Read Ebook: The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike Volume 2 (of 3) To Headwaters of the Mississippi River Through Louisiana Territory and in New Spain During the Years 1805-6-7. by Coues Elliott Pike Zebulon Montgomery

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This mileage would set Pike about Cottleville ldg., on the N., though I hardly think he got quite so far. He passed Fee Fee and Cr?vecoeur creeks on the S., latter discharging from Cr?vecoeur l.; Little Duckett and Big Duckett creeks, near together, on the N.; Catfish isl., behind which is Howard bend, into which Bon Homme or Good Man's r. falls, about opposite the middle of Green's bottom, N., 3 1/2 m. long, separated by Green's chute from Bon Homme isl., next above which comes Bacon's or Post's isl., and then Cottleville ldg. If Pike reached this place, he was 44 m. from the mouth of the Missouri, according to recent charts.

The "point to the south" which Pike passes I take to be that opp. Cottlebaum's ldg., at the mouth of Ridenour or Fiddle cr., at the head of the difficult place called Devil's Race-ground by Lewis and Clark: see ed. of 1893, p. 8. This is a couple of miles above St. Albans, at the 55th river-mile point of recent surveys. The bluffs continue a mile or so, and then, at the mouth of Labadie's cr. or slough, begins the extensive Labadie's bottom on the S., for the Missouri crosses over to the bluffs on the N., and continues on that side to the town of Augusta, St. Charles Co. Thence the channel runs obliquely by the Augusta and Hinkley bends, between Labadie's and Hancock's bottoms, to the S. side again. Here, at Mung's or South Point isl., is the lower end of the "long reach," N. W., in which Pike says he camped. We set him on the S., at the mouth of Dubois or Wood cr., where there is now a place called South Point. This is directly opposite the line between St. Charles and Warren cos. on the N.; it is about 2 m. below Washington, Franklin Co., and at the 67th mile-point from the mouth of the Missouri. Pike maps the stream in the right place, but by the wrong name of "Ash R."

Originally Docs. Nos. 5 and 6, p. 33 and p. 36 of the App. to Pt. 2. They are given beyond.

Loutre isl. is quite historic. A number of Americans and some French families settled there in 1805; first child born was Jacob Grosjean ; one b. 1806 became the local celebrity known as "old man Patton," living in 1884. Fort Clemson was built by Capt. Clemson about 1808, and maintained till after the war of 1812-15. From 1808 to 1816 there was quite a colony, whence were drawn the settlers for Boone's Lick, Howard Co. On the N. mainland the colonists, when the war broke out, were killed in part, and the rest driven to the island to be "forted up" till the peace. Fort Clemson was a Rangers' hdqrs. in the war, and from this post Capt. James Callaway, grandson of Daniel Boone, set out in March, 1815, on the expedition up Loutre r., during which he and others were killed. Daniel Boone's Spanish grant from Gov. Delassus was about 15 m. up the Loutre, and included a salt spring--the original and only genuine "Boone's Lick"; Boone's adopted son Van Bibber kept a tavern there, where Washington Irving stopped some time in the '30's; it is now reputed a medicinal spring in the little village Mineola, near Danville, seat of Montgomery Co.

Passing McGirk's ldg. and isl. N., Cole's or Coles' cr., S., Rineland and Kallmeyer's ldgs., S., to the mouth of the Gasconade, which falls in on the S., opp. Cuyler's pt., 107 1/3 m. up the Missouri: see L. and C., ed. 1893, p. 9. This is much the largest tributary of the Missouri thus far reached; Pike elsewhere allows it 200 yards' width at the mouth, and navigability at times of 100 m. He also notes that the Sac boundary started opp. its mouth: see note 14, p. 11. Gasconade City is a place on the tongue of land that makes into the Missouri on the upper side of the Gasconade; being a mere village or hamlet, is as appropriately named as the river itself, which got its name from the way some persons bragged about their exploits when they returned to St. Louis. Beck's Gaz. speaks of pine which was cut and rafted down, but there has been none for 60 years within 150 miles.

One of these letters, given beyond, formed No. 7, p. 36, of the App. to Pt. 2. of the orig. ed.

