The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-06-19
the Overland Routc 20 the Pacific.

10 ~ ibis city, wftt reference 10 tuuiV
from Miasissppito the Pacific. Capt i,ecxvru
continued the explorations on the line which
vas oOaimcne,d 10y l.eat. cISNiNSos, and
which was interrupted by te murder ol that
nliccr. with portion Of his party, by the In
i..rs Of the plains. The Information enbo,i-
sd IA this lott,r. from Capt BEckwirIi, Is of
iha mos valuable character. ald is oi peculiar
interest at the present. when Congres IL con-
idcring the feasibility Of establishing n militia
~ ani post road across ll,c continent 1t win
tc saen that Capt BnIgwIrn appreciates and
urkuowlelgcs the imrortan, services rendered
to emgrants, and indeed to the country 10y
through the Sierra Nev.,,las which bears his
uamc
WAsuiSGg~N, u. G.. May 9th, lsiG.
DEAR SIR ] have received your lettor Of
ile ath instant requesting me 30 furnish you
uch Information in regard to the route oAplur
81 by me. near the list parallel Of north lati
-. !..-..- JoE u .Ailsw4I -l!1 lAe MSi.ainp .jX.r
10 ihr Pacific Ucean, aS may bc W YrNicc 10
onigmnts aud others crossing the plains and
mountains OF our western territory to .hc Pa
''tit liiN uhlNhllNH 9iil ti.uli.ilr tl WINCH NtN
have experienced, and, rs | am aware have
lncr cNerted yourself to diminish Tor others,
specially by an extensive exploration Of the
Sierra Nevada resulting in tie location OF mn
excellent road from iatsscns meadows on iho
Humboldt or Mary \ river 10 the open valley o.
tIr Sacramento river near Cottonwood, Fort
hc,dmg and Shasta. in California from whence
any portion Of the fertile Sacramento valley Is
cached by good roads and all Of the northern
part ot California ard Of southern Oregon is
.aost accessible The pass Of the Sierra Ne
'a.ii lay this road has received and ia entitled
p" b.ir your name by which it was known when
/ oNamiucd il from Mud lakes to Mount st.
1h,ph or Tom or a>ecus blui, las /, is yari
nu# y caljrdl the magnificent snowy peak which
plainly visible from Honey lake valley, tow.
criug upon tn western ridge Of the Sierra Ne
,.,la aud forming one OF lis most beautiful ica-
lnr,a from the Sacramento valley.
II is well known 10 you that after fret arriv-
.us in sight Of The Rocky Mountains in travel.
ing 10 the west, We again nowhere losc sight
pi mountains on our territory They are NUN
hggie1, and namecss, with the exception Of the
prominent ranges ahd peaks and so irregular
hat thc Traveller s bewdcr,rl, AMI deceived ns
to ,hrlr attitude by the proximity Of sorsr and
The lfs'aHrc of Others so that he X rarely able
'ode,ormGc 20 which nc names ionnd un the
maps bp'org This will only bo obviated when
N the mountains aud spires with the plains,
valleys and streams arr laid down with aecura
IS. dl their limits and positions carefully dc.
'lu'd aud the trails and ruads correctly traced.
know of no map yet published in which our
vc trn territory is, 70 any considerable extent.
Tim. presented hnlcCd thoe that have seen
more oncn convey erroneous than correct in
truat0u.
iho uport ~ the exploration u N1he routc
trI.r con.idt ration Published by Congress hast
Scar, contain, generally, all the information
olIaib.d Nv me of this route ga TO The charsc.
tcf awl fertility 1f the country aud its praclIca.
l,Hy lnr road. know of 10 material in.
