Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-12
CENTRAL ROUTE TO THE PACIFIC.

CENTRAL ROUTE TO THE PACIFIC.
Messrs. GALES s. sEAroS-GEsTLEMEX send you
letter just received from Fort Massachusetts the valley
Of San Luis head Of the Rio Graade del Nore which came
to me as unexpectedly if it had fallen from the Clouds
and could not have been acceptable ithad been from
any other spot the globe 1t is written by Virginia
emgrant to Calforniaone who had been there before
and now made Of party of emigrants all removing,
and taking with them large herds of sheep and some
cattle for the California market They travelled upon
the line which BEALE and HEAP described and confirm
all they said by the actual fact Of the easy travelling of
their wagons and the condition of their sheep and cattle
about fat any the PHILADELPHIA or Baltimore mar
ha and that after travelling upwards of thousand
miles from Illinois, and hundred of it from the Mis-
souri, frontier The country rich and beautiful and
the Pay Of San Luis and the mountain grass all that
LERoux and FREMONT described it to be- Only think of
that grassthick ameadow to the TOP Of tho noun
tains, and many acres good for four moved tonsand
plenty all the winter to sustain stock without food
shelter The letter is exactly such one as Iwoud wish
to get-a plain statement of what actually seen by
an emgrating company moving in body, without any
system theory establish and looking for the best
way to get to California.
The pass which they mention, through which Captain
GUSNIsoN went is Of fire in the See Blanca leading
from the Arkansas plains into the Vay fSan Lus-three
of which excellent and Of them higher up, and
from seventy to eighty miles than the other two,
by being in the straight line to the Coochatope in
the Rocky Mountains, the Canero which is it, and
nearly good Instead of passes in these mountains
there multiplicity Of them-so many and SO good
that the traveller has choice in the variety and is only
puzzled to decide which is best.
Fort Massachusetts, where this letter is Dated just
at the spot where FREMONT turned out Of the vay
by his guide the winter of 1s48 and s49 and when he
found the pass almost without through which the
Uahs passed from the Del Norte to the arkansas and
which was level that he could only by careful observ
ton detect the point of the dividing waters
In brief, Messrs. Editors now feel embodened to re-
peat what FREMONT has often told me- that in the central
part of the Rocky Mountains Covering the Three Parks
the headwaters of the South Platte the Arkansas and
the Del Norte and the headwaers Of the East Fork of
the Great Colorado of the West exactly in the line from
ST. Louis to San Francisco and about half between
them there good country enough to makea MOUNTAIN
STATE double the size of all the Swiss cantons put
gether and presenting every thing grand and beautiful
to be found in Switzerland without the drawback of g
cers and avalanches and consequently without its cold
lie has gone to verify his nr theories in that region
Respectfully, gentlemen, your obliged fellow citizen,
| THOMAS II. BENTON.
Fort MASSACHUSETTS, IN NJ AUGUST %, 1858
| DEAnSIR: Knowing that you feel interested in the
middle for the great Pacific Railroad and believing
that any information with regard to it would be accept
able, no matter how humble the source from which il
comes have determined to state what know about it.
This information is from travelling the route just behind
Capt Gunnison left Virginia the frs of April, went
to Missouri and Illinois purchase sheep for the Cali
fornia market After purchasing started take them
by old Salt Lake, the Humboldt River &c., feeling assur-
ed that would have to winter at Salt Lake had got
ten the sheep far ST. Josephs, (Mo Having some
business in ST. Lsuis met with Capt. Gunnison, and
learned from him that there better route by way
Of Utah Lake. and that he going to open it and that
H. - hav hatfa
to take it. After thinking good deal over it deter
mined to take it. there was very large number Of
the old route and good prospect Of getting to
California this read your address with great
deal of interests and feeling assured these
about the route could be relied on, left Missouri at
Westport the 18th Of june with large number of
sheep and some cowsMr. Crockett of Virginia, part
ner with me- AT Westport | met with the two Mr..
Ross of Iowa. with their families going the old route
they also determined to accompany me the new route
After travelling few days fell in with the two Mr.
Burwels, Of Franklin city, Virginia, with large num-
Der Of cattle who also persuaded to join me- We
travelled the Santa Fe road twenty-five miles above Fort
Atkinson, keeping the well-beaten track to thirty
miles above Bents Old Fort and crossed the Arkansas
river at the mouth Of Oska Creek crossed to the
Huedao up that stream about twenty miles, and
ed the Sierra Blanca mountains through Capt Gunnison
Pass about twelve miles south Of Lerouxs Pass to this
fort The distance given by Capt Gunnson is 69S miles
/ from Westport, Missouri
have travelled over the mountains Of Virginia. Penn
syvana and Tennessee several of the passes Of
better easier pass for carriages and wagons than
the one found by Capt. Gunnison through the Sierra
Blanca, Just opposite Fort Massachusetts, and distant
from il ffteen miles. travelled the old route to Cali
fornia in 849 and speak Of the two routes from
tual experience, having gone both with wagons.
look upon this far superior and feel confident
that as soon it is known win and must be the great
thoroughfare from the Atlantic to the Pacific. On this
there abundance of grass and water much
that stock will travel and keep fat the large majority
of sheep fat mutton In the Philadelphia
or Baltimore market, and very large number Of Mr.
Burwes cattle fine beef; and have any
stock after having travelled far look half well Both
Of the Mr. Ross have carriages, and yet nothing has
in the least given way. say without fear Of
tradicon that this is Of the finest natural roads in
the world combining every thing necessary to sustain
stock and confident that If its advantages fully
made known Congress that Il will be adopted for the
4 great Pacific Railroad. On this line almost the entire
route be settled, oil the land from Missouri to
Bents Fort is rich and very fertile, equal to the best
lands Of Missouri and Illinois, and no land can beat the
Sierra Blanca for grass to the very summit stands
as thick the best meadows many would NOW at
least four tons per Then comes the large and
beautiful Valley St. Louis said be Of the most fer
tile in New Mexico indeed fine land is upon the whole
route, and the climate such that stock live all wnter
upon the grass. will here state the think Best
for emgrants travel leave Wesport, Missouri take
the road to Uniontown then to Fort Centre, th take
Capt. Gunnson's trai which leads from the Kansas
to the Arkansas the mouth Of Walnut Creek up
the Arkansas above Bents Old Fort, thirty-two miles
then up the Huerano through Capt Gunnisons Pass to
Fort Massachusetts, then to Little Salt Lake, Walkers
Pass, Sierra Nevada; then down the valley Of the San
Joaquin to Stockton San Francisco There settle
ments at different points all along this route where emf
grants get supplies, none further apart than two
hundred miles. After leaving Missouri you pass first
Council Grove next the Fort Walnut Creek next