The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-01


On the iolh May left Fort Lesyen~of'h, Deins
IN command OF five companies Of my regiment, eacf
4 90 strong, wen mounted ard equipped Tor any ser
vice; each drrgoon having his proper arms-a sabre
earbine, and pistol Two mountain howitsers FOL
lowed in the rear Of the column. The officers
attached to the expedition were Colonel Keamy
Surgeon De Camp, Captain MeKissack, assistant
\ qanrtcrmaster Lieutenant Franklin, (topographca
engineers,) Lieutenant Turner, (adjutant Of reg
1 imsnL) LieGienant Carleton, assistant commits
sary OF sabsislence.) With company A, were
Captain Eustis, Lieutenant Ewell--I~ith G, Cap
tain Moore, Lieutenant Smlih--with \, Lieuienants
koarny, Stanton--wth c. Capt Burgwin, Lieuten-
Iant Loye--with X, Captain Cooke, Lieutenant
Hammond Mr. Thomas Fitzpatrick was our
guide. From Fort Leavenworth we marched west
ward and In about 100 miles fell on the Oregon
trail the Big Blue" continued that trail TO
the Nebraska, or Platte river which we struck near
the head Of Grand island up the right bank Of
that river To the Forks, up the "North Fork"
10 Fort Laramie, which is a trading post OF the fur
company at the mouth Of the Laramie river, and
which we reached on the 18th June. Leaving com
pany in camp, few miles from Fort Laramie,
| proceeded with the other four on the 18th June
continued up the north fork Of the Platte-crossed
from that river near the "Red Buttes,n TO "Sweet
Water''-up that river 10 short distance from IFS
source, where we left il and marched by the "South
Pass of the Rocky mountains to the waters OF
Green river the Colorado Of the West which
lows TO the Gulf OF California and the Pacific
| ocean.
Having reached the "south Pass, /" the extreme
west contemplated in our expedition, we, on the
| LIST Of July, commenced our return; and, on the
| 18th, found company A not far from where we had
left It on the Laramie river Taking that company
with US, we proceeded south on the following day
marched near the base Of the mountains, (passing
Longs" and pixies" peoks,) reached the Arkan-
sas, about 100 miles below Taas and about 90 miles
above "Bents fott,n (another trading-pos of the
fur company, )-passed thaI fort on lbe both Jelly
continued our march down, on the len bank Of the
Arkansas, To near the "Pawnee fork" Of it-from
there TO the Kanzas, which we crossed about so
miles Rom its mouth, and returned to Fort Leayen-
worth on the gath August, having been absent from
there 80 days; during which time these Dragons had
marched at least 2, 200 miles through the Indian
eounuy--a wilderness; considerable portion Of
barren one--carrying their provisions and stores
with them, their horses subsising entirely upon the
grass afforded by the prairie.
During our march, we met with the Pawnees-
with several tribes OF the Sioux lndians--with the
Cheyennes Arapahoes. They were distinctly told
that the road opened by the dragons must not be
| closed by the Indians, and hat the white people
travelling upon il must not be disturbed, either in
their persons or property. IL is believed that the
Indians VIII remember and observe what has been
told TO them on this subject. . ..,r. #.
| During our march, we met with no obstacles
that were not easily overcome and with but nc-
cident OF serious result which was that Of a chr
bine being accidentally discharged by private
Smith, Of company G., when the ball shattered his
right arm so much as to render ampu,ation neces-
sary. ut.
Every man who left Fon Leayenworth with the
command, in May, has returned to his station, We
lost about nine public horses and mules, which died
Of disease, fatigue, and other causes.
Greo, credit Is due to the officers and er listed men
who composed this command. They have all
proven themselves what their ambition Is to be-
good soldiers. rr 40 ...r.. .. .... r .r.
4 From ,he Time of our reaching the Oregon trail,
near the big Blue" we continued on il to the
South Pass" oyertaking many Of the emigrans,
the advance of whom we passed at Fort Laramie.
$50 men, AIS women, loco children, driving with
them about 1000 head or cattle, 400 horses and
| mules, with 400 wagons. = =
| From Fort Leavenworth to the neighborhood of
Fort Laramie, we found the soil toleraby fertile,
and ahordng tolerable grazing for our horses.
South Pass, distance ofabout 300 miles, the eoun-
| try Is barren sandy DESERT producing little
else than "Fremonta,n (so called after Captain
| tremont) Aremesin, Ovid sage and a variety Of
the cactus, (prckly pear Near the water courses
we found grass enough to support our horses,
though frequently, not ss much as they required
From near Fort Laramie to the South Pass. do
not believe that half dozen quarter sections of
land (of$good soil, timber, and water) could be
found, which western farmer would settle upon,
located in Missouri, or ID any other State where
,hosoll ana other advantages for farming equal
y, favorable. - 80. 4. - -.
IL has been suggested by some persons that mil
ifary post should be established near Fort Laramie,
or above there, for the protection of the Oregon
grants, and as connecting link with the Oregon
territory. am of the opinion that the establish
ment of post there, at this time, would be sety in
judcious, and the little advantage to be derived
from 1t not In the least commensurate with the enor-
nous expense which would necessarily be incurred
IN maintaining it al, on account of there being no
water transportation (the fur companies could not
| even get their skn-boats down the Platte this sea-
SOM all the supplies for such post must be hauled
by land about $50 rnies-=naneiy from Fort Pierre.
Ia trading post OF the American Fur CompanvA on
the Missouri, and which is the nearest point to on
that river. - -, : -
| In lieu of the establishment of military post in
that upper country, ] would Suggest that a military
expedition similar 10 the of this season. be made
every two or three years. They would serve to
Keep the Indians perfectly quiet reminding them of
LAS this one proved) the facility and rapidity with
which our Dragons can march through any part of
their country and that there is place where they
can go but the Dragons can follow; and, as we are
better mounted than they are, overtake them
| Although we did not see as many Indians on our
march as we had desired yet the fact Of our having
been through their country u.s. doubt at this time
known TO every man, woman, and child In it, And
as these the first soldiers ever seen by those
upper Indians, and as those who saw them were
much struck with their uniform appearance--their
Rne horses-their arms and big guns (howitzers)--
IL is most probable, in their accounts TO those who
did not see us, they have rather exaggerated than
lessencd our numbers, power, and force.
twas ascertained by us that nearly all the emf.
grants OF this season were going to the Wilhamet
river, on which said to be the best lands within
our limits south Of the Columbia; and il is known
that to get there they would, after leaving the
south Pass, follow the trail Of the emgrants Of pre-
vioos years and go to Fort Hall, which is on
"Lewis's Fork !" down that fork to the Columbia;
down that river near 10 its mouth, where they find
the Wilhamet; then up that river,-a most circuit.
GUS journey. No other route has yet been discov-
cred BY which the cmigrants or others can get to
the Wihamct but there is little or no doubt that
distance about 400 miles can be saved for them,
| and a much better route than the present one to
tpnss over, BY leaving the trail Bear river-pass
north OF Lake Bonneville to Ogden's on Lost river
cross the Wyhee river and the Blue mountains
north of Clamet lake, and then fall on the head
waters Of the Wifhamct Should Il be deemed ad-
visable to have that country explored, with the
view of finding such n route as have ,lI,,dcd a.,