Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-03-15


/ cottonwood are more or less plentiful
c while iiear the mouth of
u PUMPKIN VINE CREEK
there is great abundance. At this poin
. there is an extensive and fertile valley
4 bordered by rolling hills.
1.-The tr.il,' says McClernand, "turn
off to Pumpkin Vine creek short dis
lance above its junction with Tongu
river. Following il six to seven miles
; through-a a country aitsr'.aiiag with valley
and bench land, We cross over TO
'powDER RIVER.
The divide lying west Of this river is thu
8 toughest ever saw-composel of bad
land hills, separated by yawning rayine:
hundrt ds Of Fl ct deep Descending thl:
divide, we reach smal bottom on
!, turtle, OR MIzpAH CREEK
From here to the Powder the distance i.
small, the latter stream proving Que hun
dred yards wide and two feet deep-,he
water running over "a sandy bottom. "Tht
valley OF th. Powder river" he continues
lis generally msrepres' nted-it is not & ]
a hideous waste. We passed through
several large aud fertile valleys growing
fine buffalo grass. The bluffs upon each
side are very precipitous, often presenting
a bad-land face; yet upon top they arc
generally covered with coed grass, while
large cottonwoods grow almost Everywhere
along The banks.''
Two and half miles below its mouth
on the Yellowstone are the
WOLF RAPIDS,
which offer Considerable opposition to
steamer navigation. but, "atlds our
Authority, "Ihe expense, nf rendering
them navigable (at all seasons when the
river itself is) would be small. either by
removing the obslr'lcting rock, Or by
building wing dam"
The valley of the Yellowstone at this
point, IS described as large and fertile.
and hcmmed in by rolling AMI gras>y
hills. The command moved from the
Powder obllQuely 10 the Yellowstone over
high country, r,a hing it just above
o'FALLoN's CREEK,
a distance Of %! miles. This il fine
grass country and specially suited to
pasturage. O'Falon's presented TO the
command stream 30 feet wide aud three
fee, deep. Crossing the Yellowstone, six
miles below, march of 27.2O mites
brings US TO
BAD ROUTE CREEK
L. 3G miles farther and Rush Gre k is
crcss,d; 1850 miles farther and we camp
on Deer Greek; Is rs miles farther AID
the Yellowstone is reached near the mouth
'of the Nce:.
II have always hearl.' says McCler
nand. ''Ihe country passed over during
these mar tches described as bad land
waste tut such HI idea is very grea'
mistake. 1t is one of the fine st grazing
districts in the world. In all the Gis-
lance Travelled (sbout 20 niles not more
than ten took US tn, o"gh poor country,
ami that is upon the lower end of Deer
Creek Our course was first northwest to
the head Of Bad Route Creek, th'n north
east to Deer Creek and thence down that
creek raining southt ast to the Yellow
stone. The country is series of l6hg,
waving hills. thckiy carpeted with mag
niiic-Et grass, aud separated by valleys
which descend from them in gentle de
c.ivilies. We had some difficulty IN find
log water, yet We: aiwBys had enough; and
l doubt no, our Ignorance of the country
cause this trouble. AS compared with a
country it may not be
called "a we'll watered' section, yet 1900
men (u'telly ignorant of the ground) with
1900 head animals, marched through it
and never were without water. 1t is des
tined yet to prove favorlte stock coun-
try. for certainly it is capable of pas;ur
ing Immense herds of cattle"
Through all the country lat'erly de-
scribed game was plentlful--buffalo signs
appeared. and elk, deer and
antelope were evidently The Oldest, as
well as the present inhabitanrs of the vast
prairies and platears.
The cavalry being sent from the point
last mentioned across the divide in the
direction of the Dry Fork with orders to
then travel east returned after the scout
with favorable accounts of the country
report asserts it "is a good
country." |
GLENDIvE CREEK
has a high, rolling country opposite it
across the Y lows one-upOn each side of
he creek runs small bottom. This sec. l
ION presents but little timber, which pro-
iuct is SOM what scarce below Tongue
liver. A lew miles back of the Yellow ,
,tone small, but straight, cottonwood and
lsh are found. but not in great quantities.
On the 9th Of September the Montana
,plumn. ordered te return, the homeward
march was commenced; and the remain ,
Ter of these Notes will be devoted to the
country passed oyer on the way to Fort
Ellis.
N~ss
CUsTER's FIGHT.
$ thus referred to by McClernand: "Thela
ield and lis iEcldents have been too often Ii
l. 4; f,,T<