The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-10-11

Letter from the Plains---The James
McGregOr Expedition to Colorado.
! CENTRAL CRY, c. T., Sept 24th, 1868
Edit tors Times :-.Wc arrived in tho Cityof
Ihe Mountain on the 10Th inst, at - M. All
well and in fine spirits. On reaching Cotton.
wood on the 3lst ult, much to our satisfaction
we found nearly mule teams enough to enable
us to re-organize for Julesbufg, our organiza-
ton in Kearney, terminating at Cottonwood.
At 2 P. M. we were rolling on our way towards
Julesburg., Cottonwood is, a, Military post Of
no small Importance to this great western thor
oughfare during the hostilities of the Indians
Government las erected a veryrspectable and
comfortabid fort hores constructed of logs.-
The Platte river at this point produces large
body of timber. This is the nearest point that
the Government ca1;obmir timber for the con-
str,lction Of fort 1t Julesburg, 40 miles
farther west on this route. 1t requires nine
days for their teams to make trip, after the
timber has been drawn out to the road. leave
you to estimate Che cost of constructing !. large
fort under such circumstances. Here / was
compelled to, resign my easy, comfortable seat
in the ambulance, and mount our extra riding
animal, to take charge of this mixed train,
which was by no means a pleasant task. So
much for having knowledge of the alkali
region through which we were compelled to
pass. Fremont's springs, Is miles west Of
Cottonwood, were said to have received the
name from the fact of his being driven to the
extremity, in an early day, to eat a dog while
seated on the bank of these springs! 1t is a
rare case to find spring on these plains.
There are but 4 on the whole route, from the
Missouri river to the Rockies: ~F'reniont's,
Buifao, Lillian and Living Springs. All of
them admirably distributed to accommodate
Che weary traveller. The village of "Fremont's
Springs" if it can be so called, consists of five
as.six, houses occupied, by Citizens and newly
constructed Government barracks, of Father
limited proportions, but large enough, no doubt,
% accommodate all the soldiers at the post.
Two miles west Of this are O'Fallin's Bluffs,
the first point on this wonderful route where
The monotory of the Platte Valley is broken
by the table hills, and here only for about three
miles, when they recede to their former place.
O,Ealln was, enc Of the early pioneers ia this
great western world, and when the overland,
California emigration commenced, he located
rancho at the western base of these, bluffs,
which of late years grew to enormous proper.
tions, capable Of stabling five hundred horses
and accommodating almost any number Of emf
grants and ifrefghters in the winter season -
But sad to tell, it was wholly destroyed, with
all its inmates, last fall, by the mcciless
Indians. Nothing remains of it now but
heap Of ruins! |,5l~-t&t.f.1 atHH|&:}t
JuLEsBuRa is situated on the south side of
the Platte river, at the old. upper. California
crossing. and about three miles west of the
dividing line between Nebraska and Colorado
Territories. It originally contained seven
houses. ,ard 26 male inhabitants, nearly all of
whom, with the last vestige of the town, were
destroyed last fall by the Indians. 1t is being
rebuilt again by the Government, little west
of the old town plat Its inhabitants now are
principally Uncle Sans boys, There are
about 500 Of them. Col. C. n. McNaley
commands the post, whom we esteem as much
Of a gentleman. .Quartermaster. Westbrook
also favored US with Denver City Daily con.
tanning the latest dispatches, which we con.
sidsred a-great treat, not having seen a late
paperifor several days. Government IS making
extensive preparations here for the coming
winter R the, way Of eupplos- and she con.
struction Of storehouses, and officers and
soldiers quarters: every man at the post is
engaged in the work. Had it not been 80, the
Col. said he would gladly have furnished us an
escort fto5aocompanysu NC to snenyes City, As
good fortune would have it, after % hours de.
tention our numbers had increased to GA wag-
ons aid IS pen, which were duly organized
and commissioned, and before the sun was up
We were on our way rejoicing, m nn
Nine miles west Of Julcsburg, at George
Ackley's rancho, last fall WAS one of those
heroic engagements, we read of in the, history
Of by.gone days: seventeen men fought 400
Indians for two successive days, without the
loss of a man, killing eight Of them and wound
inc a pood MANY more Il and vonld b,va: finally
outdone them if their ammunition. = had held
out; hencethey had to dee in the deaal,o of night,
leaving everything behind them to be devourcd
and destroyed by the savage wretches. The
fort in which they defended themselves was a
formidable one. To give YOU an idea: a sub.
stantial sod house, with walls not less than eh
feet thick and roof Of solid earth. nerhans
equally az thick. ~ To protect the dosrs and
windows. and also to afford themselves better