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 1 2 3 
 
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NE 
 
 LIEU' 
 
 s 
 

 / 
 
 KNGINEER DEPARTMENT, UNITED STATES ARMY. 
 
 PRELIMINAKY REPORT 
 
 OF 
 
 EXPLORATIONS 
 
 IN 
 
 NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA, 
 
 IN TlIK 
 
 VE.VR8 1855-^■)()-^■37, 
 
 IJY 
 
 LIEUT, (i. K. WAKIIEN, TOrOGIlAPlIICAL ENGINEERS, U. S. ARMY, 
 
 [N'OW MAJOR or EN'ilNEF.Iifl, AND IIVT. MA.IOI! GEXIlItAI,, f. S. A.] 
 
 REPRINT 
 
 N 
 
 washingto:n^: 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 
 
 1875. 
 
Note— This report was originally luinteil in tbe appendixes to the 
 Eoport of the Secretary of War, in the President's Message and Docu- 
 ments, December, 1858. 
 
 The map was printed by resohition of the United States Senate. 
 
Office of the Chief of Engineers, 
 
 Washhujton, L. C, August 18, 1875. 
 
 SiH : In 1857 an exploration of the Black Hills was made by Lieut. G. 
 K. Warren, Topographical Engineers, (now major of engineers, and 
 brevet major-general United States Army.) 
 
 A preliminary report of this exploration (embracing also liis explora- 
 tions in ISTebraska and Dakota for the two previous years, 18o5-'5G) was 
 appended to my annual report, as captain of Topographical Engineers in 
 charge of oflice of explorations and surveys for the War Department 
 for the year 1858. ' 
 
 As this report was printed with the documents accompanying the 
 President's annual message to Congress in December 1858, (in the an- 
 nual report of the Secretary of AVar,) it can always be referred to for 
 olhcial purposes, but is not accessible to those specially interested in the 
 region of which it treats. 
 
 Kecent developments in the Black Hills country have awakened a 
 great interest in that region, and there are constant inquiries for the 
 report referred to. 
 
 I would therefore recommend that this report be reprinted at the 
 Government Printing-office, and that 2,000 copies be furnished to this 
 Office, upon the usual requisition. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 A. A. Humphreys, 
 
 rr TUT -rr. r, Brigadier-Oeneval ttud Chief of Enginccrs. 
 
 Hon. Wm. W . Belknap, 
 
 Secretary of IFar. 
 
 Approved by order of the Secretary of War. 
 August 20, 1875. 
 
 H. T. Crosby, 
 
 Chief ClerTc. 
 
 I 
 
1 1 
 
 If 
 
War Department, Office Explorations and Surveys, 
 
 Washington, Korember 20, 1858. 
 
 • * * * # * « 
 
 explorations in NEBRASKA. 
 
 T i J,?<-^ r^^T w' ^'^''^i?'"'" '•''1.^^, the expedition commanded bv 
 Lieut. G. K. ^\arreu, Topographical Engineers, after the successful 
 execution of the duties ntrusted to him ol" reconnaissance and exE^^ 
 tion n Nebraska, has been already reported. The maps have been 
 completed all the necessary calculations of the astronomical and hlZ 
 
 Sot' o? th'/Iv ;^ rr"'^*^' "^^ the reports in relation to the dmereut 
 objects ot the expedition are in an advanced state. 
 
 v<.,Tfi^^""f•^w''^'J^''5• ""^'^^^ expedition were to ascertain the best 
 route by which to continue to the South Pass the militarv road nnvr 
 constructing from the Mississippi Eiver to Sioux Citv on the Mi soZT 
 ?M-xtte '^n^lZZ J^^^«"r««tion the valley of the Loup Folk of he 
 tl ; R^LpT mnf f the Niobrara, aiid to make such reconnaissance of 
 
 vonhl nprmi/ t' ^T^ ^^^ '^IV'^?' f ^^" ^*» Cheyenne, as circumstances 
 vAOuld permit, to determine their character, especially with reference to 
 the future military operations that may be carried on in this Terri?ory^ 
 of tf pTf ^'1"'^' *^i''' ^^J""^'' ^^^ expedition would obtain informatTon 
 ot the character and resources of the country, its adaptability to settle- 
 ment and cultivation, and would develop its geography S geoWy 
 
 plSll'/XrmeT^"^'' ^^'"^^^^^ ^^ -hich^fre Uviouslf ite?. 
 The preliminary report of Lieutenant Warren is herewith presented 
 The routes reconiioitered and mapped in 1857 are from Sioux City t" the 
 mouth of Loup Fork; thence up this stream to its so^ce in the Sand 
 Hills ; and thence by the Niobrara to Fort Laramie. From tl is pZ 
 the party proceeded north, and carefully examined the Black H Is aid 
 re urning to the Niobrara, explored this stream to its juuctU "iV^^^^^ 
 Missouri ; aiid also a route from the mouth of Turtle Hill Eiver to Fort 
 Eandjill. Finally, the road from Fort Eandall to Sioi^x Cit/vv^is sur- 
 
 With the report on these routes Lieutenant Warren combines that of 
 
 M^'Jh? f ' ''^""""!^ ^^^ ^^"^ ^" 1^^^' ""^e^- orders from Se al Harne? 
 Tn thn. """'r^'^".' "^ ^'"l^^^t has heretofore been presented ^' 
 
 from th« «S T^^ ? ''^''^^^^ reconnaissacce of the Missouri Eiver, 
 Siemouth of tL" ^.^r."^^7 ^* ^^hv^f:x to a point sixty miles aiove 
 iJive? Yellowstone, and of this latter strea^n to Powder 
 
b EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 The routes explored, inclmling those of 1858, (of which a rei)ort has 
 been rendered aud printed,) all lie east of the lOdth meridian. They 
 lead once thronfjh the Sand Hills north and sontli, and twice east anil 
 west, almost aronnd the l>lack IJills, and thron<jfh the valleys of the 
 following rivers, viz: the Platte, Lonp Fork, Niobrara, White Earth, 
 Big Cheyenne, Missonri, Yellowstone, and James rivers. 
 The accompanying re])ort of Lieutenant Warren is divided as follows: 
 Part 1 is a statement of the routes pursued and main incidents which 
 affected their direction and extent; and in connection with this are 
 given the obiections urged by the Dakotas against the passage of the 
 expedition through the Territory. This may prove valuable to any 
 white men that may travel there. 
 
 Part 2 contains a general description of the surface of Nebraska ; an 
 account of the general structure of the country; its principal geological 
 formations and the character of the soil ; aud its adaptability in differ- 
 ent parts to settlement. 
 
 It contirms the statements heretofore made by explorers in other por- 
 tions of the western prairies of the generally' sterile character of the 
 lauds west of the 90th meridian, attributable to the absence of fertile 
 elements in the soil in large tracts like the Sand llill region, and to the 
 want of timely rains. 
 
 The section in the mountains bordering these plains on the west is 
 described as containing small fertile valleys, with streams of water and 
 an abundance of building material, botli of stone and wood, aud an 
 ample supply of the latter for fuel. The opinion is expressed that this 
 section will be overspread by considerable settlements. 
 
 Part 3 contains a general description of the rivers and routes through 
 the Territory, with a discussion of the question as to the best route by 
 which to supply Fort Laramie and the interior. The conclusions ar- 
 rived at in regard to this last question are, that the route up the Loup 
 Fork is impracticable, and, besides, is less direct than the Platte route ; 
 that the route along the aSTiobrara is barely practicable for wagons, and 
 that the difficulties to be met with on the road, together with the in- 
 creased river transportation of the route, render it less favorable than 
 that up the Platte, whether the starting-point be Omaha City or 
 Nebraska City ; that a road from Sioux City to Fort Laramie, along the 
 Niobrara, would only be about forty miles shorter than a road proceed- 
 ing from the same point direct to the Platte, at the mouth of Loup 
 Fork, and thence along the Platte route to Fort Laramie ; that the 
 shorter length of the Niobrara route is more than counterbalanced by 
 the great difficulties on that route, and therefore the route along the 
 Platte is the better of the two ; that the route from the mouth of White 
 Eiver west to Fort Laramie is probably practicable, and superior to that 
 along the Niobrara; that the route from Fort Pierre to Fort Laramie is 
 likewise superior to the Niobrara route, but that the increased river 
 transportation and absence of settlements along this part of the Mis- 
 souri liiver render these routes at present inferior to those of the Platte 
 Valley ; that above Fort Pierre, on the navigable part of the Missouri 
 Eiver, there are no routes leading from it to Fort Laramie or the South 
 Pass that are as advantageous as those enumerated. It is further con- 
 cluded that, of all the routes explored, the Platte Valley is the best 
 adapted for locating a railroad to connect the settlements to be formed 
 in the mountains with those along the Missouri River ; and that, as a 
 national route for a Pacilic railroad, leading to the South Pass or to 
 Bridger's Pass, it is superior to any other in this latitude. These con- 
 clusions appear to be fully su.staiued by the facts advanced in their 
 support. 
 
1 a report lias 
 ridian. They 
 wice east ami 
 /alleys of the 
 White Earth, 
 
 ed as follows: 
 cjidents which 
 with this are 
 lassage of the 
 uable to auy 
 
 !?ebra8ka; an 
 pal geological 
 ility in differ- 
 in other por- 
 xacter of the 
 5uce of fertile 
 m, and to the 
 
 a the west is 
 of water and 
 i^ood, and an 
 jsed that this 
 
 lutes through 
 best route by 
 nclusious ar- 
 
 up the Loup 
 Platte route ; 
 
 wagons, and 
 ' with the iu- 
 vorable than 
 laha City or 
 lie, along the 
 •oad proceed- 
 )uth of Loup 
 lie; that the 
 •balanced by 
 te along the 
 uth of White 
 )erior to that 
 rt Laramie is 
 ireased river 
 t of the Mis- 
 of the Platte 
 the Missouri 
 or the South 
 ; further con- 
 y is the best 
 to be formed 
 id that, as a 
 I Pass or to 
 These con- 
 cod in thtir 
 
 EXl'LORATIOXS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. ^ 
 
 The tth part of the report treats Of the Indian tribes, their number 
 location, .Vc. An ai)proximate estimate of their strength is made, an« 
 routes by which to operate against them, in the event of hostilities, u^ 
 discussed. Almost every part of the country examined is nraeticab e 
 lor the operatmns of cavalry; and routes practicable for he'^^i^rsT^" 
 a military expedition can generally be found, even in the Jilack Ilills 
 to such points as would be used as depots from which sunnlies for hripf 
 periods could be furnished for military movements ''"^ ^*"''* ^"' ^"®* 
 The 5th part of Lieutenant Warren's rei>ort is a brief statement of 
 the meteorological phenomena of the country, as observed E" the 
 explorations; the most prominent facts respecting which are the ex 
 treme variableness of the phenomena of moisture and tempera urel 
 facts which confirm previous statements in regard to them. 
 
 The report contains a catalogue of the fossils collected, with the 
 ocalities of the specimens, and similnr lists of the plants and the cof 
 lections in the different departments of .oology. All these collections 
 were made without interfering with the niore in.iuLlLL i acS 
 objects ot the ext>lorations, and reflect credit on the labors of Leu 
 euan Warren and his assistants. These collections are esteemed to 
 be ot high scientihc value ; and among the discoveries due to the labors 
 n • lu T^''-?'}'"''' '^'^ ^^'^ discovery of the Potsdam sandstone, the oldest 
 ot the tossihterous rocks in the Black Hills, the first positive proof of 
 the existence in America of the formation correspond ng to the Juras 
 n H. Pr""^'"' ""''^ ^.^^ discovery on the Niobra4 of a new fomat'on 
 ot the Pliocene Tertiary, containing the remains of an extinct fa inn 
 resembling that now inhabiting Asia, from whicVat least hfrtj^t wo 
 distinct spec.es of vertebrates have been described by Professoi Leidy! 
 Ihe principal of these results have been published, by perm^sion of 
 of P^iifflnhfi' ' V^' proceedings of the Academy if Natural Sciences 
 ot Philadelphia. Accompanying one of these papers, prepared bv Dr. 
 Haydeu, is a small geological map of Nebraska. ^ 
 
 A military map of Nebraska and Dakota, on a scale of ^^J nre- 
 
 pared by Lieutenant Warren, and ordered to be engraved ^ftheSen^ate 
 at Its last session, is now ready for publication 
 
 thrsoun^? nf'?rViif ^^P^«^^tion of the interior of Nebraska, about 
 mn«t oE f ^^ Yellowstone, Lieutenant Warren thinks could be 
 most advantageously and economically made by an expedition organ 
 
 el? mates at ^00 000 "'ti*^' ^T' l" '^f ^1^' ^"^^ ^^''^'' «*" ^^^'^^ 
 htn ?» T ?• ^^^^^^9' This exploration has been a favorite object with 
 him, and his previous experience, and his knowledge of the Indians 
 
 'with eSmy ''''''"^'^' '^"""^'^ ^"""^^^ ^'"^ **" accomplish the work 
 
 in(^n^fP<1^'ti•^'K''^'^^^^^'"'^""'' ?^bich the explorations heretofore 
 Iffl ,m^. «,ui "i ^""'^^ ^^^" conducted, under many embarrassments, 
 the taik. ^^^"gers, prove him to be peculiarly well qualified fo^ 
 
 report?^'''"^'^ ^'^'''" ^'''' ^^^ execution of the work will be found in the 
 
n:; 
 
 ; i: 
 
 i i 
 
 lU 
 
EXPLORATIONS IN ^^EBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 rRKLlMINARY IfKl'ORT OF LIEUT. (;. K. WARREN. TDPOGRArillCAL 
 E.N(;iNHKK,S. T(. CAPT. A. A. irUMl'MREVS. TOi'oViRAl'HIUAI ENOI 
 NEEKM, I.V cirAU(;E OF OFFICE OF EXI'LORATIONH AND SURVEYS VVAU 
 DEl'AUTMENT. oi^uvi^io, WAU 
 
 Wasiiinoton, D. C, November 24, 1858. 
 
 CAPTAIN : I have the honor to submit the following nroliininarv 
 
 /.rtTrnx"^!-.. 'l8r!r>" -r -y'" explorations condncted by n.e i!i Nebra«kJ 
 in the >f'a. 8 1 855,- 50,-'o < . Thi8 rei)ort is divided as follows : 
 
 and extent-*^'* explored, and main ineidents alfectinff their direction 
 
 2a. Physical Reography of Nebraska, character of the soil, and 
 resources ot the country ; ' 
 
 .{(1. Itemarks upon the climate and meteorology • 
 , ^^!'; \ «;ef ription of the principal rivers, and discussion of the 
 merits ot dilk'rent routes ; and 
 
 5th. An enumeration of the Indian tribes, military posts, and routes 
 for nnlitary operations. j i "" > luuius 
 
 r (uui fX 'l*"'^- '' •Vl"*^'-^^*^. '^ «'"»» "i«P «f Nebraska on a scale of 1 to 
 0,0(0,000, showing the main physical features of the country and the 
 routes re.,u.ring lurther examination, as well as those already exX^^^^^^^^ 
 The re|)oit is accompanied by catalogues of the paleontololnca min 
 eralogical, botanu.al, and z<,ological specimens collecte o ^ourexplo- 
 rations prepared by Dr. F. V. Ilayden, so as to show the ocaSs 
 where they were found. Much useful instruction as to th^num ler of 
 naking meteorological observations and collecting specimens i, iSa 
 h s ory Avas given to us by the officers of the Smithsonian Inst it on 
 s 1 ;L oniT!''r^^' l^^'«*f «f ,JI«'"y,f»i"i«l'ed us with rooms in whS 
 stole the collections and elaborate the results. A brief report bv Dr 
 
 " r iiiiisr '^^^"' ^^ '""^ ^^^^^^ ^-^"^ '^^ cSSit^u^u 
 
 tivlw^inntin^'Zv i^,"f ^^''•'^Y to defer to a subsequent report tlie narra- 
 h sf atio f R?. i^^'^r"^?' ^''? complete maps, profiles, and other 
 of m!. '^ ; tables ot meteorological observations, and the results 
 ot our collec ions and observations in geologv, botany, &c. 
 
 misXn of tho ^^"^ T^^' ^y''''' '^'''^'^y been "published by per- 
 1. J.. Meek, and J)r. Joseph Leidy, before the Academy of Naturil 
 Sciences of Phi ade phia. A letter' prepared by me for^l^ IIo„ G 
 
 bv\ sm'll^ln;;T^4?^'""*^' *^^^" -r^^ ^^^" l*"^^''^^-^^^' accomi^ied 
 nL? iTn, V^ ■, ^^^^'^*^^^.'»' o" a seale of 1 to 0,000,000. This man has 
 also been colored so as to indicate approximate y the geological forma 
 T'llavct'in fh^'l^r *' ?»^"«^«^-ith oneof fhe pa?>ers ^aSri^ 
 Philadelphia ^^«««^e^^"g8 ot tlie Academy of Natural Sciences ot 
 
 hv'^+i!!!'?! V "PJ^f^Plor^^tions in Nebraska was ordered to be engraved 
 re^iv%y";>^';^i.^i"''' ^?'^^^' ^^""°S- tl'« J'-^^t session, and ifnow nearly 
 St\'fvK,^/4'^^'",^^^^ In preparing this map I availed myself of all 
 ...i^iorar.ouo and surveys witam the limits comprised by it, (in- 
 
I! I 
 
 m 
 
 10 
 
 i:XI'L.)I,'ATIONS IX NFMRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 rluiliii;- tliiLs Noiiic Into iiii|ml)lislM'(l maps kindly ftiniislicd from tlio 
 liilt'iior I)('|»iirfiii('iil,) ill) iickiio\vl('(l«;iiioiil, of iill of which is iiiado 
 thcn'oii. 1 1 was .u'ccssiiry to iiidicatf on this Miap a (!onsi«leral)I^i por- 
 tion (if Mm couulry not cxaniini'd by mo in onh-r to j^ivc it thci «real(\st 
 in-iictifal valiif, and to show thr relation of the parts I havo (•x[>lor(Ml 
 to thosl^ snrronndin^- them. ."My (h'si<-ii was to mako tho map a com- 
 plett) rrpnsontafion of all tlio rt';>ion occupied by tlio J)akotas, and the 
 best routes by whicii to ai)pr()a(^ii and traverse it, and ah»n^' wliich to 
 coiKhict mihtary operations to the best advantage; in other words, to 
 make it a ♦' Military Map of N»a>raska and Dakota," whicih is Mie title I 
 have^'ivei: it. •'. is on a scale of I to I,L'(m,(H)(), and embraces all tho 
 country from tin- !)Hh to the I (Kith meridnm, between the.'Wth and T.Oth 
 parallels. In iis northeast corner is the liake of the Woods, in tho 
 southeast Fort Leavenworth, in the southwest Pike's Peak, and in tho 
 northwest the Junction of Milk Iliver with the Missouri. A number of 
 rivers art^ put down on this map which have \u\vvv yet been explored, 
 except at their moullis ; these are th<^ Knife Uiver, Heart liiver, Camion 
 Hall Kiver, and Moreau Kiver. As the expeditions under mvi^onnuand 
 have innuy almost around the section throuf-h which they How, and 
 <h termiued with a yreat decree of ct rtainty that it is an open prairie, 
 and have ;;aine«l sonu< knowledjie of their "len<>ths and directions from 
 the Indians, they aie probably represented witli a considerable decree 
 ot exactness. 
 
 On the small map acctunpanyinji' this r<>port the southern branches 
 of the Yellowstone Kiver have also been represented with an approxi- 
 nu»ti(Ui to correctness, by usinj-- information furnished by the expedi- 
 tUMis of Captains Lewis and Clark, and Ca|)tain lUmneville, and also 
 troia sk(^tches, Cvc, obtained by me from traders and trappers. This 
 section of country, however, has much pracf. d importance in relation 
 to routes throujjh it by which to reach Utah from tho naviijablo parts 
 ot the .Missouri -mil Yellowstone, and deserves a uiorouj;h exi)loration. 
 Ihis (examination I have always luul a «reat desire to make, and in my 
 previous expeditions have taken much pains t(» ascertairi tho best meaiis 
 ot conductin«;' it. In this I have been fortunate in meeting with Mr. 
 .lames Urid^er, ,Mr. Alexander Culbertson, Mv. Kobert Campbell, and 
 otaeis well aciiuainted with the character of the country from personal 
 experience, and have tho assurance of tho services of Mr. iirul"or if the 
 e\|»loration should be ordered. 
 
 On ae<H>unt of tl:e {iieat distance of the region to be examined from 
 the settlements, it is necessary to provide the expedition with the meiiiis 
 kn remaining' two summers, the interveninj;' winter to bo passed at 
 some suitable point on the Yellowstone or Big Horn rivers. It would 
 be «lil1icidt tor an expedition to do n:ore than j;o and return in the same 
 seasv.ii, so that then little or no time wouUl be allowed to explore. Tho 
 country is prinripally occupied by tho Crow Indians, and, as I know 
 them to ae frieadly, I think a military escort can bo dispensed with, 
 which is a material consideration u.'ider the present excessive require- 
 ments of the military service. The method I propose instead is, to go 
 well i)rovided with jioods and presents by which to purchase of the In- 
 dians permission to pass throiij;h the country, and to employ them as 
 g tides. In this way much expense can bo prlventeil, and, with prudent 
 niaiia^n-inent, i?ai'ji-r lo the expeditiiui can oe avoided; besides, valua- 
 ble niformation will be <;ained from tho hniians whicli would be with- 
 held if we entered their « )untry in a hostile attitude. 
 
 The e.vpeditiou should be completely or<iaiiized and equipped for tho 
 neld oy the 1st of .May, loaU, and remain in the tield uutil the 1st of 
 December, 1800, nineteen mouths. 
 
V. 
 
 lu'd from tlio 
 lii(;li is itiiuU) 
 si«leriil)I^' por- 
 t tlici y real est; 
 iiivo, ex[>loiv(l 
 J niiip a (;<)Mi- 
 otus, and t\w, 
 \u\\}t which to 
 her words, to 
 is 'he title I 
 )ra(VH all tho 
 JSth and TiOth 
 ^)ods, ill tho 
 bk, and in the 
 A ninnber of 
 t»ea explored, 
 tiver, Cannon 
 ni,V(;onnnand 
 ey How, and 
 open pra'rie, 
 reel ions from 
 arable (.lej^rec 
 
 mil bran el I es 
 an ajjproxi- 
 y the expedi- 
 ille, and also 
 ippers. This 
 ;«:i in relation 
 M^able parts 
 exploration. 
 :e, and in my 
 best mea!is 
 inj; with Mr. 
 anipbell, and 
 0111 personal 
 Jridgor if the 
 
 vniined from 
 th the means 
 >o passed at 
 s. It would 
 L la tlie same 
 xplore. The 
 , as I know 
 pensed with, 
 sive recpiire- 
 oad is, to go 
 ISO of the In- 
 >loy them as 
 vith prudent 
 sides, valua- 
 iild be with- 
 
 •pod for the 
 il the 1st of 
 
 J 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. H 
 
 There should be thirty men, at $;}() per month, and eight assistants 
 Z^wfS^S' """^"^''''^ ^'"'!^^^«' ^^«M;it $125 per month. This would 
 3 fii; 11 w»/''r^'''"'''''^l''^ ^'^'^^^ '^^"»t $7,000. Animals 
 
 ; L-.oin* A.- ,•• ^"'^"^'» «<>p^'« $M)00. Contingencies $3,000, To- 
 tal )?(.0, 000, Ot this amount about $35,000 would bo required the first 
 year I he Imlic ot the stores and goods required should be contracted 
 lor, to be delivered at Fort Laramie or tho i'latto Bridge. 
 
 Ihe expedition itself sliouUl proceed by the Missouri Eivcr to Fort 
 ! lerre, where the necessary animals for j., pack train should bo assem- 
 led. At this point we should meet with some of the principal men of 
 the Dakotas, and overtures ,:,ould bo made to secure their assent to 
 our proceeding westward up the Hhyenne and its North Fork, r-nd thence 
 o the source ot I owder liiver, thus exploring a now route. ShouM 
 this consent bo withheld, aiul it should not be considered safe to proceed 
 without It, the party could take tho route by way of White Kiver to 
 lort Laramio and thence to tho source of Powder Itiver. The exnlo- 
 -ition should then bo conducted along Powder liiver to its mouth 
 luonco up the lellowstone to tho mouth of Tongue Kiver, up which 
 stream a detachment should bo sent to its source The, remiinder of 
 the party should ascend tho Yellowstone to the mouth of Uig Horn 
 
 ,ins''\vi;;: .;'^!f ? ^f A' '^'"^'^ f^^''^ ^^^^'"^ ^^'^^'^« ^^ >«^^^«« the mount. 
 i\.niuo Kisser '^"""^'^ ^"^ •''^'"*^^^ ^'^' ^^^ detachment which explored 
 
 inThiVnlilniwi''^" ;''"'t«V'l'^"^* '^"J"*'^ "'^ ^^^^y *« P^«« t^^t season 
 I this neighborhood, or it time sutliced, the expedition might ascend 
 
 t ^ V?7 ^^'''''V^^^."^ liiver, where a very favorable wintering 
 pi CO could bo found. Either of these places would be sutHciently con 
 Ncnient to he supplies on the Platto. Under circumstances not fore- 
 seen It niig-ht be best lor tho expedition to winter near ^ort Laramie. 
 