Arising in the Ozark mts. of Kansas, the Osage r. leaves that State and enters Missouri in Vernon Co., which it delimits in part from Bates Co.; traverses St. Clair and continues past the corner where this, Henry, and Benton cos. adjoin; traverses Benton, enters Morgan, forms a part of the boundary between this and Camden, makes a loop through the latter and again separates it for a short space from Morgan, then for a little distance separates Camden from Miller, traverses the latter, enters Cole, and finally runs to the Mo. r. between this last and Osage cos. We shall learn much more of this stream as we follow it up in Pike's wake. There is a village called Osage City at its mouth on the west bank; Pike's camp is also on this side, in Cole Co., past two small tributaries known as Caddy and Sandford's creeks, and not far above Maries r., which comes from Pulaski through Maries and Osage cos. to fall in on the E. or right bank. A Spanish fort was built about 1795 near the mouth of the Osage.

No further indication of camp of 29th, which is also omitted by the draughtsman or engraver from Pike's map; nor is there any notable modern locality along here. But it must be short of where the Osage, after coursing in Cole Co., begins to separate the latter from Osage Co. Nearest present settlements, Babbtown, Osage Co., and St. Thomas, Cole Co.

In Cole Co., and a mile or two above Proft's cr.; about 2 m. N. E. of St. Thomas, and 4 m. S. E. of Osage Bluff.

Camp a little above Big Tavern cr., from the E., in Miller Co., on whichever side of the river it was pitched. There is no mark on Pike's map for this camp, nor those of Aug. 2d and 3d. The nearest named places to the camp of July 31st and Aug. 1st, and that of Aug. 2d , are St. Elizabeth, on Big Tavern cr., and Mary's Home, west of the Osage--both in Miller Co., but both some miles away from the river. On breaking camp this morning, Pike passed on his right the bluffs from which the hamlet of Osage Bluff takes its name; this is about a mile north of the river. He later passed Babruly cr., from the W., whose name is obviously a corruption of Bois Br?l?; then Sugar cr., from the E., and next Little Tavern cr., falling in from the W. a mile or two below Big Tavern cr. There was more than one cave or "tavern" in the bluff near the creek: see figure of one, where the early Osage boatmen used to put up, in the Mo. Geol. Reports.

Taking Pike past a place called Bagnell, on the right, just below present Little Gravois cr., in Miller Co., and setting him somewhere about the point on the river where Miller, Morgan, and Camden cos. come together--the latter on the S., the two former on the N. side, as the river is here running E. His camp of Aug. 4th and 5th is marked on his map, on the left, just below the mouth of his Little Gravel r., which he passes on the 6th: see next note.

Before the Youngar is reached Pike passes on his left Linn cr.; county seat called Linn Creek, a mile above its mouth. The name of the river has fluctuated widely. Pike has Yungar, Youngar, and also Nehemgar; the latest G. L. O. and U. S. G. S. maps letter Niangua. The word, whatever may be its preferable form, is the Osage name of the bear, though by some it is said to refer to the numerous springs at the sources of the stream. It is by far the largest tributary of the Osage thus far reached; Pike credits it with a canoe navigation of 100 m. The main stream heads in Webster Co., in relation with sources of the Osage fork of the Gasconade, and runs through Dallas Co., also touching the W. border of Laclede, into Camden; its tributaries are numerous and widespread. One called Little Niangua falls in on the W., 6 or 8 m. above the mouth of the main river. To-day's voyage takes the Expedition past Purvis, and finishes about 4 m. above Bolinger or Bollinger cr., from the S., on which are the Osage Iron Works.

Pike's map marks none of the places passed to-day by the names given in his text. We have therefore a triple adjustment to make--of map with text, and of these with modern geography. This I can do, bearing in mind that Pike does not necessarily mention places in the order in which they are passed en route, and that all his mileages are guessed at by the hours spent in making them. His map marks camp of Aug. 8th a good ways above the Niangua, and I set it 4 m. above Bolinger cr., as already said. For the 9th the map has: Big Rock cr., right; Rapids; Slave r., right; camp, right. The facts in the case are: Pearson's branch, left; Wells' branch, right; Proctor cr., right, on which is Proctor; Raney, Rainey, or Rainy cr., left, with Crittenden at its mouth--none of the foregoing noted by Pike in any way; then Little Buffalo cr., right, on or near which is a place called Search; rapids along a long curved bluff, right, with three little creeks on the left; Big Buffalo cr., right, with a place called Riverview at its mouth; camp, right. This makes about 25 m., barely over the border of Morgan into Benton Co., Big Buffalo cr. falling in just short of the same boundary; whence it is evident that Big Rock cr. of the map is Little Buffalo cr., on which is Search; Slave r. of the map is Big Buffalo cr., on which is Riverview; and this last is the Upper Gravel cr. of the text. This ends the day, for by no stretch can we get Pike past Pottoe r. of the text: see next note for this.

