New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-04

east of the Canadian, the arroyo upon which We
were encampeG, and in which We found only
pools OF water, was suddenly swollen win
water. and running almost torrent like before
il Was observed. The Canadian was also much
swollen from the same cause Five miles be-
voud the Canadian is the crossing Of the Ocati
River, a tributary of the former. Both of these
streamsare cahoned $50 feet deep. not far below
the road. The road here passes over broken
and long-swelling billy ground. extending with
this character 70 six miles OF Wagon Mound
This latter is a craggy hill of volcanic rock to
the south ef the road. twenty-five miles beyond
Canadian River, and SO called from It's resembl'
ing al distance a traders wagon drawn by
team of horses To the right OF the road and
opposite the Wagon Mound is fine spring OF
water called Santa Clara Spring.
A mile and a half beyond Wagon Mound Is
the grave of the eleven mail carriers, VINO were
DESTROYED about two years ago bya band OF TWO
hundred Utah and Apache Indians. Inc hgnt
between these parties was long and bravery con,
tested. and the savages were finally successful
after adopting the Sturdyperseverance lnrePeat-
ed charges, which they had observed to be so
much in vogue among Americans when engaged
in warfare. Every man of the mail party was
killed. Eighteen or nineteen miles beyond
Wagon Mound brought us TO Rio del Perro or
Rocky Creek It has rocky canon leading
from il below the crossing, and is certainly one
of the best places for an Indian ambush nave
ever seen.
Three miles from this creek on high swell
of ground we saw before us the whole breadth
of the valley across which the road continues 10
Fort Union. and the Fort itsefwith its scatter
ed and sombre looking buildings and store
houses, six miles distant, under dark wooded
billy range. The prospect of prairie sklrted
with dark toliaged cedars along the creStS OF It's
slopes. and of the distant hills darby and
densely wooded, was very cheering and pleas
ant The vicinity of this Post Is Il country
which is the home of the Jicarilla-Apachesa and
Utahs, and near 70 it also is the Canon ny which
they pass toward the main road IN the direction
of the Wagon Mound to commit their fearful
depredations and murders.
The public buildings at Fort Union are neatly
built Of pine logs The plan OF the Post is IN
the style of apermanent encampment, the quar-
tiers designed for the Commander OF the Depart
mcnt, are opposite the center and nearest the
hill side; these are fronted or Hanked by those
of his staff; then in front OF these are the quar-
tiers OF Company Officers, adjacent TO those OF
their companies, one of these last being on each
of the Post are the Suffers store, Ordnance
depot, &c, and on the south the Hospital and
Quarternasters buildings. The offices OF the
Staff Officers being on the east side and facing
the Company Officers quarters
On the 9th Julyour command left Fort Union
for Santa Fe marching upon the road which was
followed by General Kearny and his troops In
lao, Fort Union being on the lower part OF the
IL
southward.) At six or seven miles from Fort
Union is the crossing of the Moro River. Az
this crossing is a trading establishment called
Barclay Sort its almost black adobe walls are
built some twenty-five or thirty feet high and
are secure protection against Indian assault
A circular tower on the south side is surmount-
ed by brass field piece, which was formerly
used in Bent's Fort.
! One mile beyond the Moro we crossed the
Sapillo, which like the Moro is pretty running
stream, but too small TO be digniied with the
/ name of river
About twelve or thirteen miles beyond the
| Sapilo, we passed the Diride which, lying be
| tween that stream and the Gallinas river, scpa
/ rates the waters flowing into the Arkansas AM
! Mississippi Rivers, from those which flow int
! the PecOs and Rio del NOrte. Five or six miles
! further and We were in the streets of the som
| bre locking village of Los Vegas, situated upon
! the Galnas River, with its buildings all OF dark
| cOlOred adObes. The only thing Witnessed in
! this place worthy of notice, was band OF MeXl-
cans engaged in continuing the building OF an
/ ugly-lOoking adobe church, the adobes being
passed from one 10 the other and over the
/ heads of some half dozen men seated upon the
successive rounds Of ladder leading TO the top
of the wall. This church | learn has been in
process Of building for twenty years. The val
lev of the Gallinas 10 the north and eastward Of
OF Los Vegas is bottom land and prettily cult
waited. the irrigation of the fields is accom-
plished by the azequiaS which are led near 10 the
( village, one on either side Of the stream. The
| Gallinas is a mere creek. There are three or
four well-supplied American stores in the place.
! It's population is about 800 souls.
/ Beyond Los Vegas the road passes along a
narrow, dry valley and between two ridges OF
/ hills, rocky, and fringed with pine trees. Two
miles from Los Vegas the road gases through q
! PHerta or kind of natural gateway in the ridge,
which seemed as if excavated for the purpose
OF road | had seen nothing from the time |
/ lett Fort LeavenwOrth 10 compare with the
the beauty Of the narrow mountain valleys
/ through which nearly every stretch OF the road
now passed; this was particularly the ease after
leaving the village of TacalOte, IL miles beyond
/ Los Vegas These valleys are covered with
fine green grass, and the hills and ridges on Ell
Their side are thinkly studded with dark pine
and cedar trees, running down in places in long
dark green strips into the hwnlike valleys.
| Taculote, should think, contains about 400 III
habitants, though perhaps its population e1-
ceeds that number There are here one or Two
American stores. The scramble for the pur-
chase of eggs, milk and chickens first com
menced in TaculOte, the prices of course were
exhOrbitant in the highest degree. TacalOte |
omitted to say, is located upon branch OF the
Galinas, and its iaborss, or small farms are cul-
/ tiyated ike those at Los Vegas
Soon after passing TacalOte, We came into full
view Of the San Vernal mountain tve miles
distant; the road passes through the same pine
and cedar regions, with beautiful hills and wales
/ appearing al almost every turn. Immediately