 Ihe next season should be spent in examining the mountain region 
 
 ch.u"u. i;'.r;r''' f *^ i^eHowstone and Missouri, to ascertaiKo 
 cha actei ot the routes leading south and west from the navigable parts 
 1 ; ffl'^r' V On returning, one portion should descend tho Missouri, 
 t e othei the \ el owstone, to their junction, where a Mackinac boatshould 
 bt 11 remhness, by which all could proceed to the settlements. 
 nvvi.i.!T ^'-^i; -iHtions would determine the practicability of all the routes 
 In )J.l '*" t«e accompanying map as deserving examination, and would 
 r.?in 1 T' ^^'^•Vt>-^"^tho part of those conducting them. Pack 
 .; ! ^^ f'f'^ •;^"'^ ^'^' '''''''\'''^ ^^''S^'i^ «»'eatly retard the operations of a 
 T h •^i! ! 1 ^'"•"^'•V"'^»'^ !«« the ditliculty of defending it against attack. 
 t.,n' !''-'' "^ ^T"" '" '""'''' ^^' ^^''^ ^*'«'«» "^ould render it unnecessary 
 h. n.i / f "'"''^- 'l"'"'<^'f3- of bread and bacon, which always make 
 the bulk ot the provisions re<piired. 
 
 it u'nni'*/'r?'i"'"''S^!'^ 1'''^^ prepared for defense against war parties, and 
 •mm ^\|^'''^>^'?^>1« to .«"■•» <^'^^ "Hill with a revolver, and about three- 
 ,n 1 h' V,"'"'''" •'^'l^l'tion, should have a double-barreled gun, one 
 or lightings "' "" '' ™^ '' '' "'•''^ ^'^'^^^''^ S^" *^^^^^'^' for hunting 
 
 A\^r^'^f ! '"f instructions from the Hon. John B. Floyd, Secretary of 
 
 llaim d'Lui Y ' .^^1 ''-/."'^^ ^^'^"^ ^^'«^^t Brigadier-General W. S. 
 A^aIne,^, dated June .5, IS.jO. ari> tninsmitted herewith 
 
 V'ory respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 G. K. Warren, 
 Capt. A. A. Humphreys, ^'^"^^"«"^ Topographical Engineers. 
 
 Corps of Topographical Engineers, 
 
 In charge Office Explorations and Surveys. 
 
12 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA 
 
 ! 
 
 ■iW 
 
 War Department, 
 
 Washington, May 6, 1857. 
 
 Sir: Under the appro] riation "for surveys for military defenses, 
 geographical explorations, and reconnaissances for military purposes," 
 you will organize an expedition to ascertain the bt st route for con- 
 tinuing the military road between Fort Snelling and the mouth of the 
 Big Sioux to Fort Laramie and the South Pass, bv way of the Loup 
 Fork of the Platte ; to make also such explorations in the Black Hills 
 about the sources of the Shyenne and Little Missouri rivers, as the 
 time and means will permit ; and to examine the Niobrara or I'Eau qui 
 Court River, upon your return route, for the purpose of ascertaining 
 Its character and resources and the practicability of locating a road 
 along It, leading from the Missouri Kiver to the South Pass, or from 
 Fort Eandall to Fort Laramie. 
 
 The sum of twenty-flve thousand dollars is set apart from the appro- 
 priation to defray the expenses of the expedition, which amount vour 
 expenditures must not exceed. 
 
 The commanding general of the Department of the West will be 
 directed to detail an escort of thirty enlisted men of the infantry, under 
 the command of a second lieutenant, who will report to you for duty. 
 
 Transportation for the provision and equipage of the escort, their 
 subsistence, and their necessary ammunition, will be furnished, respect- 
 ively, by the Quartermaster's, Commissary, and Ordnance Departments. 
 
 Upon tbe proper requisitions, officers of the Quartermaster's and 
 Commissary Departments at the military posts near the routes pursued 
 by the expedition will furnish, as far as practicable, all necessary sup- 
 plies for It, which, when required for the civil employes, shall be paid 
 for at cost prices at the t)laces of delivery, from the appropriation for 
 the survey. 
 
 Twenty Colt's revolvers, of the Navy pattern, with belts, holsters, and 
 the necessary ammunition, will be furnished by the Ordnance Depart- 
 ment; those lost or damaged being paid for out of the appropriation for 
 the survey. 
 
 All other arras and ammunition for the civil employes (guides hunt- 
 ers, herders, &c.) of the expedition will be paid for from this same 
 appropriation. 
 
 You are authorized to employ as assistants— 
 
 Per uiontL. 
 
 A topographer, at a salary not to exceed $si3o 
 
 One assistant topographer, at a salary not to exceed lOO 
 
 An assistant astronomer, at a salary not to exceed J'^ij 
 
 A physician and geologist, at a salary not to exceed S.V. V>b 
 
 xln assistant physiciar and geologist, at a salary not to exceed . . lOO 
 
 A meteorologist, at a salary not to exceed CO 
 
 And to pay their actual traveling expenses to and from the field of 
 operations. 
 
 You will procure your employes equipment, supplies, &c., at those 
 points which appear to insure the most economical and eftectivo, organi- 
 zation for your party, and prepare to take the field at the earliest 
 possible moment. While in the field, attention will be given to ascer- 
 taining everything relating to the agricultural and mineralogical re- 
 sources of the country, its cli-natnlogy, its topographical features, and 
 the facilities or obstacles which these latter oiler to the construction of 
 rail or common roads. 
 
 You will communicate with the Department through the Office of 
 Explorations and Surveys, in charge of Capt. A. A. Humphreys, Corps 
 
'A 
 
 SNT, 
 
 May 6, 1857. 
 itary defenses, 
 lary purposes," 
 route for con- 
 s'raoutli of the 
 y of the Loup 
 e Black Hills, 
 
 rivers, as the 
 ra or I'Eau qui 
 f ascertaining 
 eating a road 
 
 Pass, or from 
 
 om the appro- 
 amount your 
 
 West will be 
 nfautry, under 
 ou for duty, 
 e escort, their 
 ished, respect- 
 Departments, 
 rmaster's and 
 cutes pursued 
 Qecessary sup- 
 shall be paid 
 )ropriation for 
 
 , holsters, and 
 lauce Depart- 
 )ropriation for 
 
 (guides, hunt- 
 )ui this same 
 
 Per montb. 
 $130 
 100 
 125 
 125 
 100 
 
 GO 
 
 m the field of 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 13 
 
 a will make the reports 
 
 •f of engineers in charge 
 
 transmitted as oi'^en as 
 
 1 keep the Department 
 
 gress of the expedition 
 
 Topographical Engineers ; and to this oflfir 
 and returns required by regulations of an t 
 of a work or operation, and such other rep. 
 the means of communication will allow, a 
 apprised of all your movements, and the 
 under your charge. 
 
 On the completion of the field duty, you will return, with your assist- 
 ants, to Washington, and there prepare the maps and reports necessarv 
 to a lull exposition of the results ot' the expedition. "ecessar;y 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 • John B. Floyd, 
 
 Lieut. G. K. W^ARREN, ^'"''^'"'^ ''•^" ^^«''- 
 
 Coq)s TopogmiiUcal Emjineers. 
 
 Bed . . 
 
 [Special Onlers No. 26.] 
 
 „ , Headquarters Sioux Expedition, 
 
 Unnp near old Fort Loohmt, Missouri liiver, June 3, 18oG. 
 
 L A.s it is important to obtain reliable information of the Missouri 
 Mver, from Fort Pierre to some point above the mouth of the Yellow- 
 stone, near which Governor Stevens' route strikes it, Second Lieuten- 
 ant Gouverneur v. Warren, Topographical Enginee^sTis a signexl o 
 
 lhe^,ornf XveTildS^^^^^^ '''''' '^^ '"''''' '' '''' ^^^^^^ «^- ^^^-^'^ ^^ 
 
 nf^-^uT- ^^^»™'.^'?^^"f"^^^'''''^^" ^'"^ Procure a sufficient number 
 of Mackinac boats, lor the transportation of his partv, stores &c to 
 enable him to effecta thoro^ gh examination of this pS of the river? 
 
 II. The commanding officer of the Second Infantry will select an effi- 
 cient party from his regiment, consisting of two non commissioned offi- 
 cers and fifteen men, to report to Lieutenant Warren as his escort Thev 
 wi 1 be furnished w th three months' provisions, equipage, &c ^ 
 
 III. The assistant quartermaster at Fort Pierre will furnish the neces- 
 
 entitwrr'""? "' T^ ''''^' ^^"l^P"^^ ^' Lieutenant wSren may be 
 struclions^ department, for the proper execution of these in- 
 
 By order of Brevet Brigadier-General Harney. 
 
 n * o 1 -r. ^' PJ^EASONTON, 
 
 tapt. i^econd Dragoons, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 &c., at those 
 ectivo organi- 
 the earliest 
 ven to ascer- 
 lerfilogical re- 
 featurcs, and 
 )nstructiou of 
 
 the Office of 
 >hreys, Corps 
 
I ''fv 
 
 REi^ORT. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ROUTES EXPLORED, AND MAIN INCIDENTS AFFECTINa THEIR EXTENT 
 
 AND DURATION. 
 
 In presenting the following report of explorations in I^ebraska, made 
 by me in the year 1857, 1 shall include also my previous reconnaissances 
 m that ierritory in the years 18o5-'56, while attached to the staff of 
 Brevet Brigadier-General W. S. Harney, commanding the Sioux expe- 
 dition. As, at this time, a complete narrative of these cannot be made, 
 I shall only mention the routes pursued and the nature of the examina- 
 tion, and then give what I consider the most prominent results. 
 
 A report of the explorations made in 1855, and map of the routes 
 fT"""!" S aV^.^^^o®'*^.""^. expedition, have already been published by the 
 United btates Senate in a small document called "Explorations in the 
 Dacotah Country." During that year routes were examined from Fort 
 Pierre to Fort Kearney ; from Fort Kearney to Fort Laramie, along the 
 
 t^lf ^ fJ^' i'T 59^'t Laramie to Fort Pierre 5 and from Fort Pierre 
 to the mouth of the Big Sioux Kiver. 
 
 In 1856 I started from Saint Louis for Fort Pierre, in the middle of 
 April, accompanied by my assistants, Messrs. W. H. Hutton J H 
 Snowden, and F. V. Hayden, on board Captain Throckmorton's steam^ 
 ft?i .w "rf^'V ,?""."S oy passage up the Missouri we made a care- 
 tul sketch of the river above the southern boundary of Nebraska bv 
 means of compass courses, and distances estimated from the rate of 
 travel of the steamboat, and by astronomical observations for lati- 
 thf t^rf elevated position of the pilot-house of the steamboat, which 
 the politeness of the captain allowed us to occupy, afforded advantages 
 for gaining a knowledge of the river, the extent of the sand-bars and 
 the s.ze and quantity of timber on the banks, the nature of the bottom 
 ZfL Tf ''^^^''^'- "marshes, &c., not equaled by those of any other 
 f^ol? 1^ reconnaissance, and the topographer at the same time could 
 avail himselt of the extensi^*^ and accurate knowledge of the pilot 
 
 t^rpff^'J7%*'?"'',^^.?'^T ^^ ^'^"^^^'^ ^"^ ^«e>^ sightsrshowed us that 
 tiie effects of local attraction on the compass by the iron on the boat 
 were not important, and the checks on the estimated distances, afforded 
 !Si SJ ""^ ot observations for latitude, proved that these estimates 
 were very accurately made by Messrs. Hutton and Snowden, who, bv 
 turns, prepared the sketch of the river. ' ' ^ 
 
 As far up as the mouth of James Eiver our advance had been quite 
 
 S/i^t.r''^'' ^'''f ^^ ^ ^I"?^ '^''§^^5 but a short distance above that 
 point we encountered a sudden and heavy freshet in the river, rnro- 
 duced by rains,) with a current so rapid that our boat was unable to 
 advance agains it. From this cause we remained tied up to the bank 
 « wiiuiu Uay. As sooji as the river began to fall the velocitv abated" 
 
 ZiZl ^fT^'fl'^^^, l^^. '^7^^'- ^^ ^^^^^n, however, was the sub! 
 sidence of the flood that, in five days after we had escaped the embargo 
 ot too much water, we found ourselves aground and drawing several 
 
DHEIR EXTENT 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 15 
 
 inches more water than thprpwoQ n.,T^.^u 
 
 to leave the boat and prS^^^ f ^^" ^«^^') ^'« determined 
 
 of American Crow River XntP?ifVf^^^^^^^^ camp, at the mouth 
 transportation were two h'orsestli^l.rlo'"/^'. ?,''^"^- ^"^ '"^ans of 
 fantry, and LieutenarColonef And?Z of ?L^ ^' h^ t^T' ^^^^^^ I"' 
 carried our blankets and provisions- oL'xrf ^ ^''^^^ Infontry, which 
 Moore and two men. On^i ^ ^ o'pposite to^'£« accompanied by a Mr. 
 evening of the third dav's trnv*? ^'f^®''^® ^.^}^^^ dragoon camp on the 
 
 boat to bring us across We stlv'^ there was «o 
 
 and the next morning renewed nnri ^? of the river that night, 
 camp. These, however faHed to . LF^'i' to communicate with the 
 visions being short, we w? I ob Led t^^^^^ *^ "?' ^°d' «»r pro- 
 
 iiey on foot, (there having U^n a ;oi,re?n"'"''^^^^^^^ ^^ '^"^JO""'" 
 tempt to reach Port Pier?e^ eigSv mS dlst.n?"%t-^ '""^ "^^^^'^ ^^ ^^^ 
 m three days, and arrived there o'lhe on k Jm' "^^ accomplished 
 hausted, having subsisted ma nlj on the bi^ds H?Lfei' ««™P ^^.^'^ '^■ 
 The journey gave me an opportun W of vW L ?. ^^ """^Z^^^-^^^^' 
 ainK^arances a few miles back from the Milsouri^ ' '^""''^^' ""^^ ^^'^ 
 
 ^^ tT^tl^irSe^r^St P&^^ ^--^'^^ '^^ the place 
 arrival all the tribes of the Dafotrs west of'the\\1«f "'• "^^ ^" »^^' 
 bichaugus and Ogallalas, were asseinTSH ir. ^^ foun, except the 
 peace .a. „a,e ^,, ..ein ^'VeS'Sl ' "e^wS Sl.^ffi,»e' 
 
 to determine their suSlft" a^ „?flJ if^M-'.™ "" P"'"'^ »» »« n™^ 
 such otlierinformatioi Twe Z,f ,n,«lr'''-l''' P™*"' »■»• «» obtain 
 An escort of fifteen men and?wn„„„„„l?''* ^''''/<'*f''"' t« the countrr. 
 
 Infantry were placed nndep my cZmZT""^^"?^^^". °J- '"* ««»»« 
 American Far Comnanv's Iwnt " «f li f^ '®^' ^""^ I^'"™ '■> the 
 
 transit was set up, and ob7ervafLn« Jli f^^^^t Union a 16-inch 
 but owing to the cloudy coSon of th«^^^^^^^ ^ ^''^^^ ^""^*^«^ ' 
 
 shortness of the nightf themsXpf ^ ? l^ ^^ "^"""^ *^^ time, and the 
 obtained on the m?rand star^ T,?i^' u'^^" f observations were 
 
 tude of that post 104° 02' with a lir^t , P^^ ""l ^}'^^^ ^^^« «^« lo^gi- 
 WhiJp nf T?r»rf rr; • ' ^ ^^'"^^ ''^ ^"or of about 10' 
 
 Ha.; n\'Lce S ^'^^i-^^- " 
 
 , me beforf tre st Sf SeDtembeJ T^!T' boat could not be prepared for 
 I of tho. Ypiin«....l ,„4^tem"er, I determined to make an pvim^nof? ".: 
 
 joutl\^.sfSuiraTe hTlefr,fa\^^^^^^^ ^°^^ iaVan^yinFtTrs 
 
 portat )n from Sir Georie^rnr! t« P^^^^'-^^e ^^^ means of laid trans 
 
 «ive hunting exc„r8ioC,Uhe^at%sof''.h?v n''"""°^ ^^''"^ ^" «^ten. 
 We left the month of Z ^^n^r^J !^.l/lS traTetil^^ tL^^^^: 
 
i':i 
 
 16 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 up the left bauk, reached a point one hundred miles from its mouth, be- 
 yond which it was impossible to advance with w%agons along the valley 
 of the Yellowstone without crossing to the opposite banks. Here wo 
 made a camp with the main body, and with a party of seven I proceeded, 
 with pack animals, over a very difficult country (known as the Bad 
 Landa of the Yellowstone) to the mouth of Powder Kiver, thirty miles 
 further. 
 
 This was the furthest point up the Yellowstone that I intended to 
 proceed, and I was anxious to reach it and to fix its position, as being 
 a good and certain point with which any future reconnaissance could 
 connect. From the appearance of Powder Kiver at the mouth, no one 
 would suppose the stream to be of the length it really is, and I was not 
 surprised at Captain Clark not having done so on his voyage down the 
 Yellowstone in 1806. On returning to our wagon camp, we all traveled 
 a short distance down the Yellowstone to a convenient point, where we 
 made a boat eighteen feet long and five feet wide, by stretching the 
 skins of three buffalo bulls over a frame made of small cottonwood and 
 willow trees. With this vessel a small party navigated the Yellowstone 
 to its mouth, carefully mapping the islands and bends of the river. The 
 wagons and laud party returned to the Missouri by traveling over nearly 
 the route by which they ascended. 
 
 We enjoyed the greatest abundance of large game of all kinds while 
 on the Y^ellowstone lliver. 
 
 On reaching Fort Union again we found our boat nearly ready, 
 and, all our arrangements being completed, w^e left that place on the 
 1st of September A small party conducted the animals along the 
 shore on our journey down the Missouri, geneially camping each 
 night with the boat party. Halts of two or three days were made at 
 all interesting localities, and map sketches were made several miles 
 up all the streams flowing into the Missouri; and the map of the Mis- 
 souri was also verified. These sketches, on a scale of one and a half 
 inch to a mile, are on file and convenient for reference in this office. 
 
 Thermometer and barometer observations were made throughout the 
 period of the examinations of the year 1850. Dr. Hayden was indefat- 
 igable in his eftbrts to develop the geology of the region traversed, 
 and some of the results have already been published, by permission of 
 the War Department, in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural 
 Sciences in Philadelphia. A very extensive collection was also made 
 in zoology. 
 
 We reached Fort Pierre on our return on the 2d of October, at 
 which place our animals were sold, and most of the soldiers returned 
 to their respective companies. A few accompanied us as fiir as the 
 mouth of the James River. We reached Sioux City on November 15, 
 and fortunately found a steamboat there, by means of which we pro- 
 ceeded with our effects to Saint Louis, and thence by railroad to Wash- 
 ington. The cost of this expedition to the United States was about 
 $1(),000. 
 
 No special report has yet been made by me on the results of this 
 explorati<' The maps were about completed, and the mate- 
 rial in the process of elaboration, when I was assigned to the command 
 of finother exploration by the War Department, a brief account of 
 which I shall now proceed to give. 
 
 I received my instructions from the Hon. John B. Floyd, Secretary 
 of War, May 7, 1857, the general terms of which were to make the 
 necessary examinations to determine the best route for continuing the 
 military road between :\Iendota and the Big Sioux westward to Fort 
 
 year's 
 
11 kinds while 
 
 f account of 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NKHKASKA AND DAKOTA. IJ 
 
 Lanunie and the S.u.th Pass; thence to j.roceed northwird -md 
 make such examinations on the ]Jlack Hills^.s n.v tiim ■ id ne^ns 
 woukl permit, and to return bv the vin«»v r.r m.^ v- i «"'<' "i<m»8 
 a careril exa.nination thereof I was i sited n '^1 e r;?' ""r "''^" 
 Messrs. J. H. Snowden and P. M. S.^rn tJ o- S^.' D 'p l^ 
 
 Mofttt, as surgeon; and Lieut. Jas. McMilhin'co.uinan.liuTtho escort 
 
 Accompanied by Mr. Engel, I then nroceedPfl Vn <4,v.„^ n-^ 
 
 long use, were of very inferiorCalifv T?nn^ '^- ?^ ^'''''"^'?' *'«"^ 
 getting the train iu Vavebng Tn ^n wSS^^^^^^ 
 abandoning one wagon and a larffe snm^/nf^ was only done by 
 During this time a rumor* reached fhe^.^nfnfi f??' •^^' ^^^ ^''''''^' 
 between the soldiers and the ShvemfJ.^t a f^t^* 
 
 Civilized community, where we sLl!!in„rt '"''^^ occurring in a 
 
 construct a raft with which to cross the Elk Ho?n ''^ ^''"^' ^"^ 
 
 and south raTtotbePi;tteTtll„?'°'''l''''r'' '° "'" ''''''"•'■■•■' 
 
 ^ ^ This rumor was without foundatiou, a« it afterwards appe^^^IT 
 
18 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NKHRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 Ill 
 
 ,it 
 
 llill coniitry, but many of tlicin iiro too niiicli iinprofriuited with salts to 
 \m wiioIcMoiiu'. Solium of tlu'Hc latter our animals drank out of without 
 injury. On rcatdiiiiH tlu' lon^ihidc of 102° iW we had the ^^ood fortune 
 to tind an «»|.en stretch of eountry, with a lar^e, wellinarked lod^e trail 
 leading; between the IMatte and Niobrara, wiiich, in one day's travel 
 northward, bion^'ht us to the Niobrara. We now i)r()eeeded rapidly 
 ov«'r an easy joute to Fort Jiaraniie. 
 
 Duriiij,' lh(^ journt^y there had been considerable siekness in the canii> 
 [roin fevers, and one of the men was so near the [mint of death that a 
 halt ot several days was made for ids benefit. Dr. Motlitt also became 
 so dl as to re(iuire a delay of one or two days. These necessary ston- 
 I»a«('s, the dilVicultu's of the route, rainy weather, toff(.ther with my 
 benifj obh^M'd to leave so much of our provisions behind at Sioux City, 
 reduced our supplies to a small amount, and for nearly two weeks we 
 were without su^ar or eoifee. We had also been very much disap- 
 pointed in the amount of game; and though the country gave evidence 
 ot having recently been occupied by large herds of bullalo, only a few 
 bulls were seen. During the early part of the journev, moscpiitoes were 
 abundant, and allowed our animals no rest at night, and immense uu'/i- 
 bers of llies attaiiked them by day. These insects, combined, exhausted 
 and worried the animals more than the labor they performed, and the 
 lives of ont^ or two were saved only by covering them with grease and 
 tar to kee}) the flies and mosquitoes away. 
 
 At Fort Laramie we entirely refitted the party, which took us a Ion'' 
 time, on account of everything being required for the Utah expeditiom 
 Jt gives me great pleasure to state that the commanding officer. Colonel 
 Ijotlman, and the a(!ting quartermaster. Lieutenant Higgins, gave me 
 all the tacilities at their command. Owing to the great number of ani- 
 mals that graze in the neighborhood, the grass was nearly eaten off, and 
 our animals recruited very little during our stay there. While there I 
 succeeded m getting several sets of observations for moon culminations, 
 which determined the longitude to be 104° 30', with a limit of error of 
 about 4'. Dr. ILaydeu and Mr. Eugel also made an excursion to Lara- 
 mie Peak, which they ascended. 
 