Text gives no geography to-day, but the map shows three large streams between the camp-marks of 9th and 10th. These are: a river, left, lettered "P. R."--that is, "Pottoe" r.; Francis r., right; Cardinal r., left. The facts in the case are: Knobby cr., left, small, at lower point of Williams isl., large; a large creek, left, falling in at head of Williams isl., called Beaver cr. on the G. L. O. map, Deer cr. on the U. S. G. S. map, and on which is a place named Hastain; 2 m. above its mouth is another place called Duroc, on the S. bank of the Osage; a very large creek, right, variously called Vermilion, Coal Camp or Cole Camp cr.; a very large creek, left, called Turkey cr. These three are of the relative sizes and in the relative positions of the three that Pike charts; so that unquestionably "P. R." or "Pottoe" r. of Pike's map is the Beaver or Deer cr.; Francis r. is the Vermilion or Cole or Coal Camp cr.; and Cardinal r. is the Turkey cr. It is true Pike says his Pottoe cr. was passed on the 9th; but his map shows otherwise; and if it had been, that is a question of the location of camp for the 9th, not affecting the identification of the streams here made. The queer name "Pottoe" I suppose to be intended for Poteau, and not a misprint for Potatoe: see the name Pomme de Terre or Potatoe for a river further on. Where Pike got his name Francis r. I have no idea. His Cardinal r. I imagine was so called by some confusion with Vermilion r.; for cardinal and vermilion are two names of a red color--in the one case worn by certain church dignitaries on their heads, in the other by cochineal insects on their bodies. Camp of the 10th is 3 or 4 m. above Turkey cr.

Pike has mapped the river unmistakably along here, rendering identifications easy; but the text is not so correct, and requires the interpretation I have given. The mileages of the 10th-12th seem excessive. Here, as in various other places, he seems to have supplied the loss of orig. notes from memory.

This letter formed Doc. No. 8 of the App. to Pt. 2. The name, omission of which causes the hiatus in the text, is Chouteau. The letter was sent by one Baptiste La Tulipe, who is no doubt the man of whom we read in Fr?mont, Rep. 1845, p. 18: "I had found an old companion on the northern prairie, a hardened and hardly-served veteran of the mountains, who had been as much hacked and scarred as an old moustache of Napoleon's 'old guard.' He flourished in the soubriquet of La Tulipe, and his real name I never knew."

Near the N. E. corner of St. Clair Co. and the S. E. corner of Henry Co. The Park is a narrow, somewhat rectangular loop of the Osage, including some bold bluffs in its bight. The distance was much under "28" m., unless the river were then even crookeder than it is now. We have to foreshorten the mileages along here, in order to bring Pike into anything like the proper position above the mouth of Sac r. on the 16th. He passes five or six small creeks to-day, the last and largest being charted by Pike as Buckeye cr. This is Wright's, from the S., in St. Clair Co. A mile above this is a large island, which seems to be Pike's Turkey isl.; and a mile above this is another, probably that on which he camped.

That is to say, Lieut. Wilkinson, Dr. Robinson, the interpreter, and one soldier, who left the boats to march across country with some of the Indians, thus avoiding the periplus of several bends in the river.

Pike is still considerably below the present site of Osceola, at the neck of the last remarkable bend the river makes some 6 or 7 m. from that town. At present this loop is 4 or 5 m. around and about a quarter of a mile across at the narrowest part. It receives several creeks from the N. E., E., and S., the highest and largest now called Bear cr. In this day's course, which does not include the circuit of the bend, Pike charts a certain "East River," which he runs in directly from the W. This corresponds in position with the stream now called Muddy cr., but if meant for that it is drawn much too large--half as large as Grand r. itself.

A letter received from General Wilkinson by this express formed Doc. No. 9 of the App. to Part 2.

