The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-12-14
LETTERS FROM NEVADA.
NUMBER 7,
CARSON CRY, NEVADA,
September 10th, 1865.


A party of twenty-eight of us left {
Fort Churchill "armcd and equipped"
one bright July morning, fully inn
pressed with tho importance of our
mission, which was to meet in "royal
conclave" the chiefs of the Pi-Utcs,
and have with them "talk," to the
end that q better understanding might
be established between them, and their
enemies---thc Whites. Our party con-
sisted of fourteen dragons under tho
command of their Colonel, the Gov
ernor of the then territory of Nevada,
the Surgeon General, two Indian
Agents, physician to the party, a
reporter for New York paper, and
several "guests," among which | was
named, and two Indian interpreters.
Our train" was composed of the dra-
goons mounted, three Of the "guests'
also on horseback, two ambulances in
which were the rest of our party, and
three baggage wagons; one loaded with
our tents and provisions, and two with
goods from tho government, for the
Indians. Below Fort Churchill the
Carson river makes bend to the South
and West, almost doubling ITSELF and
across the neck thus formed, we rode
at an easy pace through sage bushes,
till the eye wearied of them, for ten
miles. when We struck the Carson
again at Williams Station, now in ru.
ins, where but one year before terri
Bile Indian massacre had occurrcd.-
There VIC rested d little, ate our noon
meal, and then vigorously pushed on
for a journey over the "26-m;le DESERT"
so called becau,e it lies that distance
between the Carson and Truckee
rivers, u dull barren waste. will not
take up your time by detailing our at
ternoon adventures, but will hurridly
state that we were delightfully."- sur
prised in finding tho "desert" so pleas
ant, thought travellers must exaggeartc
great deal to call that dreadful, when
we reused to realizing sense that we
had become separated from our guides
and baggage. wagons, and were follow.
ing tho Carson all the while to its
''sink," at u perfect right angle from
the road we should have taken. But
u few moments were spent in deciding
what TO do; all our way was retraccd
and at four o'clock we again reached
Williams Station, just ten miles from
where we started at day. break! Our
wise men and grave counsellors deci-
ded to camp there for tho night, but
that was little too much for us
younger ones, before whom visions Of
teasing companions at the Fort arose,
and borrowing" horse of one Of our
oquvstIiauo, ana DecKonlng to VIM.
"a guide) to follow. one of us galloped
off over the right road, and when fair
ly out of sight VIM. was sent back
with tho intelligence. OF course it
would not now do to remain there,
leaving one SOLITARY and alone" to
wander over the desert; so all bundled
up, and began their weary march; the
Col, "a strict old martinez, complaining
bitterly of being under civil rule, that
"such tramp would kill any horses"
"the first day march should be the
Shortest &C., but on he went per-
force.
What night that wasl dark as
Erebus; in savage land; the coyotes
bowling around us; no road save a sin j.
gle mule "trail, the stones many and
sharp as fints; no guido, but tho un-
varying point, tiny speck not far
! abovs our horizon, that never fails the
traveller, no matter over what desert
or sea he may roam, and which was to
us now, sour light, our guide, our all"
!, and by it we were led safely into port,
: and about twelve deserted friendly
fires, and soon saw by their light the
whito fonts pitched ready for us, and
assure you it was not long before we
pitched" into them, not once remem-
bering we had tasted since noon, and
never did a monarch rest more swoctly
: on his rider couch, than did we that
night on tho ccld hard bed of Mother
, Earth. ...
When We arose next morning, We
found we were camped on tho Truckee
river, eight miles above the Station we
started for, but it took us but little
while to break camp, and DO off again,
: and by eight o'clock We were oil set-
! tied at Camp Story, ready to meet tho
, Pi. Utes on their own ground.
The Truckee is rugged, rapid
stream, beautiful at all points from its
! picturesque wildness; its banks here,
! broad and sweeping back somo dis
tance, covered with beautiful groves o.
cotton wood, and there, high and bar.
rier-like as if to protect it from un-
known Titans of the Desert. Our
camp was situated at tho head Of the
" reservation, in q most charming val
ley, tho shade from tho trees so dense
: and the underground so luxuriant, as
y y to mako one imagine himself in the
y tropics.
. In little while the Indians hocked
u round us, and brief consultation was
held, during which, an hour early on
% the next morning was appointed when
!, the talk" should begin. Winnie
" nucca, tho "big chief" was net there
> and it was thought bost TO wait fol
him. The day was spent in resting
fishing for front. collecting rnolO0icA