El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-20
Surveys and Reconnaissance in the
Great Southwest by Officers of
the United States Army a
Half Century Ago.

Upon the banks of one of them we were
detained an entire day. in consequence
of heavy rain on the night of the 9th
At Walnut bayou. left the road to War
ren's trading post. and followed an old
Indian trail to the mouth of Mud creek.
Thine trading house was broken up a
year or two ago. and two or three old
Cherokees alone remain at the spot.
We have passed several Indian villages.
principally belonging to the Caddo and
Bilusi tribes: they have settled down to
raising corn. and with their cows and
poultry seem quite domesticated. At
ter cutting our road through the Upper
Cross Timbers. we reached the Red
river and on the morning of the 18th
encamped on it's banks. within half a
mile of the mouth of Mud creek. and
distant siXty-one miles from Fort
Washita. The banks of the river were
low. The water was falling rapidly:
and. from the extent of drift, there
must have been severe freshet. I'm
able to tell the natural bed of the river.
There was some fine large and heavy
timber on the bank of the river
blackberry. mulberry. cottonwood.
Spanish oak. blackjack. and willow
forming the principal growth. The
grazing near the river is. however. eX-
tremely bad.
November Ii to November 25-Upon
examination of Mud creek. we found
that it was impossible to be passed.
except by bridging it. or by rafting
The banks are steep bluffs. and the bed
of the stream exceedingly boggy. al
though not deep. 1t seems to be back
water from the Red river and. from its
appearance and quality. well deserves
the name which it bears. The water is
n III. y, .s-Ns
The timber on it was scarce. and of the
same kind as on the main river In
order to be passable at all times. it
must be bridged. AS the river was
conStntly falling. we found that. by
means of large sand bar extending
above and below the mouth of the creek
we could at length be able to pass in
that manner; fOrds were found from
the sand-bar to the short at both eX-
tremities- By thus keeping up the mid
die of the river on the bar we man
aged to get beyond Mud creek. after a
days tedious work. In making the
trail. we very nearly lost two of our
mules in the quicksands. The road lay
just over fiat prairie for several miles.
the river remaining in sight: it then
passed over a high rolling prairie. the
divide between the Red river and Mud
creek-both streams being in view, and
i W each Will
in ten miles of again touching the river
the country becomes a periecc dead
level. Encamped on the evening of the
22nd. on the south side of the Red
river. two miles above the mouth OF
the Little Wichita. and one hundred
and four miles from Fort WaShita
Passed two beautiful streams of clear
running water together with several
smaller ones. since leaving Mud creek
L.. l.
traces of the Upper Cross Timbers. but
no timber Immediately along the road.
in small mots and along the
streams. In crossing the latter we al
ways found good fords. being led to
them most generally by Indian trails.
The further west we travelled. the bet
ter grazing We found-the gramma
sedSe. and buffalo grass the most abun-
iant. but the meZquite constantly be
coming more frequent. By the time We
reached this point of Red river. having
satisfied myself of its position with re-
-pectt to the two Wichitas by eXamin-
atoms up and down the river. found
hat the water had considerably fallen.
and was now at fordable depth. At
-er remaining at its north bank one
Law to recruit cur ANIMALS and to seek
l ford. a second day was occupied in
crossing it. The same difficulty arose
'nlv hv dividing up the loads into sew
'ral portions. and crossing few at Il
ime. that we could get across. At this
point there seem To- have been several
bottoms high bluff banks
rom the first to the second. and each
successive one a few feet lower than
he one preceding. In leaving the chan
lei of the river. you first come upon
'and fat. the bed of the river in high
for Z,
Quantities of drift: then the first bot
ON land of the river. containing rich
Illuvial soil. sand mixed with red clay.
md timbered along the edge near the
lat with young cottonwood and will
ow. The bottom bears evidence of be-
ng frequently overflowed. Then comes
he second. separated from the first
by steep bluff bank the lat
er intersected by gullies and ravines.
at most places for wagons.
It the foot of the bluffs are fine springs