Joseph Browne, who in 1806 was first Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the District of St. Louis, appointed by Governor and General Wilkinson Tuesday, Mar. 18th, 1806; in 1807 he was Territorial secretary, and sometimes acting governor. He was succeeded by Frederick Bates, appointed secretary by Jefferson, May 7th, 1807: see L. and C., p. 1236. The "Babtiste Larme" of the above paragraph is elsewhere called by Pike "Mr. Baptist Duchouquette alias Larme." Billon's Annals of St. Louis for 1764-1804, pub. 1886, p. 437, has "Jno. B. Duchouquette, usually called Batiste Lami." Among the signers of a paper relating to the erection of a Roman Catholic church in St. Louis, Oct. 30th, 1819, is found "Batiste Duchouquete" . The alias occurs in various forms, as Lamie, Lamy, Lamme, etc. J. B. D. was son of Fran?ois Lafleur Duchouquette and C?leste Barrois; b. about 1760, d. May, 1834; married Marie Brazeau, St. Louis, 1798.

The village of the Little Osage Indians was about 6 m. higher up and on the other side of the river of the same name. Marmiton r. falls in between where the two villages were. These were so well-known to the traders and others in Pike's time that he does not take the trouble to say exactly where they were; nor are we favored with the precise location of Camp Independence, "near the edge of the prairie." But there is of course no question of the exact site of a village which stood for more than a century: see for example Holcombe's Hist. Vernon Co. Hundreds of Osages were buried on the mound, to which their descendents used to come from Kansas to cry over them, as late at least as 1874. Among the remains rested those of old White Hair himself, until his bones were dug up and carried off by Judge C. H. Allen of Missouri. In the vicinity of the upper village is now a place called Arthur, where the Lexington and Southern Div. of the Mo. Pac. R. R. comes south from Rich Hill, Bates Co., and continues across both Little Osage and Marmiton rivers; a mile W. of its crossing of the former, on the S. of that river, is the present hamlet called Little Osage. All Pike's positions of Aug. 18th-Sept. 1st are in the present Osage township.

This census of the Grand Osage village was contained in a letter which in the orig. ed. formed Doc. No. 12 of the App. to Pt. 2, being a folded table opp. p. 52, with a tabular "recapitulation" on p. 53. The matter is given beyond.

Three letters from Pike to Wilkinson which went by this express formed Docs. Nos. 10, 11, 12 of App. to Pt. 2. One of them is dated from "Camp Independence," by which we learn the name Pike gave his station: see beyond.

So far as the white men are concerned, the party is identical with that which left Belle Fontaine , excepting Kennerman, deserted, which reduced the privates from 16 to 15, and further excepting the additional interpreter, one Noel alias Maugraine.

Misleading, at first sight; but "Grand river" here means that stream on which was the Grand Osage village. Pike and Robinson simply took an excursion of 6 m. to the Little Osage and back to camp, supposed to be 13 m. from that of the 3d. It was considerably past Rinehart, and probably in the vicinity of Hoover, a place 2 m. E. of the inter-State line; or perhaps just over this boundary, which here runs on a meridian of longitude . This vicinity is notable as the scene of the raid of old John Brown in Dec., 1859, when this extraordinary compound of saint and sinner, whose prophetic visions of the coming struggle had startling distinctness, killed a man and stole some negroes and horses. Pike has entered or will immediately enter the N. E. portion of Bourbon Co., Kas., in the vicinity of places called Hammond, Fulton, and Barnesville. The two former of these are on the Kansas City, Fort Scott, and Gulf R. R. I suppose Pike to be about 10 m. N. N. E. of Fort Scott, the county seat of Bourbon. This is a well-known city, on Marmiton r., at the point where Mill cr. falls in. Its military name is a legacy from former days, the fort having been built in 1842; pop. now about 12,000.

The whole of this way is W. up along the S. side of the Little Osage, for the most part at a considerable distance from the river, which here has a northward convexity. But for some miles after leaving Camp Independence, Pike must have kept pretty close to the south side of the Little Osage, to avoid the unnumbered mounds into which the country further to his left is broken. The hill to which Pike came in the forenoon represents a rise from the general 750-foot level hitherto traveled to about 1,100 feet. From its southern slopes, Mill and Wolverine creeks gather to flow into the Marmiton at and near Fort Scott; while from the other side some small runs seek the Little Osage. Camp is in Bourbon Co., somewhere in the vicinity of Xenia, Zenia, or Hay, a small place near a branch of the Little Osage.

