El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-29

In obedience to the foregoing ORDERS,
| employed DIR. Julian Rogers. OF Will
mington. Delaware. to act as physician
to the escort. and made acquisitions up
on the quartermaster's and subsistence
departments for such supplies as
thought would be necessary for an ex-
pedition of this kind. all of which were
furnished promptly. j would remark,
however. many of the mules furnished
were those which had been driven from
Mexico at the close of the war, and,
being poor. were not such aSl should
have selected. In consequence OF this,
we were longer upon the road than we
otherwise should have been. as we We're
Obliged to make short marches and
stop frequently to recruit them.
The detachment, as organized at Ft.
Smith consisted of Lieut.. ]. Buford,
and twenty-six non-commissioned Off
GERS and privates of "F company, first
dragons, and LieutS. M. p. Harrison
and j. Updegraff with fifty non-com-
lnissioned officers and privates of the
5th infantry.
Twenty men of this detachment, I'M
der the command of Lieut. j. Updegran.
as you are aware, had been previously
sent forward upon the route to assist
Captain Dent. 5th infantry. in making
an examination of the country upon the
south side of the Canadian river as far
as near Edwards clearinghouse. and
TO open a road for wagons through the
heavily-timbered country between TT.
Smith and that point
The road having been surveyed and
measured by Captain Dent as far as the
point where l overlook him, ana ne
having made a report of the same, l
shall pass briefly over this portion OF
the route, remarking that my report OF
Of ha On relates
to courses and distances, is based en-
tirely upon the notes furnished by that
officer. and that l have connected his
survey with my own upon the accom-
panying map in such manner as TO
give all the information which is nee
essary for travellers over the road.
The character of the country upon
our route for the hundred and fifty
miles from Fort Smith is of such a ma
ture that il becomes extremely sort and
boggy in 4 wet season, and is then al
most mpassable for loaded wagons, ex-
cent in the beaten roads. 1t is general
ly a soft alluvial soil upon substrat-
um of quicksand, covered with heavy
growth of timber. mostly post OAK:
and before the road is packed, 1t Will
often be heavy
Previous to and after my departure
from Fort Smith. there had been very
TrGQuent Sho
country over which We passed, and the
earth had become perfectly saturated
with water: indeed, it was often re
marked that there had not been so wet
a season for many years. For TINS
reason. our progress in making new
road upon the first part of our route
and passing over it with loaded was-
ons, was necessarily very slow, and
caused some of the 'emigrants to think
that a better QUITE could have been Sc
lected.
This part of the road, however, is
much more directly on our course than
the old route to Little river, and Will,
in addition to being some thirty miles
shorter. be as good, when 1t has Deen
travelled sufficiently to beat down the
earth and pack it. Another advantage
which this road possesses over the ola
road is the fact, that upon the latter
there are large streams to cross, which
ofte ndetain the traveller for several
days: whereas. upon the new road there
are no large streams. as it continues al