 The party, on leaving Fort Laramie, was divided into two parts, as, 
 owing to the lateness of the season, it was impossible to accomplish all 
 the objects of the expedition by keeping together. Though in doing 
 this I subjected each portion to the possibility of being defeated by the 
 Im.ians, 1 deemed the case to justify the risk. The wagons were, half 
 ot them, turned in to the quartermaster, and the remainder, with the 
 escort under Lieutenant McJVIillan, were to i)roceed dowu the Niobrara, 
 and await me in longitude lOfo 'M'. Mr. J. H. Snowden went with this 
 party to make the topographical reconnaissances ; Dr. Moffitt also ac- 
 companied it. My own party consisted of Dr. Hayden, Mr. Carrington, 
 aiid j\Ir. Engel, and we had with us 17 men as packers, &c., and Mr. 
 Monn as a guide and inter])ieter. Our supplies were packed on mules. 
 
 feetting out Irom Fort Laramie on the 4th of September, we proceeded 
 direct for the Black Hills via Kaw Hide Butte, Old Woman Creek, the 
 South Fork of the Shyenne, and Beaver Creek; up a branch of this 
 last we entered the Black IJills. We continued north to the vicinity of 
 the Inyan Kara, (or the peffk which makes the mountain,) a remarkable 
 high basaltic peak, one of the highest of these mountains, and so far to 
 the north that we had a full view of the prairie beyond. 
 
 Here we were met by a very large force of the Dakotas, who made 
 snch earnest remonstrances and threats against our proceeding into 
 their country that 1 did not think it prutient for us, as a scientific expe- 
 
KXPLOKATIONS IN NKHRASKA AND DAKOTA. 10 
 
 hliji„n,to v.'i.t.ire fnrtl.or i.i this diivctiori. Sotno of thoin wero for 
 a tm^km^n.H nn.mMl.itcIv as their rm,nl,(,rs would have ins ^ "dZcoS' 
 
 |o.rth..y would .u.twitIu<,tnl^;Cu;llt^ 
 upon tlicn.. Wo wor« at the time almost in si-l.t ,,(• Vl r.J.w.n li 
 those Indians had j^lundered «ir (Jeor-V Joi"; i„ li- ' ^ V"''*' 
 orin^ to procoHl through their <H>unt;.y^1nul'Z o ' t^ 'vv^ -IllSw 
 .Mounted on one of his best horses, taken at that in 8ir Ge £ 
 (.ores party was only about half as numerous as mine ut there ve?p 
 
 |ve?;':e?s;':.^j^t?t££t^ 
 
 .n theirown nnnds in resisting,- and as th ese ire s 1 r.^^^n^^^^^^^ T 
 j.revention of the passajjo of a^. v ( ther n^r foAvhiMin 1 f^ *^^' *''f 
 to resist successfully, tlS^y are o\- ^uJlcffim^^^^^^^^^^ 
 J.ere. In the irst place, they were encan.ped niar arge her< Is of bufi hf 
 
 tt Zv i::i's.;!d' ^l^^^^^f^^^^^y ^-^own to ,nake robS; the l^dLn^ we ? 
 |t may be said, actua ly herding the animals. No one was permitted To 
 Ivill any m the largo bands tor fear of stampeding the ot fe 4 Ton^ 
 K' were killed as straggled away from the nfaiu he ds ' Tims hi 
 nutU u'hfl ^* the butfalo was stopped so that the clld not ,toceed 
 t ? i' I -''^ "^"^ ^^"^ I*""**^ *« ^^'"^'l' tl»«.V wt'>« trave ing The inteS 
 
 CUev sai'<rt;;:"'tr/,!;^K."'^' r*"?, Vr'-^' "■•««' "S^lnst our proceeding. 
 
20 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEHRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 nv- 
 
 m 
 
 |i ■'••'!. 
 
 oc(;ur, our passinjr thronsli tlu'ir country would ^ivo us a ktiowIedRo of 
 its ciiann-.tir and the i)ro|H'r way to travcrHo it in the event of another 
 war l)ef ween themselves and the troop?*. I was necessarily compelled 
 to admit to myself the truth and force of these objections. 
 
 The Indians whom 1 first met were the iMinikanyes, to the number 
 of torty hxlKCN, near whom, as ihey were verv friendly, we emsarnped.* 
 They were soon Joined by the wariiors of a lar^e camp of Unkpa|)aH 
 and Sihasapas, and our position, which was sutticieutly unpleasant in 
 the presence of such a numerous party of half avowed enemies, was 
 lemlered doubly 80 by a storm of sleet and snow, which lasted two 
 days an<i nights, and against which we had but little protection. 
 
 A younjf Indian, who had accompanied us from Fort Laramie, con- 
 sidered the danger to us so imminent that he forsook our camp and 
 joined his friends, the Minikanyea. 
 
 Under these embarrassinj? circumstances my associates evinced the 
 Miost resolute bravery and determiiuition to abide the result like true 
 men. 
 
 1 coLsented to wait three days without advancing, in order to meet 
 their great warrior, Bear's Kib, ai)pointed first chief by General Har- 
 ney's treaty, merely changing our position to one offering greater 
 lacdities for defense. At the expiration of the time, Bear's Kib not 
 nujk/ng his appearance, we broke up camp, and, traveling back on 
 our route about forty miles, struck ofi" to the eastward, through the 
 southern part of these moutttains. The point where we turned back is 
 well maiked by the Inyan Kara Peak, whose position was fixed by us. 
 
 Atter we had proceeded two days on our journey eastward, we were 
 overtaken by Bear's liib and one other Indian who accompanied him 
 He reiterated all that had been said by the other chiefs, and added 
 that he could do nothing to prevent our being destroyed if we attempted 
 to proceed further. 1 then told him that I believed he was our friend 
 but that if he could do nothing for us, he had better return to his peo- 
 ple, and leave us to take care of ourselves, as I was determined to pro- 
 ceed as far as Bear Butte. After a whole day spent in deliberation he 
 concluded to accomi)any us a part of the way, and he said he would 
 then return to his people and use his influence to have us not molested 
 In return for this, he wished me to say to the President and to the 
 white people that they could not be allowed to come into that country; 
 that if the presents sent were to purchase such a right, they did not'want 
 them. All they asked of the white people was, to be left to themselves 
 and let alone; that if the presents were sent to induce them not to go 
 to war with the Crows and their other enemies, they did not wish them. 
 War with them was not only a necessity but a pastime. He said Gen- 
 eral Harney had told them not to go to war, and yet he was all the 
 time going to war himself. (Bear's Kib knew that when General Harney 
 left tiie Sioux country he had gone to the war in Florida, and was at 
 the time in command of the army sent against the Mormons.) He said 
 moreover, that the annuities scarcely paitl for going after them • and 
 that if they were not distributed to them while they were on their visit 
 to the trading-posts on the Missouri to dispose of their robes, thev did 
 not want them. 
 
 (It is a fact that for several years, owing to this cause, these Indians 
 nave not come in for their "-nnds at all.) 
 He said that he he ard that the Ihanktonwans were going to sell their 
 
 * I am much indebted to tlwiiifiiienco of Major Twiss, the Indian aijeut near Fort 
 Laranne, for his eflforts to jrive the Dakotas a favorable opinion of my expedition and 
 to secure us a friendly reception. ■> t- > 
 
EXPLORATIONS IN NEimASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 21 
 
 Iniuls to the wliit«>.s. If tlio.v .li.l ho, 1„. wi,sl,o<l them intbrino.l thit 
 tlM.y c.,..hl not coM.e on his ,H.„,,le\s hnnls. Tl.ev nnist Ht ^w h I'u 
 
 Whatever may have hcon Bear's Ril,'s notions after leaving ns it is 
 mtau. we saw no n.ore Indians in the Hlaek Hills. Wr^n ph ';i onr 
 iec..nna.ssanee u on^^ the eastern ju.rtion of these n.oJnt s sV^r i 
 l''|"ar Peak, which fcnns n,.other convenient and acen t o ^^ 
 AvI.Krli any future reconnaissance may connect with our nt,. \v 1 1 
 v.s.ted the North Fork of the Hhyenne, in this vi' , ty On'on^ et" rn 
 we took a southeast dire(!tion, striking the South Fork nf Ih^ ii 
 at the n.outh of Sa«e (^reek. 'we the^ pr^eeS n " the So th^^Sto 
 rcn(th Creek; thence southeast, tiirouyii the Bad -inds o Whifn 
 .ver; thence alonjf the sources of WhUe CI y ( rlf ^d' Porc^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 Creek ; and thence to the Niobrara, striki,.j; it in h>nff tu lO-o o' 
 
 We found the party under Lieutenant WMilhi"S,fortv miles 
 below where we struck the river, and eighty miles el w herfwe^ S 
 first reached it on our.journey westward in August TLsSrvtnni 
 
 MALi,u cxcuisions at ditterent i)lace8 to exam ne the countrv sis I harl 
 
 he chie, Little Thunder, sent four of his principal men to accon ,m^^^ 
 I.em, which they did for some days. At a sn bseo e t tim^ v ,* v 
 two warriors diarged into the camp, thinking tlieTity was a^m ii J' 
 expedition. Their insolence was checked by Lieite^n^McMn "i^^^^ 
 hreatening to fire on them ; whereupon thev entered thSusS nro^^^^^^^^ 
 against the jmrty s proceeding further, and the next CaTw thdrew 
 li e last twenty miles of Lieutenant McMillan's route was thrZr wifffl * 
 cnl sand-hills bordering the river, the stream tsdf be ng so shS in ifv 
 
 We^'^n'o^il^"' ^''lr' ''•''*' ^^ ''^' ""'-^^^^ to travel alonglt. ^' 
 
 We now found the route exceedingly laborious for wagor^ on no 
 count of the sand-hills, which continue to the mouth of ?4pid Creek' 
 Ihe character of the immediate valley of the NiobrarrpreXded the 
 S"VM^'^*™'''l*r^^"^«°S ^*; ««' ^^ile Mr. SnowTen m^^^^^^^ the 
 route of the train, Mr. Eugel traveled along the river soSEs on 
 one side and sometimes on the other, and made a map of iP E ^n he 
 bough ruling a mu e, found it diflScult to keep up in^hs way with the 
 « agons, which slowly wound their way through and ove/the san 1 hil I 
 Our camps at night were here alway"s on the nn n ?iv Jr Aft"? mss 
 Iff the Rapid Creek, the sand-hills gave us no longer anXubleTexceDt 
 
 i .iha ) but he ravines and precipices still prevented the wagons from 
 t ave ing within from five to eight miles of the Niobrara Zf here Mi 
 
 tSnS Xtn\V<^''tt'' ""'''''- '''' ^^^^^^" alsTt'ia'^lecT'lo^ig 
 
 ai^ Sectrng ftsds. ' "'''' ^^^"^^'""^ ^he character of the rock! 
 
 On reaching the mouth of the Keya Paha, the main iiartv wifl> thp 
 
 accompany him, but on arriving at the place of separation we found 
 the same geological formation and characteristics as^^eCew to exist 
 
22 
 
 KXPLOKATIONS IN NEHRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 at the mouth ; n.Hl m f ho iiiU'rvfnii.K (lintarKU, whh only sixty .niU-s, h<. 
 Uul iiotUcctn It lU'rmsai.v to lioowv it. '"lu.i, im 
 
 Fort KaiHli.ll was ivac'lir.l on tho iHt of NovhiiIut, and the m-ort w.m 
 
 Ihiy con,n,an,l.n« tho post, and ih.. otiuT o«|,..V.s <„ t |n, HvZ [ n , v 
 j"Hl talu. th.s o(..aHi.MMo a.l<n,,wh.dp. n.v ind.l,t.dru^ss to ^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 Uso sets ot ol)snvationM lor nio.,n ^^lalinalions w.uc ol.rainc.l \wiv 
 
 inun, IS IJ.so ,{.|/^ ^vith a piobal.lo limit oli'iror olahout H' 
 
 lIu'paitvNotont troin Foil K'andall on tlio ^fli of N.ivon.her and 
 Nniv<..v..d tho ronte to Wioax Cily, which was reached on h'V /^'t 
 soason K.in^; far mlvancod, no stean.l.oat was .xpect.-d and riv r 
 
 wasinllof ll.,a,.nj,ic.. Th. weather as we tiavele<l o tnvanl For 
 Leayenwortli l.e<-aine very severe, and the river became Iro/ei over s 
 ar down as Haint Joseph's. Daring this time we made r i a .^e 
 ut a in. d spell ot weather eominj; on made the road so heavv that with 
 he Kreatest exer .on we hardly accomplished ten miles a (lay. Duri il 
 tins time the health of the party sntfered sev(Mely fn.n. i.i 1 ien/a We 
 reaclR^l Fort Leavenworth on the 4th of December, and we e i'o •tnimte 
 enough to meet therewith a steamboat, by which weproceelcHl to H^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 Louis, and thence by railroad to Washing on. l»'«^tcuca to Saint 
 
 :■ .itil 
 
 M 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 PHYSICAL GEOGRAIMIV OF NEBRASKA; rilARAOTEU OF THE SOIL AND 
 RESOURCES OP THE COUNTRY. 
 
 th Jir/i!', '''^■' {•'''''''IV'' ^'-^''"''""tions have nowhere extended west of 
 the lObth meridian, there are certain points west of it to which I would 
 direct attention. The positions of the Missouri and YeSt^.mr v^^^^^^ 
 of this meridian and north of the 40th degree of north latit m lo h-i^ 
 been well exam ned by Lewis and Clark and under Go^rnor Steve^.s 
 and the valuable information they obtaine.l is widely knowi^ Thrsec' 
 
 sZh ?lT.'wV^^''''r *•'" ^':'^ ^'^''''""^ '" ^^'^ >'«»-^»' «"<l the 43d in the 
 south, the JO(,th meridian in the east, and the dividing line between the 
 waters ot the Pacific and the Atlantic, in the west, is comparath!^ un 
 known, except from the accounts afforded by tn.pping' Xs^Tho 
 in formation given of it on the map of Lewis .fnd Clark fs deriv'^ fnt 
 this latter source ; as is also that on Colonel Bonneville's man nublinbed 
 wi h Jrving's work on "Adventures in the liocky Mountains," I' t. 
 these are our most authentic sources of information. These mans i.ave 
 been generally disregarded by s.ibsequent map-makers, and r S ; to 
 the map I compiled for the Pacific Kailroad Ollic., there lave ber, n 
 mountains represented about the source of the Yellowstone From ^ 
 q nines 1 made ot trappers in ISo.!, 1 became convinced of the existenc^^. 
 ot these mountains, ar 1 -^.presented them accordinglv, endeavorinJ^ to 
 
 S^wUhUn;';^-""V?» r ^^«^^«/«"^ dark's maVaml Bonnl^llli: 
 map with that whi. n i !..<d . .ocured from traders and trapDers In do 
 
 ;;'if^f.',V"^'l"'"-^«^^'^^^-<! '!l^ ^,%\i-rn Mountains perhaps\oo ?{tr to jl^ 
 
 P^airSn U;;flSSf ^' ""''^''•"" ^'^^""""'^ '' thelnyanKura 
 
 Leaving out of consideration for the present the smaller detached 
 
 mountain masses, and begu.ning with the main range of The iSkv 
 
EXPLORATIONS IN XEHRAHKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 ^ Hixty inilt'M, lio 
 
 23 
 
 THE SOIL AND 
 
 of 
 
 I 
 
 M.Min ,ni,H, ,„, tlM, 4()tl, imrall..!, w,. (i,,,! tlwW n.stcn, hum, to haM, n 
 (l.n..tioi. lu-aily northwest HI..I southeast, u.mI tl... ru.,ir., .TOHsi « tJ.« 
 
 H(M, lat.t de, 40,) ,„st south ot whu-ti it lorinH hi^h, suovv-covoml iM-aks 
 i . M mo ot .nounrau.H ,m brolu,,, through «;;aiu by'tho Jiig Horn iC" 
 a.Kl the ir.ounta.Ms receive the nan.e of Hijr Horn Mountains The 
 sm.theast ter,ni,,ns of the lU^ Horn lountai,;. sinks into e evat^l 
 tahltMan.l prairie, and the ranjje, perhaps, reappears a«aiu as the I m 
 nue Monntams (Houth of the hit.t.ule of Fort Laran.h, the 11 e ./f tl e 
 "%':''"., "".'\"/..J^*^ ""»'"**""« i« "«'a«'lv north an<l south.) 
 
 llie llla(!k Hills, whose ;jeo-rraphi('al |><rsiti(Mi we have d.'terinined, are 
 tie most eastern portion of what has heretofore heen eonsi.lered a part 
 
 the ^M'eat mountain-region west of the Mississippi ; ami it is worthv 
 Of no.e f'Ht, It a line be drawn from them to the Little K.Mjkv Moiint- 
 mns, on u,e4rith parallel, which are the nmst eastern portion in tl at t- 
 
 1 nde, lus 1... will be parallel to the line of the main t'r<,ntV> I e . u . 
 aiiis .vhich I have already traced. What is still more signitlciunt is t at 
 «t . .rraight line be drawn from the mouth of the Yell,>w8to ne to the 
 mouth of the KaiKsas Kiver, it will also be parallel to ^ ?i^ Z' ietb e 
 mentioned, and will have about an equal portion of the Missouri on each 
 
 siuo OI it. 
 
 The line of the east base of the main mountain mass is the hiirhest 
 f course, ot any portion of the plains, and at Kaw Hide Peak,** near 
 
 i n L; T"!?«' f ^''"^- '''^^y ^^^^ elevation, as determined by the hor 
 izontally stratified Tertiary deposits, though, owing to great denudation 
 the average height there of this line of the' plaint will not be so great 
 Ihe same line, near the 49th parallel, has probably a s()niewhat less 
 e evatiou. The lowest line of the plains is tlmt along^ le Missou and 
 s elevation, 1.tken near Bijou Hills, (a point about on the perprdicuTr 
 to It from Fort Laramie,) is about 2,130 feet, which does not differ ma 
 terially from its he.ght at the mouth of the Yellowstone. The slope of 
 
 n • i !f .P'T .■ ^ ^.'''"•'1 (^'^i"^' *" '' direction perpendicular to the lines 
 ot (Miual elevation) has therefore its line of greatest descent in a north- 
 east direction, and north of the Niobrara; this is the direction in which 
 n ma,or% of the rivers flow till they join with the Missouri or Yellow 
 stone. To the south of the Niobrara the greatest slope of the plai sTs 
 to the southeast, toward the Gulf of Mexico, and this is the direction 
 pursued there by nearly all the rivers of the plains. Thus tl e Srar 
 would seem, as it were to run along a swell or ridge on the sSe 
 
 m I-e Zf f "^'' ^M*'" '"""''' *■'"'" *'^« Missouri to the mouSnt 
 m.ke nowleiHi an angle greater than one-half degree with the horizon. 
 
 inte^^eiohS ^^T7':' ''^^'-'^'^ to tliis change of slope which occurs 
 s tHb. h,H.« H. ""i the course of the Niobrara is the shortness of 
 i^tiibutaues, the surface drainage seeming to be away from and not 
 
 toward Its banks. A result of this is the absence of the amphi hea er 
 ow, A'^;;'^'^^ rivers generally have, and which enable us to look 
 
 uown at the stream often many miles distant. Through the greater 
 
 riou ot It as you approach, till within close proximity, and then vou 
 
 di'd tZl?"" f'"'?'''') ^'^^**f ^^"^^ «^»tch, at the dista-n'ce of two h^^n 
 hai,.",.. . •■••••••■^" -.c^;:^, oh{.> uviciiiHi there a glimpse of the river 
 
 ' e V, so much is it hidden by the precipitous blufl^s which, at the 
 fS th.f^ tri ""' V" ^vf ter-edge. So strongly was I impressed ^ith he 
 conr.« 1 o T r ^^^'""'i8<' could never have been directed along its 
 coui*,e 80 as to have worn out this channel, that 1 think a portion of 
 
24 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 
 
 In 
 
 I :>l 
 
 til 
 
 :| 
 
 • 
 
 it uj.rst have orioinatod in a fissure in the rocks, which the waters I,nvA 
 since en arffcd and made more nnilonn in si^e, S whiclf thV^ol? 
 iiatnre o the rock wonld render easy of ac..,nu)li8lunenr It is wort v 
 
 to tins , White Ivn er having there cut its way entirely throuoh the Ter 
 tiary formation, Hows ah)n- the Cretaceous, while the be( o\heNn 
 brara IS ,n the Miocene Tertiary, the Pliocene lormi iff the bU ti^ T h^' 
 beu o the >.iobrara is also, in tuo-thirds of its uppei^c^rse f ro.n m 
 Ihe soiuh. '''" ''' '"' "' '''' ''''''' ''''''^ ^'^ col-iesponS^ pZ t 'at 
 
 soil'Vs''ve7vtn<rv 'lo .TT^'T '^■*^">^^^ ''^''''^' ^''^^ ^'^^^'^^^^ flows the 
 soi IS ^cl.^ sand.s so that what ram or snow falls sinks under tl.« 
 
 ^ir ace and none is lost by evaporation. This is gradu ly al oured 
 
 hto the streain by the springs in the ravines, and in this wav th r her 
 
 Ih^lnrlJ^st sKt^lJf^S!^^^ ^-^ --•' - ^^>'^^>" times S l^'o^Z 
 
 jrt^r-p^^^^ir 17?.--- s;;'r on SS 
 
 th^fu^fnZ'f'''V^^''''] ^^'^ ^''^'^t ^^'''^''''y formation have developed 
 the tact, that since the close of the Pliocene period, the eastern b se of 
 the mountains, which is the western limit of this formji to 1 as been 
 elevated trom 2,000 to 3,000 feet above the eastJriran ti is wit out 
 S'?^e't;"^"'^S^^r:^f^'! ^'^r of upheaval, slich astcbnaS 
 wh ch t e iwi. / ^ "T ^ evidence is in the immense denudation 
 Milieu the lertary has undergone probably while this elevation v^as 
 in progress, and which causes of denudation nnistl^^vereeX^^^^^ 
 ally extinguished, as there is, at the present time, no foix^e it work 
 suffaci.nt to have atlected them. The evidence goes to shot thaUhe 
 eleva ion wh.di ,as taken place since the close of tL PHSif, er od 
 has iM^en in Nebraska remarkably uniform, and along a Ih.e n -en 
 era! direction northwest and southeast, and nearly coinciStVthThe 
 ranges of mountains previously upheaved toiucuient ^,lth the 
 
 neriod ms^'hI ^'"' '• ""JJ''^ '^^^''' ^'^'^ ^'^^^^'^^^ upheavr.i at the same 
 
 S IS 'The r eolo'w;;!.? ^^T'""'"''^ '^'"^ ^^^' ''' '^^ <^'««« «f t^^« ^^ 
 ceous. 1 e geological evidence goes to show that the Pliocene and 
 
 Miocene Tertiary, south of the Shyenne, are fresh water form" ion ^ 
 
 to uiis basni. In the present relative position of the different n-irts 
 ot these plains, the elevation of the Pliocene Tertiary tbrmS L^now 
 
 enife'^luld' ir!"' f '''' ""'^^'^^^^'^ «»^l the Crecac'eous on he Shy 
 enne should have been covered with it. This mi<Tht however h^L 
 
 ^hZun\r'ry'f since have all been denuded^iwa7 N^nl^^^^ 
 se nr t: 1 h' A''r''''T '"^^'^ '-r '^'••*^^^^'>' «"ffl^^iently higl[ to have 
 nSh in still I'i^' n!''' '""'^^^' '' '''■^•" *''^ Lignite Tertiary to the 
 theTm^ ih. . necessary to suppose that this last elevation of 
 
 north ot it. ' «o^"ewhat greater near the i2d parallel than (o the 
 
 or Ji^^iii^e n!^;;^!;;^irt :s.:l:crti;^ri^i^;^^^i;~ 
 
)TA. 
 
 the waters liave 
 which tlio solt 
 it. It is worthy 
 iin ih longitude 
 he point nearest 
 thr()u<)h the Ter- 
 bed oi' the Nio- 
 :he blutis. The 
 ourse, from .'JOO 
 Hiding points at 
 
 brara flows tlie 
 inks under the 
 uallj all poured 
 is way the river 
 les it is cue of 
 
 » which I have 
 actical interest, 
 measure, to fill 
 the north and 
 iouuected levels 
 
 have developed 
 eastern base of 
 atioii, has been 
 d this without 
 
 as inclination 
 nse denudatiou 
 
 elevation was 
 e been gradu- 
 force at work 
 
 show that the 
 Miocene period 
 
 line in a geu- 
 ;ident v;ith the 
 
 .1 at the same 
 of the Creta- 
 Pliocene and 
 er formations j 
 lieni boundary 
 different parts 
 mation is now 
 8 on the Shy- 
 however, have 
 North of the 
 high to have 
 ^'ertiary to the 
 t elevation of 
 lei than (o the 
 
 these changes 
 fertiary north 
 iMiocene beds 
 he age of the 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. . 25 
 
 'llic xN i„bra,a K.ver, lyinK on a ,„ost desirable line of eoi.Tmi nie fio, mi 
 
 1 .1.1 A ""^^' '^"*^ t''<^ communication between this stiPim 
 
 ami the P atte greatly obstructed and in some places^ntire v cut off 
 Ihe subiect ot routes and communications I shall her^af^er take up in 
 
 For nearly all of the knowledge of the age of the geological for 
 mat.ons o the portions of Nebraska developed by my exStions I 
 am in.lebted to the services of Dr. F. V. Hayden a.T Mr P B Z;! 
 o" 1^ AcS.:^:? N :;-<'^' -'--I-f-. PablisJed In ^^I^oS^^^ 
 f the , H c nil ii^"^""'-^ Sciences, have already made known some 
 ot tlie principal d scoveries and results due to their labors Or 
 Ha,.len was the only one of those mentioned who acVon.plnlS'me in 
 
 .1 my owu obseiviitioiis in the Held." Tlio northeast nortion n7 mS 
 bounda,y of the Tertiary fornmtion between tto Wh eSsiolSa 
 ^3 a ,d S5? "'S '""/"^ "'""*• ."!="=<'■■"'"« '» "'>■ own Ob erva tons™ 
 
 eeit'ain Sj t'irSiSSf H^ T.S^o^'Z!'^^'' tf:^^^^ 
 nplimvec sedin.entary Ibrn.ations which eneirc^ tiie igneois r„°L o? 
 tlie Black H.lls is much more developed on the western thin on the 
 nSr.enX'^'.r':'^*'' *''?r<li«r"'^« "' "iP-on £ westernTeit' 
 
 LriT'" "'">' ''"s l>eeB said it will be seen that the surface of Ne 
 .nonntar"" "™ ''''"' """"^^-'tat of the plains auSthat of Sfe 
 
 ofThlSlSl-?amf ,>';*"'''' '"■? <^''";F««1 of "early horizontal strata 
 Ihe.Mst section extends from the southern boundary north, nearly 
 
jjlliiliji 
 
 ir 
 
 vM 
 
 m 
 
 26 
 
 KXI'J.ORATIONH IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 (roil 
 
 timioiis to flic Uih j.iiialh'l, und cojit 
 
 viill.'.vs of (lie Phiftc, Loii]. Fork, Niol 
 t'xn-pt 111 Ww. iiiiiiuMliiih! vjilN'ys of M 
 oC iHHul soil, iiiifurally inij^jitfid \ 
 tilths of inij,'jitioii, iiiii(;li of tl 
 
 iiins ii liirjLja jioitioti of (lie 
 
 Hiini, and \Vlii(«' Jtiveis. Ih 
 
 10 sdeiuiis, whicli 
 
 re 
 
 >.V Hpiiiio,s (loiii tli(^ blulls. Ol 
 
 ire coMipostul 
 
 SIIHCM'J)- 
 
 va(ion. ]nJo valiiahl 
 
 O III 
 
 w <-ouii(ry is sandy and unlit for ndt 
 mt'ial or j-ood luiildin;;- stone hi.s Iw i-ii d 
 
 n \ .• H ''''.H '"■'' ^'* ••'' '■'•"""l <•'*' «*i"<l "ills, wl 
 
 .nil nor li o( (ho Plutte of no' less Mian L'(MM>(» s.,ua 
 lulls r,n the north heoi,i lu'tueen the White and Niol 
 •'xteiid south probahly beyond the Ark 
 
 is- 
 
 iieli oecnpy an 
 
 s(piare miles. These 
 •rara rivers, ami 
 
 Miein, they vary in iiei«,dit from ]() to' i>"(i()'| 
 
 iiisas. Where we have visited 
 
 |>oitioniireraii-edin ridyes runniiif.' e.ist and west- I 
 
 W^t, and in the westei 
 
 II 
 
 yon are rre(|iieii(ly oblio-rd to cross tl 
 
 which are also sand, are not cont 
 
 )nt in travelin;;;- 
 m, as the intermediate valleys. 
 