Pike does not mean that the Arkansaw r. itself is otherwise called White r., but the waters of the Arkansaw River basin he has reached are those of a river called the White, which is perfectly true. He elsewhere calls this Grand r. He also discusses whether this White r. be a tributary of the Arkansaw or of the Mississippi, and comes to the latter erroneous conclusion. This White or Grand r. of Pike is the Neosho; a large stream which waters much of southeastern Kansas, leaves the State in Cherokee Co., enters Indian Territory, and falls into the Arkansaw on the boundary between the Cherokees' and the Creeks' country. Its general course is S. E., then S. Pike lays it down pretty well on his map, by the name of Grand r., and I find it so charted on various modern maps. Pike runs it into the Arkansaw all right, and makes its Cottonwood fork the main stream, out of all proportion to the little creek he traces for the other fork; but there is not much difference in the two streams, which unite in Lyon Co. some 8 m. below Emporia. From the vicinity of Xenia, in Bourbon Co., Pike has to-day continued about W., by or near the station Bayard of the Mo., Kas., and Tex. R. R., in Allen Co. Having thus headed all Osage waters, he strikes and crosses the divide, and camps on the head of a small tributary of Elm cr., a branch of the Neosho . I suppose his camp to be at a point about equidistant from Bayard and two other places called respectively La Harpe and Wise--perhaps rather Bayard, La Harpe, and Morantown.

The two streams concerned in Pike's approach to the Neosho are Elm and Deer creeks. Elm is the large forked one which falls in close below Iola, county seat of Allen. Deer cr. is the next above, falling in about 4 m. above Elm cr. Pike's map indicates that, after passing some insignificant heads of Elm cr., he got into its forks, then crossed its north branch near Iola, and camped on Deer cr., very near the junction of this with the Neosho. I do not know whether horses can swim in Deer cr.; if not, the only alternative stream would be the Neosho itself. But the map sets Pike on the east branch of Deer cr., and there I leave him.

The Neosho, Neozho, or Neocho r. "A grand fork of the White river" is ambiguous; but becomes intelligible if we remember that he has just spoken of the "Arkansaw, alias White river." Pike's ideas of what he calls "White" and "Grand" r. were not clear. There is no stream in his present vicinity large enough to be dignified as the "grand fork" of the Neosho itself; we must understand him to mean the Neosho, as being itself a grand fork of whatever he meant by "White" r. The Neosho was long and often called Grand r.; "Neosho or Grand R." is lettered on Gregg's map. Pike never says where he crossed the Neosho, nor in fact does he inform us that he ever crossed it--unless it was when he swam his horses. But that was on the 7th. However these uncertainties be regarded, two facts are certain: Pike was across the Neosho on the 8th, and he crossed it between Iola and the town of Neosho Falls, Woodson Co. I think the crossing was a little above the mouth of Deer cr.

West for a few miles, then about northwest, up along the Neosho, but at several miles' distance from that river, on the dry prairie, and passing from Woodson into Coffey Co. As to the "second branch" on which is camp: Pike charts three streams passed to-day, running to his right into the Neosho, and marks his camp on the third one of these. I take these to be Turkey, South Big, and North Big creeks; and suppose that Pike camped on the last of these. It is true that these all three unite in one before falling into the Neosho; but Pike passed them too high up to observe their connections. Turkey cr. is practically a separate one, as it falls into Big cr. only about one-quarter of a mile above the mouth of it; and the connection of North and South creeks, much higher up, may be implied in his speaking of the "second branch" on which was camp . The single mouth of the three streams here in mention falls into the Neosho about 2 m. west of Leroy. If it seems rather a stretch to get Pike some distance up North Big cr. to-day, it may be remembered that the place he crossed the Neosho was not determined with precision; and that we have to find him to-morrow, at 11 miles' distance, on a large creek up which he can go over the divide to the heads of Verdigris r. There seems to be no alternative.

It may not be possible to decide which of the several branches of Eagle cr. Pike went up to the divide. To send him up the main branch, past Olpe, agrees best with his 21 m. to-day; but in that case he must have breakfasted late. There is a sharp elbow in his dotted trail, which would seem to indicate that he made a turn from his former course over the divide. Aside from any questions of detail, which perhaps could not be decided even by a resident of the region traversed, we have Pike safe on the headwaters of Vermilion or Verdigris r. . It heads in the divide which Pike has crossed, by numerous small tributaries, several of which Pike charts. Among them are Haldemand and Tate, heading opposite branches of Eagle cr., and further on Moon, Rock, Fawn, and Camp creeks. The Verdigris is of a size smaller than the Neosho, W. of which it runs in an approximately parallel course; it leaves Kansas through Montgomery Co., enters Indian Territory, and in the country of the Creek Indians falls into the Arkansaw 8 m. above the mouth of the Neosho. Pike lays it down well, especially the fan-shaped leash of branches in which it heads, but runs it into the Arkansaw in common with the Neosho. The Verdigris has of course its proper basin or drainage within the more general watershed of the Neosho and other Arkansan as distinguished from Missourian waters. The rim of this basin is the divide Pike crosses over to-day. He camps on one of the small headwaters, probably Fawn or Camp cr., in the close vicinity of the places called Elco and Verdigris.

