El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-19

In the miOGle OF OCTOBER, tHe "ihlei &C
in with such severity, that / thought
the lives of our mules depended on re-
turning southwark. The men. also.
were equipped for summer therefore,
| instead of crossing the PecoS. we
marched down it to the southern road
which was followed TO San Antonio.
where the party arrived or the 23rd OF
| November.
Mr.. Howard and myself. with ten
men, turned eastwardly from the head
| of the San Pedro. hoping to find df-
rect practicable route from that point
to Wool's road about Vandenburg. both
to shorten the distance and avoid the
rough and uncertain road along the San
Pedro. We found the country between
| that river and the western branches OF
| the Nueces (about sixty miles, quite
destitute of water: otherwise, practical
BILE.
The distance to FL Paso by the south
ern route is six hundred and seventy
three. by the northern six hundred and
forty-six miles. The first distance
might be diminished fifteen or twenty
miles by the labor of twenty men, fif-
teen or twenty days. between the San
Pedro and the Pecos. The other might
be shortened as much, or more, by the
labor of a small working party on the
Guadalupe mountain for a few days,
and by requiring the officer who COM
mands the first train to straighten the
road by cutting off the unnecessary
curves, which now increase every days
march by two or three miles. Another
improvement would be. to follow the
eastern bank of the Pecos, instead of
! the western,
BY referring to the accompanying
sketch you will see that both the
routes now used very far exceed the di-
rect distance to Ell Paso. 1t is so i'm
portant to diminish, as much as pos
sible the present enormous cost OF
transporting supplies to the posts on
and near the upper Rio Grande, that
strongly recommend the employment
as soon as the spring commences. of
some of the ldispoSable typographical
officers in the. department in the ex-
animation of the Rio Grande above
Eagle Pass. and in exploring the south
ern portion of the country between the
Pecos and Rio Grande, in order to con-
tinue the road in a westerly direction
from the head of the San Felipe. or the
lower ford of the San Pedro. Besides
the probability of materially shorten
ing the distance, this change offers the
further advantages of connecting with
the navigation of the river, should it
be found available; forming a means of
communication from point to point
along the frontier, which will very soon
, be required; and promoting the settle
ment of the valley of the Rio Grande,
the most extensive tract fit for settle
ment west of the San Pedro.
| The two positions occupied by the
! third infantry. near Ell PasO, are in
a direct line-one nineteen and the 9TH
er thirty-seven miles south of the
point at which the thirty-second parall-
ell crosses the Rio Grande. Any mount
ed force stationed in that vicinity. to
prevent incursions of the Indians into
Mexico, should be so placed, / respect
fully suggest. as to be able to operate
readily on either side of the river and
therefore above the southern boundary
of New Mexico.
We crossed many Indian trails lead
ing into Mexico-only two, however,
which seem to be very much used
! One. crossing the Pecos at the Horse
head crossing, and the southern road at
the Comanche spring. leads to the Rio
Grande about so miles below Preside
del Norte. The other touching the
heads of the western branches of the
Nueces. crosses the southern road at
the head of the Las Moras.
AS you have done me the honor to
ask what. in my opinion. are the best
arms for mounted troops on this from
fed, with which the men who accom-
panied me were equipped-the rifle for
use on foot and at a distance. and the
revolver for close fight. A steel rifle
of the length and weight of the cavalry
carbine, and made with the skill to
which American gunsmiths have attain
ed, will have a range of four or five
hundred yards. with the picket bullet.
Colts five chambered revolver. made
for the round bullet. shoots with more
force and accuracy than any other pis-
tol. and. worn at the belt, is less cum
brouS than the sabre; while the re-
peating principle makes it more effec-
tive in Indian warfare than the cavalry
pistol and sabre. The pistols furnished
to the government by Mr.. Colt are in
ferior in every respect. to what the
Texans call fine shooters" To admit
the picket bullet, the cylinders are
necessarily so long as to give incon-
venient weight and destroy the balance
of the weapon; and the round ball is
thrown by the same pistol with much
the most force and accuracy. l there
fore suggest the return to the old pat
tern.
Most respectfully. your obedient SER
want,
J. T.. Johnston
Cant. Top. Eng !. Lieut.. Col. L. S. 4.
aJoT 6enere Bconke.
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