 1 
 
 ork many of the lakes of water ( 
 
 iiMions. About the sources of I 
 
 salts 
 
 oui 
 
 und unfit to drink, and our sull 
 
 ■"'III* 
 mill thiMii are iaipre<''nat«'d wiM 
 
 always hold a prominent pi 
 
 onnys in <^\ploriny- them will 
 
 iHace in our memories. The present f 
 
 or these hills is- niHinly if not entn.iy <i; e t (h^ m'^ ^" mm' the 
 j,Mass protects the surface the sand . oes not dril^f b t ifTi 
 moved, the wind whirls th " " ' '^' 
 
 lis IS re- 
 
 hol 
 
 tvs. 1 therefore look upon them as uttor] 
 
 o sand in the air, and often excavates deep 
 
 y impracticable for 
 
 otrailn>ad;ibrshouhlunya;(^mpVi;m:;d^^^^ 
 
 dHSni^;;^:""''' ''" "'"^ """'^^ "" "I* ^'- -^^« wuh'ind^a^ witl; 
 
 of ^^ hi e Kiver, s(, celebrated for their vertebrate lemains S loSv 
 b m l^ld ^:d fiirili"' /""'^^ l'a« l>e-i.applied is il. ^Ste.ft'lai^l^i^on^ 
 1 m .1 ,; \ -^^ ''''^. *"'«■' "' " ^l'»'^'<^t'^>'i northeast and southwest 
 an. abt)ut sixty miles wide. The term " Bad Lands " was -ive o this 
 section by the traders, on account of the difficulty of ffc7tti . .• r '^^^ 
 
 wh'jf iij^e'^'urr.:!,;;; ,^"*^-^-'t «^' ^'- ^->h^icarn";nat;or o 
 
 Allien riiese J>a(l Lands l)eloiiy' is verv o-rejir •mil mu tUn. ,.,....,. :, 
 Piopor <,iie to be applied to tl^ wholl^c^'J^ l s n'mi^'^ Z Snn e"" 
 
 of'H.e')?;^hi;: I'i;"' "T 'r;'"'" ^^^*'"'''^*> '^y '^ ^''""^ the milidle c ur^ 
 V. !. ,*''"• , '" ^'"' l*'"'^ *** ^^''*t« 1^*^'*'^- «<>'»»^ «t"^ beautiful val- 
 
 rts H . •' "r ""Vi> '•"■V^^"«''^^ i" tJie Far West, thoufjh, like otier 
 |M ts, f le majority of the country is barren. Tlies^ Had Lands ((•thi 
 W hi cKiver country have fre.iuently been spoken of us a ^i "t <m ive r 
 sepulchre, from the amount of bones found there m his ll^ne of 
 
 speech has somewhat tended to 
 
 ^ive a gloomy idea of the place which 
 
 It does not es,»ec,ally deserve, as it abomids in the niost be t m md 
 varu>d fcums in endless variety, giving the most stri 'v an u "iU 
 e fleets Of lij._ht ami shade, it has also been <lescribe,l a,s i o'« j? 
 
 uio i.iack Jlills which IS not the case, many portions of these IJ id 
 
 he t-i^r'niM 'T' ^'''V"^ ^"r "'^'-'-'-^ --!t.y betweei'them n 
 J''<;'- "ill:Sti-om which the portions on White liiver are disfuit 
 
 tuils al lost uiiinterrui.ledly east to the mouth of (he Keva I'dVi 
 and scmth beyond the Platte; and an instance of the shi u «■ I ! 
 
 ,, ". ,' '"''• ^^'^' f«"»« '• i>ad Lands is lieiierallv aitoiied Uv 
 
 he nuers toany section of the prairie country ^vliere n. ' e d^ 
 lu nit, and in this way to parts of many distinct yeolooical torn itions 
 
 I'liir.:' '^r""'"^'"^' ';?'^''!''^^"* to mislead, should norll^lT^ 
 1 shall se It occasionally, 1 use only the name of the country as it w is 
 originally given to mean bad land to travel throu-h. ^'""'"•^' "' '^ ''''' 
 
)TA. 
 
 1 i>()rti(>n of the 
 
 JiivcMs. 1 1 ore, 
 
 I are ('(unpost'd 
 
 il nil's, or SllHCM'J)- 
 
 iiiilit for nilti- 
 0. hits Ix <'ii (lis- 
 
 liicii o<!cii|)y an 
 ■0 niilcH. These 
 rai'ii riv<'is, and 
 >ye have visited 
 in the western 
 nt in tra veli !!;;•• 
 lediate valleys, 
 i)nr(!es of Li)n|> 
 |)re<'nat«'d with 
 in;;- them will 
 i present form 
 d. Where the 
 t if this is re- 
 ^Kcavates deep 
 ble for any line 
 surface, which 
 h sand as witli 
 
 iivaises Terres, 
 . The locality 
 c tent a bout one 
 md southwest, 
 H siven to this 
 getting a road 
 fortnation to 
 name is an ini- 
 e the term ex- 
 middle course 
 beautiful val- 
 fjh, like other 
 Lands of the 
 vast <?TOve or 
 this li<4ure of 
 le place which 
 beautiful and 
 : and pleasin-;- 
 having sunk 
 i' like steps to 
 of these Uad 
 een them and 
 r are distant 
 !i belongs ex- 
 Keya I'aha, 
 striking ap- 
 -1 louse j{i)('k 
 \' applied by 
 ■oads are dii'- 
 l formations, 
 used. When 
 try, as it was 
 
 KXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 27 
 
 J he .sccoiid .sccUoH is the (Jretncoous fcn-mation, fonning the level 
 <M,untry at the base of the lilack Hills, the valley of 'the Shyenn K ver 
 ami the. .nunediate valley of the Missouri River, from Heart Uiver to 
 |hei5ighioux. Inth.s section the soil is clayey; and wherever there 
 IS a sullHMency ot rain, or streams can In-, found t) irrigate tl e lai it 
 will be productive. The great drawback to its fertility Is a wair^ o 
 t .nely rains. A portion of this formarion, from the B^ liom "the 
 h l.yenne, is composed of black shale, and contains much .^^dine matter 
 which renders the water in places unlunilthy, and adds to the si t^^ 
 o the soil aU)ng the bluffs of the streams, where saline springs a.-^ com- 
 ■ on. In this section, too, there are no valuable minerals or Soo bu Id- 
 mg stone, except that furnished by the bowlders. 
 
 iJn^. ]hw/''Tr' ''' V^i'"^'^^''^'"'^' ^^^^«""1« ""'t'' '^"<1 west to the 
 Jntish me. Ihe want ot rain, which is felt in this area even more 
 than in the one to the south of it, renders it nearly barren. Evm^ 
 where t hrough this formation, beds of lignite are to be fou (h soinetimes 
 
 J^ e\ uks^ Hh ^t?'" ' 'T'- '''? ^'"^"^•' appearance oM^.uth ail" g 
 tilt Daiiks ot the streams, shows that in former times these beds h'lve 
 
 h^ on'Kiw '?^ "■^^^' ^"^1 '" ^?-- -•« ^-^^ bur^d ^, -uli 
 those on 1 omler Kiver are said to be on fire at this time There is 
 
 g^olbuiSg stiner ' '" ''" "^^"'^ ^^••^ ^^"^^^^^ ^""-'^ ^'- --'y 
 
 foiimr'"^^' '''^ ^"'''^ ""^ Nebraska good clay for making brick can be 
 
 The (Carboniferous formation is developed iu a small part of the south- 
 
 mS'of7)f;T "1" ""'^^^r'' '' N^briska, and I wi'dtuote f^^" 
 re 01 of Dr. JIa.yden in relation to the coal of this section : 
 
 wheie ^ X "i ,n!l ""^^ *' ^'"^ *"^'^?^ J^^'"^ '^"^^^ «^ t^^e Missouri 
 ni .f i! ^^ Innestones are exposed. Ascending the vallev of the 
 
 o'ZFTlCn^U^ ''ir ^"•'^"«^^ developed'asfar'as tL moS 
 
 coV l/vf P.„ ?; ?^^"i:V^« the country. "Several small seams of 
 coal haAe been found in these liniestmies at Bellevue and other lo- 
 
 S SitrVil :/''/^-^ ^S ''^^ ^1^^"^- ^^-^ ten ndlc's above 
 n t i Lf . '^ ^""'^ ""^ ^''^y ^'"'^ carbonaceous shale, 2 feet 
 
 ore 1 by hetnh uliZf. T "T '"' ''''^'''' ''^^'' '^'^'^^ wan consiS 
 ibl bed nf .? ? '''^ •• '^""^«»ent proof of the existence of a work- 
 able bed ot coal m the vicinity. The evidence now noints fo H « 
 
 u'f Zv bold "r:'«i"'"^'^ '"""^^r^ """>"« '° ^^^^^^'m^: 
 
 mcs, niL.v Uold a i>()sition above the workable beds of co'd •md 
 
 h^VuiUiini li;;:'^'^:; -'l-^^^^--^ «f --l wiU^Tfc^lInd mlkh « 
 beeir mno / 1. T ^^'^^^''^'^'i- A bed of coal of inferior quality has 
 oun wioi giit near Leavenworth Citv, Kansas Territorv but ir hnl<l« « 
 
 N^iin^-^^S' dii>:i'r 'rv"^ ""'^^^'^"^^ '^' tii^^s^ ^J;^^ 
 
 W ..'.'. ^\ t'^^^^^trata being toward the northeast." 
 
 to expec Unt'wo; 'Ihl T't '^'^'^'^''^'"•^^^''^^^ ^^'"'^''^^ ^here is room . 
 otxi)tcttlMt workable beds ot coal may yet be found here bnf ..<- 
 
 l.resent we know of no facts against the opinion give Dr Via hII 
 
 cii'';;iti;;:';:;!.^^:i:;r-:j^ 
 
 i^t;;!^^:.i^r..:'s-i^ 
 
 1 n 1,: fi:.;} » % ^'l'^ coal-seams in the Platte, mentioned above, 
 
 , iviiN^.pn,;''hi";i;:ii;;^"^^'"^ ^^^ ^'^ ^"^^^^^"^ ^>-^-'»«^^ ^nose beds th^' 
 
 The section of .Nebraska which is novv being occupied by settlers has 
 
I:''': 
 
 28 
 
 KXI'I.OKATIONH IN NIOIIRASKA AM) DAKOTA. 
 
 Icrhic s(mI,iu.I MiirpjiMscI l>y niiy poiHoii of 1 ho piiiiiics oI'IIm. MissisHippi 
 
 ''•^' J.'.' ".'.'.V!'!"*'*'''.' .^•'''''"" ^^'" '"' '<»'""' Hie fiMliU', and wooded 
 
 ic worxicd piirls of the vidlcy of 
 
 \idl 
 
 v;dl«'.v of llio lOlk Horn K'ivcr, nrid nil tl 
 
 tin' river I'lnllc. In the scnithci n pintion ol' it ;;oo(l Imildinu sti 
 
 riirniNlicd by tlic Cnilionilci 
 
 ons r<u'ks. 
 
 inc iH 
 
 A Her pHNsinj- |o the west ol'|h<> l»7th nicrid 
 
 iiiii we. heyin to meet with 
 
 siini.v tracts, eMp(.<Miilly near the iL'd parallel, in which latitinle tho 
 sand-hdl.s ex(en«l th(Unrt.hest, east. In my former reporh I said that, 
 
 but, a small portion of Nebraska, wjiich I had visi*--' • ^■■''- ' 
 
 cnKivalion W(vst (d' llie!)7th meridian. I did not 
 
 '" poifioii of NelirasUa, winch I had visited is Nus<!ept,il»Ie, of 
 
 mean to imjdy that 
 
 ood land on thes<> prairies wonid not, be found west, of if, for tl 
 
 Icrtilei tiacts as far west as th«^ IMMIi merid 
 
 icre aro 
 
 slieams that, an^ valimble, and <'OMtaiii wood 
 
 mil, ill the lUMjjfhborhood of 
 
 meiits. In stalin'>- that the Terril 
 
 ('ii(Mif,Mi to support settle- 
 
 ,ory is overspread by powerful trilies 
 
 ol roviiif-' savages, and is only adaptt'd to a life siicli as theirs, 1 <li(l 
 not, mean to imply that white men could not occupy it, but that if 
 Ihey «>v(>r did they wonhl have io lead a life similar to that of tho 
 Indians, depen<lin;4 mamly lor s|d)sistence, not upon the buffalo, but 
 heir own herds and tloeks for support ; and this is most emphatically 
 line ol the re^rion between the !»!tth meridian and the base of the 
 
 mountain>> 
 
 Ihere isoui^ I hiiiK' concerning' the lon.nitndes of phuM's west of tlio 
 Alissoun K'iver which causes many persons to deceive themselves, and 
 IS worthy (d- mention here. A common idea, is that the course of 1 ho 
 iVIissouri IS nearly south from Sioux City to lA'avenworth (Mty, an<l that 
 H«'ftUMs may .^o as far west «d'th«' one place as the other and'tlnd fertil 
 lands, lint the conrs<> o{' tlu^ iMissour 
 to the east that Sioux City is o:iIy lift 
 
 lint (he c(uirs<> ot' the i\Iiss(»uri between these points is so much 
 
 ecu miles east of the nu^ridian of 
 IS as far west as tho western limit of the 
 
 Korl lliley, ami K,ut Ifandall 
 (.Iross 'i'imbers on the ;{."»! h i)arallel. 
 
 Though tiii> western portion of tiie i)rairie8 of Nebraak.. 
 inferi«>r to that of <'orrespoudin^' meridians in Ivansas ami Nonl 
 
 11 is not much 
 
 'I 
 
 «'\as, tin>i 
 
 leru 
 
 irreclaimabU 
 the streams. 
 
 e IS no disfiuisino' the fact that a j^reat i)ortion of it is 
 
 dcseit, with only a, little Nvood and cultivable land along 
 
 !.'.'i\.^.'!"'^'*'"^ ''!\' ''''''^, "V*N ^"^^^ '"' '"■^'iirieieney of timely rains; 2d, 
 
 •roper constituents : .id, 
 
 over iar<je areas the soil <loes not possess tlie j . 
 the severity of the Itiu.-v, cold winters and short 
 mi.ulu be included in the eloinls ot 
 
 on 
 
 summers ; and a 4th 
 
 •nisshoppers tliat occasionally do- 
 
 I. They are nearly the same as the locusts 
 
 u 
 
 stroy the useful y«'>ietati 
 
 of I<:.i»ypt, and no one who has not traveled ., 
 
 f(U' iiimself can appreciate the magnitude of tliesi 
 Often tliey till tiie air t 
 
 on the i)rairie and see 
 
 insect swarms. 
 
 or many miles of extent, so that an experienced 
 
 ye can s,-aree distuijiuish their appearance from that of a shower of 
 
 may bo 
 nuvs saw them above liis head as 
 
 liiin (u- the smoke of a prairie fire. Tiie hei^'llt of tlieir ili<'iit 
 somewhat appreciated, as :\Ir. K. ,Ia 
 
 far as their si/e would render tii 
 
 it'in visible wliilo standing on the top 
 !,.;':'''"''/*' ' . I^H'Uy Mountains, 8,.")00 feet above the level of tho 
 
 sea, iu tlio region 
 pers(ui standing in one of 
 
 plains, and an elevatiim of li,."»iUi above that of tin 
 where the snow lies all tli 
 
 th< 
 
 e year, 
 
 To a 
 
 ^se swarms as they i)ass «»ver and arouiul him, tlie air becomes sou 
 
 si.>ly {.nrkened, ;tnd iho souiui {.loduced by their wings resembles 
 that ot the passage of a train of cars on a railroad when standing two 
 or three huiulred yards from tiie track. T!ie .Mormon settlements'have 
 suttered more from the ravages of these insects than probably all other 
 causes combined. Tiiey destroyed nearly all the vegetables 'cultivated 
 
KXI'LOKATJONS IX NKMRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 29 
 
 last vcar at Fort Uiindall, and i'xteii(UMl tlioir ravages east as far as 
 
 It .mist bn observed, liowever, that ffood grass wdl generally be found 
 :ill over tliese plains, var.yinj,^ in <|iiant,itv and kind witli dilferent local- 
 itM's, and that the (h'sert eliaraet.'.r of the country is not like that found 
 in lli.i d.'serts on (Jreen Itiver and Snak*.. River, west of the South Pass 
 where, even a sullleieney f(>r animals cannot be found. ' 
 
 A very different condition of soil, water, and buihlinff-material of 
 I stone and wo.xl, exists when we reach the mountain region. 
 
 Theljhielv JIiil«, or more properly mountains, Iving l)ctwe(ui the forks 
 ol tliehhyenne,on the 44th i)arallel, between the lO.Jd and lO.lth me- 
 ridians, cover an area of <i,0(H) square miles. Their basf^s are elevated 
 Ironi -,.i(M) leot to .{,500 ieet, and the highest peaks are about 0,700 feet 
 above th(^ ocean level. ' 
 
 TIm! different rocks which compose these mountains, as determiued bv 
 our exploration, are — ^ 
 
 I. Afetamorphosed azoic rock, including granite. 
 11. Lower Silurian, (L'otsdam sandstone.) 
 III. Devonian? 
 J v. Carboniferous. 
 
 V. Permian. 
 VI. Jurassic. 
 VII. Cretaceous. 
 
 .1 '^'l *^'?«^"?'* ^^\^:^, t^'^ SiUirian are igneous and metamorphic, and 
 the stratification which they exhibit stands everywhere nearly vertical 
 with a strike varying between northeast and northwest. So constant 
 IS this vertical dip, that it may not in reality indicate primary strati- 
 i(!ation but some mechanical arrangement due to the molecular forces 
 brought into existence during its cooling from the heated state. All 
 the rocks, froin the Silurian to the close of the Cretaceous, apparently 
 be c.nformable to each other. Tho shape of the mass is elliptical ; 
 the direction ot t!ie longest line of this or major axis being about north 
 -oo west. On the west the rocks dip, as a whole, very gently, and at a 
 d.s ance of five mi es from the foot of the hills the Cretaceous is a;^>par 
 eiitly undisturbed tbough at the base these rocks in some places strand 
 at an angle of 45o The manner in which this rock lies suggests 
 the Idea that the Cretaceous probably forms a considerable portion 
 of the ^i; levated plateau between the Black Hills and Big Horn Mount- 
 ains. Ihe dip of the upheaved rocks on the west side is as a whole 
 very gentle, not amounting to more than from 5o to 15°, and con- 
 S(M,ueutly they are considerably 'eveloped, and form more than 
 oiitiiair the mountain mass composing some very high ridges. These 
 rocks have a much greater inclination on the east side of the mouut- 
 a US and soon disappear under the Cretaceous, forming a compara- 
 
 ^ no ^"T."T ^'^'1- ^^^ ^''^^ ^''^^ «*• ^^^ luountains is tiom 2,000 o 
 d,000 feet belcw the western. ' 
 
 The rocks seem also to dip mu(di more suddenly down on the south 
 tiau on the north side. The strike of these upheaved strata Tin 
 .1 niost every direction corresponding, on the exterior, nearly with that 
 o e tangent to the outline of the mass, and on the interior being more 
 
 " '^^ -^ itt^KixjiiE nitii tuo luiecLioii or the iuii|ur axiH. 
 
 nbnufHrn, '^li^'''''- /«™^t'oii is that the upturned rocks break off 
 m M^v^ii •* "^ ^'"^'^ ^^'''''""'^ ^^^ "'^^"^^ o^' t'^e mass, and leave an 
 m« IvV- 1*^ '" many places between this steep slope and the gentle 
 th^ j!^^l.lT''''''^''l^'^\'''^ approach the interior. In these valleys 
 trie best loads are found, and one, which nearly encircles the Black 
 
30 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEJJRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 w 
 
 
 m 
 
 "'I 
 
 M 
 
 
 Hills, is known amon.i,'- the Indiuns and trad 
 
 Kiinnin<,' Koad 
 
 Tlie Jnyan Kara Peak is basalt .., .. 
 erful s|).v-o|ass of tlio.sc to tlie nortli, I 
 
 ers as the Itace Course or 
 
 ic, and the appparane<' t1iroii<>h a pow- 
 ^' , known as the '• Dear's Lodae" and 
 
 " Littk'. Missomi Buttes," indicates tiiat th,^v are also of tUis fonnation. 
 More recent volcanic action is visible at Bear's Peak, and t«o circular 
 spaces to the west ot this peak, now ocenpicd by nnuldy lakes, indicate 
 the existence here informer times of volcanic forces 
 
 The highest mountain masses, such as Uarnev's Peak, on the east 
 mde, are all granite, the rocks, as seen at a distance, appwiriug in the 
 same unmistakable form as those on the Itaw Hide and Laramie Peaks 
 namely, coarse granite or gneiss, standing in layers and slabs, indi- 
 cating a vertical stratirtcation. A full description of these mountains 
 must be left for the hnal report. They derive their name from bein<' 
 covered with pine, xyhose dark green gives them a black appearance. " 
 
 111 reference to the Carboniferous rocks in these mountains, Dr 
 Hay den says: ' 
 
 "The exact iiositions in the Carboniferous system to which the 
 limestones around Fort Laramie and in the Black Hills belong, are 
 not sufhciently clear from the evidence yet obtained. They dJ not 
 seem to be the equivalents of the beds above described along the 
 Missouri, though they may be. The texture of the rock is quite ulilike 
 .any of the limestones of the Coal-Measure with which we are acquainted, 
 and there seems to be an absence of the fossils characteristic of the Coal- 
 Measure limest<)nes on the Missouri, and in Northeastern Kansas. The 
 latest opinion, however, of my associate, Mr. Meek, is that they belong 
 to the true Coal-Measures." '^ 
 
 In these mountain formations, which border the great plains on the 
 west, are to be found beautiful flowing streams, and small rich valleys 
 covered oyer with fine grass for hay, and susceptible of cultivation bv 
 means of irrigation Fine timber for fuel and lumber, limestone and 
 good stone lor building jmrposes are here abundant. Gold has been 
 found in places in valuable quantities, and without doubt the more com- 
 mon and useful minerals will be discovered when more minute examina- 
 tions are made. 
 
