Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-04-16
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
EXPLORATIONS AND DISCOVERIES AMONG THE
HEAD WATERS OF RED RIVER.

CROFT in the chair) after the TRANSACTION OF the
ordinary business Of the Society, it adjourned TO
the chanel of the University, where the President
introduced to large and brilliant audience Capt
r. b. MARCY, of the U. S. Army, who proceeded to
read the following interesting paper on his recent
important exploration of the Red River Country,
and his discovery of the head-waters of that stream,
which was received with close attention and much
applause - n.
Gentlemen Of Tie Geographical Society;
In submitting paper society composed Of gentle
men distinguished for intelligence those OF the Anne
rican Geographical and Statistical Society feeling Of
difidence me, from want of confidence in
my own Abilities such | have seldom before ex
periened
Situated have been for the greater portion of the
last twny years upon extreme western borders and
subjected to the prvatons incident to the life Of sol
der with but few facilities for intellectual cultivation,
have MT the vanity to suppose neither, trust will it be
expected, that any production of mine will be Of char
acter impress the imagination please the fancy OF an
audiente such as now before me. shall there
fore cune myself to concise and unpretending
ton offacts that have under my observations
and ifhny efforts Of mine cam in the smallest degree, add
thefund of information already possessed by the
ciety,l shall feel most abundanty rewarded
Permit remark, in the first place. that much of
my time during the past four has been spent on our
southwestern praries far beyond the limits OF
and in the country occupied by those erratc and mgra
tort people, the natives of the plains" While among
then endeavored to observe their habits closely and
han aentvey studied their character and shall take
occsion in the of what have to say to lay be-
foreyou of the results Of my observations and re-
fecions
Hevious to the past summer had been occupied in
exploring the country the Canadian river of the Ar
kansas and upon the headwaters Of the Trinity Brasos
andColorado rivers Of Texas, and my reconnossances
had extended far west as the Rio Grande, IN New
Mexico During this time my attention had frequently
ben called to the remarkable fact that portion OF one
of the largest and most important rivers in the United
States, lying directly within the limits of the district
had been examining, remained up to that late period
wholly unexplored and unknown All the information
we had in regard to its derived from Indians
and, of course, very unreliable indefinite, and unsa
eisfacory In word, the country embraced within the
basin of upper Red river had always been to terra
iacogna Several enterprising and experienced travel
lers had at different periods attempted the examination
of this river but yet had succeeded in reaching
its sources. At avery early period officers were sent out
by the French Government to explore Red river but their
examinations reached further than the country of the
Caddoes and Natchtoches in the vicinity of the present
town of Natchitoches Louisiana.
Three years after the ces5ion to the United States by
the First Consul of the French republic Of that vast ter
ory then known as Louisiana, small party, called the
Exploring Expedition of Red river" under charge of
capt. Sparks embarked from st. Catharines landing
Hear Natchez, Mississippi with instructions ascend
he'd river to its head This party descended the Mssis
spp and on the 3D. of May 1906, entered Red river in
fading TO ascend in their boats high the Pawnee
Pnua Indian villages where they to leave their
bats, purchase horses sufficient pack their provisions
AMI then proceed las expressed in their orders
th stop Of the mountains the distance being, they
cpectured about three hundred miles From this it is
mlnifest that Red river supposed to issue from
Mountainous country and all the arrangements for this
expedition were made accordingly.
This party encountered many difficulties and obstruc
ttns in the navigation of the river among the
bayous below the Great Raft, but finally them
NIL and reached point above this formidable obstacle
they were however, soon met by large force of Span
fha ~
teed no further; and their numbers too small
br thought Of resistance they forced to turn back
snd abandon the enterprise
Another expedition fitted out by our Government
in1S06 and placed under command Of that enterprsng
young traveller Lieut. Pike who ordered to ascend
the Arkansas river to its sources and thence strike
icrss the country to the head of Red river and to de-
sced that stream to Natchitoches. After encounterng
many prvations aud intense suerings in the deep
Of tie lofty mountains about the headwaters of the Ar
kansas, Lieut. Pike finally arrived upon stream running
to the East which he took be Red river but which
subsequently proved to be the Rio del Norte Here he
was taken by the Governor Of New Mexico and sent home
by way Of chihuahua and San Antonio, and thus this
petition failed.
Gen. Wilkinson, under whose orders Lieut. Pike was
serving at the time in letter to him. after his return,
ays The principal object of your expedition up the
arkansas was to discover the true position of the
Red river This was not accomplished" Lieut. Pike,
rom the most accurate Information he could obtain gives
DE geographical position Of the of Red river
latitude 80 n. and longitude l0i w. which was far
fom correct.
Again, in 161920 Col Long of the United States To-
pgraphca Engineers, his return from exploration
the Missouri river and the country lying between it
d the head of the Arkansas undertook to descend Red
er from its In his interesting report he speaks
othe subject follows ave arrived at creek having
awcsterly course, which we took to be a tributary Of
I'D river Having travelled down its valley about
Andred miles, fell in with party Of Indians Of the
usion of Kaskaias, Bad Hearts, who gave to
uderstand that the stream along which we were travel
hg was Red river We accordingly continued march
own the river several hundred miles further when
or 10 small disappointment, discovered that it was
te Canadian OF the Arkansas instead of the Red river
tat we had been exploring Our horses being nearly
W out with the fatigue Of the long journey, and the
ton being too far advanced TO admit of our returning
Hqest the source Of Red river with the possibility
otPoring il before winter it was deemed advisable to
geover the enterprise for the present. and make our
wyo the settlements upon the Arkansas We were led to
IN pmmssion Of this mistake in consequence of not be-
M bic to procure good guide acquainted with that
pftf the country Our only dependence in this respect
wspon Pixies map which assigns to the headwatcrs Of
Rdtver the apparent locality Of those Of the Canadian"
Thlt win be seen that Of all the expeditions which
hstttempted the exploration Of the Red river, none
seeded in reaching its sources.
TlMexicans and the Indians contiguous to their ter
rioiare in the habit Of calling any stream the waters
owch have red appearance, Rio Colorado or Red
rfe and in region Of red clay, like that upon the Ca
nnt, which imparts 70 the water crimson cast it is
Mt Uprising that this river should have received from
tnnhe appelation Of "Rio Colorado y and this fact
Wlcount for the mistake into which Baron Humboldt
Ms when he stated that the Red river of Nachtoches
epme NIFTY miles east Of Santa Fe (Which information
nave received from the Mexcans J and il will also
aTv ior tne mistakes Of Col. Long and Lieut. Pike.
une oth day Of March, 1852, received an order
Inne war department to take an escort of my own
ctmy, then stationed at Fort Belknan On tho Erozos