New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-25
CANADA'S WAR EXPEDITION.


l An making a road for the carriage OF stores and
war material over the first land journey. the work
condded IA the soldiers Of the Active Force OF hed
Rivc~ service Militia" and Her Maicsys Goth RHes of
turning q ditch and swamp into roadway was never
suspcnded until Judged sufficiently advanced to allow
tho passe OF such material as was most urgently re-
ourcd M ~ front Almost all the men had taken their
,rrn o., ie work and rs the way became cleared work
ing souals acting sort Of advanced guard occupied
tho Ground they had gaauty won 10y pick and shovel
irnnrovcl and perfected 10 as they best coud while
other in their urn, went forward farther and did the
same Thus foot by foot, the muddy and dusty soldiers
Of Canada advanced pick in hand, TO the deadly ditch
and terrific mud-holc conquoring all before them.
Tho camp al Thunder Bay OF rather Prince Arthw's
landing became very skeleton OF camp. So long rs
the heroic nayyios had sawn and dug and filed their
way within easy marching distance at the fmtbcst, il
was possible To get back in time for the last meal and lie
"bomc" before lights out" Then the most advanced
working party stopped out all night, and the camp
knew them no more. Next, company Of the
GOTH who were expected back Saturday, were first
heard Of 10y their comrades occupying, state Of
detection little island with better recommendation
than the gerous rapids which surround it, and which
have on three different occasions 70 swal
lowing up boat load Of herNes Other squads reached
further point and passed out of sight ana hearing
Stories plenty of hardy young fellows,
all spirit and muscle before they left camp who have
fairly broken down in the dreadful toll they have been
nights amid the millions Of muskctoes which fairly
daracn tie along the route one gentleman who has
gene volunteer, thus describes one Of the scenes:
"Whcn came within oycsight Of their campinggroun
only three figures in the open. They were ON the
edge Of Little natural platform, and very strangely they
appeared. one of them, who | knew once used
to sing a good many comic songs, lying on his
face. aCrward aSccrtdincd that he had been crying.
-, whom I expected TO see, wasn't among them but
the other two looked much detected. They didn't say
much. and not word complaining OF being over
worked but they seemed like who had lost all spirit
or course talk turned to their troubles and didn't
know Till then how miserably they felt. - gave
wrytched laugh and said he sposed twOuld he all the
same hundred years hence, and he didn't care what
came of him; hut the other, poor lad, sObbed like
child 40 last Then first noticed the man who was lying
at fuil cugth his face, and that nc silently
weeping. Don't suppose these were mean-spiri,ed fel
lows hey are not but the consong words used touched
them l tell You what it is money alone would never
Induce 20 volunteer such service this again.
and il only the hope of seeing the murder Of the poor
hero Scott a;cu that keeps hundreds Of Us where We
are"
Almost every third message have had from people
with the expedition, from their friends i'll the West
indicate determination lynch Rel their arrival at
Fort Garry Doubtless, habits Cf obedience and disc
pline will restrain ovcrpOwcr any intention Of this
kind II the reported amnesty has really been granted
and Rel goes Free there may he great trouble with the
high 81 ritcl and goful Ontario lads.
At great cost Mr. Dawson, Government Engineer,
last year undertook to build road from Ontario, via
Thunder Bay Fort Garry and with the exception Of
some miles, mostly ut the head OF Lake Of the WOODS,
that road this spring declared complete and ready
travel Wncn the expedition disemharked al Prince
Arthur Lqnding COL WoOlslcy quite unable to de-
terminc which the Dawson road and which was IT.
Wherever fire other causes had effected a partial
clearance it was like the road tha il wholly i'm
po>s iblc to distinguish difference. Farther up the
fc,d trees ana deep mud holes family indicated that
maa had once welded an and pick there; ana that
was Dawson's Road. IL puzzle ia many cases, 10
decide which best to travel the bush or tho
road 1t was determined, however, TO mend DaWsonS
Road: 90 cut the sumps he had left standing; 10
fu mn the mud hole, TO clear away the fallen trees; 10
bridge over the rivulets; lay down corduroy; stamp
earth upon it, and trust in Providence. Troops wagons
boats stores horses 1cdgas, and war mate rial we're
10 pass over il.