 I think it exceedingly desirable that something should be done to 
 encourage settlements in the neighborhood of Fort Laramie. The 
 wealth ot that country is not properly valued, and the Indian title not 
 being extinguished there is no opportunity to settle it. Those who 
 ive there now support themselves by trade with the Indians, which 
 being already overdone, it is to their interest to keep others away. 
 If the Indmn title were extinguished, and the protection of the ter- 
 ritorial government extended there, so as to be effectual, there would 
 soon spring up a settlement that would rival that of Great Salt Lake. 
 Ihe Laramie Liver is a beautiful stream, with a fine fertile valley, and 
 there are such everywhere along the base of the mountains. Pine 
 timber of the finest quality, in abundance grows there, easy of access, 
 from which the^flnest lumber can be made; building stone of good qual- 
 ity abounds. The establishment of the military post, and the constant 
 passing of emigrants, have driven away the game, so that the Indians 
 uo not set a high value on the land, and it could easily be procured 
 irom tiiciii. 
 
 The people now on the extreme frontiers of ]S"ebra8ka are near the 
 western limit ot the fertile portions of the prairie lands, and a desert 
 space separates them from the fertile and desirable region in the western 
 mountains. They are, as it were, on the shore of a sea, up to which 
 
iiico Course or 
 
 Iirou<>li }i i)o\v- 
 's L()(l;;e" ami 
 i*i8 toniiatioii. 
 (1 t«o circular 
 lakes, iiidicato 
 
 k, on the east 
 •eariu",^ in the 
 araiuie Peaks, 
 III slabs, indi- 
 ise mountains 
 e from bein«f 
 -ppearance. 
 ountains, Dr. 
 
 to which the 
 8 belong-, are 
 They do not 
 ed along the 
 I quite unlike 
 e acquainted, 
 ic of the Coal- 
 iansas. The 
 i they belong 
 
 )lain8 on the 
 rich valleys 
 altivatiou by 
 mestone and 
 )\d has been 
 lie more com- 
 ute examiua- 
 
 be done to 
 iramie. The 
 ian title not 
 
 Those who 
 ilians, which 
 )thers away, 
 n of the ter- 
 there would 
 Lt Salt Lake. 
 } valley, and 
 tains. Pine 
 iy of access, 
 if good qual- 
 Lhe constant 
 the Indians 
 be procured 
 
 i^re near the 
 md a desert 
 the M'estern 
 up to which 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 31 
 
 population and agriculture may advance, and no further But thi^ 
 gives theni much of the value of places along the At i ('frontier in 
 V e»M)f the future settlements to be formed in the niountains, In wk 
 which and the pi^sent frontier a most valuable trade would "xistT^ 
 western frontier has always been looking to the east for a market but 
 assoonasthewan. of en.igration has passed over the dese 4^^^^^^^^ 
 of the plains, to which the .liscoveries of gold have Xafu . ive^^^ 
 impetus that will propel it to the fertile vallevs of the rS^Mo, nt it?s 
 then w,l he present frontier of Kansas and Nebraska become 
 njg pomt tor all the products of the Mississippi Valley wS tJie i>on 
 Illation ot the mounta ns will require Wo iL +hl Jk'll e ■^- ^ I 
 benefits which the western fronS^of Mis'soud la's Sved'fJom tt 
 bantaFe trade, and still more i)lainlv in the imnotn^ n-ivJ. L t 
 worth by the operations of the armv ot' Utah in tl.f In L*^ ^^^^^ 
 This flow of products has, in tl^^^Z^.^te^S^i^^':{-:S:^ 
 but when those mountains become settled, as they eventuX iS ho ,' 
 there wdl be a rec.proc;il trade materially^oenefiial to both '^'*^'" " 
 These settlements in the numntains cannot be nmu.nU,ll^.l\\^ +i 
 
 How far the fine timbers in the interior of i^ebraska can b^ tpHa^i 
 
 Z^iot'm,"i!S/?"'''"'"*^ "" ^^^ ^*«^^«"^'' i« - Sion upon tvhfch I 
 aui not qualified lo give a very positive opinion. 
 
 ihe pine extends along the Niobrara and its side ravines for about 1 90 
 mi es, and there is nearly an equal extent of it on wSte Kivef but nn 
 thf Black"i?i/.V' "' ^"fT^ quality and difficult of accSs That' ^ 
 irfnn I ^^'^\'^ °\"'''' ^*^"^^' ti'»^er, and' covers an area of about 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 EEMARKS ON TUE CLirvIATE-IvIETEOROLOaY 
 
32 
 
 KXPLORATIOXS IN NEBKASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 ,>'■•'! 
 
 im 
 
 
 il 
 
 In tho yoar 18jo wo left Fort Lciivonwortli on tlio lotl. of Jniio, and 
 miched lort Pierre on the KHIi of July. J)inni- the i.iis,sa{,'e up the 
 river we had V.i days of nearly ealiii weather ; 10 days of south or south- 
 east wind, sometimes very strong; seven thunder-storms, some of tliem 
 ot great violence, with much rain, the amount diminishing as wo as- 
 cended the river, (there being no heavy rain after the liOth of June, all 
 ot which time we were above the mouth of the Niobrara.) The highest 
 temi)eraturo observed was on July 15, at 2 p. m., at which time the dry 
 thermometer gave 102° in the shade, and the wet-bulb thermometer «9o 
 When we reached Fort Pierre we were informed that there had been no 
 rain or snow there for more than a year. The ai)pearanco of the vege- 
 tatioii confirmed this statement, as scarcely a green spot was anywhere 
 to be seen. 
 
 Uourly observations on the wet and dry bulb thermometers and ba- 
 rometers were made at Fort Pierre from July 17 to 25, and at the hours 
 ot t a. m., 9, and 2 p. m., till August 7. The mean height of the baro- 
 inetric column at this place is (reduced to 3iiO) 28.436: the altitude 
 above the sea, 1,500 feet. Tlie highest temperature observed during 
 this time was, at 3 p. m., July 22, dry thermometer, 80°: wet-bulb ther- 
 mometer, (UO; the barometer, reduced to 32°, reading 2f.310. On the 
 same evening we had a heavy tall of rain, with thunder and lightning, 
 about o miles south of the fort; this was the first rain experienced m 
 the neighborhood. From July 22 to August 7 there were three violent 
 thunder-storms from the west, one of which was attended with a heavy 
 tali ot rain. An abundance of rain continued to fall here duriuff the 
 summer. * 
 
 While on the journey from Fort Pierre to Fort Kearny, between 
 August 7 and August 22, we had much overcast and misty weather 
 nearly all the time, and on seven of the days rain fell in small quantities 
 
 inom August 2o to September 12 we were on the road along the 
 Platte Kiver between Fort Kearny and Fort Larairiie; during this 
 time we had two heavy thunder-storms, attended with a large fall of 
 rain. \\ hile at Fort Laramie, we had heavy frost about the 25th of 
 feeptember. Fort Laramie has an elevation of 4,200 feet. 
 
 From September 29 to Oi;tober 19 we were on the roatl to Fort Pierre 
 The weather at times was very cold, and snow fell to the depth of four 
 inches on the night of the 3(1 of October ; for several days in the first 
 part of this month the thermometer stood, at daybreak, at 29°. On the 
 20th and 21st of October we had a violent storm of rain, sleet, and snow 
 with high winds, which covered everything with ice. We were quite 
 surprised, on reaching the neighborhood of Fort Pierre, to find the grass 
 green and abundant, for it was such a contrast to its appearance in Au- 
 gust, when everything seemed to have perished for want of rain. Much 
 snow tell here during the winter, and in the spring there were heavv 
 showers of rain, so that a more beautiful prairie country could not be 
 found than this, as it appeared in May and June, 1850. At the same 
 time the previous year the grasses scarce gave an indication of life. 
 
 VVe left Fort Pierre on the 28th of June, 1856, and reached Fort 
 Union on the 10th of July; on the passage the weather was compara- 
 tively clear, with light winds. Up to this time no rain had fallen there, 
 and in many places there was a great scarcity of grass. On the 15th a 
 heavy storm of ram and wind commenced at 9 p. m., and continued till 
 10 p. m. on the 17th. The wind for several days previous had been 
 light, and came from the north. On the 15th, at 2 p. m., the thermome- 
 ter was at 90°, the barometer (reduced to 32°) reading 27.827. At 9 a. 
 m., on the 16th, the barometer read 27.735 j thermometer 58°. The 
 
EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 33 
 
 wind blew with great violence from the north all day on mo i 
 hat .was with great (l.(u;ulty we kei,t our tents standi ng; ami 
 tionot the inclo.snre of the American Fur ( 
 
 iiy on the IGth, so 
 ii per- 
 
 aow. This stonn was .u;t^.u;:om,;;;n[ea C; lluSCaS^Z:^^'':^ 
 
 r mom ^.T''» r(^"r''''^\^''"^ ''^"^ ^^-'^ themlSea^' 
 
 While at Fort Union anil iu the neiglihorhood we had after thi^ 
 ab ndance ot rain so that the whole landscape in Angusr^ „ " entem 
 berworo a beantitul green, and ffrass was plenty i.f I'la^csv^^^^^^^ 
 July, there was not a blade of it. The hi'WiPsr t.Mn.Vor. /..^ . ' • 
 
 encedher.w..ont1.e20thofJnly,ll.:tKm^^ 
 
 'n^in^'o^Zil^J^'^r "^"^'^'^ ^" "^'-'^ "^^-'-^ »-- -«^" thS 
 
 fh^^nl^'If n""? .^^'"O'Ljj'e l«t of September and reached Fort Pierre o» 
 the oh ot October We were again struck with the variable iiatuie o f 
 
 he climate on hn<l.ng that but little rain had fallen here lu our 
 
 absence, and the grass had all dried up, though -it thiJ , i ,,.« ni*' 
 period of the previous year it was every^iiere green ' '"'" ''^' '"'"^ 
 In the year ot mi, we started from Omalia the 28th of Juno in 
 
 he midst ot he rainy season, and reached Fort Laramie Imn st '> 
 l)nr,ng tn.s journey .ve had fifteen rainy days, or a bou one 7 four' 
 and on many other oays there were showers wth t uu dei in IM ' 
 
 Prior to our arrival at Fort Laramie not much rain Ind fiiiAn fi.n.« 
 
 r«bered to have ever seen ,o ,„«eU ru'in fall at one thue at S 
 
 1 left Fort Laramie on the 4th of September • wp Ivwi nno u^..^ 
 on the 10th at the base of the Black lliYll'^Vh^LiturBhck'^HZ 
 ^^^J had a stovm that lasted from a. m. on the lOtV 1 9 p. m oif he 
 
 stoi r - ^i^^T '''^'''"•"^' ^^"^^ '^■'"''^''^ «"^" altitude du no this 
 stoi-v vh„e It was coming on, the indications of the barometer are 
 
 ^^. .nt £ l^^ S^^a ^1^^ -;Mi 
 
 andXs!" '" ''' ""^ ^'^^' "'^'^ ^'^^"«- '^' «^^^- oVthe hi^hTak: 
 .Im^Ih *^'-^l^^^i^>«»(^ed a very violent storm, of about twenty-four hours' 
 (I nation on the 8th of October, while ou White Kiver, ami h td ^ f^U 
 ot about SIX inches of snow on the ^'iobrara on the iVh .f A ^ i 
 F^ the 18th of October to the 31st, we bad Zu'sto'ms ^f r^iuISS 
 
 ^^1 have not attempted here to give the direction of the wind 'i-i"-- 
 tue period as it couid only be done satistactorily by copvini the d«ilv 
 
34 
 
 EXI'LOUATIONS IN NKHRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
 1,' "! 
 
 OctolxM- IS proiionilly ii vtM\v windy inontli. In isr»(!, Hfteoii diiyH of tliis 
 niontli, wiiilo we wer.' tniv«'liii{.- down tlio Missomi in a Macliinac boat, 
 troui I'ort IMoiro to Sioux City, it blow ho wo coidd not pnx^oed. The 
 provaihnif wind at tliis time was IVoui the soutli, and wo had one vio- 
 lent rain-stonn with a south wind. 
 
 A true indication of the nature of the eliiuate of Nebraska is to bo 
 lound ill the eharaeter of the phiiits which }>r()w there. Certain kinds 
 unable to live throu^'h the lonjj periods of drouj-ht which occur, are 
 rarely to be seen, and those which tlourish best are such as reciuire but 
 little moisture, or whose roots, i)enetratin}4- deep into the soil, enable 
 them to draw asuHiciency of moisture from below. In the hi^'h i)rairies 
 where there is a good soil, we find the bunch-«,nass growing,' la tufts' 
 but in many pla<!es inter8i)ersed with patches of , acti. The bottom 
 lands of many of the streams support no trees but the cottonwood and 
 willow, and some of them produce rank growths of the wild sage. 
 
 The absence of trees on all the prairie regions is another evidence of 
 the dryness of the climate, and even in places where they can grow, as 
 in the ravines, the excessive cold of the winter winds prevents them 
 trom reaching their full development, as is proved by the dead tops of 
 nearly all the trees which extend their braiuihes above the level of the 
 prairie. The prairie lires have done much toward preventing the growth 
 of trees in places adapted to them, but it is uot a sulUcieut cause to 
 account for the general absence of forests. 
 
 An interesting instance of the effect of climate on the growth of trees 
 18 to be seen in the cedar as you asceud the Missouri. At the first 
 Cedar Island, in latitude 4;J, these trees grow in the bottom lands of the 
 river, and are large and straight, those growing on the bluffs being of 
 an inferior quality. 
 
 The cedars diminish as you ascend, ami the last of these in any num- 
 ber together are to be seen in the bluffs opposite the mouth of the Little 
 Shyenne, in about latitude 45, and here they are exceedingly crookad 
 and twisted. Along the Missouri and Yellowstone, in the Lignite Ter- 
 tiary formation, we And the cedar unable to support itself above the 
 ground, and, spreading itself over the surface, presents the appearance 
 on the hill-sides of grass or moss. 
 
 During the time I have been in Nebraska I have found everywhere 
 an abundance of grass, except in places near the posts and others, 
 where it had been eaten oft" by the buffalo. 
 
 A considerable quantity of a small variety of corn is raised by the 
 Mandans, Rees, and Gros Ventres, near the 47th parallel, on the Mis- 
 soun, and it is probable that this corn can be raised along the base of 
 mountains as tar north as the 40th parallel. The entire mountain sec- 
 tion of Nebraska will produce good wheat, where the land can be irri- 
 gated, and the abundance of grass for pasturage will permit of the rais- 
 ing of immense herds of stock. 
 
 This western portion of Nebraska may, therefore, in the future be 
 valuable tor occupation for a people partly engaged in agriculture, but 
 relying mainly upon the raising of stock. 
 
 Many valuable inferences in regard to the climate may be drawn from 
 an examination of the catalogue of plants growing in Nebraska, pre- 
 pared by Dr. Hayden, and appended to this report. 
 
 It is my intention to ^ive tables of the meteorological observations iu 
 a subsequent report. These, besides the indication they afford of the 
 climate of Nebraska, will be useful in aidiug the determinations of the 
 progress and limits of storms over large areas incouuectiou with exteu- 
 
KXPL0UATI0N8 IN NEMRASKA AND DAKOTA. 35 
 
 Hive invoHtiffationa on tliis subject r.mWd ou by the Hmitli.soniau Iii8ti. 
 
 Tho tlMuulcT-storms, so far as we have ohW-rved thiM.i have -i Lneif 
 nn.N.n.Ht.v The day after one has i.assed ..ver is ge 11^0,1; wi 
 a n«ht north w.nd aM<l hi^ri, ,t.,te of the ban.n.eter. T is (^ d i 
 lasts troM, one to three ihiys, when the win<l changes to t e so 
 ^aadnaly ine.eases .n fon^e durinj; the dav, and sonie n.es f 1 , 
 alrnosttoaeahuat ni^^ht. The barometer litis <iurmrth i.n d 
 
 ,. i n -^ ' ., "t'' .^^^'"* ^""'^"^^ ^'■"'" the^vest t-enerallv in the 
 ni«lit; the south wind often blowing a hurricane all the tine he storm 
 IS approaclnn- from the west. This storm is a^ain s ccee le bv <3 
 woather an« a luKh state of the baron.eter, an(l Yn 1. m end we n.nd i 
 sure indication of the approach or termina ion of a su m i i t e 1^^^^^^^^^^ 
 or rising- ot the barometric column. These stonr \?;^ seen on the 
 pia.ne have a number of indei>endent centers, so that tL'v ofttM n iss 
 neross the landscai»8 to the north and south without our 4e vinL'^^^^^ 
 
 viot^^t';;;;^ :i^'^i.;r ^^^''^^"'^ ^^^•^"•""'^"'-' ^^^'^ f^^^a^^^ 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF PRINCIPAL RIVERS AND DISCUSSION OF THE MERITS 
 
 OF DIFFERENT ROUTES. 
 
 In pviuga description of the character and importance of the rivers 
 
 ioTof VlteV'n'i ih '"'^^' '■''^'''' '? ^'«^"'^« '' tui s.!,^e time' he ub 
 ^ mu tTi- ' ^^ ^^^y ^^^ intimately connected. 
 
 hnfn Missouri tlierefore, claims our first attention, and thoncli it Las 
 been so repeatedly described by others, a few of its LeuS ffe.tnre^ 
 may be enumerated here. A detailed account of the vSs points we 
 SrTM.''^?e^r'/'' military posts must be reservedlbiTe final 
 fn Sn 3^H .f ^''^ n ''^^'° ^^^ generally a uniform width from the 
 ^nnni i;^'^^**'^^^"'*^''*^«"« ^^ '^^ mouth, varviug froui oue third to 
 fe s 'md drTb JM- ''" ^"^^ ""'' ^""- I"^ ^^^ ^^^te?the widS s mucE 
 
 iTte; ii ^^thdrnl^'f ?r"P^ 1^^'^'^"'^ «*■ ^^« ^^^1' from which the 
 water nas withdrawn. In the upper part of the river where the trpe« 
 
 do not destroy the force of the wind, the sand I^Lwu about in the 
 
 S'%Tdt.'nkTar[i ^"? '''' 1'^'' «V«-^ Lnbrse^ntr "an; 
 u lies, aana-banks are thus formed, genera ly at the edjres of the trees 
 
 i:^Z'!trS^:^S^^^^' ^'^^^^ -^ «ften manyTet^Vbtr^l 
 
 consHnev!inf •*'''''*'' T'"''^ '"'^y, ^^ "^^^"'^'^ f'-O"! this, and from their 
 S' eHn^ of t !? 'f ^'i T^^^'' especially in October, are of them 
 
 ThP .T.n2 ^^.^^'^^'^test obstacles to the navigation of the river. 
 ofThe ^^HnV« "'? ^^'-^f «and-bank8 exhibit are those of the perimeters 
 
 ?hose of t1?« V'r"^ P"*"'*' ^.'^ ^"^"^^ ^^'"^y ^ere farmed, and not unlike 
 luoseot the Indian mounds in the Mississinn! v^oii^v .v'>'-"!> U'" n» 
 
 ^m^J^t^T f r^* fortifications: "TtsrbankTaSg 
 ■iwJ!;- .^' theretore, been considered as the works of th$ 
 
 aborigines, such, for instance, as those described and figm-edbv Lewis 
 •Clark as existing at Bon Homme Island. I have conclusiv^ evf 
 Uence, from personal examination, that these were formed by ?!ie wind 
 
36 
 
 EXPLORATIONH IN XKHHASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 f'fll 
 
 and are not the work of the ancient Tolteos, as .some \uitei\s have sup- 
 
 1)()S«'«1. 
 
 The river has jjrnerall.v, in the same stayvs of the lh)0(lH, about as 
 ;>oo(! navifjafion on aiicouiit of \\w. (icpth above .lanies Hiver m it lias 
 at tliat |)oint, bnt an iniiirovcnicnt takes place below this point, in the 
 <lcpth of the water on the sand bars in low stayes, as you descend to its 
 month. 
 
 Alon*; the banks of the Missouri the bluf!'s are y'eiieraliv clothed 
 with various species of trees as far up as tla^ month of the IMatte; 
 above this point the timber is jjenerally coiitlned to the ravines and 
 bottom lands. These bottom lands attain a width of trouj ten to tlfteen 
 miles after wo {»('t aliove CouikmI Bliiirs, which is almost continuous to 
 the mouth of .lanu's Kiver. Throujihout this section the ed^'es of 
 the banks are lined with heavy cotton wood ami other trees, and fuel 
 for 8teand)oats can now jjenerally be found cut up and prepared for 
 their use. 
 
 At James Tiiv<'r the bin. is dose in so that the oenoral width of the 
 space between is only from one to two miles all the way to the Upper 
 lJi«' IJend, near the 4.Sth parallel. Jlere afjain the bottom lands betiome 
 wider, and continue at a width of from three to six miles to a jmint 
 about filty miles above the Vcllowstoiu'. In this last section there is 
 also an abundance of lar}>ecottonwood timber, and the appearance of the 
 river is quite similar to what it is at 8ionx City. Alter passing- the 
 Niobrara the steamboat's crew will have to cut the wood required for 
 gencratin<;- steam, and the only scarcity will be in tinding dead trees 
 at null points as the boat can land at. Abundance of fuel exists 
 everywhere, if the wood was cut beforehand and hauled to suitable 
 landings. The portion of the river most deficient in wood is between 
 the mouth of the Little Shyenne and Cannon Hall rivers, but even 
 here there is an abundancci for the purposes of navigatiou for years to 
 come. 
 
 One of the greatest obstructions to the navigation of the Missouri 
 consists in the great number of snags or trees, whose roots, embedded 
 in the channel by the caving of the banks, stand at various inclinations 
 pointing down the stream. These obstructions are, comiiaratively, quite 
 rare above the mouth of James Kiver, but from this point down to the 
 JMississippi it is a wonder often how a steamboat can be navigated through 
 them. As it is they cause the boats to lie by during the night, and 
 thus occasion a loss of nearly half of their running time. But this is 
 not the only delay, for often on account of the wind the bends tilled with 
 snags cannot be passed, and the vessel is frequently detained for days 
 on this account. This effect of the wind is much more seriously felt as 
 you ascend above Council Bluffs, for the protection allorded by the trees 
 on the banks is constantly diminishing. 
 
