, 1863-09-12
Letter from Col. Maury's Expedition.
CAMP No ~, ON PORT NEUF RIVER,
/ T.. Auo. 90. 1863

against the Suake Indians has not yet dis
tinguished itself by deeds of noble daring
nor has it yielded us superlatiye satisfac-
ton in the measure of its utility and sue
cess. Gen. Connor has completely taken
the wind frem our sails; and consequently,
we have subsidized into state of smasterly
inactivivity," and, for the present, dream
full ease, Our anticipations of military
eclat-which was to have been reaped
with the sword in carving out victories
over the murderous Snakes, and which was
to lend lustre to our summer campaign
have all vanished into thin air. Gen.
Connor and Gov. Doty of Utah, concluded
treaty of peace with the Shoshones at
Box Elder, in Salt Lake Valley, on the
3Oth of July, and have sent notice to all
the troops on the Emigraut road accord
ingly. What the terms Of the treaty are,
have not been made known. There are
but few Indians here; and they are chiefly
Bannocks. They represent that Gen. Con-
nor is coming here about the 3Oth of this
month to treat with them.
The march from Lapwai to this place
has been very pleasant; interrupted only
by occasional ills, such as flesh is heir to
in every country.
The distance, (estimated) from Lapwai
to New Fort Boise, over the route via Lit
tle Salmon and Payette River, is 25O miles.
The route is good one, being well sup
piled with fine grass, and plenty of wood
and water. The trail is rough and steep
in places; but, considering the nature of
the country through which it passes, it
must be regarded as excellent.
From Boise to the Blackfoot Ferry on
Snake River, Uia Camas Prairie, the dis
tance is 25 10 miles making nearly 600
miles from Fort Walla Walla to Fort Hall,
pia Lapwai and New Fort Boise
The Expedition marched from Fort Lap
wal June 18th, and arrived at Boise July
s; marched from Boise July "a and ar
rived at Camas Prairie July 3lst. Here
the command encamped on Trail Creek,
near the centre of the valley, and remained
until Aug. 9th, when we resumed the
Cus anu dl44fOo az 4JAdOhAOO1 L SAA VA
Snake River, Aug. H.
The march from Boise to Camas Prairie,
and for eighty miles this side. was pleas
ant-the road good, water and grass plenty
and our animals did far better than while
resting at Boise.
Camas Prairie is a beautiful valley. 1t
is full 80 miles long, from East to West,
and from % to 16 miles wide. 1t is wa
tered by many fine streams which come
down from the hills, and cross it at inter
walls of from one to four miles, and from
the West fork of Malode river at the
South side of the valley, which flows east
ward through its whole length.
The soil bears the appearance of being
very rich and fine timber, in considerable
quantities, may be found in the hills on
either side, within five miles of the margin
of the valley Indians now at this place,
whose homes, in winter, are at Camas Pra-
irie, inform us that but little snow ever
falls there, and that it never remains long
at time. If this be true it is by far the
most desirable place to build up settle
ment that we have found on the whole
line of our march.
Col Maury established a Depot on
Trail creek; and Maj Rinearson, in COM
mand of two Companies of Infantry and a
detachment of Cavalry, is now there
Among the distinguishing features of
the route from Camas Prairie to this place,
the Desert and the great Lara Fields are
worthy of particular mention. The road
is good; and grass, water and wood plenty
for so miles, to where we approach the
Lava Fields These are among the won
ders of Idaho, the written history of
which has not yet transpired, and which is
by far too voluminous for a newspaper ar
ticle. I will only give you a meagre
sketch For forty miles the route lies
along the base of huge mountains, whose
craggy heights are the home of perpetual
winter Following the base of the hills,
and pressing up into every little nook and
cove, is a vast, dark line of lava, stretch
ing out from the road Southwark almost
as far as the eye can see; a mass OF cinder,
cracked and gaping like monster Doom
distorted, scaly, sulphuric and abysmal-
resembling, l imagine, an abandoned Pan
demonium, rusty and wasting from long
disuse. The road is not bad; but winds
along between the base of the hills, and
the margin of that dark expanse with
scarcely room, in places, for wagon to
pass. The waves of cinder form complete
and continuous wall, from five to twenty
feet high, and far more insurmountable than
were the walls of Jericho or Jerusalem.
In appearance, this resembles pot-metal;
and the wall projects at the top like rush
ing billow
The weather was hot and smoky; the
haze that hung over that sombre region,
seemed to come up from the smouldering
hell beneath The heat shimmered up
ward as from furnace Along the verge
of the valley, in the heaps of lava, were
rattle-snakes, scorpions, horned-toads and
lizards. Here and there, a Raven tapped
by with Its dismal croak; and dwarfed
chip-munks twittered along the mouldy
crevices. could easily imagine tie sound
OF unearthly groans, the swapping of bats,
the hooting of owls and the hollow rattle
of dry bones coming up from that truly
wonderful valley.
Passing beyond where the mountains
seem TO have baf1ed that molten sea in
days gone by, the valley becomes broader,
and the lava more scattered, being in ridg
es and detached heaps; yet the scene is
scarcely less desolate than before, for there
is only sand and sage between the patches
and belts of lava. Here is stretch of
twenty miles without water. Winding
across the parched and sandy plain, feeling
acorobed and rarvoue euddnp1V we came