Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-09-09
Pacific Wagon Road Expeditions.

SAMP On ASliN ShEEh,
F,oT or South Pass, ROCKY MauSTAlNs,
JUNE 18th, 1858.
Permit me to give you a short account 81
our trip up to this point. Oar expedition
was organized 10 Independence, Mo. We
commenced our march on the first day OF
May, the party consisting of shirty-ss'en
men, one hundred and ten mules, and fifteen
wagons, Col. +. W. Lander, in commaud.-
We reached this point on the afternoon OF
tie l4th of June, averaging each day about
Twenty-Five miles. Our animals came through
in fne condition. although we had, during
the tri?, a number of cold and severe storms
Tue crossing of the )u.h Platte WAS reach
ed May oh. dsd 10 crossing fifteen
miles above the Asn-IIJiiow crossing, with
Out auy trouble. Oar Superintendent pro-
poses bridging this stream, with an appfC-
~priation vi one hundred thousand dollars
This wcuid adj greatly to the emigration
through Kansas ard Missouri, Tor there
are times that this stream Is iiDpsssabie,
owing to It's quIcksaud bottom. From the
point where we crossed tEls stream IL road
can be easily made across a tine roiiinE
prairie to lie North Fork, avoiding ASH
Hollow by striking up as h!gh as Smiths
Fork, thereby avoiding tie lOnS sandy plain
between Ash Hollow AMI Smiths FORK.
From al! | cln learn aDd what | havs seen
of the north side OF the Platte, | fully be-
lievo that a Il ,iiroad can De built VITA less
ex pepsa than Oh any other route; commaht'
ing at some point north Of the Pate, follow
log up that stream TO tha Red buTas AID
thaucc over ID fac country, well WateFsd, IL
the Sweet Water River, thence up that
stream to the SJutA P.ss, withou: crossing Il
single rang vi mouht.las, 10 Graen RIVER;
the whole route being over u broad level
plain.
The country at this point is much tiner
than that farther south, there being several
ranges OF mountains TO cross on tnat route
before reachiDg the Pacific waters.
Oar party have a!esdy commenctd-
Built a station at this point which /. three
aud onc-!Uurth miles from where the Muddy
emDlies intu the SRee. Water. and have
made d cui-1ff which Is preferable 80 me old
trail, there bang better grass AMI "tFer.-
The new route commencing IL R3ck Greek,
and striking north 80 miles west = tue eros
sing Of thc Sweet Water, which II ten milez
north OF Pacific SpFin.s. The party last
year under Superintendent AlasFaw received
their Instructions about the same tiine that
Col. LiLdcr did his, but did not reach TINS
puiGt until the later paftOi Septemoer, win
broken down animals, and GJm IeiiGu TO 20
INTO wIuier quarters Without accomplishing
anytbing; whilst we are already at work with
iue ire.h mules, 50 much 80 that . traln OF
three wagons left to-day for Wood River for
working material carried there by Sdpcrln-
tendent NasraS last year. Another tTaiu
leaves in the morning tor Fort Laramie to
bring up prov!si,ns. Oar station IL Already
CON pletcd, and Col. Lauder with ten men
will leave in d day or so for Green River.
June 2~S.--S.nce l last wrote ninety-tive
miles of road have been completed from this
camp to the Pima, AZ which place our Super.
lnteud mt with his small patty are at work
Mr.. burUh with his train o! SIX wagons OF
PROVISIONS lruu, Fyrt LARAMIE arrived IN Sa-
turdaY, and is, at the line | write, preparing
to start on his march to tie Pima. MI.
Barch deserves a great deal Of credit Tor The
manner IN which he conducted nis party on
their way TO this place, having encountered
several snow storms without lusih2 \ sn.ie
ANNA, whilst others were losing theirs daily.
or Aleck Mitchell, Camp VI ,sicr, | mus;
say that a better man 1t hl- work cannot be
found. IL his a superior knowledge Ui the
country, makes fue drives, always Camps
where fuel and water are plenty, and is IN
fact 10 every way capable OF takirg charge
of aLy train through auy part OF this west
ern c0uutry, having resided here for many
years.
Last, but not least, | mus. speak of cur
noble Superinteld'n t, giving a few incidents
of his energy. Que night, (shortiy after
leaving the Frontier Wills; he vas travel
ling on behiod tie maiu party, beng detain-
ed on account OF Sickness, caused by expo
cure Oh his iormer expeditions through thl'
country, Gu, animals became frightened and
star peded. On passing bis wagon, he
spraug from bis bed, unharnessed his team,
taxing theroCrom one Of his horses, mounted
without i saddle or bride, ard succeeded in
securing the whole cIvaicade. Again, a.
the crossing of the South fu:k Of the Platte
where were q number OF trains waiting Tor
the waters to fail, and had been for several
DAYS, and oil mountain men in charge OF
those tfa!n-, lie rode up to the bank, and
asking his men if they would venture, and
receiving an answer III The affirmative, De
plugged 10, and succeeded 10 crossing his
whole train in six hUurs--the other trains
following us ia the rear. Yours, very respect
fully, }. a. ,.