Cottonwood "creek" was originally so named at the point where it was struck on the old Santa F? caravan road, and because it showed the first trees of that kind to be found in traveling westward on that route. The crossing was at or near present town of Durham, Marion Co. It was some time before the true connection of the Cottonwood with the Neosho was made out. At Council Grove the traders knew they were on a head of the Neosho or Grand r., though they called it Council Grove cr. They kept on W. to "Diamond springs" , and thence to "Lost spring" on their "Willow" cr. ; the next stream they struck being this Cottonwood cr., at or near Durham: see a note beyond, where I undertake, perhaps rashly, to recover the old caravan road in terms of modern geography.

If Pike bore as much N. of W. as his dotted trail seems to indicate, the mileage would fetch him on Cottonwood r. about the situation of Cedar Grove and Cedar Point, which are within a mile or two of each other and of the boundary between Chase and Marion cos., and about 6 m. down river from Florence, Marion Co. He is evidently in the loop which the Cottonwood makes S. E. from Marion to Florence, and then gradually N. E. to the vicinity of Cottonwood Falls. If the old Kansas Indian trail the map lays down could be recovered or identified, it would serve to locate him still more precisely. He crosses the Cottonwood and camps on its left bank. If we attentively regard the camp-marks of the 12th and 13th, we find them close together, N. of the Cottonwood, S. of a creek flowing E., and W. of a pair of creeks flowing S. These requirements are fulfilled, if we take the one running E. to be Middle creek, which falls in by Elmdale, 10 m. below Cedar Grove; and the other two, those that fall in together at Marion, 12 m. above Cedar Grove. It is true there are several creeks nearer, on the same side, as Silver, Bruno, and Martin, but these are all smaller than such as Pike usually charts, and, moreover, he could not go his 9 m. to-morrow in any direction without getting beyond them.

Camp in the close vicinity of Marion, seat of the county of that name. The Indian trail seems to have run past or through Marion. We can confidently locate Pike within 3 m. of the town on the night of the 13th; and Marion thus furnishes an excellent fixed point whence to trace him on to Smoky Hill r. The two streams which unite at Marion, and run through the place as one, are called Brook Luta and Clear cr.

Continuing past Marion, up the Cottonwood, which he has to his left, Pike camps near Durham, Marion Co. This town is on the river, and through it runs the Chic., Kas. and Neb. R. R. The route seems to have sheered off from the river a little to the right, more in line with Brook Luta than with the Cottonwood itself: see next note.

Pike camps on a branch of Gypsum creek. This is a large stream which heads in close relation with the uttermost sources of Cottonwood r., in the vicinity of Canton, McPherson Co., and flows due N. into the Smoky Hill, between the mouths of Solomon and Saline rivers. It is larger than either Turkey or Holland cr., and much branched. It runs about halfway between Holland cr. and the Smoky Hill, parallel with both; for the latter, having made a bold sweep from the W., curves N. past Lindsburg and Bridgeport to Salina, and thence E. to receive first the Saline, next Gypsum, and then Solomon r. On Gypsum cr. are Chico and Gypsum City, 10 and 12 m. above its mouth; and Pike strikes it a few miles further up or S. of these towns. Pike charts its headwaters elaborately, and sets his camps of the 15th and 16th among the five branches he lays down. Probably one of these should be taken for Holland cr.; the other four are less easily identified. From his position in the vicinity of Carlton Pike passes W. from Dickinson into Saline Co., comes first to Hobbs cr., next upon Gypsum itself and Stag cr., in quick succession; crossing these three he continues W. to another branch of Gypsum cr., namely, that one now meandered by the Mo. Pac. R. R. between Gypsum City and Bridgeport. He camps on the latter, 6 m. E. of the Smoky Hill.