 Our examinations extended but sixty miles above the mouth of the 
 Yellowstone, but the portion between this and Fort Benton was exam- 
 ined carefully by the parties under Governor Stevens in 1853, and the 
 results are given in his report on the Tacitic Bailroad explorations. It 
 is the almost universal opiuion of those who have examined this portion 
 of the river that it would be navigable in its best stages for light-draught 
 boats. From our reconnaissance in 185G, I feel convinced that, notwith- 
 standing the diflicnlties to navigation which exist, the Minsouri igi a supe- 
 rior river to any in this country, except that portion of the Mississippi 
 which is below their junction. The navigation is generally closed by 
 ice at Hioux City by the ](»th of November, and at Fort Leavenwort'h 
 by the 1st of December. The rainy season of the spring and summer 
 
I'A. 
 
 iters have sup- 
 
 l«)0(l.s, about as 
 :<iver as it lias 
 lis point, in the 
 I «Iosci'ikI to its 
 
 ticraliy (rlotliotl 
 of tlio IMatto; 
 lie raviiu's ami 
 rn t«Mi to lit'teeii 
 t continuons to 
 I the ed^es of 
 trees, and fuel 
 il iirepared for 
 
 111 width of the 
 V to Whs lJ[>per 
 n lamls become 
 iles to a point 
 section there is 
 pearanceof the 
 ;er passing;- the 
 )d re(piire(l for 
 ling dead trees 
 of fuel exists 
 led to suitable 
 jod is between 
 k'ers, but even 
 uii for years lo 
 
 )f the Missouri 
 ots, embedded 
 us inclinations 
 iratively, quite 
 nt down to the 
 i gated through 
 the night, and 
 e. But this is 
 mds tilled with 
 ;ained for days 
 Briously felt as 
 ed by the trees 
 
 e mouth of the 
 ton was exara- 
 I 1853, and the 
 plorations. It 
 ed this portion 
 • light-draught 
 . that,notwith- 
 souri isi a supc- 
 ;he Mississippi ^ 
 rally closed by 
 Leavenworth 
 i' and summer 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 87 
 
 commcncas in different years between the 15th of May and the .'{()th of 
 . une (Ml the lat,itude of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Sou n Nel r si 
 a Id lasts about two months. Daring this period tiie trib.t/uls ,f tl m 
 Mis.s.mn in these latitudes maintain this river in good bo ,r« .,! ' 
 
 V 1 ' V"' ^^'^ SI'.venne, the Yellowstone, and the Missciur above 
 the Yellowstone, and reach the lower river about the first Xt of ulv 
 and It IS niainly on these that the navigator of the M ss m r abov Im 
 Niobrara depemls. The length of timeNlie llo,. Masts ^,,000^^ 
 t( the quail ity 01 snow in the mountains, which varies gm til iil^i 
 e It years ( ),, the average it may be said to last a inontlU it a st ' ler 
 starting Imm Saint Louis on the tirst indication there osurLfw Id 
 .0 genen.Ily reach the Yellowstone before it was neaHy ast ii s at er 
 oint. K.vers like this, whose mu'igation depends upon I e te m.orarv 
 
 i e a; fZ^'f^ l"^"'"'"'" *r, r«"'li"K tHa,. .les<,ei.d!ng boa Tie 
 use at t e ^ ellowstone would be about ten days reachin- Saint Lou s 
 niHl any good system of telegraphing along the streaii fwl ieh wou d 
 apprise those below, would more than double the advS^^^ 
 ward navigation. If a miscalculation is made by tal luffte nX^^^^^^ 
 
 till the mam rise comes. From this cause, I, starting on the 1 tl of 
 
 .^ i'.' 'Sf '7'-'''"/^^V" «'^"'"« '« ^^'^ l^ierr^^l^io mile from 
 Saint Louis. Again if the boat starts too late, the main rise mav a 
 pass the upper river before she reaches it, and he.v prog "ss will hen be 
 slow and tedious By starting June «, 1855, (which wSo 1 te it bein.^ 
 an early season,) we were forty-one days gJing to Fo;t P eixe ' ^ 
 
 lie American Fur Company's boats are of the largest class of frei^rht 
 boats now navigating the Missouri. They are ably luana'tnl ' ml t^ 
 company possesses information by expresses sent im. s tmli.^^^"^ 
 uear the mountains, as to the amount of snow that has^lle md tl e 
 probable extent and time of the rise produced by itlnelLg The boats 
 reloaded and time of starting tixid accordingly. S ^bmUs ca?rv 
 isance^M";HM.:?r' fifty to two hundred toiiVlo tit! i^Ho S^^^^^^^ 
 uistance ot 1,900 miles, drawing from 3 to 3A feet of water and ma -a 
 the passage up in from twenty-two to thirty.fn4 d y^ CoSeribln 
 
 hundl^d nlESlj:^"' '^"^' ^" ^"^ ---"/^one to Mil^ "i^^^^X 
 
 ]oSor'nnd%if«7''^''' r^T- ^'•''^ ayerage, about equal from the Yel- 
 n,?™f ^^;fO"ii «it their junction, and above this point steaii - 
 S; n Jt iT V^^ ''}"*'^"- ^^'« ^'^^^ risk, in proceeding farther of 
 ha 11 g the boat caught in the upper river during the winter mireTh'iii 
 .:ouii erbalances the prospective gain. The Ireioht is tliei'i t . e, on 
 
38 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 ii'':'l 
 
 m-r 
 
 I 
 
 miles are from four to five miles broad, with boautifnl, soft, rouiuled 
 bluffs to tlic west; the banks of the river are clothed with large cotton- 
 wood trees, and the country presents one of the finest locations for a 
 military jwst and Indian reservation anywhere to be found. After you 
 advance about forty miles up the left bank, the bluffs begin to come on 
 this side almost to the river, and the bottom lauds narrow and the tim- 
 ber diminishes. A good route for wagons, ho\\ever, exists on this side 
 for one hundred miles above the mouth. Having gone thus far you 
 meet with very impracticable bluff's, barely permitting of the passage 
 of pack mules, to get around which with wagons, without crossing the 
 Yellowstone, you must travel out into the prairie one or two days' jour- 
 ney, so as to head the difticult ravines. Bluff's similar to these exist on 
 the right bank all the way from the mouth to this place, but here the 
 river suddenly changes its position in the valley, so as to leave the open 
 valley on the right bank, and causes the difficulty which exists on the 
 other. 
 
 This point is also the highest point navigable for steamboats, and 
 those even of very light draught cannot, except at high water, go further 
 than about fifty miles from the mouth, as, in the next space of fifty 
 miles, the channel is so very much divided up by wooded islands anil 
 obstructed by gravel-bars. But at the point before nutiti ned as the 
 head of steamboat navigation, ledges of rock begin iu the hed of the 
 stream, and about one-half mile below Powder Eiver we encounter a 
 dangerous rapid, called by Captain Clark "Wolf Bapid." Two miles 
 above Powder Biver, Captain Clark describes another serious rapid, 
 which he calls "Bear Bapid;" and twenty miles above this another, 
 which he calls "Buffalo Shoal," and which he speaks of as being "the 
 most difficult part of the Yellowstone Biver." All these rapids are 
 passed every year by the Mackinac boats of the American Fur Company 
 on their way to Fort Alexander Sarpie, and there are probably no 
 obstacles sufficient to prevent them from reaching the point where this 
 river debouches from the mountains. 
 
 The valley, all the way to the mountains, is said to be practicable for 
 wagons. Above this point the river is said to be much inclosed by the 
 mountains, which are rugged and difficult, and covered with pine forests. 
 
 From Fort Union to Fort Alexander Sarpie, on the Yellowstone, the 
 Mackinac boats are from 50 to 60 feet long, drawing from 15 to 20 inches 
 water, and make the distance, 225 miles, in from fifteen to thirty days. 
 
 None of the tributaries of the Yellowstone, (Clark's Fork, Big^ Horn, 
 Tongue, and Powder rivers,) above their mouths, have ever been visited 
 by any exploring expedition, except those of trappers and hunters. 
 
 The Big Horn l?iver is by far the most important of thovse streams, 
 and has been navigated by the traders iu skin boats, carrying their pel- 
 tries, from the point where it debouches from the Big Horn Mountains 
 to the Yellowstone, a distance of perhaps 150 miles. Above where the 
 stream escapes the mountains, it is not navigable for anything but the 
 smallest boats, and the gorges by which the stream passes the mount- 
 ain range is impracticable for any kind of land transportation ; a con- 
 siderable detour being required even for pack animals. The portion 
 navigable will, ]>erhaps, according to the opinion of Colonel Eobert 
 Campbell, of Saint Louis, furnish a depth of Vi-ater for ^Mackinac boats, 
 in high stages, of about 18 inches, but he thinks the navigation of this 
 stream for ascending boats could not be used to any advantage. An 
 undue importance has been given to the navigability of this stream from 
 the erroneous position of the Yellowstone, as laid" down on nearly all 
 recent maps, except those from this office, as they make its }>os{tion 
 
EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 39 
 
 , soft, rounded 
 h large cofctoii- 
 locatioiis for a 
 id. After you 
 gin to come ou 
 \v and the tim- 
 )ts on this side 
 J thus far you 
 >f the passage 
 it crossing the 
 Dwo days' jour- 
 these exist on 
 , but here the 
 leave the open 
 I exists on the 
 
 eaniboats, and 
 iter, go further 
 
 space of fifty 
 id islands and 
 iti ned as the 
 the hed of the 
 re encounter a 
 \" Two miles 
 
 serious rapid, 
 ! this another, 
 
 as being "the 
 ese rapids are 
 
 Fur Company 
 B probably no 
 )int where this 
 
 practicable for 
 uclosed by the 
 th pine forests, 
 sllowstone, the 
 L5 to 20 inches 
 to thirty days, 
 •rk. Big Horn, 
 er been visited 
 I hunters, 
 those streams, 
 ying their pel- 
 3rn Mountains 
 ove where the 
 thing but the 
 es the niouut- 
 tation ; a con- 
 The portion 
 lolonel Eobert 
 ickiuae boats, 
 igation of this 
 Ivantage. An 
 is stream from 
 on nearly all 
 :e its ]>osition 
 
 nearly J 00 miles too far south. The manner in which T have been able 
 to correct this is given in my report on the compilation of the General 
 Pacihc Eailroad Map. ^Jcul.i.n 
 
 Poialer A'im-.-This stream rises near the southern point of the Big 
 
 M^'tf/y^H"^ Tn' ''"'1 ^^^\' •' ^'^?^ ^""^^ »^" "«^'<^1^- The route from thi 
 
 latte to the Yelowstone along the stream is practicable, but as a route 
 
 tor wagons it is difficult, requiring the stream to be frequently crossed! 
 
 fuicks^nid'' '^'^ ''^"^^^ "'"'^'^•^'' "°*^ ^^"^^^'^ '^ occupied in places by 
 The Little Missouri Elver rises near the North Fork of the Shyenne 
 in longitude lOoo. I bave seen the country near its source, where it 
 orms the northern part of the upheaved stratified rocks of the Black 
 llills and at the mouth where the Lignite Tertiary exists. Its general 
 direction is noitheast, and its course through the main portion must be 
 m this Lignite Tertiary formation. From the statements of members of 
 bir George Gore's party, which traveled up the stream in 1856, I infer 
 tlijit the route along or near its valley is practicable for wagons, though 
 '^'^}},7^\: .^^^ ^^^"e.V IS one of the great buffalo regions. ' ^ 
 
 JJrt^u{fJ-'Z' ^'''KK^i^y^^ C'^'^non Ball Eiver, Grand and Moreau 
 men, al use in the prairie ridge east of the Little Missouri, and thev 
 contain but little water in the winter and latter part of summer I 
 have never seen any of thein, except at their mouths, and their lengths 
 on my map indicate their comparative size. ' ieut,tu8 
 
 ^v^i't'J-lftT'''^ is a most important river, and has its extreme sources 
 west ot the Black Hills, which its two main branches inclose. These 
 torks are supplied by numerous streams from the mountains, and thev 
 
 UHtlZ !i?'lV*"^f ^".^V^^^ '^'' ^^" '''^'' fl°^'"^ i'^t^ t^« Missouri m 
 Mitude 4io 48'. In its lower course I am informed there is fertile land 
 
 on ts banks, and there are considerable areas in and around the Black 
 Mills Ihe hhyenne Kivercan probably be rafted, and the streams that 
 come from the hills could be used to drive the logs down to the rive^ 
 .um^'u / ""''"^ "' ^'J'*^ ^^'^^ ^^'^ 1""6 growing on the Black Hills is 
 .nnnillf .^T"*^' """'^ * {c expeuso of getting it out may render this fine 
 f\£ti %\ T^f '' miavailab le to the Lower Missouri. The Missouri at 
 the mouth of the Shyenne is in the center of the Dakota country, and 
 
 fet^ongEls"!" '" '" '^''^''^ '^"'^ ^"'^ '^"^" ^^' ^^^'^^ ^« ^^^^^ 
 Bad Eiver, Wakpa Spichu, (sometimes called Teton Kiver,) receives its 
 'onll^llT "»<5 .""l^aj'-^table state of its water in low stages, and the diffi- 
 Si ^^^7^?^t^''!\ '^ ^" ^^^ y^eathev. It lies throughout in the 
 bUxck-shale bed of the Cretaceous formation. It is along the sources of 
 
 is located"'' ''"'"" ^ ^* *''^ '""'^'^ ^'^'"^ ^^'^ ^^""'^ "^ ^""'^ ^•^''^'^^^ 
 
 E^h'^ifi!' r. ""' ^^^^it^f^^^-th River, (Mankisita Wakpa, or Smoking- 
 Larth River,) has generally an open, well-wooded vallev, with a flue soil 
 Inilf "" i!'*^ ^J^'^': ^^^ ''*^''^^^ ^«^^^^e» ^o^-ts Laramie and Pierre fol- 
 'M iffi^;fi7l f- '*"? '^' f V'^^- \^ ^^^ ^^''^^^ ^'""'''^^^ ^^'*'ere the river enters 
 Tl P T^ wi T i""" bounded with precipices like tnoso on the Niobrara. 
 Fnri iT^""^ ®?^"^^ continuously down the stream to the South 
 1 ork, a distance of about seventy miles. Below this, the river winds 
 .rough a handsome, weil-wooded valley of the Missoud. Any «ne who 
 
 of Im, I'^i^.f -^"f f '*''" ^^r7^'^ feel rejoiced when he reaches the banks 
 o t'Ms beautiful stream. It is much resorted to by the Brules. It has 
 nerous omnches, the largest of which is called the South Fork. The 
 o he xlbrfrn T^ tributaries is nearly equal in extent to that 
 
 on the Niobrara. Ihis stream has been used by the traders to float 
 
40 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEIUIASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 down tlirir i)olfiioH by means of skin boats from tlioir former tradiriff- 
 lionse near r.utfe C^aehe. 1 believe it can also be used to raft down the 
 l»ine timber on tlie South Fork. 
 
 TlivMohrm-a beiuff a stream heretofore unknown, and one in whieh 
 the peojde of Nebraska, feel mueli interest, I shall describe it in detail. 
 This river is about three hundred and fifty miles lonj;-. ]''rom its source 
 to longitude KKP 15' it is a beautiful little'stream of eh'ar runninjf water, 
 of a width of from ten to fifteen feet, {j^radnally wideninj^ as it descends. 
 Its valley furnishes here very good };rass, aboiiiuliu}; in lushes or prele, 
 but is for the nu)st part destitute of wood even for cooking. After tlow- 
 i»ig thus far it rapidly widens, till in longitu«le 1013o 30' it attains a width 
 of fsixty to eipiity yards; it>« valley is still quite open and easy to travel 
 along, but destitute of wood, excei)t occasional ])im's on the distant hills 
 to the north. In longitude l()2o .'{()' it enters between high, steep banks, 
 which closely eonfliK^ it, and for a long way it is a comi)lete cafion ; here, 
 lK)wever, wood beccmu's more abundant and pine is occasionally seen on 
 the blnfls, while small clusters of cottonwood, elm, and ash oc(Mipy the 
 luuTow points left by its windings. In longitude lOlo 45' the sand'hills 
 cojue, on the north side, close to the river, while on the south side they 
 are at the distaiu-e of from one to tw») miles off, leaving a snumth road 
 to travel on along the bluffs. The bluffs gradually ai>pear higher aud 
 higher above the stream as it descends until they reacdi the height of 
 three hundred feet. The sand mostly ceases, on the north ?,! !e, in longi- 
 tiule ]()()o L>;i' ; but it lies close to the stream, on the south side, nearly all 
 the way to the Wa/i-honska. Throughout this section, Iving between 
 longitude lOl'o 00' and longitude lM»o L»0', a distance of one hundred and 
 eighty miles, the Niobrara is in every resjx'ct a i)eculiar stream, and 
 there is none that 1 know of that it can be compared with. It flows 
 here between high, rocky banks of soft white and yellowish calcareous 
 and siliceous sandstone, standing often in i)recipices at the water's edge, 
 its verticality being preserved by a capping (►f hard grit. It is here 
 iujiHissible to travel any considerable distance along its immediate banks 
 without having frequently to climb the ridges which rise sometimes per- 
 pendicularly from the stream. As you approach from the north or south 
 there are no indications of a river till you corue within two or three 
 miles of the banks, and then only by the trees whose tops occasiomdly 
 rise above the ra\ ines in which they grow, so completelv is it walled iii 
 by the high bluffs which inclose its narrow valley. It stu'ms as if it had 
 resulted from a fissure in the earth's crust, amrnow flows at a depth of 
 about three hundred feet below the general level of the i)rairie. The 
 soft rock which forms the bluffs is w<un into the most intricate labyrinths 
 by tlie little streams, all of which have their sources in beautiful gush- 
 ing springs of clear cold water. Jn these snuill, deep valleys the grass 
 is luxuriant ; i)ine, ash, and oak are abundant. To the agriculturist this 
 section has, however, comparatively little attraction, and that between 
 longitude StOo 20' ami the mouth, an extent of about niiu'tv miles, is per- 
 hai)S far more valuable. Here the bottoms will probably average a width 
 of a quarter of a mile, are susceptible of cultivation, and cottonwood, 
 oak, walnut, and ash will furnish settlements with all the timber and 
 fuel they will need. The river banks seem to present no good building 
 stone, nor did we, though searching diligently, discover anv siuiis of 
 coal or other valuable minerals. ' . 
 
 In describing the tributaries lo the Niobrara, I shall begin at the 
 mouth and take the north side flrst. The Poidia LMver, which has a 
 very flue, well-wooded, and fertile valley, runs into the ^Missouri about 
 live miles north of the Niobrara, in latitude 4'J"' 4S' north. Its course 
 
 iiiii 
 
oriiicr tiading- 
 } rnt't down the 
 
 I i)rairie. The 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASK AND DAKOTA. 
 
 41 
 
 7'/////c 7//// fairer (Ke.va Paha Wakj.a) is the main branch of the 
 Niobrara, and Ksabont one hundred and twenty miles lonff. l»Hor to 
 the i)nbhcation ot my report ami map of re(..nnais8ances in 1855, Jh is 
 branch was represented erroneously as being- equal to the main I'iver 
 jn 81/e, above their junction. ' 
 
 1 crossed it in 1855, sixty miles below its mouth, and it has a verv 
 i.ne valley, one-ha to three-,,uarters of a mile wide, with good soil 
 ;.nd a imited quantity of cottonwood timber. The bed of the stream 
 
 vud^'Vhe first two?? ^^V'"V;r''^ '^^^^^^' "''^^'^ ^'^^^ mttfX 
 
 ^;a;^rivi;'^:L!;:i:;r{i;'t^hnl" '''"'' '^^"^^" ^^'^ ^^^-^^ -^^^ «- 
 
 lOOo^'o.r^.*, '!;"n'''T'\r''"'\^'' Y'""^'l -i^'"'" t^'« Niobrara, in longitude 
 lOOo .3 s named i\lini-cha-duza-Waki)a, or ]{apid Creek At its 
 mouth It ,s about eight yards wide, with a valley about a quarter to 
 vi ;'s?n' IVV; '' ''''Vr^ ^'"f*^ ^■^••^''^- ^^« ^^^^^^^^^^ scantiirfi nged 
 . .e no h I'^-nf- n *%'"1 "^^"^ *'■" "'^'^^^'"' ^^''^''' of the sand-hills 
 
 There are nunierous ravines with steep rocky banks, containinsr 
 .spnngs andrunuH.g streams, extending out fron/five to seven ^^^^^^^^^^ 
 between this branch and the Keya Paha, at the heals of which occa 
 sionally good camping-places may be found. 
 
 Ihe mouth of the next stream is in longitude lOlo 18'; it has scareelv 
 
 asttiui and descend ; it is about live yards wide, with clear deen swiff 
 lunning wa er, and is probably about 35 miles long ' ^ ' "" 
 
 Ihe mouth of the next northern tributary is in longitude lOlo SO' 
 "i^uM^^ w hichir'" "^'T?'' '^ '^ about three-t^Suie'L/of 
 miles oniTTn-uv^^^-T »' ^''^''^' 1^'''^^'«"'«»'' «»<l ^^ ^^o^t 25 
 
 " .nil J f* *-^^' "' '/^"S'tiHle 10i»o, is a small spring rivulet about 
 
 ? o he bl S'^'""^ ^'^'^IT ^ "' ^^'"^ ^""'^"^''^^ '-^^^ ^^^ «'"a'l runs con hg 
 
 Km "to sp^^lktV.^ "''""'' '^'^' '-^""P' ''^''^' ^'^"»«' ''^'^' ««'^^-«e'y any vab 
 
 On the south side of the Xiobrara tliere are numerous small branches 
 
 owning in between its junction with the Missouri an th point where 
 
 It receives the waters of the Turtle Hill Kiver. Three of these re of 
 
 consulerable size, probably 35 miles long, the bluffs Soi^s i eirlv H of 
 
 hem being more or less covered with^scatter*^^" pi, e,!^ their vnl 
 
 i?;VT;P'n^ "'t '. t'la>»Ps of cottonwood, oak, ash &, The no ition 
 
 o the Llk Horn River, about 30 miles south of' the xVjbnara p^re'4nts 
 
 any o these southern branches having a length oreater th'in 1 hnvp 
 
 i^s^:^u^l^yj'^ZT']^''''- '"'^'"^ '""""^'■» b'anches, all contain- 
 N\ .7 mn.i ., ' ^ abounding u, pine and beautiful oak groves. 
 
 mo sir rni To 'ii '"'!^ ^'"•' '1'"'),'"' '^'^'^'^^^ '"^^"th is in longitude 
 
 ffeei\ wiM i,^^^ "/''n '^'If ''"l^ "'' ^^' ^'>"^*"« and side ravines are 
 gicni ^^nh pme. Its valley, though not so wide, is very similar to that 
 
 Snake Kiver, wh 
 
 m lius i)art, which has been dcMcrlbed. 
 
 stn 
 
 low valley like the Wazihoiisl 
 
 ose mouth is in longitude KKP 45 
 
 »m some thirty yards wide, its blutls covered with 
 
 y, IS (piite a large 
 
 i\ 
 
 Al 
 
 Ka. 
 
 pine, with a nar 
 
 ><)ve this there is scarcely any branch coming in fr 
 
 eserviiig mention 
 
 0111 the south 
 
42 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 ii:-.;! 
 
 1 1-" I-"' ■ 
 
 :N^iobrjira is a very shallow and " swift-flowing stream," as the Cana- 
 dians say "TEau qui Court," aboundinf? in rapids in VAvo-thirds of its 
 upper course, and in its middle portion tilled with small islands. In the 
 lower portion its width exceeds that of the Missouri Kiver, and is spread 
 out over sand-bars. The bed in the broad portions is quicksand and 
 difficnit to fortl. Its waters rapidly increase in volume through its mid- 
 dle portion, from the multitude of springs and streamlets that constantly 
 flow into it from the foot of the bluffs and out of the ravines. 
 
 The traders of the American Fur Company have naviiiatGu it with 
 skin boats, carrying peltries from their former trading-house near 
 Snake liiver, and the stream might permit of rafting if the timber 
 should be found of quality, and quantity, and accessibility to defray 
 the expenses. I cannot, however, look upon it as capable of furnish- 
 ing timber for the country on the Missouri, for the reason that much of 
 the pine is too small, crooked, and knotty, and grows in jdaces diflicnlt 
 to transport it from. The species is what is called the Itocky Mountain 
 pine, has a yellowish-white appearance, and abounds in resin. The dis- 
 tance on the Niobrara over which these pine ravines extend is about 
 120 miles. 
 
 A road could not be made on the bottom lands of the Niobrara ; it 
 must keep out on the high prairie so as to head the ravines. From the 
 mouth to Turtle Hill liiver it would take the narrow divide between the 
 Niobrara and Ponka liivers. It should remain on the north side of 
 Turtle Hill liiver from 20 to 30 miles farther, and then cross that 
 stream, as it would thus avoid the san^ at the junction of the Niobrara 
 and Turtle-Hill rivers, and cross the latter where there is a better ford 
 or narrower stream to bridge. Turning then toward the Niobrara, this 
 river must be crossed in longitude 101° 20' to avoid the sand-hills, and 
 the route must continue on the south side to about longitude 102°, when 
 it should again cross to the north side. These crossings for a w igon-road 
 could easily be made at a ford or by bridging, but a proper badge for a 
 railroad-crossing at these places would be a stupendous undertaking ; 
 for, on account of the nature of the banks and ravines, good approaches 
 could not be found so as to descend to the level of the stream, and the 
 bridge would have to be built very high. From longitude 102° west 
 there are no difficulties, beyond a scarcity of wood, in reaching Fort 
 Laramie, or continuing direct to the South Pass, and in this course 
 abundance of excellent pine would be found near Raw Hide Peak. 
 
 A preferable road might be found by continuing up Turtle Hill River 
 to its source, and then along the divide between Niobrara and White 
 Rivers, striking the former streaiu in longitude 102^ ; but these divides 
 are generally bad for wagon-routes, on account of scarcity of water, 
 and it is not certain that we would by t^ it route avoid the sand-hills. 
 
