The Placer herald., 1862-04-12
WalIa Walla, w. IT,, COrrespOndcncc.
FoRT WALTA WALLA, W. 7.
March llth. 1862.

Walla WalIa, w. t., Correspondence.
Fort WALLA WALLA, W. T.
March l1th. 1862. {
MY DEAR MTCHELI:-I expect you received
one note from me after my arrival here. Did
promise any farther and renewed assurances Of
nv distinguished considerations" 1t so, l have
been a liar son compulson." For nearly twelve
mortal weeks we have been literally shut out from
the civilized world--the Dalles CHE nearest post
below Il terra inc0gnita-all above us, one vast
wilderness of snow Poor Crusoe on his sea-glrt
island, the wild waste of waters bowling around,
non-letered Friday pantomnng with him at
talk, was not more lone and isolate than We
imagination could raise no more impossible bar
riers than have actually existed for all this time
between us and the outer life. The rebels may
have captured Washington, or the California
| Legislature have done up the neces sary leglsia-
tion of the State in nine weeks session and
adjourned sine die, and not one whit the
more knowing. Since Christmas the snow has
been from two to three feet deep, and the ther
mometer (till within the last ten days. anywhere
between zero and thirty degrees below You can
imagin how dull it must have been. No soldier
ly exercise. no amusement no books (or compa-
ratvely none.) no nothing. For Il long time the
only 'signal' to which my attention was paid,
was Retreat (sunse); the others were observed by
trick OF the imagination. At Reveile and Tattoo,
would drop into the different rooms of our quar-
ters, and ascertain that all was right-and all
,cas right. Little chance, indeed, of its being
otherwise! No paymaster has visited us. so the
boys had small inducements to go to town "a mile
dstant) farther, it was impossible to have gone.
For a time we had great difficulty about fuel.
The army orders requires this garrison to furnish
its own wood, which has to be brought distance
of twelve miles; but tee extraordinarily severe
weather. and the impossible condition of the roads
to the mountains, precluded the possibility of
such procurement, and the Commanding Officer,
Lieut. Col. Lee, was compelled to purchase about
400 cords of wood for the uSe OF the DOSt-but
for which we must have experienced much suffer
ing. But daylight begins to come. The noun
tains begin to show their natural faces, and few
mere days, l trust, will give us good, square
look at "mother earth" 'Tis hgh time. too; for
we are only provisioned for month longer. -
Fresh beef is hardly procurable. | suppose that
fully three-fourths of all the cattle in the entire
Walla Walla Valley have perished through cold
and starvation and those remaining are almost
totally unfit for market. One grazier who when
winter set in. had 1900 sheep. can now count
scarce 15O and It's so generally. Many and many
a family has been relieved from sternly impend-
ing starvation by the Commissary Department at
this Post. But can only intimate the reality.
Company a. Auburn's own Company. Ono
disparagment to Capt. Grants Co.. which may the
gods favor) has got along exceedingly WE'LL
Only one is in the hospital. private Doherty. with
frozen feet. Four have just gone to the noun
tains. detailed rs woodchoppers eight are de-
tarhed service II miles distant, guarding gov
crnment p operty; the rest (your servant among
the number) respond to the GRUB calls with
voubility and alacrity.
Capt Rowel has been under arrest all winter,
and will have Court Martial, sometime | sup
pose Several charges have been preferred what.
| | know not-only one, viz disobedience of or
ders. Charges and counter charges made;
how it will terminate. quien sa6e. In the Ian
guage of old Father Richie. nous verrons-
However it may be. the entente cOrdiale will
scarce ever be re-established. Capt. Rowell un-
der arrest, and Lieut.. Hilyer absent, Lieut.. Tut
tie has been the only commissioned officer for
duty; and he has made very good company
commander. True. company duty has not been
arduous. but he has been the while, Acting Com
mssary.
suppose am saying "a heap that yon care
nothing about, but if you will hear me talk. you
must listen. We expect mail through in very
few days, and we shall get our letters Our
hearts already singing good news from
home Men are even focking to the mines
from Waa Walla. The trail is barely passable;
yet the excitement is so great that no obstacles
can stop those who are within striking distance
comparatively sp 'akng) OF the diggngs. You
want to know my opinion of those so much
talked Of placcrs? You needn't prepare Il
''pshdU' by way of response to my assertions -
no Gold Lake sneer, or Gold Bluff grimace-no
ready-made impossibility to rule out reliable tts-
timOny tor shan't bring single witness to the
stand mo udgment manufactured. and reccd
|
Introduction of evidence for what you term i'm
possibilities You have heard and read big sto-
ries OF the diggings; but believe that the widest
most exravagant reports that have reached you
scarce equal the reality. How extensive the
mines are. it is impossible to say; but that they
are of awful richness all in this valley are well
satisfied. A wild express trail has been kept
open. or made, or found during the entire winter
and the information has been so direct and posi-
lively certain, that none here are sceptics.
verify believe that of these two Companies ga
and &C." GO men will leave ere March tumbcs
into the embrace Of April-6 or from Company
a. No doubt there will be large exodus
from California. Keep your friends from starting
till near the 10th Of April then by the time they
get to this section, the roads will be traversable
and provisions and merchandise cheaper and
plentier in the mines. They must come to this
pont-let them not be led astray by rumors o.
any other route. | must stop. Good bye.
Yours, in very great truth,
J. w. SCOBEY.
P.S--Four men of Company &C." including
Corporal McCann, deserted last night from thu
guard at Herd ground. j. S.
Samuel Gibson, who belongs to Capt. Rowell'
Company from Auburn, now stationed at For
Walla, writes to his brother Mich ,el, under dat,
Of 2Sth of March. OF the new diggings he says
''This place is about thirty miles from Colum
ba river and the depot for the mines above here
1t has been lively all winter, and everybody but
us poor soldiers are leaving for the Salmon
river mines, one hundred and eighty miles from
here--which all who have been there declare are
rich-richer than California in 40. If we gel
our discharge we all think of going too"
AN TS