The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-22
FoRr SEDGwIcK,
Q NORTH BANK SOUTH Platte,
fnr On AnO TFp March ! 1Sh1.

February, which | hope was received,
as it was written under difficulties,
and one naturally wishes the object in
view in that case to be attained,
which was its reception by you. The in
cidentof our lives here worth mention
ingare fewand UNMARRIED. Each success
siye dayis like its predecessor. No new
arrivals in this vicinity, very few Wis.,
itors, not many mails and still small,
ler,nnmber of papers, and not sim
GLE issue of any other periodical
reaches us. Shortly we shall be bet
ter off as regards mails and printed
matter. The excessively cold weather
and the heavy SHOWS have been in
terrupting communication by the
New Northwestern Roady which is
NOT fully prepared and equipped for
heavB, operations, or big busi-
ness 3 over its latest sections.
These. obstacles and the season. will
soon be atan end, the mails will be
regular, and we-at least I-shall
have ordered some periodicals.
IF there is some little interval
between the date of publication
and that of reception by us, we must
philosophically resign ourselves to the
necessary and inevitable. . m asr, f.,
The Pacific Road will be finished
up to, this point by the LIST of July.
It's already graded forty miles
this side of North Platte, which is
only ninety-five miles from here.
The remaining fifty or sixty
miles requires little more work than
the laying and ballasting of the road. !
The immediate valley Of the river,
along which the road is to run, is al
uniform plain, with not single in
terruption of any size that / can re-
member. How far the route contin-
ues Of that descriptions beyond this
place, | know not. 1t is expected to
be finished to a point opposite, and as
near to Laramie as the road passes, !
this Fall. That is 225 miles beyond !
this, so the route must be tolerably
easy so far. But on the other |
side of that point, heavier grading
commences, and must increase in 4
magnitude as the road progresses
On the Northwestern roadg from
Chicago to Council Bluffs, opposite
Omaha, the grading chiefly consists
of cuts, of, more or less depth, \
through the rolling prairies;; and
from Omaha. on the Pacific road, a
very perceptible and uninterrupted up
grade is observable, from, the, rear ra |
backward. Continually fat as is
the Platte Valley, the grade must |
still be a constant ascent, and geo.
graphers would no doubt tell us we
are at an astonishing height above |
the sea-and we shall very soon be |
higher-yetI do-net fear that myh
can be lifted without my head accom-
panying the scalp.
The accommodating rancheros, or II
occupiers of houses along the trail, I
afording, forage, wood and suffers
stores to travellers, always tell alarm
ing tales of the Indians, and are fond
OF giving alarming representations of
Indian proves, and ofhow exceeding
ly efficiently. armed they are" as
well armed as you are (which is not
near the truth, for the settlers contra
dict themselves, by talking of their
proficiency in the use of their ar.
rows, and how dangerous the latfsf
are. The Indians, though, have more
firearms sthan they ought to baDg 4,
through the foolish lenienoy of the
FoYerpment allowing the sale Eof
arms and ammunition to1's',friendly
tribes; and also through the avariee
of those very settlers, as we'll as of
other iottraders. These 81 settlers
talk aofl the dangers from
the .sayages, yet seem to live at a dis
lance from protection and with little I
or no means Of defence about them.
The railroad is about to destroy the
profit and usefulness of their stop
ping places, and many of them would 7
probably be glad to check its progress, |
at least for some years, until they had
made their pile.
Cattle are occasionally driven off |
from these men by the Sibes. One I
cavalry squad was out after the stock
thieves s. when we arrived here.
and another. is out now.
The first expedition met With no
success, and came baek--a greas mart
of their number with badly frozea ex-
tremeties. The partysat present ort
are likely also to return in the later !
condition, as IT. IS now very cod Il
blowing a,gale, and showing heavily. j
The Expeditions I fneafj.a went on
from Sedgwicky where there are twol
companiesIof the Second, Cavalry, and
l think two of the Thirty-Sixt In
fantry, formerly one of the battalions
of the. Eighteenthiunder the old orga-
nization of the regular army.
The river was beginning to break
up before this cold spell, which was
inconyenient. as all our forage and,
wood supplies come from the other.
side; but the crossing, though diff
cult, was dangerous, las the depth
is no placesmore than belly deep for
the animals, and 2eEeuthat for very
short distance, though from bank to-
bank it is full eight hundred yards.
Biustery and severe as is the weather.
| am toleras ly comfortable; having a.