The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-10-16

II
staff, with Gen. Ksarny's command, addressed to
the general The map and tables referred to are
too voluminous for daily paper, but will, in all
probability, be called for by Congress during its
next session. and be printed as government doeu-
ment. The interesting scientific matter which they
contain will, in that way, be made public.
| SANTA FE, August "a, 1886.
| STA: have the honor to enclose herewith the
map of the route Of the army of the west, and re-
connosseanee of the town Of Santa Fe and its enyi-
| rons for the purposes Of defence
In the reconnaissance had the able cooperation
Of Lieut.. Gilmer, Of the corps of engineers. The
plans for defence, based on this reconnaissance,
| will be soon submitted 10 you.
The site selected for the fort having been ap.
proved by you, has been marked on the map, and
this morning force is employed IN the commence
ment Of the road to the site
| The data upon which the map Of the route is
based, is the determination of the geographical po-
sitions resulting from the measurement of eleven
hundred and eight angles Of altitude Of the heavenly
bodies and the elevation of fifty points above ST.
Louis, determined by one hundred and ten obser-
yations of the barometer, independent Of the baro
metric observations for refraction.
Appendix and contain these observations as
they were made on the field, and are copied without
omission or addition. In giving them through you,
to the scientific world, hope due allowance will be
made for the fact that they have not been scrutnzed
or culled by me, and also for the circumstances
under which they were made. Having the honor
OF being attached TO your staff my movements were
not those best suited for obtaining astronomical re-
suits, but were governed by those Of the army,
which was making unusually rapid, and sometimes
forced marches. The observations were frequently
made in the midst OF a camp of 500 men and 1000
horses.
The results for longitude gwen IN Appendix A.
are all chronomeric, and | wish IL particularly
borne In mind that they are subject to correction
from observations Of lunar distances already made
by me at Bent's Fort, and similar observations to-
gether with obseyaIlOEa Cf the oeculthIons Of the
fixed stars TO be made at THIS place; although do
not think any material changes will result
This is the Oath instant. We arrived here on the
18Th, and in this time the computations have been
brought up, and the maps projected and drawn, at
the same time that my observations were progress
ing. Slight errors must, therefore, be expected in
both, but affecting the results for any practical
purposes.
Ii will be seen that some few Of the observations,
particularly those for time, at Fort Leayenworth,
have rot been computed. These | would respect
fully suggest might be made at the Bureau Of To-
biographical Engineers. They will change nothing,
but only confirm other results. So also OF the
heights resulting from the barometric observations
| would suggest that the column Of attitudes should
be carried out at the bureau and that the eompa-
risop should be with DIR. Engleman's determination
L
| viz: 20 inches, thermometer $50 Fahrenheit.
These heights give the fall Of the Arkansas from
Bents Fort the elevation of the pass Of the Raton
| roughly computed by me at 1000 feet above st.
Louis; the elevation Of many Of the mountain passes
betocen that and Santa Fe, and the elevation OF
Santa Fe ITSELF which il 5000 feet above ST. Louis.
| From this elevation may he inferred the fall
of the Rio Del Norte, from this place 10 the sea,
assuming ST. Louis to be 352 feet above the Gulf Of
| Mexico.
| e al. "A
over has been critically examined, and specimens
collected, and carefully labelled So also Of the
botany the route. In addition to the specimens
collected in this interesting branch Of inquiry, up
Benrs Fort, every plant sketched to the
life, IN a mastery manner, by Lieutenant Albert,
| who unfortunately fell sick before reaching that
place, and was left there. To arrange these speci-
mems, name them, and make general deductions, is
the work of time, and requires the aid OF light from
| the learned societies and men Of the country.
They are not of that immediate utility of the data
| furnished | should, indeed like to withhold all
the data, particularly the observations and compu-
| tatons for revision at home; but the probable time
is distant that all interest might be lost in the
mean time, and tie government lose the advantages
to be derived from the information.
| My journal is full and complete, but TO bring it
up until my return home, will be impossible, my
time heng wholly occupied with the running busi-
ness Of the day IL is but Justice TO myself to say,
that of the three officers attached to my party |
have not the services Of any. One having been on
detached duty from the day we left Fort Leaven-
WORTH and the other two sick, with but little hopes
that either will be sufficiently convaescent to en-
| counter the arduous marches in contemplation.
| To guide those who avail themselves Of the map Of
the route, append table Of distances from camp to
camp. Those from camp 25 to Santa Fe were meas
ured with a vameter furnished by Maj Clark, and
may be relied on with absolute certainty. The grass
| and water from Fort Leavenworth to the point on
the Oregon trail (camp No. ~ is good, except at the
| crossing of the Kanzas river. From camp to
| where the road strikes the Arkansas, of the many
creeks represented, we found running water in but
Fish Pool, Council Grove, Cotton Wood Little Ar
kansas, and Cow creeks. The remainder were
either dry in pools highly charged with decaying
vegetable matter. The grass for small parties is
tolerabe, but for an army, requires much examina-
| ton to find the requisite quantity.
| From the point of reaching the Arkansas until
within eight miles Of Bents Fort, the valley Of the
| Arkansas is from one hundred yards to mile wide,
bounded on each side by low barren hills which
| soon mount to the table lands, presenting an Grid
and barren waste to the north and to the south, un
til you encounter the narrow valleys of the Pawnee
fork and Smoky Hill fork the north, and the
Cimmaron on the south. Leaving the valley, and
the isolated cottonwood tree that dot at long inter-
walls the sides of the Arkansas, the travellers eye
wanders in vain for any object of vegetation upon
which to rest, except the cactus, which here is very
diminutive, and the thiny scattered buffalo grass,
which never saw in sufficient quantity out of the
bottom of the Arkansas to give one horse a meal
within circle of radius Of 1900 yards. Wher-
ever the rocks cross out the Arkansas, the Gre
taceous formation developes itself in the following
order Of superposition ..| -"
| /. Limestone, and sometimes conglomerate of
limestone and round pebbles of the primitive order,
and shells.
| 2. Sandstone, with amenities and other fossils in
great abundance, the whole underlaid by dark blue
mari .a'.''s. .n.
The whole country from Fort Leavenworth to
Bents Fort abounds in limestone, and the road is
sometimes white with pulverzed carbonate of lime.
The dust, which rose in volumes, had the same ef-
feet when in room, where the plaster is being
knocked down. producing sncezing and coughing.
i As far camp the country is an open prairie,
beautifully undulating, waving with grass and aow-
ers, and interseced with streams fringed with tim
ber Wherever cultivation is attempted, bountiful
crops made. From that point up to the Pawnee