Progress was necessarily slow Huge powders of rock
are not lifted ont Of their he'd crushed 10 bits in lew
minutes and trees are not cut down. stripped, and Laid
over rough ground, without time aud trouble. The
powders were and OF enormous ize the trees
were thick and hard to get INTO place; earth had to be
got out aud stamp. ia, holes filed, ANA Irregularities
Icvcod The ,fcis looked upon tLClr mems work and
said not only "it is GOOD" but il is capital TIE
straight limbs Of the forest monarch lay square and IN
pretty nes the clay all around them began to bake and
cake and grow mar q stone in the hroing sunshine
ana all went mruily. Then the thunder which i3 so
beautifully distinct at Thunder Bay-r)hed; The hSnt-
ming turned light Into day; Tie rains de,ccnGed tents
became as islands and the camp torrent OF rushing
water. Then the carthpacking was swept away
like sand the corduroy disappeared, holes,
fear 20 say how many feet deep, were everywhere.
The road was anuailated. Eut tie whole available
force specdily went IL again with cou"ialNc Ch"'I
fnesi inning their way foot 10y foot, and, BY aace oI
et as far as the end Of the first st,ge, Maawn Bridge
While every cXeTtlon wac thus made upon IHhC ,n-
WOCscy hal discovered that for some distance the ma
ninistiIua Rive W. pTccabc tol hO"s q llt oI",,
and ID was resolved 90 essay tue ca"Ia"e Of provisions 10
Ma;awin bridge, which beam the first resting aGe 81
the forward march, where success crowned ~, eo %,
r. sn ur about s resoine road ,hg etlIe Gistsi.e
from tn poat Of decentralization to me arr poinl o. I
land % r,c T1c entire length of road 20 b" t.avcIscd
from tie Landing 10 Fort GARY II iji y "a. 1V pc
which 10 Htt 81 Ian % I'D ION 4.iii' 1t - w
L. that air ady described. At the rate ~ CONSTRUCTION
AID rau.iqag already exp r4chcci' ttl O'iIl i"y "a
pcCt - welcome thc cNpeutoh 'oll'''"' }" '"""''S
Striking TrNTs-FAREwELL-EN ROUTE.
On tc 0i of jay the last Of the Canadian force !et
its nov fam lar campngground at Prince arthur Land
~ Ieif.rs were finished for home thai had
long been commenced, and dropped III at we
prepaid written upon the cover, ana counter,
deatL o.. s.rnc days. locked botcd aud barricaded
ms doors Undergoing TIC Suish 81 losing siEtu sales
The me, rs bad dollar. TO iycst bought Of one an
other OF hucastcrs. ti Notds gs, Of canPioilowcrs,
such thing a. oye..uls, which VIII inevitably tear 70
peccs in the FRI ROCKY d, ana wat TprOof coats th9l
will srf.o no other pTpOSc than q IcsiOw upon tAeiI
wcarer the rheumatism will rot in their straps ana
sonc % make an astounding appearance III te t0-he-
cOng;. .,,! ,rttiemcnt their mt day OH rom
dlty, went into spccuati0Ds with aVGW u gorgeous
VS. astOuadingiy baggy pant 40 is ana W.
hats, mn many trligs useful aud useless f'I! lew,
who had h" means - pGrchase, failed to can RS away rs rs
mcmcntOos Of Thunder Bay and r I'scS "a ,nnnS
rs unri, stuff As the baggage rules ail""cn aIhOnS
which we're sludry little dclicaees of iooG' WIivu
bc by their owners, put ~ NJ" ~ IeTey
icars.e-s may ono day tel the tae The thts ltgef
were struck-tEat j., tents they wllttH they us
p'rcJ tCnig trey were, tomorrow tiey were , oi,
TIC mart Vi tran IL the delrne wys n2t hcsrn NJ
tue druInbcat and WaTiike strains. hGLdel'hs ue