Valdez daily prospector., 1909-01-15
w AR DEPARTMENT,

purposes in Alaska will be org ganizcd as follows, aud ,.uuwn as the Copper River Exploring Expedition, and will be aHnounccd in crdcrs:
 1. Capt. w. R. NbcrcrOmhic, Sec omd United States Infantry, com manding; Second Lieut.. w. C. Bah- cock, Eighth United States Cavalry; rl" acting assistant .urgcon, one hos ",G steward, onc Commi"Hary scr- cant, two Eou-cpmmiH%inncd officers aud eight ptiTatCs of infantYy, of whom two shall be cooks, fully " tipped and supplied to Nov. go,
 70, will proceed to NaldcI, on Prince lillian sound, Alaska, on or about the 10th pr0Nmo, and there establish d camp and depot. From Valdez the expedition will open up a military road to Copper enter, and from the last named point by the most direct and practicable route to Eagle City.
 ?. Tine rrul" above outlined from the coast lo Eagle City will be care fully surveyed, triangulatcd, noting elevations, Impressions, and other features. aud should be definitely To- catcd and properly marked on either side a. far as practicable, in order that it may be known and used as a rout" of travel by the public.
 2. Th" commanding officer will #c- feet suitable locations at Valdez. Cop per Center, the crossing of the upper Copper, the crossing of the Panama, the head of Forty Mile creek, and at such other points as in his judgment he ,nay deem proper for military res crVatiOns, and will survey, lay out by mctcs and bounds, and declare such reservations, reporting his action hereunder to the Department for ihC approval of the Secretary of War. i. This expedition will cover as much territory as possible, and will collect and incorporate in the reports all information that may be valuable to the development of the country cX- plorcd regarding typographical feat 1 urcs, available routes of travel, fcasi- | blc routes for railroad construction, adaptability ragriculturc and stock raising, mineral resources, timber, | fuel, food products, and the stock | best suited for food and tranSpOrta- tiOn purposes; the number, location, and condition of the natives of the territory explored. Maps and photo graphs will accompany all reports.
 5. The commanding officer of the expedition is authorized to employ the necessary Indians, natives of Alaska, for duty with the expedition as guides for such periods of time as may be necessary.
 The QuartcrmaSicr'8 Department will furnish the necessary transporta- tiOD. c. D. MEIKLEJOuN,
 Acting Secretary of War. By command of Major General Miles:
 II. C. CORBIN,
 Adjutaut General.
 In compliance with the orders of his detail Captain Abcrcrombic and his party arrived in Valdez on the steam CT Excelsior on the Fist day of April, 1899. Among those who composed the expedition were Lieut.. w. C. Bab- cock, Edward Gillette, locating cngi- neer Dr. Neal C. Frcw, medical ofIi- ccr; Oscar Rohn, topographcr; John F. Rice, clerk; Charles Brown, quar- masters agent; J. Augustus fillman, commssary sergeant; Phillip Glcs- ner, quartcrmastcr sergeant; Dave Rhodes, chief packer; "A. M. Powell, guide; Lars Holland, foreman of con struction gang. Steve Birch, Ed Wood, Edward Cashman and C. F. Worthington also worked on the route in various capacities.
 That the war department performed q great public service for Central Alaska in the construction of this road is self evident. It has largely increased traffic tointcrior points, on. couraged exploitation parties, led to important mineral discoveries, and it's great and far-reaching benefits are not to be measured in dollars ard cents.