, 1854-02-11

point In the mountain pass selected il
Washing ton City for the passage Of tn,
train, he met our advance in command O
Lieut.. Grover at the eastern entrance, anC
both parties joining, returned to Fort Ben
ton.
could dwell on this incident of tn,
eastern and western parties mailing eacl
other in this mountain chain-the cont
ncnt crossed by the Survey-the line estab
liShed connecting. the head-waters of tn,
Mississippi with the Pacific Valley.
need only say, however, that when this let
ter reaches you, carried by Lieut. SaXton
he will have twice crossed the continent
since May 5, having in the meantime sue
cesslully performed most arduous duties.
cannot omit this opportunity TO expires,
my grateful Acknowledgements to him fol
the entire success Of his laborS. To great
energy and Judgment he. has added akC
qualities which have cndearcd him not onl,
to his immediate party, but acquired fol
him tie admiration and regard of all hi,
associates in the survey.
OF f.the eastern party working westward
from the Mississippi took personal diree
ton. You will, | know, be pleased to hear
Of the great aid afforded TO me by Lieut.
Donelson, of the Engineer Corps, son OF
your old associate, Major Donelson, Of
Tennessee. He is a young man of fine
abilities and ripO Judgment. In all the du-
ties assigned to his charge he has displayed
a devotion in their performance which has
secured the confidence and respect of all
his associates. While the expedition was
being organized at the seat of government,
he was intrusted with the duty of visiting
Sir George Simpson, at Montreal, to col
leet information as to guides, supplies,
routes, &e., which he discharged to my en-
tire satisfaction At later period, leav-
ing the Mississippi at St. Louis, he went
up the Missouri to some distance above the
mouth of the Yellow Stone, and waited the
arrival of the main party at Fort Union.
To him was assigned the duty of surveying
that river and of making reconnaissance
of the country in the vicinity of Fort Union,
lying between the Missouri River and our
northern boundary, from the Big Muddy
TO the White Earth Rivers. In all these
labors he was entirely Successful - making
an admirable survey, and collecting much
valuable data upon which to base valua-
bic report on the navigabilty of that river.
At the time j now write he on bis way
to the mountains, in charge Of the survey
of Cadets Pass, and of tho supply train,
and will, am fully confident develop the
full character Of the route from this point
to st. Mary's. The main portion OF the
party, however, assembled near st. Paurs,
Minnesota, and moved ON ONE line over the
Red River trail to Pike Lake, a distance
of about l65 miles. At this point Lieut..
Grover, an energetic and very accomplish
ed young officer of the army, took com
maud Of a select party of about twenty
men, and starting on the goth June, went
to the southwark of that lake, crossed the
Bois de Sioux River, north of Lake Tray.
ers, and, assuming the general direction Of
Wead Colt Hillock, carried that line sue
cessfully to the mouth Of the Yellow Stone
getting in great deal Of country, collect
ing much valuable information, on which
he based Sn interesting report, beat the
main party some. seven days into Fort
Union, and accomplished every duty as
signed to him. ,--.t ~ %
The main train still pursued the Red
River trail for some distance, and, passing
through the country watered by the Shay
enne and its tributaries, the branches Of
the Reyene le Jacque, went some twenty
Eve miles to the southward of Lake Mini
wakan, through the Mouse River Valley to
Fort Union, where we arrived on the lst
August
In the main party several of the mem
bers distinguished themselves; while all
cheerfully performed their duties, and gave
entire satisfaction. To do the work In
trusted to my charge, twas necessary to
operate with small detached parties, going
many miles of the line to interesting and
important landmarks. Much was thus ta-
ken in, which could not be by the mere
passage through it of train on the march
To the civil engineers, Messrs. Lander
and Tinkham, anu much indebted for the
collection Of great deal Of Information
With small parties, and sometimes alone,
in country likely to meet Indians whose
intentions to the whites were a matter Of
doubt-and by our guides and voyagers
represented to be hostile-they went out
for days at time on short allowance of
provisions, relying on the game Of the
country, of necessity dispensing with the
comforts of camp life, and added very much
to the results of the survey. Up to Fort
Union, distance of 1875 miles, by odome-
ter measurement, we had secured. two
routes-taking in by our side work the
whole valley of the Shayenne and River
Jacque, the Mouse River Valley and the
Coteau de Missouri
Lieut.. Donelson's reconnaissance had
connected with our work all the country
north of MISSOURI River to the Big Muddy
River, some distance west Of Fort Union,
and NTH thn Missnr,ri Ii. liz. c,irrnr Of thnf