The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-02


cison because hc does not state where Ms ftCanaans
letter written whether the end of the journey
midway whether the description cfd.s roae is meant
for the whole route part Of it and which part He
Is inaccurate because words left out in Mr. MoClana-
hans description Of the San Luis valley which, in my
opinion, used by him because lac had not what
lac describing at the time he wrote and intended 10
convey that meaning The inference from Missouri 5"
article Is that The hotter Of MI MeCanahan written
from California he had passed over the route where
US 1t actually written from halting place on an
eastern tributary Of the Rio G,nde before lac had
foot of this route between the Sierra AIadre and
Sierra Nevada and before he had passed the San
Luis valley The letter written from Fort Aassa-
chusetts the 2sth OF August 1858, when Mr.. Me
Canahan arrived there from Missouri Fort Massaohu-
sets is Utah creek at the foot OF the Sierra Blanea
the eastern edge of the san Luis valley and II was
think because he had not yet travelled that valley
but described II from what he heard that Mr. McClana
han wrote Then the large and beautiful valley
of San Luis said 10 be of the fertile in New
Mexico" These words said to BE- are to be found in
Mr.. McClanahan's letter to Mr. Benton as published in
the National Intelgenoer, November T. 1858, and also
in Mr. Benons discourse before the Maryland Institute,
Baltimore) December g. 1854, published in the
papers and in pamphlet FORM but not found in Mis-
souti's extract from the letter.
Having thus shown that Missouri does not possees
the requisite qualifications Ion the task he has assumed
deem il unnecessary to pursue the subject further
Enclosed, you will find copy of Mr.. Mcclanahan's
80, ~ ,,ishad ~ az, N,ina, rntal;oencer which
| = I, ~, a. =. ~ ,1,,., !, a. - -
shou'o ing W 0'o P"O'i''''' :" yo'' p sl'
EAPlohAlloN.
- - -
Cory OF LETTER fkoM CHAlutEo W. MccLANAhAN
TO HON. T. IL BENTON.
FoRr MASSACHUSETTS, IN. NJ
August 2S 1858
DEAN SIN Knowing that Won Sel interested in the
Idle ront for the great Pacific railroad and believing
,h 40 ;r tir In ra,,rd 10 n would b M,
no matter how humble The sour, from which IL comes
nav, ltar,nno1 3, state what know abapt n This in
fnat;,n Il from travelling e route inst behind Cant
Gnnnison left yjypini, the lt Of April and went 10
Ms,,; anJ Jnoa 10 nurcl,oso sheen .or In. t,ofo,na
| narr, ar,cr ,,prcb,sn,, ! started IN take them bv
Salt Ike the U,m,oldt river &c feeling assured that
youlJ In Va Ia winter al old Salt IKE had gotten
IN. .aen ne "a, as ~ Josenbs Mo Having some ,,,i.
moss in 81 Louis met with Cant C;uupjson and learned
f h, That t,e,. Was n better route nv yay of Utah
- I tht b ,y,s COIN, 10 omen II and tb.t from
wha he Knew about H. il would be much better for me
q, take II After thinking GOOD deal over il | de
tniod 10 take n A. there was n very large nun,be, Of
tocl an the old route and n GOOD nrosIect getting To
| ~ Iic,rni, t,a se,son I read your Address with i
re,t dool ~ interest and feeling assured these state
| ments about IN, route could be relied on / left
mi,a,,; 80 wautno,t on u,a Istb az Jpne with
I,r~e num,er Of sheen and some cowsMr. crock
| az &c Vir,nio q nartner viii, me At Westrort
| It viii, ,e Two Ar Roses of Iowa with their f,ni.
H. ;n,r nc ali ,onte they also determined TO ac
cn,, s,n,, ,,. the n.w r,ute After travelling few DAYS
aI IN Win thc two Mr. Burwells of Franklin CITY
vi,T,na VIII, q large number of cattle who also wer.
norsn,,ad ~ ion me we travelled the santa Fe road
tnt, ;,, miles above Fort Atkinson keepinp on In,
val Laatcn track Ia thirty miles above Bent Old Fort
and rosscd lie Arkansas river at the month Of Oois,a
C,yecl crossed over h the IIuerfno IN tbnt
Stream ou twenty miles and crossed the Sierra Blanc,
through (antain unnison mass about twelve
;oe onib nj Terouxs mass 10 this fort The distance
given hv (anton Gunnson is G93 miles from Westuot
Missopr;
Jhave travelled over the mountains of Virginia PENN
svlvonio and Tennessee over several of the misses of the
Serr,, .N,vod, in C,fornia and have never seen
htr or more easy mass for carriages and wagons than
tb one fonnd Nv t,ntain ;unnjson through the Sierra
plnca inst onnosite To Fort Massachusetts and distant
rrnn II t;ftcen miles travelled the old route to Cali
(,rn, in 1919 and can speak of the two routes from
actual experience having gone over both with wagons
look upon this route as lr superior and feel confident
fiat as as is known il will and must be the great
rnmtc ibcyc II an abundance Of grass and water 80
nel that stock viii travel and keen fat the lar,,e
mainr;tv Of our sheen nye as Eat az any mutton IN
te pL,ladenhia or Iltimore market and very large
number Of Mr. Burwcls cattle are inc beef and have
neycr seen anv stock after having travelled SO far look
ha as wc,I Roth Of the Mr. Rosses have carriages and
90 ot notbino boa in The least oiyen ,vav can s,v
without fr ~ that This X one of the fn,i
natural roads in the world combining everything neces
sa,y 70 sustain stock and am confident that Il it, nd
s ,',.y. ar s.lIx nal known 10 conress r. VIII
-, H. nt onto can Iva sot,JeJ. 40 ii, tla ,a,,a