Iro,cinnt which eau b. inade m the present
ii0c oi cmigrant travel by this route until Con
grss shall max the necessary appropriations
,or military aud mail roads required upon it,
nproN cments which are required only IN cross
ng a low oi The streams and mountain passes,
An appropriation has arrliy been made l"r u
r.ad from Fort Riley, ~ Kansas territory, VIA
the Cheyalnc pas ~ the Black Hills to Brid.y
or pass Of the Rocky mouniaius. Id- road
viii hr from sixty 10 "a hundred miles south oL
.Isi nearly parallel with that l0IlOHing the
Platte and crossing the Rocky mountains a;
Jl. ooulh pass. aud viii hr accessible from any
point oi the batter east Of the Black Hills
Westward from Bridger pass this liae int'r
.e.,s the pr,sAht emlgr1Ill road 10 The valley U
,.ren risrr which should l-s hr.dgcsl) aud
hnab le roitinu,d therein, westward 10 the
Weber river. 10y the line followed hy ~ in
Apr, u 4. a l,~ miles to the south ol the
Irt1sut ptpEtau' road. avoiding thr mouatalns
aud Jsop canons now cncounlrrod. \ small
appropriation expended p,f m,ir upon this soc.
ton y"nh make II practicable ~ all seasons Of
'he year. Once npon the Weber ri,er At 'hould
t. st. iL ..4sITlfls
.n.legate,l mclui3uBl To- tir 1p.u valley oi the
Great Salt Lake bui q larger appropriation
wn d. rrqArcd to construct 1t a, tbore are two
,.ei,nn, 81 tlc rivrr winding between high
mountains rqnirug cXt,tsiy, sdn cutting 'or
q good wagon road bat II, construction d not
. uuy ,ut'rciy practicable but not difficult I'y
lhls route an abundant supply ol vat AMI
gra-, wH always tyc iDuml. ! cru,s'd %, Ia
,.n ~ May and Junc by the south cnd u the
Great sat Lake, aud Gonnd e,tfyvhcrv on tiS.
nr"uniiliIs an abundance Of grass fur travellers.
and TN spring, aml streams Oi water. Jh"
PLAINS are barr,u OF covered with ,agr. fhck
lrains ui.dfr 10, direction ol intelligent persons.
AL ind thi route entirely p5aGicap'' sp3
.bnrt,r than tie suiicTari rad 10y ,he uur,li
.,ad ", rbc AXE, II thcy ern>s The lIulalaldi
n,oun;ai0s at the pass ,yamlncd by us Gor a
railroad al tha bad ui Franklin yaiky. FROM
ahich q stream desc na, to tie Humboldt rs
~ II = upi. h"wtVcr. practicab" for wagons
Alihout improvement
I BE- heat ami thirst IN crsssiEg tEr BASIN
pliw iu Summer. lnlsrrSr. eiiler bs tins ~
the usual cmicrsnt rad The grass - tho
molnilif, is vastly more hen'h'ui fer aruwl'
-hln 'lat e ihr llgmhDd' river vllhy and
'.r safer II tlo sprihg' anil i1oHuia.u -, ans
Ntrh raci oniy 70 iae l.a..s. than that r
fir TiF,r iac mot oxPt,cnc,d tAysl,r.
it-rci.r, agaid Ito astirr a. n.uch 80 ise,iD,.
.l,onid D., mv@H triia's g." cr,,-, IL I;a,.a
.. 1,..--ogy .g -eum'r "a ary direction. siii
. t..h n.q+t W,~' = Gr 10 salt lAAf '!s p,
sr extensive fat drart 81 .ud to" q n
s4,t 10, teams WV Is hayr = a tie -iatcs ti.
sst. ..aspn.- rul W. "a b neariy avupie,i hy
k..pinr wi 10 tho aih i~'-t irom lake
trah sna sb0ud rot 10 rssrccaf's'i cytu by
hsyr-sfnru Ihr dis'ans >agesi i1 agpfr G'arr,
- iA,..us Nsadow. ca toe lim Hpd', wu's
t'.. la--v ar. rriuYr r.yrd ls n.r' 20 nothing
Ifef- j.. tasryar GO alrngaHu f.w IT, ','
lrsi Iao-,giias- sb'cu .Hic,i tie II z'T. :!
rogtr to .irr plIa and d" Er-.- 1'-..'@
laI af.i af ogI.aa.y tr4g,. i-41J-i u'll.ns
10 -sslu4 iha' =. -.-sa ~ Gal sasi. H. ..r
cair, A1d Ibs pass.. tshl- easy sAle- an b"
ss1- coss-ierlns 10. srsst .s-siA y 10 'S'.s