with their wagons
to enclnse their cattle at night. have
been surprised al the remarkably select
appearance o. the emigrants. All seemed
highly respeciabie-many rich. They
are mostly in families, with some few ex-
ira young men. seeking their fortunes
and wires in Oregon. The wagons are
gfnsrally good and strong. fitted up 50 as
10 be comfortable hahi atoms. They ba, e
also tents f"r the young men and stronger
boys. All seem cheerful--ihe men con.
tented, and the women tidy. Sometimes
sou see the Young w"men riding anu Knit
ting-sometimes walking with an elastic
step, that be;nkens freedom from all hard
ship They have some articles Of hrni-
tnre, and have plenty Of butter and milk
on the route. One party--of loty six
wsgons-alone had fifteen hundred milch
cows and oxeD. Our coming among them
has given seeming confidence
"Onr officers and soldiers mix with
them. with thai iendly and considerable
feeling due to our fellow citizens emipra.
ting boldly to new homes in disian, land.
II Oregon is filed mp with only such ma.
terial as this, it will Indeed be a choice
gem in this union. No, one of these par.
lies has liquor with u. omitted 10 men,
ton that their marches average twelve
miles per day. From what have learn
ed from several ofihem, | should saw thai
the expense. per grown person, of getting
to Oregon. must be less than twenty dol.
lars-which sum is fully made up on eve. |
ry head Of stock driven 10 Oregon. OIL
the thousands Of cattle OF the emigrapts. |
we have only seen two oxen dead on the
road; and hose died Of the murrain. You
now and then find calves that have given
out, but yeryfew. As tins emigration and
the territory of Oregon form topics ofsuch
interest at present. hope, dear sir, that
You will excuse my SO long dwelling ON
them. ..
" The number of souls in The parties
already passed by US, amount 10 about one
One Of the objects Of the expedition, as was
some time sinee stated the Union"
[Official information has been received at the
War Office down to the Sd Of June, representing
hat the expedition was making good progress.
having reached the junction Of the North and
South forks Of tho Piatte--about $50 niles from,
Fort Lcawnworth, on the Missouri