 I consider the north side of the Niobrara superior to the other for a 
 road for the flrst 90 miles above the mouth, as the greater number of 
 streams coming in at the south side would occasion considerable detours 
 in gaining good crossing-places and ai)proaches. The portion of the 
 river flowing through the sand-hill region has the sand on the south side 
 generally foronehalf a mile, blown away by the wind, leaving a smooth 
 route. On the north side these hills are crowning the very edges of the 
 precipices that rise from the river, and cannot be avoided. The evi- 
 dence that this difference between the two :.ides was due to the wind \a 
 very comj)lete, and shows that tlie prevailing winds blow mu(!h more 
 from the north here than from the south. 
 
 The Elk Horn River rises in about longitude 99^, about 2.> miles soutli 
 of the Niobrara River. Its general course is southeast, and it empties 
 
A. 
 
 " as the Cana- 
 o-tlnrtls of its 
 lands. In the 
 , and is spread 
 luicksaud and 
 rongh its mid- 
 hat constantly 
 iues. 
 
 i gated it with 
 ig-house near 
 if the timber 
 lity to defray 
 )le of furnish- 
 i that much of 
 )laces difidcult 
 tcky Mountain 
 isin. The dis- 
 :tend is about 
 
 3 Niobrara; it 
 es. From the 
 le between the 
 north side of 
 len cross that 
 f the Niobrara 
 3 a better ford 
 Niobrara, this 
 sand-hills, and 
 de 102O, when 
 ■aw igon-road 
 3r badge for a 
 undertaking ; 
 od approaches 
 ream, and the 
 ude 102° west 
 reaching Fort 
 in this course 
 lie Peak, 
 •tie Hill River 
 ra and TVhite 
 these divides 
 city of water, 
 he sandhills. 
 Q other for a 
 ter number of 
 srable detours 
 )ortion of the 
 the south side 
 ring a smooth 
 ' edges of the 
 ed. The evi- 
 o the wind in 
 V mu(!h more 
 
 }> miles south 
 ind it empties 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 43 
 
 into the I latte. As far up as I have seen it, which is in latitude 42o, it 
 hasa broad fertile, and well-wooded valley. Where crossed by Liei- 
 enant ^mith in 18.. ,, nearly south from Fort Randall, it is described by 
 S '^indy boUom ""'' '^'''' ^'''''' '''''^ well-timbered banks and 
 
 The valley of the Loup Fork is broad, fertile, and well wooded up as 
 ar as the old Pawnee villages, a distance of about 80 miles. Above 
 his the valley begins to grow sandy and wood more scarce, and about 
 he meridian of lOUo becomes worthless. An occasional farm-site coul 
 however be found almost to its head. Near its source it flows tliroug 
 high rocky precipice^ similar to those on the Niobrara; but its source 
 IS in the open and desolate sand-hills, a miserable region, impassaWo 
 for ordinary wagon-trains, and by all means to be avoided The same 
 
 iSbVofrLrsncr ' ^^-^-^^ ^-^^ ^' ^^^^^-^ ^^--' -^ 
 
 The Platte River is the most important tributarv of the Missouri in 
 he region under consideration, and its broad and grass-covered Tallev 
 leading to the west, furnishes one of the best wagon-roads of ft^ ength 
 in America. From its mouth to the forks, the bluffs are from two to Ive 
 miles from the water, making an intermediate bottom-vallev of from 
 four to eight miles wide. From the forks to Fort Laramie the bluffs 
 occasionally come down to the water's edge, and the road has to cross 
 the points of the ridges. From Ash Holloa to Fort Laramie the road 
 IS sometimes heavy with sand. Fine cottonwood grows along the banks 
 and on the islands from the mouth to Fort Kearney ; from here upTtis 
 scarce and of small size. Cedar is found in the raVi'nes of the b uffs in 
 the neighborhood of the forks and above. The river is about a mile 
 wide and flows over a sandy bottom. When the banks are fuU iT s 
 about SIX feet deep throughout, having a remarkably level bed ; but t 
 
 tt^iw «" «• ^-' ?^^'^f,ti^"' f the bed is so broad that the water seldom 
 attains su&cient depth, and then the rise is of short duration. 
 
 initnfn S'Mif ^^ 6''^'"^' of Nebraska below the Yellowstone, flow- 
 ing into the Missouri River, are none of them navigable to any reliable 
 extent; and as most of them r, x from west to east, their grSesrirac 
 tical value is in attbrding the land route of communication b<ftwferou;' 
 present western settlements and those to be formed in tLmrntaias 
 
 S jfirVfwf \'^ "' '"I' ""^^ ^r*^« ^-^ ^^^^1^ t« traverse the^tlv- 
 vcniug desert, for here only are such supplies of water to be found as are 
 
 anTsumlS'?' '""^ '^ '!f •^"'^•^*'" ''''''' ''''^ ^^ cultivated, ^nd such 
 nf ,^"P1^"^^ *^t ^ood as the region produces. 
 
 PiV/fo fn.^ • I ^^".7^ ,^^ "^'^^^^ running into the Missouri, that of the 
 Platte furnishes the best route for any kind of a road leading to the 
 interior, and the best point of starting is the vicinity of Omaha Citv 
 An appropriation of $50,000 has bee.i expended on bricl^es, &c on 
 
 n' totZ'7tT "' ''■' """f '''' ""^^' ^•"I^^' ^^'^t improvement'remC 
 k fii V\V\ ^^"^ superior to any route on the south side of the Platte 
 S- feriv So 'h :;?T.'-1 " good crossing of Loup Fork, either by bridge 
 tl e^strP^m 1 o r' ' ''? ^'^^'^t: the first on account of tlie width 
 nml ti.m- ')? ^'-'''^'^ '''"^ t^^ ^''^tter on account of the shoals 
 
 Twen t five^luM^l'^-^f 'i ,.^^" ^'''\}' ^'''^^ by, reason of quicksand 
 tofl l^«H *''""''«"'J- '- *^"'^''"- '-^^'-^^^ probably inako a good crossing 
 10 this stream, as the place is within the limit of the settlements nS 
 
 !™t oTrmilT;/" ''' 'J''' ^""^^ ''.' «f 8-^'«^ter value to the eni' 
 noUinrvb^lil «. '^.''f''^*'^"'\'^^^ «"^« ^^«"^ tJ^e route would 
 
 mom iin. In t 1\T^ ?■;? "' ^ "'' ^'"^^'^"^^^ ^■^•«'" the Missouri to the 
 mountains, but would not throughont have - ue serious obstacle all the 
 
44 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEI5RASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 way to tbo bontli Pass. Any i^ute tlifit takes the south side of the 
 1 Ijitte Kivor lias the South Fork to cross, (which is about as difllcult a 
 stream as the Loup Fork,) at a i)oint where bridging it or establishing a 
 terry is, at this tune, impracticable; the road then, along the North 
 iMMk, has bad places at Ash Hollow and Scott's liluffs, and has to 
 cross the Laramie Kiver and the North Fork of the Platte by bridges 
 oyer which the emigrant must pay toll. The route by the north side 
 ot the 1 latte crossing the Loup Fork is, therefore, of iiarticular value, 
 especially tor early travel in the spring, when the streams are generally 
 
 1 liave spoken of the locality of Omaha being, in my opinion, superior 
 to any other as a point from which to supply the interior portions of the 
 country along the Platte. This in a measure d' ,. ■' r? iipoa uie improve- 
 nients being made of the crossing of Loup Fori , a Present Nebraska 
 City 18 a ])oint presenting almost as short a roa(: uch could be made 
 quite so if bridges were placed over a few small streams, and which 
 could bo done at an expense to the General Government of not more 
 than l:$20,()ao. A considerable distance of river transportation would 
 also be saved to stores brought from Saint Louis by selecting Nebraska 
 City instead of Omaha. Besides, the first mentioned must always be a 
 sui)erior point from which to supply Fort Kearney. The cost of river 
 transportation to this point is about 75 cents per 100 pounds. The dis- 
 tance from Nebraska City to Fort Laramie, by the proposed improved 
 route, IS about ftve hundred and twenty-tiye miles. From Fort Leaven- 
 worth to Fort Laramie it is about six hundred and forty-live miles. 
 
 The price paid for transportation, by the Quartermaster's Department, 
 on these roads, is about $L50 per 100 pounds per hundred miles. 
 
 It will thus be seen that the transportation of stores to Fort Laramie, 
 by the route from Nebraska City, would be a saving over that from Fort 
 Leavenworth of about $1.5.) per 100 pounds. The total expense from 
 Saint Louis via Nebraska City would thus be $8.02* per 100 pounds, and 
 I shall use this route in making a comparison of the advantages ottered 
 by any route to the north of it. 
 
 The first place which apparently offers a superior route is the neigh- 
 borhood of Fort Kandall. Stores can be delivered at this i)oint from 
 Saint Louis at a cost of about $2.25 per 100 i)ouii Is. The distance to 
 Fort Laramie is about three hundred and eighty miles, which, at the 
 rate of $1.50 per 100 pounds per hundred miles, would give a total cost 
 of about $7.95 per 100 pounds, which would apparently indicate a sav- 
 ing over the Nebraska City route of $0.07 per 100 pounds. There are 
 two reasons, however, why this advantage is practically not now attain- 
 able: first, the neighborhood of Fort liaudall, as a depot for supplies, 
 men, and animals, is not to be coaipared with Nebraska City, tbe former 
 being in a comparatively barren country destitute of inhabitants, and 
 where the necessary store-houses can only be constructed at an expense 
 not less than $100,000; second, the great difficulties of the route from 
 lort Kandall west. That it is practicable to take wagons along the 
 Niobrara is shown by our expedition in 1857. The wagons were loaded 
 with about 2,000 pounds, and drawn by eight good mules to each. 
 
 Our time of traveling from Fort Laramie to Fort Kandall, counting 
 the days necessary to stop to rest the animals, was thirty days. About 
 one. huT'.drcd miles of this route was through sand-hiiis, where I do not 
 think the ordinary transportation trains could have traveled except in 
 the 8lo\yest and most fatiguing manner. 
 
 The route I have already indicated on the south side of tbe Niobrara, 
 in my description of that stream, \vould be preferable to tbe one wo 
 
nion, superior 
 portions of the 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEURASKA AND DAKOTA. 45 
 
 tnm^Ied, o.i account of the .sand, but the dinicnlrv of crossin- the river 
 NV< l.l cuntorbalance the advantage gained by so .ioinr " 
 'J he route b(.twoen Sioux City and Fort UanVhdl is %erv ..o<hI on^ 
 
 iiillSPisii 
 
 S",!™;; -^'S tns riS" K ""V"'4 
 
 tl.e jo,Uc I l,„vo „„l,. cxannned ia part 'b t- feel cSo," K iM,",' 
 ;™.UUoo,„u,. to the co„.e»,l/„"-';Lr„V:,^l?™'ZaTaS 
 
 mfof /. '7r 'i?'^'^\H^^'^"- ^t ^« Relieved that an/route wh^ch keen. 
 
 r„ ^ • 1 ^V "''On IS lavorable to mi itarv movements 
 
 ,„a„!'r,dTn "•"'":■""' "''' ^"'"^ '■"' «"PP'.Virtbe interior. I ,.»ve 
 AV , t, 1 1 * ,, '"* '^'""'' "f I'reseiit occupation of the cou trvT 
 e ve a ,.,! ," ,'":,''"'''"« P"''"""" of Nebraska bccoiae occmS as hev 
 
 « Sins a tb" t JJinotl Jf' '"'"'•''" i'"""-""" f™"' «"™'^ "Ot 'o-J 
 
 a^o .ow'aCj^^osrw^^ ?™ ^ ii.s \b^f rutux^Lt': 
 
46 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 
 m 
 
 t ■• ''■ 
 
 effect of natural cansea and tlie structure of tlie country. The same 
 routes now nuist used and best adapted to tlio wants of military occu- 
 patiou were long before used by the trader, the Indian, and tlie butlalo, 
 as best adapted to their wants ; and when future reipiirements shall 
 demand increased facilities of transportation and locomotion, and rail- 
 roads shall be built, then they, too, will be found near the main routes 
 now traveled by the trains of the emigrant and the army. 
 
 As I before stated, an irreclaimable desert of two hundred to four hun- 
 dred miles in width separates the points cajjable of settlement in the east 
 from those on the mountains in the west. AVithout doubt these mountain 
 regions will yet bo inhabited by civilized men, and the communication 
 Avith the east will require railroads, independent of the want of an interior 
 overland route to the racitic. For this purpose the valley of the Platte 
 offers a route not surpassed for natural gradients by any in the world, 
 and very little more is to be done west of the Missouri than to make the 
 superstructure. A cheap road for light trains and engines could easily 
 be built, and when settlements are formed in the mountains will become 
 profitable ; and the gold that has been discovered there in valuable quan- 
 tities may produce this result much sooner than we anticipate. The Nio- 
 brara ap])arently presents a more short and direct route to the interior 
 than the Platte, but its natural features are not so favorable. The direct 
 route from Sioux City to Fort Laramie by the Niobrara would be, for a 
 railroad, about forty miles shorter than by way of the Platte and Fort 
 Kearney. 
 
 I do not, however, consider the route by the Niobrara as impracti- 
 cable, but think that the diiliculties iu the way of constructing it will 
 overbalance the advantages of being a shorter route from the Missouri. 
 If the route be considered as starting at the city of Chicago, thence via 
 Kock Island, Omaha, and the Platte Valley, the distance is about the 
 same as that by Dubuque, Sioux City, and the Niobrara; the one large 
 bend which the former makes at Fort Kearney being counterbalanced 
 by the number of small ones of the latter. 
 
 A route for a railroad to the Pacific from the neighborhood of Saint 
 Paul, by way of the South Pass, would keep on or near the general 
 course of the wagon-road lately laid out by Colonel Nobles to the Mis- 
 souri, at Fort Lookout, and thence along the north side of White River, 
 as before indicated. 
 
 Should a route ever be required from the west shore of Lake Supe- 
 rior to the South Pass, it could be located on a very direct and prac- 
 ticable line, via Fort Kipley, Lake Traverse, and the Big Shyenue, and 
 deserves examination. 
 
 But a route from Lake Superior west to the South Pass would prob- 
 ably not compete in advantages with that examined by Governor i 
 Stevens near the 49th parallel. It may, however, be questionable 
 whether one of equally as many advantages could not be found by i 
 proceeding directly west from the Bois de Sioux to the Missouri at Fort ! 
 Clark ; thence by way of Knife River to the Yellowstone River at the 
 mouth of Powder River. The valley of the Yellowstone then offers a | 
 direct route west to the mountains, where Captain Clark crossed them | 
 in 1806, and thence near the route he pursued to the Bitter Root Valley. 
 The more direct route would be dowu the valley of the Salmon River; 
 but the information we possess of this stream indicates its character ! 
 through the mountains to be one of great difficulty. 
 
EXPLORATIONS IN NKBRAHKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 47 
 
 s its character ! 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 INDIAXS-MILITAUY PJSTS-ROUrES FOR MILITARY OPERATIONS, ETC. 
 
 I Shall here repeat, with some additions, the account of the Dakotas 
 given in my report of explorations in 18r,5.i The Dakotas are scattered 
 overanimmense territory, extending from the Mi^Sp^on the east 
 to the Black II.lls on the west, and from the forks of the Pla to on the 
 
 ""t,:^':" ^Ihe^ nSn' "^^^''-..T'-y -y their il^l^' me ^^ 
 uagnea oi "allied," and they sometimes speak of themselves as the 
 
 ''Ocheti Shaowni" or "Seven Council Flris/' TheUm' the seven 
 
 principal bands which compose the nation, viz : "' 
 
 1. Ihe Mde-wakan-tonwans, meaning <' Village of the Spirit Lake " 
 J. Wah-pe-kutes, meaning " Leaf-Shooters." ^ 
 
 t ^Vl'l-Pe-tonwans, meaning "Village in the Leaves " 
 4. Sisi-tonwans, meaning "Village of the Marsh." 
 
 ov/ .T /^ur constitute the Mississippi and Minnesota Dakotas and 
 
 C^^O ou s "^ tZ of .?' ^''''T' "J':^^"?ties." They are esUma ed a 
 0,-uu souls. Some of these on the Mississii)])! have long been in con- 
 tact with the white settlements, and having sold much of theiri-inds to 
 
 c um?aTed'?hTso/l 'r '-^^'-^"^l^.^-^ -^--y of their former habis'^ml 
 cuitnated the soil. Communities have been formed which have m ha 
 sonie appmach toward civilization ; others of them si 1 ve nri^c mlh 
 by the truits of the chase in their 'primitive wildnels and hiTon ^ 
 years occasioned much trouble to the settlers of Northern lowT It was 
 they who committed the murders last winter on Spirit Lake 
 tim^s o!;it^lTvT;T'' (Ya"^^tons,) " Village at the End." These are some- 
 
 mSh of tit T^f. ^^f '' '"'TV"F " ^''''^ ^'^^•^"•" '^^'^y '-^re found atThe 
 ,^ ?ni T? It , ^ ®'^"^ ^^"^ between it and the Missouri River as hiel, 
 up as Fort Lookout, and on the opposite bank of theSrissouri Tl !v 
 are sirpposed to number 3G0 lodges. Contact wUh the whi?es has co7 
 siderably degenerated them, and their distaucefrom the present buffX 
 ranges renders them comparatively poor. A treatyhas been mile wS 
 them by which they have ceded most of their hSotLuidted States 
 
 as De;il'?TTv """^^ ^'^"''?" '^'^'"^^ ^^'^'^r '-^"d t^« Missouri, as high north 
 as i)ev il's Lake, number about 800 lodges, and are spirited and warlii.^ 
 
 ir? ^''^^ T^^ ^'^"^^^ to the settler's in D^cot^'CiW 4ev 
 sflered severely from the ravages of the small-pox in the winter' of 1856 
 d r lof • ,f «•»«» l>ortion, under a chief called Little Soldier, Hve in 
 
 iamuel 
 ,1st 
 
i: 
 
 
 i'f 
 
 48 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEIJRA8KA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 r«'\v of tlio IJi iiU's, oil Wliito Uiver, and 
 
 .soiiio of tlio faiiiilioM coiiiuM'ttMl 
 
 with tlio wiiitcs l.y iiiarria;,'!', have never plantetl corn. Thoy are dividetl 
 into s«n«'n principal bands, vi/. : 
 
 I. (Jnkpapas, " they who camp by themselves." They roam i 
 
 IV\'^ Shyenne up to the Yellowstone," and west to the niaek 
 hand Mato (Jhiipikesa, or 
 
 •oam from the 
 ills; to tills 
 
 the Bear's Kil), belongs, who was made by 
 General Harney the tirst chief of the Dakotas. They number about 305 
 lodjics. 
 
 L'. Sihasa|)as, (Ulaekfeet.) Haunts and homos same as the Unkpapas 
 Ihey number Km lod<,'es. These two bands have very little respect for 
 the po\\«'r of the whites. 
 
 3. Jta/ipchos, (Sans Arc, " no bows.") lioam over nearly the same ter- 
 ritory as the Unkpapas. They number about 170 lodges. It is ditUcult 
 to say how these bands received their present names; the ltazii)chos 
 bein^r as well provided with bows as any other band, and use them as 
 skilllully. 
 
 4. .Minikanyes or Miiini-kan-jous, (meaning "they who plant by the 
 water.") They number about L'OO lodges, and roam i)rincii)ally froiii the 
 i>lack Hills south to the Platte. They are generally well disposed 
 toward the whites. 
 
 o. Ogalalas or Okandandas. They number about 400 lodges, and are 
 generally to be found on or near the i'latte near Fort Laramie. They 
 are the most friendly disposed toward the whites of all the Titonwans. 
 
 0. Sichangns, (meaning Burnt Thighs,) Brules. They number about 
 J80 lodges, and live on the jS'iobrara and White ltivers,'and range from 
 the Platte to the Shyenne. They include the Wazazhas, to which 
 belonged Matoiya, (the Scattering Bear,) made chief of all tlie Dakotas 
 by Colonel Mitchell of the Indian Bureau, and who was killed by Lieu- 
 tenant Grattau. 
 
 7. Oo-he-uon-pas, (Two Boilings, or Two Kettle band.) These are now 
 ve;y Lnuch scattered among other bands. They number about 100 
 lodges. Some of them are generally to be found in the neighborhood of 
 I ort Pierre. 
 
 The IJakotas, on and west of the Missouri, which includes all but the 
 Isanties, are the only ones I have heard estimated. I should think 
 eight inmates to a lodge, and one-tifth of them warriors, an ample allow- 
 ance. We would then have — 
 
 Name of baud. 
 
 Lodges. 
 
 Iliankt,oiiwaii8,(Yai]ktons) 
 
 Iliankt«ii\vaniias,(Yauktouais) 
 
 Unkpapas 
 
 Siliasapas, (IMackfeet) 
 
 Itazipclios, (Haua Arc) 
 
 Mini-kan-jous 
 
 Oj^allalas 
 
 .Sicliauj^iis, (lirules) 
 
 Oo-h(--iiuii-pas, (Two Kettles)., 
 
 mo 
 
 fUO 
 
 165 
 170 
 200 
 4()0 
 
 :wii 
 
 100 
 
 3,000 
 
 luiuates. 
 
 2,880 
 (i, 400 
 2, 920 
 1, 320 
 1, 300 
 l,(iOO 
 3, (380 
 3, 010 
 800 
 
 24, 000 
 
 Warriors. 
 
 57() 
 1,280 
 584 
 204 
 272 
 320 
 73(5 
 61C 
 160 
 
 4, 800 
 
 In the summer the Dakotas follow the buftaloes in their range over 
 the prairie, and in the winter fix their lodges in the clusters or fringes 
 of wood along the banks of the lakes and streams. The bark of the 
 Cottonwood furnishes food for their horses during the winter snows, and 
 
►TA. 
 
 iiilios coiiiiocttMl 
 L'lu'y aiodivitlo(l 
 
 V roam from the 
 Iv Ilill.s; totliiH 
 lo was made by 
 imber about 3G5 
 
 s tlio Unkpapas 
 ittlo respect for 
 
 *ly the same ter- 
 
 . It is dillicult 
 
 tlio Uazii)clios 
 
 iid use them as 
 
 lo plant by the 
 
 ;il)ally froiu tlie 
 
 well disposed 
 
 lod{>es, aud are 
 jaramie. They 
 the Ti ton wans. 
 ,' number about 
 !ind range from 
 dias, to which 
 ill tlio Dakotas 
 killed by Lieu- 
 
 Theseare now 
 ber about 100 
 eighborhood of 
 
 ides all but the 
 I should think 
 in ample allow- 
 
 KXPLORATIONS IN NEHKASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 mates. 
 
 Warriors. 
 
