, 1874-07-07
THE FAR WEST.
Capt. Torrcy's Expedition .-Searchins for 0
Wagon-Iloa4 Up Big Wind River.
Hostile Sioux---Capt. Iones' Expedition
Last Summer.
Letter from Lieut.. Il. Fl. YOUNG.

yptctat Correspondence Of The Chicago Tribune.
OMAHA, july 8, 1874.
Lieut.. Robert H. Young, in private tottsr to
military officer in this city, under date Of June
20, says:
CAPT. ToRnEy's EXPEDITION.
tour expedition has returned In safety to
Camp Brown. We left that post on tue 2oth OF
May, With orders to find wagon-rosd from
Brown to Tigmotee Pass, at tho head Of Big
Wind River. Company A, Thirteenth United
states Infantry. WAS detailed rs tho escort, t,-Capt.
II. A. Tory, commanding. accompanied the
expedition bccauBe hnd bcen up the Wind River
before. and waa supposed to know Bomething
about tue country. We marched by tho way Of
Buffalo Bull Lake, crossing noar 1ts mouth, at =
/ ragon-fora, mud travelled up tho Big Wind River,
along the south bank. for Is mica, when
We werc compelled to cross ovor to tho north
| sidc, on account Of tho hills shutting down to
tho water'a edge. Tho break hore In tue route
on tho south bnnk Of the river is bad one, 1
miles long and almost impnasab]e for wagon
road. Il would cost ut least $1,000 to put road
| through it. 1 know Of this bad place last gum
Nor, but did not report It to Capt. Jones, who
knew nothing Of it when hc made his report,
We only followed tho north sfde s milos,
/ until we crossed tho North Fork Of Wind Rlvor,
about half milo above its mouth Ourtravel now
for miles lay up tho stream, when we rooroasad
Big Wind River to the south sdo. Following
tIlS bauk miles, we croaacd McCoho's Fork near
its mouth. which il 1nlles beloS AIcCoho's Lnko.
This lake IL worry beautiful. about 3 uilo long
aud half q mile wide; Its wators clear. deep, aud
| full Of trout. I should 1avo mentioned above
TINT We crossed Dinwiddo's y Fork near itH mouth,
2 miles below lake a mos loug, half = mio
| wide, and full Of trout. THIS stream and laks
aro found % miles above Buffalo Bull Lake Fork
by tho wngon-road. After crossing McCohe's Fork,
We travelled west q miles, and crossed Burnt
Creek "a fine stream. 80 foot wido and
feet doep. Three miles farther on We crossed Big
taine shutting down on the river. This mas our
! third crossing Of Wind Rlvor. aud no now kept
Up its north bank to the mouth Of De Nosc'a
Fork whore We were again compelled to orosa
nlarshy bottoms. We rocrossed the Wind River
within mile to tile north, this latter crossing
being made above tho mouth Of De Nose, and
the 9ther Mhes haf Or ot mile neo
least twice the size OF the Big Wind River abovo
its mouth. The De Eose ii. a. crooked, deep,
guggisl river. with shoal sands and qulokaands,
from TPmatos rsss oar roato 10 st me; sy
up tho north side Of Big Wind River and 10 we
continued until within nlilay Of the Pass. The
runs through timber all Me balances Of tho ,uay.
We found the ground very marBhy In places, mud
wagons could not be got over without great
doat d., 81 Of % work 1 @ think, ,, h9wever, By going
which good wagon-road could bo constructed
with little cont or labor. am also quite sure =
route from Camp Brown to the south end Of the
10 mlles noarer thnn tho route travelled last
summer by Capt. Jones' expedition. 1t would
not 20 through Tigulasee Pass, but through ono
Of the passes northe.stward Of Tlgmeteo.
INDIANS.
There WAS large party Of Sioux In Big Wind
River. at the mouth Of Buffalo Bull Luke, On
the 18th Of June. They. were run upon by TWO
Of cur men whom va had sont in with our mail.
mud killed our carriers had not the soldiers
them first. As it was, they got away into the
lil!s and found strong place: from which tho
!, Indians aaw they could not dislodge them with
J out heavy loss, and SO lot them alone. Capt.
