The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-02
CORRESPONDENCE.
FROM THE FAR WEST.
Wintering ON the Plains I'm Tents
Journey to Fort SedgWick-Disser-
tatiOn on Indians.
BANK OF THE PLATTE,
Opposite Fort SEDGwICK,
February 9, 1867.

When I wrote few days ago, had
too much to mention of other matters
to allow me space and time for allu-
ding to the incidents of the trip. or to
describe the country through which
we passed, and that in which we are.
We were also quite unprepAred for
Winter camp on the plains,
having started without notification of
the journey before us. Ordered only
to report at Omaha, of course we
came on short notice, unequipped for
the exceedingly cod camping of this
bleak and dreary region in Winter.
In tents on the prairies, with no
chimneys for any one, and only one
little eighteeninch stove for the rank
none for tne fle-and the Their,
mometer between zero and twenty
above, of course writing, unless i'm
peratively called for, was out of the
question. In addition to our other
comforts, the unobstructed winds of
the plains often bids fair to sweep the
camp before itinto the river
We anticipate remaining here this
month and during the last week have
managed to make ourselves reasona-
bly, comfortable by the manufacture
of sheet-iron stoves at Sedgwick, and
supplies of wood, prairie hay, and
beef from it's stores. The Fort is
more properly called military sta
ton than a fertilization, as is the case
with NEST of the so-called forts in
this RECON The exceptions are the
older posts and the new ones at the
most expoed points.
The scenery from Omaha to Fort
Laramie, md with no variation worth
mentioning, to Fort Phil. Kearney,
$50 miles urther, is simply wide ex-
panse of snow at this season.
over .slieltly undulating ground-a
lively lew, bounded only by
the lorzon, and all that is to
be mt with for many hundreds of
miles, ulless the grass, just peering
abovetle snow be noticed, and an oc-
casiola patch of willows, Gin the dis
tance like cane on the edge of the
Plate. There are, though, every
ten or fifteen miles, what are called
rarh@, which are kind of stores with
something like suffers supply of
gods, and stacks of hay and
wiod on hand for the accommo-
dtion of the stages, travellers
aid trains. Some of these also
hive herds of cattle, which sup
prt themselves on the grass of the
pains, which is the only article gath
eed from the soil. None of the in
hbitants as yet raise anything, un-
lss in the immediate vicinity of
omaha. / do remember passing some
gricultural implements once. La
annie is some 40 miles from Omaha,
md Phil. Kearney 25O from Lara
ME. Phil. Kearney is at the beginning
IF the Black Hills, which are the
commencement of the mountains.
Wood becomes abundant at the latter
station, and coal is also found near
there. A coal mine is also opened
at Boone, between State Clure, Iowa,
and Omaha, little off the North
western Railroad. I suppose wood
is to be had at the distance of from
forty to one hundred miles
OF the route all along. / have
heard of it at those distances when
the indications were not favorable to
the supposition.
The progress of population ap-
Paches sometimes to the dignity of
neiages, not to mention the cities of
Onha, etc., and the rapid prolonga-
'lon f the railroads through such a
!, regioLis good sample of the energy
OF our 'eople, as well as proof of
tne useilness of our national char
acterlstlc 'estlessness, or if you like
20 call 1t dlcontent, to which we owe
mat indlsper4ible class, the pioneers.
Nebraska his been called a desert,
but no part of DE plains deserve that
name. The soil IL generally rich, and
every part is emineltly calculated for
raising inlumerable herds of cattle.
but farming in all its branches can
not | should think, be followed
70 any great extent for want of
irrigation, which is only possible on a