 2,880 
 
 57() 
 
 (), 4(10 
 
 1,280 
 
 5>, y^o 
 
 584 
 
 1,320 
 
 2C4 
 
 i,:5()0 
 
 273 
 
 l,(iOO 
 
 320 
 
 :?, (i80 
 
 73(5 
 
 3, 040 
 
 61G 
 
 800 
 
 ICO 
 
 4,000 
 
 4, 800 
 
 eir range over 
 ters or fringes 
 e bark of the 
 ter suows, aud 
 
 to obtain it many Htroams have I.. 
 
 their former beantifid groves. Their h 
 
 49 
 
 »een thinned or entirely stripped of 
 
 the Indiuis fiiH...,. u,7.,n i ~'. »'«i;>< are obtained by trartic with 
 
 DMe inai.ins tai t lei south, who have stolen them in New Mexico nr 
 
 caught them wild on the plains toward the licM^kv M^ntJus co.Hid 
 
 erabh, nu.nbers are also raised by themselves. The nation is o.^ete 
 
 nmst sk.lltul and warlike, and n.ost numerous in ouV torritZ a ml 
 
 c.»uld they be made to feel more confidence in their own powers ;oM 
 
 s;;;;t r^tm ™i"-, /'^ -'^^--^'^^ on horseb!;ckS;^;;:^e 
 
 no suptrio s, a skill acciuired by constant practice with their bows nml 
 arrows and lances, with which they succeed in killing theirLame^t full 
 spe(3d. The rapidity with which they shoot their a rows a.S the ace 
 mcy of their aim, rivals that of a practiced hand S ?l rrevoTve ' 
 .Notwiths anding the destruction of their numbers brsmal.no^.uK^ 
 cholera .t IS the opinion of some that they are increa^iir umbers 
 on'the flintier'"""'"'""' ''''''' "'"^^ they'mingle witfuhe set;iL\nents 
 
 iver, to the Big Shyenne of the Missouri, and to the secthm o ^-ountrv 
 hey now occupy between the Platte and the Arkansa^ The D tko is 
 hen lived on much (,f the land now occupied by the Chi ppewas uid^^^^^^^ 
 (jM,.pewas at that time inhabited the region betweet'ieS^^^^^^^^^ 
 Mane and Lake Winnepeg, the Crees, theirSdlie.s occu^^^^^^ 
 
 Wind^^r ;;i''r '^^'f ''^ *i!^ ^^^ Ki.is.kad Jl-wa.! Sanlc^S^S 
 
 lasVs ren n werl f 1 Ass.niboin K.ver. The plains to the south of the 
 
 ast s ream were the scene of many contentions and bloodv combafs 
 
 e utfr'th tf n-itf" '""'"i"^ i^^'*^-^ ^'^^"^'^'^ than ofXotTertw^; 
 tiioes, unt 1 that nation was divided into two bodies orio-in.Hiu.- in 
 
 ;;;' "rtuLdu^Ti,';.',:''"'' ""'if ■", !,"»'^ "-"^ i^^siim e 
 
 mits CO tuis day. riie less i)ower{ul and tly ng party took refuoe in fhA 
 ro(,ky precipices of the Lake of the VVoods, and k!cei veTfroi. tfe ("l n 
 pewas he name of Assiniboins, or Dakotas of the Uocks u er which 
 ame they are now generally known to the whites Thev ho^vever 
 T e thT"]? t'lenise ves the name Dakotas, and speak ha Ian Juage' 
 .memies. ''''' "' '^^"^^'^^"^ ""^ *^"^"' always call them Sf or 
 
 Tlie Assiniboins then allied themselves with theChinnewis and (>pa« 
 and forced the Dakotas to abandon all the co intry S S' i S^^^^^ 
 enne, which is now regarde.l as the boundary betwee these rbes ^" 
 
 la.ting peT c^rt^ ? ^^ ^^ 'SC Ui Jm "'i^i::f^f' *^ ''"' "'^ 
 
 t. rv 'iw 1 V? ""^ P'H'tion of their lands is in the British terri- 
 
 \ <1 ot w^t to^^ ^^'7 ''T I'^^,^ticular to inform us that they 
 
 I ..ow occu.ry! '"''' '''"^^ ''""'^ ""'^ «I'^''« ^"^' «t" ^vhat they 
 
 'n. — I," 1- 
 
 conii 
 
 I <logs, of which they h. 
 <>( these animals also 
 
 ive 
 
 iparatively few horses, and rely largely on 
 great numbers, for t'aiKs[)ortation. The flesh 
 
 serves them as food. The A 
 
 Dout 4o0 lodges, or 3,000 souls. They suttered 
 
 4 N D 
 
 ssiniboins number 
 severely from the small- 
 
50 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 ii.i' 
 
 I)().\ in I8.">()-'r)7. Their country extends from tlie Ue«l River wont nIonL' 
 the MisHonri as far as tiie month of the Milk River. 
 
 Tlie AhsarakoH or (-row 
 
 H o(!('Ui)y the eonntry ahont the Ydhiwstono 
 
 and its hran(;he,s, heinj; honmh'd oii the east l»v the Dakot 
 
 as, south by 
 
 the i'hitte, and west l»y the dlvidlnfjf line between the waters of the At- 
 huitie and I'aeific. 
 
 Tiieir eonntry abounds with everythinj; Indian life recinircs, ami 
 they nn^ generally well disposed toward the whites, bnt have as yet 
 seen little of them in their country since is;{(), when the trappers were 
 HO numerous. They were then much dreaded by these a<lventnrers. 
 The Crows are tine wariiors; have plenty of horses, mainly derived 
 from tralhc with the Flatheads. They live ^^enerally in skin lodges, and 
 number about (iOO lodjics, or 4,.S0(» soids. 
 
 .Minnetarres, or (Jros Ventres. This is a small band of the Crow 
 Nation, liviny in a vilhifre of dirt lod^jes, surrounded by a rude stockade, 
 near Fort lierthold. They raise corn, beans, punii)kins, iSrc They 
 number now about SOO souls, but, from a variety of causes, arci dimiii- 
 ishiiiff. 
 
 The Arricarees, or Ifees, are a branch of the Pawnee Nation, from 
 which they have become separated by the migration of the Dakotas 
 and by these latter they are both known by the same name Pedanis. ' 
 
 The Ixeos live in a villafte near Fort Claik, in a n)anuer exactly simi- 
 lar to the Gros Ventres, and number about HIO souls. Formerly they 
 were numerous and powerful and occu|»ied a larjje \\\h\<n) at the nioutii 
 of Grand Itiver. This was destroyed during the expedition under 
 Colonel Leavenworth, sent there in 1 HIT) or 1.S2U to chastise them for 
 the attack on the trading party of (ieneral Ashlev. The remains of 
 dirt-lodge villages all along the Missouri attest how numerous the 
 Indians of this tribe must have been before the invasion of their lands 
 by the Dakotas. 
 
 The Mandans live in a village,six miles above Fort Clark, in the same 
 nianiier as the Gros Ventres. They seem to be the last remnant of a 
 distinct tribe from any of those around them. They have, through the 
 agency of the small-pox, rapidly diminished since they were visited by 
 Lewis and Clark, and now number about 1*50 souls. They live in con- 
 stant dread of the diseases which white men have been at times intro- 
 ducing among them, and the main and oft-repeated request which they 
 made to the Indian agent when I was there in .July, 1850, ^vas that he 
 would keep sick white men away. When I returned there in Septem- 
 ber, and saw them again a victim of that scourge, the small-])ox, 
 brought among them that year by the steamboat of the rival company 
 to the American Fur Conipany, and saw the despair depicted on every 
 countenance, it made me feel heart sick to think what wrongs these 
 poor savages have suffered from the cui)idity of my own race. The 
 authois of this calamity, which visited all the tribes in this region, are 
 fully exposed in the report of the Indian agent. Colonel Vauglian, in 
 185(]-'57. * ' 
 
 Bear's Eib, the Unkpapa, gave me the following list of persons that 
 died of this disease, from tlii- cause, in 1850 and 1857, that ho had 
 heard of, though the disease was still at its work of death in some 
 parts of the Crow country : 
 
 Persons. 
 J^es ICC 
 
 }Jol»es 1 500 
 
 Big Head's band of Ihantouwans 30 
 
 Sihasapas 130 
 
 1, 831' 
 
iver west alon^ 
 
 iiH, iNcc. They 
 iwes, ani (liiuiii- 
 
 eath in some 
 
 KXPLOUATIOXH IN NKHUA8KA AND DAKOTA. 51 
 
 <Jr<»s Vriifrcs and MaiKliiiiH 
 Absaralios 
 
 .MakiiiH" a total ot at least 3,000 .souls. 
 
 KiO 
 1,000 
 
 1, KiO 
 
 tl 
 
 tu 
 
 laty 
 
 iM'fo re 8.101, bl<nvM as tins the red niee would soou disa|)i,ear • no war 
 I'-nId he so fatal to then.. The (JovernnuM.t shouhl, by iV t , , ^ 
 humane, eiur,loy some <.oa.petent person, at a pr,,per ^ahuy t t h t 
 
 i^;;:^';';;;,;";;':"'"'"^^ ^'"^^' i.Miians,and ti..jarrost'u^v;;„e;;::e 
 
 These threelittle hands, the Cros Ventres, Mandans, and Rees are 
 
 as dwMuli.nf; away Th,>y never <,an work mueh harm t he whites 
 
 ; mdthe.r n.odeol I.te ata fixed abode requires them to be Z S 
 
 Ihey exist now rarher by sulferanee of the Dakotas than by t lei" ow i 
 
 l...uer, for the Dakotas e<»uld soon destniy them if they cl ose, as thev 
 
 1 ;0 Vll ''li:;;'; i " '^^^^^^^-}^ the L,>up Fork, in'aboutthe e^i 
 IMO. J e Dakotas find it eonvenient for themselves to permit the ox 
 .st.mee of these vilh.ijes, as their produce of corn, &Z rms va aWo 
 eo.i.modity of trade between them. ' -i ^aiuabio 
 
 The l»onkas are the small remnant of a onco powerful tribe, and no' 
 V.' year t .e mouth of the Xiobraru. They are on friendly terms wU 
 .e Dakotas. Tlie (Government agents have lately eftecidreay 
 u th tlumi by which a r.^^ht to most of their lands has been purchased 
 and a reserve marked out for their location on the Niobrara in(l ronka 
 Kivers, near Fort Kandall. The treaty has, 1 believe, not ye been rat 
 
 iH'il by the Senate. They number about ~ souls 
 
 llie rawiiees were formerly one of the most numerous and powerful 
 and warlike ot the Indians of the piairie. They have, thro... Ii the 
 agency ot he small-pox and their constant wars with the' l)Sti and 
 
 exS'llmfT'^S'''''''^"?,^'-'"'^ their numbers now do not iSably 
 n^.v wl' r 1^^ 'f ''"P/ ^''^ country on the Platte below Fort Kear- 
 ney, and on J.oup Fork. A treaty was made with them in the winter of 
 1^0-, by which they cedeil a large portion of their lands to the UniLd 
 States, and agreed to retire to a reserve on the Loup Fork, where vvere 
 
 iJrty^t^&r^t^S.""^ '"^"^^^^ '''''' ''^''^- ^'- '^^^^^ 
 
 vJJlt ^.^-V'""^*! 0^^^'II^V tli« country between the Platte and Arkansas 
 ri' •^"!l ""'"^^^ «»^o»fc «0"ls. These Indians have alwavs been 
 
 m er''o Vs-^'tf "^:! '"^* ""'''''"^^ '""^'^» ''''^ ^liem. During the 
 sni iimer ot IHot, while the vigorous expedition conducted by Colonel 
 Numner was operating against them, a number to the amount of 40 
 lodges took retuge among the Dakotas, in the neighborhood ot the Black 
 
 They will probably unite with the Dakotas in the event of auv 
 
 ilu cTlrthi '^"^" % '', ""Ir^^ ^^'^"^ '''' ^^'^^ moral effec pro^^ 
 •<^^ntrv \l .^^1 1^^^^^ 1 '^^ ^V^"^^. ^.^Pe^"tion through their common 
 ?. in f \h rUve^ •"[ .^^^^^.^^.^"tility of ever being able to contend 
 
 -I .ii!ih(. laepowei ot die united States. 
 
 ■ire n;'!L\^^v''.\'''"^''"®!," Territory under consideration, the Dakotas 
 
 f t .in ,^^ ^^ ''^ -^^ ^^'^\ have undergone the least raateri .1 diminution 
 
 ot their numbers since their discovery by the whites. Thev are sHll 
 
 ••nmerous, independent, warlike, and powerful, and contain SiXml 
 
It :, '•■■>!■■ 
 
 52 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 1'^ 
 
 If -fff" f 7 
 
 
 'm- 
 
 m.,^ 
 
 selves means of prolonged and able resistance to further encroachments 
 of the western settlers. Under the present policy of Government, which 
 there is no reason to believe will ever be changed, these encroachments 
 will continue and new wars will result. 1 do not mean to say that a 
 peaceable adviuice of the settlements westward might not be effected, 
 but under the operation of present causes it will not. All of these con- 
 flicts end in the discomfiture of the native races, and they are fast melt- 
 ing away. It is not, as many suppose, that those dispossessed retire 
 farther west; this they cannot do, for the region to the west of one tribe 
 is generally occupied by another with whom deadly animosity exists. 
 Hence, when the white settlements advance their frontier, the natives 
 linger about till disease, poverty, and vicious indulgence consign them 
 to oblivion. The present policy of the Government seems, therefore, 
 the best calculated that could be devised for exterminating the Indian. 
 
 The advance of the settlements is universally acknowledged to be a 
 necessity of our national development, and is jnstitiable in displacing 
 the native races on that ground alone. But the Government, instead of 
 being so constituted as to prepare the way for settlements by wise and 
 just treaties of purchase from the present owners, and proper protection 
 and support for the indigent race so dispossessed, is sometimes behind 
 its obligations in these respects ; and in some instances Congress refuses 
 or delays to ratify the treaties made by the duly-authorized agents of 
 the Government. The result is, that the settler and pioneer are precip- 
 itated into the Indian's country, without the Indian having received the 
 just consideration promised him ; and he often, in a manner that enlists 
 the sympathies of all mankind, takes up the tomahawk in defense of 
 his rights, and i)erishes in the attempt. 
 
 It is frequently the case that the settlers are unjustly charged with 
 bringing about these wars, and, though I feel for the Indian, I cannot 
 but sympathize with the pioneer, whose life is liable to be sacrificed to 
 the Indian's vengeance. 
 
 The western settlers are now fighting the battle of civilization exactly 
 as our forefathers did on the Atlantic shores, and under circumstances 
 that command an equal amount of our admiration and approval. 
 
 VVe are in the habit of looking on the power of the United States as 
 invincible, but it is far from being so regarded by the savages on our 
 frontier. Many of them have never seen or felt it. There the Indians 
 far outnumber the whites, and, if our sympathies must go with the weak, 
 they should be with the settlers, who are only able, after all, to main- 
 tain their ground by the aid of the Army. 
 
 One of the chiefs of the Dakotas told me that they had a grand coun- 
 cil in the sunnner of 1857, on the North Fork of the 8hyenne, and that 
 tiieir hearts felt strong at seeing how numerous they were; that if they 
 went to war again they would not yield so easy as they did before. At 
 that council they solemnly pledged to each otiier not to permit further 
 encroachments from the whites, and he fully believed they were able to 
 whip all the white men in the world. In truth, they are not without 
 reason in thinking so. They have never seen the whites except in small 
 parties, stealing through their country, unable to resist them or protect 
 themselves from insolence; or they find them shut up in little trading- 
 posts, where for days they dare not, at times, open the gates or show 
 their heads above the inclosure, and where, whenever a band of young 
 warriors wish to have a frolic, they go aiul shoot their dogs, chickens, 
 cattle, &c., break the windows, and commit any other outrage their 
 fancy may suggest, as a <liversion. They have seen the Iiulian agent, 
 ■(their father, as he is called,) the direct representative of the President, 
 
EXPLORATIONS IN NEllRASKA AND DAKOTA, 53 
 
 tor the power^of our Go ernm^ut X unbPr! ^.f^Vf "^"'/'"'^ "^ ''''^'^''' 
 a soldier of tl.o Uiiifed Sf.,tT a .^ -^"'»l>ers <>t them have never seen 
 
 their largest force, a„,l hero 1 bSo ! n w„„w make'a,M'^,ri'''S''' 
 
 with .■ro;;:',"! ''writ '^i^TrouTo..',^ 
 
 iiecess irv to P^fnUiLi. I Pr«it.ticable. In this event it might become 
 jn_cfM(.vii> 10 estaoiisu a temnorarv nnsif 'ilmi-o fi.n ai...« "w^uiuc 
 
 not even^l.on ?ear the re^nk^^ ^^^^^^ ^"'''^'' """'^ commanders .ve need 
 
 rin e^,si'irr.?"^f l'''"^f/'?'"P''^«t««l»"^n-'^ i« necessarily slow, and chev 
 n n ri. '^^^'^1«^'' "•I'lcli the least military skill teaches the IidS 
 
 iii.«t "serul alii , i„ irJa.i'wtu'' l mS^^^ ?"""""' """''' '',» '"'"""' 
 
 th 
 
 • ■ wiiites . 
 ill jJri vino- 
 
 id thus spare the lives of 
 my opinion of the best way of bringing the Dakotas to sub- 
 

 54 
 
 ;j : 
 
 '0^ 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 mission, in tlio event of a war, I tl»iuk it my duty to state that 1 believe 
 inany of the eauses of war with them might bo removed by timely action 
 in relation to the treaties, which are from time to time made with them, 
 and a prompt and faithful fullillment of our own part of the stipula- 
 tions, and it is to bo hoped that Congress will afford the means of car- 
 rying into effect the treaty made by General Harney in 185G, and those 
 made by the Indian Bureau in 1857 with the Ihanktouwans and Poncas, 
 and that it will provide liberally for those who have been dispossessed 
 of their lands or impoverished by having their game driven off" by the 
 approach of the whites. 
 
 1 have always found the Dakotas exceedingly reasonable beings, with 
 a very ])roper appreciation of what are their own rights. What thev 
 yield to the ^vhites they expect to be paid for, and I never have heard a 
 prominent man of their nation express an opinion in regard to what 
 was due them in which I do not concur. Many of them view the ex- 
 tinction of their race as an inevitable result of the operation of present 
 causes, and do so with all the feelings of despair with which we should 
 contemplate the extinction of our nationalitv. 
 
MEDICAL REPORT 
 
 By Dr. Samuel H. MoFiarr. 
 
 Washington, B. C, Jawwarj/ 31, 1858. 
 
 Sir: I submit a report of the most important cases of sickness that 
 i-equire(l medical treatment in the party under your command, from 
 June li) until December 4, 1857. 
 
 After the party reached the Loup Fork it was necessary to remain 
 III camp tor a number of days awaiting the an.ival of the escort. The 
 mouth of that stream was reached July 4, and we encamped near the 
 river not far from the town of Columbus. It was in this locality that 
 the most serious cases of iUness which occurred in the party were 
 generated. In passing up the Tlatte we tr£<.veled principally at some 
 distance from the stream. Near the river, and along some of "^its tribu- 
 taries, swampy districts of country exist which might endanger the 
 health ol persons living in their vicinity during the summer and autumn 
 1 notuicd long marshy tracts of this kind overgrown with heavy vegeta- 
 tion aion;r the Loup Fork at this point. Soon after our encampment a 
 good deal ot bilious derangement prevailed in the party, and the pres- 
 ence of muismatic poisons was soon made apparent in the occurrence of 
 a number of cases of intermittent fever. Nearly all of the party exne- 
 nenced unpleasant disturbances of health here. The season had been 
 unusually wet and the heat was extreme. Vegetation was consequently 
 developed very rapidly, and it was, therefore, not difhcult to account for 
 the early appearance of disease among us. Under ordinary circum- 
 stances I would consider this region as healthy as most prairies, but the 
 past seasons were particularly favorable to the deveIoi)ment of malaria. 
 All ot the cases, however, that were treated here yielded readily, and 
 when we commenced our journey up the Loup Fork no complaint was 
 
 We seemed, however, peculiarly unfortunate in the start: for, a few 
 (lays u.ter we had got finally under way, the most serious case of sick- 
 ness which we had to encounter during the trip commenced. On July 
 -o, i\Iay, a teamster, exhibited the symptoms of fever, and it soon be- 
 eatiie api)arent that this man must suffer a long and severe illness • 
 under the most favorable circumstances his chances for recovery would 
 have been considered few, and the circunstances under which we were 
 ot necessity placed tended greatly to diminish those chances. Delay 
 was out ot the quesMon, as his case, if it resulted favorably, would 
 req line at least a fortnight, and we therefore placed him in the best 
 situation that was possible in traveling, and did all in our power to 
 proinote his reciovery. This case was an interesting one to the medical 
 practitioner; it was one of those in which the signs and symptoms of 
 typhoid and ot remittent bilious fevers were intimately blended De- 
 inum commenced early, with stupor, diarrhea, and that peculiar con- 
 <iition of the tongue and mouth noticed in tvphoid fever ; with tliosf. 
 .MHiie of the common symptoms of remittent fever were exhibited, and 
 i i m" ^^*?/"'^,«'' ?"'^1 ""t be cut short by quinia, its violence was 
 gUMtly modified by that agent. The sickness of this man embarrassed 
 our progress seriously, but after nearly three weeks of trouble and 
 anxiety with his case we were gratified to note his convalescence. A 
 

 56 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 I' '■ 
 
 -?l! 
 
 fi'^;- .:■';! 
 
 Pfilr: ' 
 
 
 ^ils''- 
 
 !%,■ 
 
 
 halt of three days dnritig the most excited period of his disease tended 
 fjreatly to promote a favorable teriuinatiori. May was hauled the entire 
 distance to Fort Laramie, not beinj? able to perform any duty until we 
 reached that point. On the 8th of August I was attacked with bilious 
 remittent fever myself, and can testify from experience to the incon- 
 venience from being sick on the prairies. My attack was not severe, 
 and yielded in eight or ten days. These and the cases of intermittent 
 were the only cases of fever that occurred in the party during the season. 
 Tlie country through which we passed, up to tliis point, was along 
 the Loup Fork. That portion of it most favorable to the production of 
 fever is near its mouth. As you approach the sources of the river there 
 are fewer wet tracts near tlie stream, and the country generally is not 
 so flat. 1 notice the marshes particularly, as that is the only condi- 
 tion observed which could intertere with the henlth of the population 
 if the country were inhabited. These are not numerous after you leave 
 the mouth of the river some distance, and there is nothing to warrant 
 the inference that the country is not highly favorable to health. 
 
 Indeed, in most respects, this region, so tar as heallli is concerned, 
 may be considered as highly favored. As you approach the elevated 
 regions near the mountains, the atmosphere is exceedingly dry and 
 pure. Much has been said of the favorable ett'ects of a residence in 
 this region upon persons laboring under i)nlmonary diseases. As this 
 far-western region becomes more generally known, I think the subject 
 will attract greater attention. I think the rational explanation of 
 the improvement in consumptive cases that has been noted in this 
 quarter is found in the <lryness of the atmosphere. Sudden changes 
 of temperature here, if not less frequent than in some of our Eastern 
 States, are certainly not productive of the same bad consequences to 
 the invalid. The lungs of those who are suftering with phthisis are 
 here free from that constant irritation to which they are subjected in 
 an atmosphere loaded with moisture ; and the feeling of buoyancy and 
 strength that is imparted encourages the invalid to make new exer- 
 tions to promote recovery. A residence in such an atmosphere, com- 
 bined with habits of active exercise, and constant living in the open air, 
 might, in some cases I am sure, be productive of the best results. An 
 intelligent friend, now residing at Fort Laramie, informed me that in 
 his youth he was attacked with phthisis, that horrible disease being 
 hereditary in his family. He was rapidly declining, and went to this 
 far-western region in hope flat the climate might prove beneficial. He 
 made his home among the wandering bands of Indians, and avoided 
 none of the exposure incident to such a life. He lay constantly in the 
 open air, and took as much exercise as possible. His health improved, 
 and in a year or two he was entirely restored, and is now residing at 
 Fort Laramie a strong anil healthy man. I have heard of many other 
 cases similarly restored. In New Mexico consumption is unknown, I 
 am informed, as a disease originating in the country, where the climate 
 has the additional advantage of being warm. 
 
 During the extremely hot weather that continued during our journev 
 up the Loup Fork, our party suli'ered very little with diarrhea or dys- 
 entery. A number of cases of the former occurred, but only a lew 
 required any treatment, and but a single case of dysentery, which was 
 mild. After reaching Fort Laramie, those who hail been sick rapidly 
 recovered, and whcu wc left that post all of the party were in excelleut 
 health. 
 
 During the fine weather that continued for a few weeks in the bo- 
 ginning of the fall no cases of sickness occurred. In October the weather 
 
EXPLORATIONS IN NEBRASKA AND DAKOTA. 
 
 57 
 
 became inclenieut, and was very cold and wet. During our trip down 
 the Niobrara no complaint was heard, except in some chronic cases 
 which were somewhat aggravated by tlie bad weather and exposure 
 and when tlio party reached Fort Kandall all were in good health Sev- 
 ens of the soldiers had suffered from scurvy during the summer;' these 
 improved during the trip down the Niobrara, along which stream we 
 ouml an abundance of plums and grapes. After leaving Fort Randall, 
 (Nov^ember i,) the members of the party were attacked with influenza 
 and this disease prevailed during the entire trip from Kandall to Leav- 
 enworth, and only four or five members of the party escaped an attack. 
 Some ot the men, who were much exposed to the inclement weather that 
 wo experienced on the trip, suffered severely, and at times a sufficient 
 number were not off of the sick-list to carry on the train propertv All 
 recovered, however, and when we reached Leavenworth the partv was 
 in good health. Below is an enumeration of the most important^cases 
 treated during the season. Many trifling cases occurred of which no 
 note was taken. 
 
 Diseases. 
 
 Intcriniltcnt fever..'.. . 
 
 IMlious remittent 
 
 Diarrhe.i 
 
 Dysentery 
 
 Gonorrhea, acute 
 
 Orchites 
 
 Gleet 
 
 Chronic cystitis 
 
 Diabetes 
 
 Granular conjunctivitis 
 
 Tarsal ophthalmia 
 
 Intiuenza 
 
 Respectfully, 
 
 Results. 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Recovered, 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Improved. 
 
 Improved, 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Recovered. 
 
 Lieut. G. K. Warren, 
 
 Topographical Engineers. 
 
 Samuel H. Moffitt, 
 Physician to Expedition. 
 
 9, and avoided