This finishes the first section of Pike's Kansas route from the Little Osage to Salina. The rest of the way to the Pawnee Republic is northward, crossing in succession Saline r., Salt cr., Solomon r., Buffalo cr., and White Rock cr., striking the Republican r. in Webster Co., Neb., near the S. border of that State. The distance is less than the 97 m. Pike makes of it. His map is extremely faulty; he seems to have gone about N. W., though his actual route was very little W. of N. It also runs Saline and Solomon rivers far apart into the Republican, instead of the Smoky Hill, magnifies Salt cr. out of all proportion, and minimizes both Buffalo and White Rock cr.

As a bit of authentic history which may interest those in Salina who have reason to be proud of the growth of their city during one generation, I will transcribe a passage from my own field notebook, made when I was staging from Leavenworth to Santa Fe, in 1864: "Sunday, May 29th. Left Junction City and came to a place called Salina--three houses and a pig stye."

Fort Riley, as above mentioned, was begun by Major Edmund Augustus Ogden, who had selected the site and was occupied with the work when he died there Aug. 3d, 1855, in the epidemic of cholera then raging. He was born at Catskill, N. Y., Feb. 20th, 1810; removed to Unadilla, N. Y., and from there entered West Point July 1st, 1827; he became second lieutenant of the 1st Inf., July 1st, 1831; first lieutenant, Dec. 17th, 1836; was transferred to the 8th Inf., July 7th, 1838; promoted to be captain, Dec. 1st, 1839; and was breveted major for meritorious conduct. His first duty was at Prairie du Chien; his marriage with Captain Gustavus Loomis' daughter Eliza, at Fort Snelling, is said to have been the first ceremony of the kind between white persons in Minnesota; he served faithfully and with distinction in the Black Hawk, Florida, and Mexican wars, and for many years discharged arduous and responsible duties in the quartermaster department. For several years immediately preceding his death he was stationed at Fort Leavenworth.

Saline r., distinctively called Great or Grand Saline, has been already noted. Pike crosses this, and proceeds to "a small dry branch" of the next river, to camp for three days. This river is the one he calls Little Saline, and is now known as Covert or Salt cr., a branch of Solomon r. which falls into the Solomon 4 m. below Minneapolis, Ottawa Co. Pike's map connects it correctly, but magnifies its size; for the stream which he passed on returning from the Pawnee village, and which he lays down as a head of his Little Saline, is a branch of the Great Saline. Pike probably crossed Saline r. in the vicinity of Culver, where the railroad now does, then soon passing from Saline into Ottawa. The small branch of Salt cr. on which he camped was one of several such in the vicinity of Ada.

Taking Pike northward across Buffalo cr. I suppose this was crossed somewhere in the vicinity of Jamestown, Republic Co. In this position the Republican r. itself is only 5 or 6 m. to his right, and the rest of the journey is simply following up this river obliquely on about a N. W. course, at a somewhat increasing distance from it, until he nears it to approach the village.

Finishing the journey to the Pawnee Republic village, whence the great river on which it was situated took its name. Its ultimate sources are in Colorado, like those of the Smoky Hill r. Its main course then cuts off the extreme N. W. corner of Kansas, by running through Cheyenne Co.; whereupon the stream enters Nebraska, and skirts the southern border of this until it dips into Kansas across the N. border of Jewell Co., whence it continues E. into Republic Co., turns S. in this to Cloud Co., E. through this to Clay Co., and S. E. through this to Geary Co., where it is joined by the Smoky Hill, as already noted. The whole journey thus made from the Osages to the Pawnees foots up, by Pike's distances, about 350 m. In a letter to the Secretary of War he calls it "375"; but this is simply offhand. He also claims that his Osages led him roundabout 100 m. through their fear of the "Kans." Pike's land mileages seem to me more correct than those excessive ones he assigns to his navigation. I suppose this journey to have been between 300 and 325 m.

Guillaume Thomas Fran?ois Raynal, commonly called Abb? Raynal, b. Aveyron, France, Apr. 12th, 1713, d. Paris, Mar. 6th, 1796--a philosophical free-thinker and historian, who wrote too much sense and truth to suit his official superiors, and was consequently unfrocked. It is a curious fact in the history of the most Tammany-like machine for the propagation of painful superstitions ever known in the Western world--excepting perhaps Brigham Young's similarly organized scheme--that whenever one of its members begins to think for himself they make him take off his gown and wear trousers openly. The irony in the case seems to escape the professional nurserymen in that hot-house. The abb? wrote various works; his most celebrated one, to which Pike refers, is: Histoire Philosophique et Politique des ?tablissements et du Commerce des Europ?ens dans les Deux Indes, 1770, repub. 1780-85--a book whose strength and other merits may be inferred from the fact that it had the honor of being burned by Parliamentary order; though its author was simply exiled, the times being already a little out of joint for roasting heretics along with their heresies.

