The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-06-18
5flilsteltaueuus.
[From the National Intelligencer.l
SCENERY AND CAMP LIFE IN THE
ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

The following extract of a private let
ter from an officer of the army will fur
nish some information with regard to the
mode of living beyond the confines Of
civilization, as well as other matters of
interest. It is written from Laramie
Peak Mountain, Nebraska Territory"
and latest date-being set down at diff
ferent times-is February I5.-Boston
Courier.
Laramie Peak Mountain, ~. T.
I am situated in one of those deep
bottoms or chasms found only in similar
regions where you are not blessed with
the face of the sun until nearly nine
o'clock, and it never fails at this season
of the year to bid you good night" by
early four as it sinks to rest behind the
silvery peak of Laramie.
It is difficult for the imagination to
conceive of more rough country than
that ia hi immediate vicinity ty-Iteem--
bines the widest with the +asaest- From
the peak, just q short ride from my log
cabin, facing the west, your eye rests on
hill piled On hill, raising their heads
heavenwards, till the lofty peak of Lar
annie is lost in the clouds. Wheel to the
south, and here you find series of deep,
gloomy, "kangors," which neither the
mocasin of the Indian, nor the foot of
the indomitahle mountaineer has ever
explored.
Even the game of the country changes
it's course to the less rugged hills and
valleys, save the mountain sheep, who.
know no barrier in their path. Turn
again to the east, and your view rests
upon continuous range Of undulating
plains, stretching far to the southeast,
interspersed here and there by a small
patch of pine OF cedar, with the broad
" Platte" the Little Laramie. :" rivers,
and the " Bitter Cotton Wood" wind
ing its snake-like course eastward, with
it's border of yellow willow and (now
dried) cotton wood growth. Then look
towards the north; here you behold one
of the most barren and desolate specta-
cles your eye would wish to look upon
sand hills rising to the horizon, some
of which lift their heads in lofty compe-
tition with " Laramie Peak itself; not
the first sign of vegetable life, except
occasionally an isolated cedar or pine,
stunted by the sterility of the soil. Tru-
ly, it is melancholy sight.
suppose you wonder what the writer
does to wear away his monotonous hours.
These hills and forests abound in game
of every description almost that is found
in this latitude. We find both black
and white deer; the nimble antelope;
the elk, with his enormous horns; the
panther, of a very large size; and truly
rather an ugly SPECIES of game three
kinds Of wolves, prairie, grey, end black
Rocky Mountain wolf. Then we have
the Incompatible sheep found in no 9th
er region than in the immediate vicinity
of the Rocky Mountains. Of all the an
imals I ever chased these beat the world
They viii jump down perpendicular
precipice of twenty feet, leap from
cliff to cliff, and never miss their foot
ing. You seldom find them except in
the loftiest peaks and then in the rough
est retreats. I have only been success
full il getting three of them-two after
a chase of some twelve miles. Mr..
White, gentleman, from the post,
and myself, together, killed 3 ram which |
we estimated to weigh near FIVE hund-
red pounds. His horrs at the root
measured over twenty -four inches round.
Even partial list of the game in this
country would be incomplete were one to
leave out that king of the mountains, the
grizzly bear. There have been several
killed this season here. I have avoided
his majesty. I got on. the trail Of one
the other day when alone; I soon left
it. I have not forgotten fierce encoun-
ter with one I participated in when en-
route to Oregon in ls49. I prefer to
give him free use Of the forest rather
than enter into any dispute as to his
rights. Some of my men fred three
times at an old fellow last week, but to