Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-06
FonT MASSACHUSETTS, On. ny JuyE 3, 1859

FoET MASSACHUSETTS (N. NJ JuSE {, 1863
Hon. THOMAS H. BENTON
DEAR SIR: / addressed you short letter from Fort
Atkinson on the 18th May. The weather was so bad
rainy that did leave the fort until the day
We started the 2Gth though was still raining hard
On the 3st passed Bents Fort now in ruins and on
the st June reached the point the Arkansas where,
according to maps, should have found the mouth
of the Huerano informed you in my last that we had
left Leroux at Fort Atkinson, quite i'll with peurisy We
were therefore compelled to rely mainly on maps,
not nan in party having been this route be-
fore We did find the Huerfano until We had ascend
ed the Arkansas twenty-five miles fuyther. Our first
view Of it from long line Of bluffs which run paral
lei with il the We first saw il about four miles
from its mouth and found il heavily tbered with fine
grass both in the bottom and the adjoining praires
II is bold rapid stream, from fifteen to twenty yards
WIDE and about ve deep in the channel near where We
made first camp on it, As it was desirable to cross
il that afternoon could not 90 to its mouth.
OF the four maps we had with us, we found the one
compiled by order Of COL Munroe in 1851 and drawn
by Kern BE the most correct yet the bearings OF the
mouth Of the Huerfano very enormously laid down
on it. According 70 observations Pixies Peak bore
N. W., Southern Spanish Peak, s. by W., and Northern
Spanish Peak s. S. W. from the mouth Of the Huerfano
After crossing the Huerfano route lay on its vest
abundant and hch much 50 than on the Arkansas
We csmped the night Of the 81 mile below the cafon
On the I'd went TO the foot Of the mountains On the
4h struck the wagon and Indian trails from Hard.
scrabble and Greenhorn leading through the Pass over
the Sangre De Christie and camped that on the head
waters Of the Cuchadas, fork Of the Huerfano. We
here found the finest and most uxuran grasses Of any
point route There would not be the least diff
Guilty for small party Of to make excellent wag
on-road through this Pass Unto the valley Of San Lus)
in very few days. As it il, wagons come through
About threequarers Of mile from camp, on the morn
ing Of the 5h, TO the hcadwaters Of the Sane
de Christie Creek Complying into the Del Norte impro-
perry called Indian Creek the map and following Its
course reached at $50 p H. the spot indicated on the
map at the War Department the locality Of Fort Mas
sachuses about three miles above the junction Of Indian
and Utah Creeks Not finding the fort here, ascended
Utah Greek about eight miles, and discovered it at the
entrance Of gorge Of the mountains Major Blake, the
commanding officer, received US very Hospitality.
The fort is webuilt stockade Of pine logs, ten fee,
IN height pointed the end and enclosing very comfort
able quarters for one hundred and fifty men.
There are no Mexicans settled here the nearest being
on the Culebre about thirty miles below, The val
ev OF San Lgs is well watOred BY several fine streams
and affords very excellent pasturage The CANA grass
crors in itluxuranty and wild oats and wheat attain
srea. height The land the streams very rich and
productive.
Not finding II possible to procure mules here or
;de or mueteer Beae started the 9th instant for
Taos, with Major Blake, to procure them there If pos