Richard Sparks of Pennsylvania had been a captain in the levies of 1791, when he was appointed a captain of infantry, March 7th, 1792; he was arranged to the 3d Sub-legion, Sept. 4th, 1792, to the 3d Infantry, Nov. 1st, 1796, and transferred to the 2d Infantry Apr. 1st, 1802; he became major July 29th, 1806, lieutenant-colonel Dec. 9th, 1807, and colonel July 6th, 1812; he was honorably discharged June 15th, 1815, and died July 1st, 1815.

Wednesday, Oct. 1st. Paid a visit to town and had a very long conversation with the chief, who urged everything in his power to induce us to turn back. Finally, he very candidly told us that the Spaniards wished to have gone further into our country, but he induced them to give up the idea; that they had listened to him and he wished us to do the same; that he had promised the Spaniards to act as he now did, and that we must proceed no further, or he must stop us by force of arms. My reply was, "that I had been sent out by our great father to explore the western country, to visit all his red children, to make peace between them, and turn them from shedding blood; that he might see how I had caused the Osage and Kans to meet to smoke the pipe of peace together, and take each other by the hand like brothers; that as yet my road had been smooth, with a blue sky over our heads. I had not seen any blood in our path; but he must know that the young warriors of his great American father were not women, to be turned back by words; that I should therefore proceed, and if he thought proper to stop me, he could attempt it; but we were men, well armed, and would sell our lives at a dear rate to his nation; that we knew our great father would send his young warriors there to gather our bones and revenge our deaths on his people, when our spirits would rejoice in hearing our exploits sung in the war-songs of our chiefs." I then left his lodge and returned to camp, in considerable perturbation of mind.

When I was once on the summit of the hill which overlooks the village, I felt my mind relieved from a heavy burden; yet all the evil I wished the Pawnees was that I might be the instrument, in the hands of our government, to open their ears and eyes with a strong hand, to convince them of our power.

Our party now consisted of two officers, one doctor, 18 soldiers, one interpreter, three Osage men, and one woman, making 25 warriors. We marched out and encamped on a small branch , distant seven miles, on the same route we came in. Rain in the night.

When we were about to march, we discovered that the dirk of the doctor had been stolen from behind the saddle. After marching the men, the doctor and myself, with the interpreter, went to the chief and demanded that he should cause a search to be made; it was done, but when the dirk was found, the possessor asserted that he had found it on the road. I told him that he did not speak the truth, and informed the chief that we never suffered a thing of ever so little value to be taken without liberty. At this time the prairie was covered with his men, who began to encircle us around, and Lieutenant Wilkinson with the troops had gained half a mile on the road. The Indian demanded a knife before he would give it up; but as we refused to give any, the chief took one from his belt and gave him, took the dirk and presented it to the doctor, who immediately returned it to the chief as a present, desired Baroney to inform him he now saw it was not the value of the article but the act we despised, and then galloped off.

In about a mile we discovered a herd of elk, which we pursued; they took back in sight of the Pawnees, who immediately mounted 50 or 60 young men and joined in the pursuit. Then, for the first time in my life, I saw animals slaughtered by the true savages with their original weapons, bows and arrows; they buried the arrow up to the plume in the animal. We took a piece of meat and pursued our party; we overtook them and encamped within the Grand or Solomon Fork, which we had crossed lower down on the 23d of September, on our route to the Pawnees. This was the Spanish encamping ground. Distance 18 miles.

In the evening two Pawnees came to our camp, who had not eaten for three days, two of which they had carried a sick companion whom they had left this day; we gave them for supper some meat and corn, and they immediately departed in order to carry their sick companion this seasonable supply. When they were coming into camp, the sentinel challenged, it being dark; they immediately, on seeing him bring his piece to the charge, supposing he was about to fire on them, advanced to give him their hands; he, however, not well discerning their motions, was on the point of firing; but being a cool, collected little fellow, called out that there were two Indians advancing on him, and asked if he should fire. This brought out the guard, when the poor affrighted savages were brought into camp, very much alarmed, for they had not heard of a white man's being in their country, and thought they were entering one of the camps of their own people.

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