The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-09
The March or the Mounted Riasmen Ia
Oregon.

l ~~~~~~~
Further extracts from "a Report, in tn,
form of a,Io,nraal, TO the Quartemaster GEN
eral, Of the March Of the Regiment of Mounted
Rifemen TO Oregon, from May 10 to October
5, lS49, by Major o. Cross, Quartermastel
United States Army"
The departure from Fort Kearny was com,
menced on the 4th of June, under unpropitious
circumstances.
| AN ANTELoPE.
"June 6th.-Whe quietly vending our way
along the Platte day Isaw for the first time an
antelope, and was somewhat disappointed in its
appearance; there not that beauty in its form
| that expected to find, from the descriptions &c
often given OF the swift footed antelope, when COM
pared with the deer and consider it by no means
| as handsome or decately proportioned. At a
distance, however, it is much the same. The head
of this animal is very much like that Of sheep;
the body appears shorter than the deer, with hair
| much coarser and longer. II stands very erect,
and leaps with much quickness, gathering its feet,
apparently, ut the same time Immediately under it.
Its curiosity exceeds any animal have ever seen,
except the mountain goat. When it first saw me,
II approached almost within gunshot, when, stop
ping for a few minutes, it off for a short dis
lance and turned again, apparently to satisfy its
curiosity. IL then parallel to the road, getting
| sometimes ahead and then returning. II stopped
| Hdeny, or there was any thing seen to attract its
sttenton still more, ii would run directly towards
$ne until its curiosity fully satisfied, and then
bound off with great rapidity the prairie until
out of sightN 1t is much lighter in color than the
deer, particularly its sides, breast, and hind
| quarters /; this, with black stripe which it has
about the eyes, gives it striking appearance
! though it does not add much to its beauty"
MORTALITY THE ROUTE.
| "June 9th.-We had the unpleasant duty to-da
to perform, as once before, of passing, along the
| road, many graves Of the unfortunate emigrants;
| among them was the grave OF man who had died
at the age OF sixty four years. from general debili-
| ty. One would suppose, with man who had ar
rived nearly at the age of three and ten that
| his thoughts would have been on any thing else
than the treasures of this earth; but such is the
charm in wealth that, this route, it was not I'M
usual to overtake men and women who were scarce
y able to walk, from age, all destined for the gold
dggings.
81 had not proceeded far beyond this place be-
| fore came TO the restngspot of Captain p. S.
Gray, of Texas, who had served in the Mexican
war; could not help thinking, as passed, that
he had travelled far to find solitary grave, 30 dis
tant from relatives, and in spot where the prints
of the white mans iootstep never seen until
within the last few years His comrades, however
had performed the last act of kindness, by decent
y interrng him in this lonely spot and placing at
the head of his grave well cut slab, with the date
of his death, name, age, and the disease with which
he died, being cholera.
son the right of the road, and not far distant
we passed the encampmcnt of a party of Chero-
KEGS, who had broken up their party which had
become very general among the emigrants since
leaving Fort Kearny. II consisted, few days
ago. OF fourteen persons; since yesterday six had
died with the cholera One was dying at the time
they were visited, and the remainder too i'll
assist in burying the dead. Among the whole ofthis
party there was but one man who really was able
to render any assistance to the others This was a
sad spectacle to behold. These people had left
homes where many of them were no doubt comfort
able and happy, and never perhaps, had been re-
CURED to labor for their daily bread half hard as
they had on this march; the gold mania had how
ever, spread far and near, and, being seized with
it, they had abandoned comfortable homes blinded
with the belief that fortunes were soon to be real
lied, which, In great degree, wac imag inary and
they have, like many others similarly situa ted
found their graves in this wild and lonely region
"Much fear entertained that the cholera
would increase; certainly had every reason TO
suppose so, from the many deaths among the emf
grants along the road, and their present helpless
condition.
Within the last four days the command had
Lost several men by the cholera, and it had every
indication Of increasing among them. On the 9Th
two men died, and one the 7th while Doctors
Moses and Smith were seriously attacked by it,
who were the only two physicians along with us to
attend the three divisions, that were required TO
travel some distance apart.
81 had seen much OF il between Forte Leayen-
worth and Kearny, that did hope the command
would, before our reaching be entirely clear but
seemed to move as the emgrants did, and we were
destined to keep il among u.s. in spite ofevery pre-
caution, until our arrival probably in Oregon
81 think il about this place that a man was
found the bluffs who had entirely lost his rta-
son, and had been abandoned by the company to
which he belonged, either to starve or to be picked
up by some emigrating party, 'who might possess
more humanity for him than was shown by them.
lie was taken TO Fort Laramie by the troops and
there left under the care Of the physician of that
post"
THE SABBATH.
"Junc lOth.-To-day, being the Sabbath, it was