Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-12-02
From the W Washington Union.
Captain Marcy's Winter Expedition on
the PlainR.

This able officer ia now in this city under order
for special duty.
Tie expedition of Capt Marcy from Fort Bridg
err To New Mexico last winter. ON which lac
despatched by General ]ohuston, for the procure
mcnt of horses mules. and cattle for the army Mt
Camp Scott was one Of the mos, remarkable ON
record. The rontc he pursued, which lay IN
pretty direct line across the Chinty and Rocky
Mountain chains, had been trayersed before in the
summer time hy hunters and trappers. but had
always been set down. even by those hardy men,
as imNracticahle in the winter season. The old
mountanrcr Bridger pronounced the expedition
impracticahlc. Captain Marcy SCI out from Fort
Brldgcr. however on the eth Of November last,
with forty soldiers, twenty-five citizens, thirty
days ratuns. and sixi,.'," males, nnN reached
Fort Mas.ac u,et.s New Mckee, six hundred
AID thirty mile. from Camp Scott. with the hos,
of hut II single man, the l7ih Of January, per
forming the .curncv in the depth Of til" wu,cr
Immediately after entering the mountains. tive
derive our Information from official papers the
snow became deep that il was impossible ior
the animals N their iah"d state tn make any pre-
rps, through it, Forty men were rdmglv
placed in ad,a ncr of the mules 10 break q track
for them. This course, which was pursued from
day to day. embed the party slowly To fortc i,s
way up ths western shop" of the mountains; but
tie snow rapidly increased in depth ns they nd
vnnced, when, as they approached the summit Of
the cuntains, it lay about five feet deep upon
The level and herc The leading men were obliged
tn crawl ON their hands and knees to prevent sink,
ing in t. their ncrks.
The progress Of the party was necessarily very
slow, an although they laborei most faithfully
| every day from daylight till dark. yet they adj
vanced only nineteen miles in five days. The an
imal., finding no forage, except the pine leaves,
became weaker continually. Many Of them had
died. and those remaining were reduced to II state
bordering on starvation. Tho majority of the men
had worn out their shoes before one-haf the jour
! ley was performed, and owing to their exposed
condition, several had their feet badly frozen, rem
dsring it exceedingly painful for them to marrl,
or sheep.
! On the Sd Of January the ratons were all con-
sumed. aud the party was redu,ed to the necessi-
ty of subsisting upou such animals rs became eS-
hausted and could perform no further service
| This mcagre and unwholcsome diet with men who
were undergoing the most intensely severe labor
! that the human system is capable of sustaining,
soon told upon them, and after a few days they
became weak and emaciated, while the amount of
labor they could perform sensibly diminished
Yet this little band OF excellent soldiers, all Of
whom had volunteered for this severe service per-
formed the hard task allotted to them chcerlully
and with alacrity. and no one Of them during the
entire march ever uttered n niurmur or manifest
etfhe slightest INSTRUMENTATION, The brave mer
had undertaken the difficult and dangerous ser
vice for the laudable purpose Of procuring food
|
Camp Scott, who, there was good reason to BE-
lieve, from the famished condition of the small
} number Of animals which remained to then
after the long march from Fort Leavenworth mt
the attacks OF the Mormons on the trains woulc
be in condition Of want before the party coul,
return.
1t is known that Captain Marcy cbtancs
the desired supplies in New Menico, except Amer
lean horses. and that he returned safely to Cam,
Scott with his welcome purchases.
The return route of the expedition was from
Fort Union over the Ration Mountains. theme
skirting the western la.c ofthe Rocky Mountain
across the head waters Of the Arkansas and Sout
Platte rivers to Bridger's Pass at the Larami
river; thence along Bryan's trail to Sage creek
thence north across to Bitter creek. and dow
that to Green river, and to Camp Scott-th
whole making distance Of seven hundred an
. forty miles.
Ills noticeable fact in regard to this rcac
that efords passage from de rasers Of the A
. Iantic 10 Aose Of he Pacife vitkons going orer
d mosntai~. The oscentto tie sxMmif level Of u