New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-12
AesuNprkDailp Griba,re
FROM THE ARMY IN THE PLATTE
VALLEY.
Consspondsnoe Of The St. LOri. Democrat


We left the delightful valley of the Little Blue, with
which We kept company ior nearly two days, about
noon Yesterday, and from that time until tue same
hour to-day were on the platean which divide the
tributary weters OF the Kansas from the basin OF
the Platte The Platte or Nebraska is the long,
est and perhaps the grestest of those rivers which
merge Themselves in the Missouri. All the sire srns
we have yet crossed, with the exception Of the Big
Nemshe, which fows directly into the Missouri, are
primary secondary siiiuents Of the Kansas. Many
Of these intercepted at their fount aims. sudden
ravine at the base of decvity, with spring at the
bottom of it, the cradle and infancy Of these run
ming waterr which baptzs ed in all the coors of the
rainbow or named after the qualities OF the adjacent
soil or the game which most frequent their banks In
their aggregate volume they are known as the Missouri
whose tsIneless current bridge over spans who is
known perpetual benefactor, except that once in
every seven yesrs he plays the tyrant, and who i'm
presses his own bold character every river with
which he comes contact, yielding reluctantly to the
ocean ITSELF whose blue banner he pulls do eagues
from shore. Everytbi must have beginning, ex-
cept the First Cause; and the original end remote
constituents of the Missouri nameless Insignificant
nils.
The dividing ridge between the Platte and the Lit.
tie Blue s perhsps Inferior in soil TO any other great
division Of the territory We have raversed. Not tbs
il not fertile, but that the growth OF grass upon its
eeva yns is poorer than what ad previously seen
and that the naked clay looms out frequently from the
foreheads of the bluffs. Toe ridge or plaeau terni-
mates westwsrdly in number Of round hillocks which
are called ssnd hls and which very diifersn.
ing psrabolic curve lateily and longtudinaly, but
the sand-hills are hemispheres resting on plane.
When l saw them l was reminded of the bold Bible
imsge-Ittle hills skipping Like lambs-excspt that
their frocs Suspended. When they frst appeared
on the horizon their SUBMITS seemed 30 festhery ard
uusubtanal, that they might be mistaken for trees.
Indeed, the appearance was so unuaual, that some
supposed they saw mirage-a spectacle not unknown
or the pf fsires. The Intervening h0llows have been
tire scene of many al Indian amtuscade am tod) as
the ground peculiarly adapted to the Indian mode of
fighting.
The % sand hills form TIE base or eastern rim Of the
western valley of the Platte, which seen from their
summits stretches far away in front and to the right
Until the epgirding woods. which define the course OF
tue river, but conceal It's waters, are hardly dis
tinguishabe from cloud bank. The vGllsy spproxi-
ates g. closely TO dead level a. the congeIty Of
our planet Will allow. Tne trees on the river
seen from the vs.as opening through the sand hills
distance CT eighteen miles, and we were yet eight
miles from the Fot wbep the flag staff was descriet,
slender as lightning rod. Oa clear days It Is seen
twelve miles, Until recently the valley was esvorits
pastursge for buffalo, More than once their nnumsr-
able herds have seriously inconvenienced the garri
son Of tho Fort and the nuisance could only be aosted
By a battery OF Founders, which on one occasion,
ssughtese ed hundreds of them, ard etectuay fright
ened the entire hest, producing sudden and dis
orderly Iou In those dsys no part OF the ANIMAL was
eaten by the denzeps OF the post but tho hump, so
much admired by the epcures OF the plsns. The
carcass was LETT 10 the crows snd wolves When the
buffalo shall be extinct, ne be EASILY reconstructed
from tie fossils ot this plain, for ts surface is now
strewn with his bones.
As NAV be cCniectuied the valley teens with grsss,
but il il Of a coarse quality Ike that which grows in
marshes and is intermixed with some aquatic plants
Marshes are 10 be found here and there throughout
the valley ard wafer found everywhere, three feet
beneath the surface. The heye cug several wells
this evening. The water is very cool, but muddy,
and ia said to be unvhnlesome but il TO ms the
same as water Of the Missouri. IL strikes thst
ind in the valley Of the Platte morass in process Of
consolidation rto dry land. have seen no new how
ers since entered It.
We shot some ployer to-day, and they turned out
well for supper, although sportsmen may consider the
season rather early. Some buffalo at noon,
ard we have reports of immense herds of them along
our fu ure route party OF soldiers are TO 60 on
buntirg expedition tc-morrow morning, We res.
hers for two days.
In the course Of the day we passed contractors
train which Rad come .rcm Nebraska City, and met
Mexican train laden with buffalo robes and similar
spoil. Accompanying this train WAS an Indian boy,
animal forming right line. The Mexicans ere in
semi.rude condition. Their faces dirty that
Lavster himself could extract nothing from them, but
their bsIe and legs were but .-e paer than the
Indians whose feet interiocked beneath t1e anks of
his steed. The train was coming from Laramie, bu.
lad probably gone there from Nex-Mexico and Wa
proceeding 10 the Missouri river.
We are encsmped within q nile Of the Fort, 30 the
len 9Th Of our march yesterday thirty niles.
Col. Summers coanand q also eIcanped here wait.
irg fcr Msisr Writings contingent and in addition
there is detachment of the corps of Typographical
Engineers under Capt. Stanley sojourning here. The
Thermometer recorded 81 o. the maximum hight o.
the mercury to-day.