The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-02-24
LETTER FROM OREGON.
Polk COUNTY, o. T., Dec. 20, 1858.

you Il few lines. | shall, in the first place,
rive you Il sketch of our travels across the
Plains, our trials and difficulties BY the way.
with an occasional glance at the country,
scenery, &C. We crossed the Missouri river
at little town called Sonora, which is situ-
uted 10 or Is miles below old Fort Henry.
would say to any Of my friends, if they
intend to come to Oregon not to cross at this
place, as it is dangerous. We crossed on the
.6th day of April, and stretched onr tents
for the first time in the Indian country. From
tn. rrossinp of the Missouri, on the morning
nr ,ho oG,b wa set ont in a w,st,rlv lirrr.
" y, WV -u'' LII, ,.,;,;,, ,,,,,.,, L,i',;,,,
,o ..;h,, ~ JnJ;,ns ,,lIod tho 0to., Wo
~ ,,,o,,, ,.L;I, .,,.s;,,,, ,I,,,,,L
,i';. ,.',,,,,.,. d;st,r.o ~ ,hnnt so niin.
."' y, T.a, O.. lii. s..,;,,o v.o had
w ,,,od ,1',, ,,r,.s rrom Sail Cr..k tn tbn patt..
p;ra. Ln,,'r. j;s,,n.o or ,hon, Go mia,
~. w fnunJ rrass NOT nntc so pl,uty. thonrh
wo m,J. ant yerv w.Il W. fnnnd rrass
rl.ntv an the Platte brttoms. and p).ntv Of
p,wn.c Indians They unrcor to he very
friendly and ore a ro,1b stout. and uumcr.
nm. r,i;nn Fran tbe ,imn wr s,ru,k III.
pI,,,t. riv.r mill we reached New Fart Hon.
rv, distance Of abou, lsO miles. we rolled
an ,;,ol,, .s 90. boI po,d rn,ds and in IN.
,n,;, ,I.,,r nf rr,.s Nav Var, IJ.nrv i
.;tnatnI % nnnosit. ,n the Grand island nm
pl,,t, r;v.r and is surround.d hv ,d,l;,htfnl
,n,,,t.,. r;,.L ,nI f.r,;I. II 10 NJ Hi. nu;nt
,l,n ,,,;,,r,rt rnn,, rrnm 81 Jov.,L. Nn
s,,;r.a. H., p,,,,'. .;,',. j.; oons,,,na,,,,,, ~
,,,i;.t, r,,,,J ,,.a',, ,;,,, a,,n, E.,,,
ILm,'. ra u .,,"' . on, Co., T,rt I.ra,n;,, ~"
",' =, .l,'.,,, ,nn ,,,;,,', H., r..s;,,,, ,.,.
.i: .''.e ", '"'"' coo ,''',' ',ii, , o',.
~ .,,'' s,.son W. '"',1 J 1 ,o VII m,," .'" ."
~ s,"ao "''','' "'" WY" 'I,I. ',, w, ''r"'
'','" ,'',ei i,j ,I I',,vu "m"'i ",',' ltI
u. ,'i.. ,,.''.' ~. hir ,'', ',.
=: ''I,'' "'''' w NV. 1"'','' VI -
.:''o n',' :. M'' ~ P''r',''I o.' ."'s 1e'.
'"'i '''"' We ~" s'''' " , .i''''' T'"n're'
,"''o,t w ~ ",'t ", ""',' - ,'''''' Wv
,Ioo'l iio">r i'''"' ""''" ',oc' NV" "o','
l"c surrounding country "," re,e',I'''s 'cr!
,''"'" ~ ''''' '"' n'o''''' |"l'.' ',o"''.-
~ c'i pc seen Ut instance VI - "r "' "'!'r'
O,' nearest "rP'o"'" 10 WIS "o'", c'@''
''''s' o"' ~ '''e ''''c ,'' II 'F''te' ~ W
no 'i'oFc '';'' 'M"' ne n'N' Is ''''il'hc!
hocA' SO c;',e" from It's '.l'c'ru resemblance
I" some vi inc cn''''nIS '','c''t" 10 some "'
oursttah factories ms rmlhihev IN me us
.h'ice "I'Pt"rS 10 al'''" so'''"ry "H" ","''''
liiiIng It's head IikrtiIat OF splrc' mon above
all surrounding OBJECTS. IL can also he seen
ut u distance "t some ~ or ~ miles. Inc
roa4Fasscs within about three miles OF tins
rock. One more curiosity called SCOTS
Bluffs. Ii is situated about 60 miles below
Fort Laramie, on North Platte river, and is
so called from man by the maine of Scott
having been killed among these Bluffs by
the Indians. These Bluffs at Il distance re-
scmblr very much II city or iorticati"n.-
They can be seen for many miles before
reaching them. Ihs s''""''s 'I'ne hetwer''
iicnr! anu i"''"'''o IS r''''''n ny ',,e '>av' W
nh"'','S' ""o "PPc'' ~ nc very 'f''n,'!' we
iomno @oou 'r'"y "''"'rS "Hi"h@ 'hsh'.
mc """, ''u.,"S appear 70 nc '''"r, "'orc
inlcIl'S'n, 'il'Ih Tue ia"hee rioe' we H'
rived at rort Laramie on t''c 2ytl OF May
ms Fort IS situated on 'he pahKs OF Lara
me river, ABOUT tillc from lis ihonth, where
II cnpllcs INTO ll!c Nor'h i'iattc river Lara
ME Is beautifully situated. lhc Fort or
garrison oH!it OF brick, together WIN several
other out houses, which gives it rather the
appearance of Il small village. 1t is here that
we had to spend our ilrst money on the
plains us we had to pay - per wagon and
10 cts per head for loose stock, Tor The priv
ilrge of crossing the Laramie river, on Il
bridge. From Fort Laramie our next point
to make was the bridge across North Platte,
distance about $50 tales. Tn travelling over
this stretch we had TO pass through what IS
called the Black Hills, said to be the worst
part OF the road upon caltIc's feet, which we
found to be true. In passing through the
u ll wood