New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-30

nj IN uryed the est.bllshmon. of fos, ana mainly
n, .he urotec,ion of cncrants and in lsi2, the a
parment sent Col. Fremont to explore ana iepo''
country between the frontiers Of Missouri anu '"'
Psss Fremont, in his Of that eSpea.ao
,b,, The alto NOW occupiedV Fort Kearny, "reaonen1s
;,,o, q, o,co "a tho hes; point for military position
40, .,o ower Platte" Tor Nebraska In is40 pso'h~
- I'D. far the establishment Of this and o'hef
A.. v,s.La country and in lSi, Il went INTO OPP J
60; 7, Nav Of that year. tao companies Oh inc
-, r,a,,-v nroceeded here from Fort Leavenwoiti.
- ,be command of Lieut. DAVIS lprevious!J OF the
ra,u of Mounted Riaemen;) and one comp my Of the
a., r;., REGIMENT Of Dragons aerwarl added TO
a. ,os. The command OF the fort was wen 10 Col.
po,nev;lc whose expedition in ls32-3f TO the Rocky
nou..a;ns the Colorado and Columbia. is well known
through .be description of Washington irving The fol-
Lowing account Of the Fort and vicinity seen in May
1870 il made up from the journal Of MAJOR Osborne Cross
in bis report of the march Of the regiment OF Mounted
Rifemen to Oregon. Maor c., having left Fort Leav.
enworh on May 90 being ten days after the departure Of
the regiment up with the troops encamped near inc
Fort and halted there for three days. May 81 to june
10 rc0rCuIize the train, obtain supplies, &C.
Ths rogt was located here substitute iCr INC one
formerly at the mouth Of the Plate, lNepra7hal p
more the direct route from for' p ~
Laramie IA well from the small towns on the noui'
river whence emigrants generally take their departure
II is very well located to keep III check the fawnee ana
and also q gTedt pl't'c'"h' w w"
Grants who travel this route 10 CaiOTnia anu OFeeoh'
Major C. then aludes to the rapid destruction Of the
ps,nee nation (which is the chief tribe OF this region by
tho email pox and other diseases and 70 the attacks made
,lyon them blythe Sioux.
1.-THE site for this post is not very pleasing one nay
ing nothing recommend it in the way of beauty In
this vicinity the valley OF the river IL low and entirely de
flute of wood On the front north side OF the Fort -
the muddy Nebraska River, which gives the Missouri nuch
OF its color and the south SIDE cham OF unpfepo
L NJ. IL Oh n
tie valley and the country back end the al
Of the first highland ranging along the river winch grad
ualv rises until il becomes buff OF considerabe night
s.Whst few buildings were Inhabited observed, were
made of sward cut in the form OF atobes The hospital
was the only building which was being erected ihese
buildings under the direction OF an ohcer oil INC
Engineer corps vino for the want OF proper Materials was
unable 10 Dr. gress very rapidly with Them Wood can De
obtained on Grand Island but the principal timber oand
there Is cottonwood, which IL considered very ielion W
building purposes, and hence suitable iuDcT Is 'ei!
scarce. ,,. a. -, .;r,o,d am
island is eldom more than hve ieet deep anu ~ pol'o
ia very uneve n and filed with qucksand Ike otnef parts
the partial cultivation of the SOIL it has been dis
covered moi TO be productive Gardens have been started
Inn, IN little rurIose except that The experiment haa
partly convincen them that it was only labor ioS ni
am OF the opinion, that when time mas oeen aioWeu "
find out its qualities better, not only vegeaoeS may pc
raised i'm abundance, but grain OF every description
"Grazng for animals in the ycinity OF ths post Is
extremely good but apprehend that grassior nay SuI
bocn permitied TO encamp Immediately around the ior'
which cave our animals fine field to range over during
the time they remained and they STOOD greatly M nVc'
of II. 4,
Having halted here for three days and rearranged the
train the regiment resumed their march the Sd OF ane
Shortly aiterward 9th to 2st June, lsi9 Capt STAINS
bury and his party their way to Salt Lake also stopped
here, and the following is derived from his report:
June 1--we encamped within two miles OF Fort
Kearuev on the bank OF the river for the sake OF water
cook ing could be procured oniy by
wadng the river and bringing 1t from the opposite sac on
the shoulders of the men. Alter encampg r"ue up ote
Fort and called on Col bonneville, whose adventures
omorr tbe Rocky Mountains are well known 10 the
world He received very courteousy offering us every
facility in his power in furtherance OF our progress we
remained at this post until the afternoon OF te -ls " TO-
crut the mules get many of them shod, and TO procure
such necessary supplies could be obtained Inc post
at present consists of number OF long low budngs con
srcted principally of adobes sun-drled Dcks, WIN
nearly fiat roofs large hospital tent two or three WORK
.bops ncosed by canvGs-wals soreiouses constructed
in the same manner one or TWO ong auSoe 81 f
roofs of brush and tents for the accommodation OF inc Of
fcers and men. There stationed here Two companies
of infantry and of dragons was toid 'hat me nan
storms had been very frequent this season. ana quite de-
structye cutting down the weeds and stripping the trees
az their foliage The emigrants Obtain various sup
niles groceries, clothes, eic at the sutler store.
Dpr;pp TINT summer three frame buildings were erected
though not finished until the fall of 1880 The report OF
the chief engineer Nov. 80 1850, mentions IN detail the
other additions to the post
"A
tanning four rooms l7xl9, two ha piazza front ant
rear and an attic ROOM ana guard-h house about l5x95
are the only permanent buildings that have been put ~
during the wear. They nearly finished. The ROOF o
the adobe house has been covered with sheet lead
Preparations were made for the erection oil anoiei
building but the Nebraska River continued so high during
the spring and summer that the timber necessary or the
frame could not be obtained .
Tbe results of the year were much less than had been
ancipated in ls49 owing to the breaking of the horse
power saw mill and the Increasing difficulty OF obtaining
and retaining efficient wOrkmen Many OF those hired eit
for California and all became tired of the ne
cesssrilv experienced far from the settlements This
want of workmen would be still further increased in -5l
by the absence of the mounted troops who were TO be kept
moro upon the road during the season OF emigration
AT the close of 1850, the officers Of engineers having
charge of these works. ordered TO other duties and
the works themselves turned the quaermasers de-
parment On the LIST of August, the regular monthly
mail TO Oregon commenced, and pcsofce reg
ulary established at the Fort before the end of the year.
On the I'D of October Capt. Stansbuy and party called
on their return from Salt Lake. The experiment Of raising
various vegetables at the Fort proved to be entirely
successfu-one man having raised 200 bushels of pota
toes The War Rcpor. of Dec so states the military force
under the command OF Capt; Wharton at two companies
aggregate Ol During this year the War Department ef
fected the construction of the new military rosd from
Fort Leavenworth TO Fort Laramie, passing this post.
The cholera ragged more severely in 1859 than durn any
other ,mgrat season. and at many times not only
the military hospital over-crowded with patients but the
sick emisranis were accommodated in the soldiers
quarters.
In 1851 additions made to the buildings of the Fort
and its accommodations much increased The STA
tstc of the posoce for the quarters Of the fiscal year
ending June 80 1851 returned BY Capt. Wharton,
p NJ at 80 Gs oompensation sl4 o. net proceeds The
military force reported in December at one company
of 10 men, and has not since been increased.
rumor prevalent during the last winter that the
most was 10 be abandoned in 1884, but this has not vet