The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-28
CAPTAIN R. b. MARCY. HIS LAST WINTERS
EXPEDITION

EXPEDITION.
This able officer s now in this city under orders
| for special duty.
| The expedition of Captain Marcy from Fort Bird
ger to New Mexico last winter, on which he was
despatched by General Johnston, for the procure
ment of horses mules, and cattle for the army at
| Camp Scott was one of the most remarkable rec
ord. The route he pursued, which lay in pretty
direct line the Uhinty and Rocky Mountain
chains, had been traversed before in the summer
time by hunters and trappers, but had always been
set down. even by those hardy men, as impracticable
in tho winter The old mountaineer Bridger
pronounced the expedition mpractcabe. Captain
Marcy set out from Fort Bridger however, on the
9th November last with forty soldiers, twenty two
citizens, thirty days rations, and sixty-ive mules,
and reached Fort Massachusetts,, New Mexico six
hundred and thirty miles from Camp Scott, with the
loss of but single man. the eth of January per-
forming the journey in the depth of the winter.
Immediately after entering the mountains 1--WE
derive our information from official papers, the snow
became so deep that it was impossible for the ami
mails in their jsded state to make any progress
through il. Forty men were accordingly placed IN
advance of the mules to break track for them.
This course, which pursued from day to day, en-
abled the party slowly to force its way up the west
slope of the mountains; but the rapidly in
creased in depth they advanced when, as they APP
preached the summit of the mountains, it lay about
five feet deep upon the level, and here the leading
men were obliged to crawl on their hands and knees
to prevent sinking to their necks.
The progress Of the party was necessarily very
Slow and although they labored most faithfully
every day from daylight till dark yet they advanced
only nineteen miles in five days The animals fad
ing no forage, except the pine leaves became weak
er continually. Many of them had died. and those
remaining were reduced to state bordering on
starvation. The majority of the men had worn out
their shoes before one-half the journey was per-
formed and, owing to their exposed condition, sew
cral had their feet badly frozen rendering it exceed
ingly painful for them to march or to sleep.
On the Sd Of January the ratons were all con-
sumed, and the party reduced to the necessity of
subsisting upon such Of the animals as became ex-
hausted and could perform no further service. This
meagre and unwhoesome 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 few days they became weak and
emaciated, while the amount of labor they could
perform sensby diminished Yet this little band
of excellent soldiers, all of whom had volunteered
for this service performed the hard task al
lotted them cheerfuly and with alacrity and no one
Of them during the entire march uttered muir
muir or manifested the slightest characterization.
The brave men had undertaken the difficult and dan
gerous service for the laudable purpose of procu-
ring food and animals for the comrades they had
left at Camp Scott, who, there good reason
to believe from the furnished condition of the small
number of animals which remained to them after the
long march from Fort Leavenworth, aud the attacks
Of the Mormons on the trains would be in condi-
ton Of want before the party could return.
1t is known that Captain Marcy obtained tho de-
sired supplies in New Mexico, except American
horses, and that he returned safely TO Camp Scott
with his welcome purchases.
The return route of the expedition was from Fort
Union over the Ration Mountains thence skirtng
the western base of the Rocky Mountains across the
head waters of the Arkansas and South Platte rivers
to Bridgers pass at the Laramie river; thence along
Bryans trail to Sage creek thence north across to
Bitter creek. and down that to Green river and to
Camp Scott-the whole making distance of seven
hundred and forty miles.
il a6ords passage from The lrategs Of the Atlantic TO
those ofthe Pacific ,cittout gong oper mountain The