Bates who was at Brown with company OF
. cavalry, soon as he heard it went after those
; IudanB; but they had hfty houra' start Of him,
! and Ae failed to come up with them. Waahakie,
t mon on the trnn alter Capt. Bates turned hauk.
! These Indians returned yeBterday. and report
/: the trail led over to tho north aide Of tho
I Owl Crock Mountains. wLere II divided.
t below the Owl Creek Mountain aud Canon, and
t thence aoIoss Big Horn Mouptaiu, towards tho
hend Of Powder 1liver. Tue 6hoshoneos bad =
fight with the Sioux, aud killed thrce of their
! ponies. The other part OF the trail ran down
!, | the Big Wind River in the direction OF Painted
Rock Creok, which stream empttes inso Wind
t River from the enst, below Grey Bull and the
Sinking Wnter. Tho Indians report a hoatilo
. Sioux camp, Of from Is to 100 lodges about 100
: miles from tanlp Brown. We reached Brown on
tie 2a 2th Of June and an s, wrt!ns you ths On
!. GAIT. JONES' EXPEDITION.
a It will bo remembered that, last summer, Gen.
Ord sout out Capt. Jones, Of the Engineer Corps.
: With an expedition, to lind practicable wagon-
; Camp Brown il located on Little Wind River. IN
a tho northwestern part Of Wyoming Territory
aud the object sought to be accomplished WAS to
I travelled by way Of Corlune. Should this road
evor be made, tho overland freight for Montana,
now carllol from Corinne. would probably TO
carried by way Of nth pass, Camp Brown, and
Pacific Railroad at Green River, $40 miles west
I Of Omaha, instead Of Corinne. ,057 ucs west
v from Omaha. It would alAo opou up q route to
tho National Park and the wonderful curlosities
! grandeat scenery in tlo world; hot aud cold
springs, geysers shooting up wator hltndl eds Ut
feet into tho ar, vaBt gardens Of natural io"ors,
y aud mountains coyerod with folds OF SNOW. Ae
= | full account of that expedition wss published
!, at tue time IN THE TRIBUNE, 1t is unnecessary to
. repeat anything hero.
The distances estimated by Jones were az fol-
!, Iowa: From Bryan. Oh the Union Pacific Hall
! way, to Camp Btambaugh. ITO mlloB from Camp
: stambaugh to Camp Brown, 40 miles; f1olu
o o Brown to Big Wind Kiyer, 20 miles; from By
Wind River to Owl Greek, bB miles; from oWl
Creek to tho top Of tha Great Divide, 1870 miles
r from the top Of tho Great Divide to Yelowstone
Lake, 10 miles; from the LAKE to Fort Ellis, iu
tho Gallatin Valley, Montana, 14o miles; total
GIG miles. This distance waa afterwards ra-
:. ducsd, In returning. to 418 miles. It lA long
: road but some day 1t will be trayolod and tho
: now and beautiful country along it oponed up to
: settlement. Capt. Jonea found q praoticabid
y road but it was thought D. shorter. i not bot.
ter, QUO could be obtained. Mai Gordon, Soc.
ont United States Cavalry. under orders OF Gen,
g Angur. began the search for this road in l800
and Capt Torrey's ia tho third expedition
tlAat has bcon saut out. From tue tone Of Lieut,
Youngs letter, thorough'y.sat sfactory route
for q road does not seem to hays yet been dis
covered. 1t will ba observed that tho Lloutenan.
thinks there la still better route, at least 4d
miles shorter than tho one over which Capt
+. Torsoy trayelca and It Is likely ono Or two mo-
! expeditions will have to bo sont out before the
Il nlattor ia thoroughly settled. That good road
from Green River, or Bryan, or tue Union Pa
J citic, to Montana. cAu be found via South Pass,
!. | nd ali T,pka t1ara Ii