Annual Report of Captain A. A. H, Topographical Engineers, in charge of Office of Explorations and Surveys, War Department

Front matter

GEOLOGICAL SECTION Prom the southern extremity ol" the Guadalupe Mountains eas* to the Aim: SI AN WELL. Heavy dotted Linea show Routes probatty practicable i ANNUAL REPORT or CAPTAIN A. A. HUMPHREYS, TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS, IN CHAKQE OP OFFICE OF EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS, WAR DEPARTMENT . DECEMBER, 1858. WASHINGTON: 1859. REPORT FROM THE OFFICE OF EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS. War Department, Office Explorations and Surveys. Washington, November 20, 1858. Sir: I submit the following; annual report upon the operations of the department carried on under this office. I. THE EXPERIMENT OF SINKING ARTESIAN WELLS UPON THE PUBLIC LANDS. In my last annual report to the department (November 30, 1857,) it was stated that the expedition to continue the experiment of sink ing artesian wells upon the public lands, assigned by the department to Captain John Pope, Topographical Engineers, under instructions of May 5, arrived at the former camp on the Pecos on the 2d of Sep tember, 1857, and resumed work upon the well which had been bored to the depth of eight hundred and sixty-one feet the previous year.

The operations at this point were carried on for a year, when they were terminated by authority of the department, it having been con sidered that they had demonstrated that, with any reasonable amount of expenditure, artesian wells on the Llano Estacado, and plains of similar formation and position, are impracticable. The depth attained was one thousand and fifty feet. The work was continued during the winter, which, from its unusual severity, increased the labors and hardships of the party, exposed, as it was, in tents on the bleak plain. The difficulties encountered were far greater than had been anticipated by Captain Pope, but were constantly met with skill, zeal, and perseverance. The impracticability of carrying the boring to a greater depth with the means provided, is attributable to the incoherent nature of the soft sandstones, marls, and clays, which, throughout the whole depth of the well, fell in and packed so firmly around the tubing, that, in forcing it down, the threads of the connecting screws were stripped off, and the tubes themselves split, and crushed.

From the same cause, when it became necessary to withdraw the tubes upon the accidental loss in the well of the heavy iron rod connected with the cut ting tools, and subsequently of the slips holding the cutters, long delavs occurred; and in one of these cases the well could only be cleared by boring and spearing up a part of the tubing. Near the bottom of the well thin seams of hard limestone were met, the jagged edges of which cut the wooden rods in two, and bent the iron rods so that they speedily became worthless. The water used in the boiler of the engine contained material in suspension that formed in six days a hard incrustation half an inch thick, which could only be removed by chiseling. The fine sand in suspension cut away the valves, and the acids in solution rapidly de stroyed the boiler and other iron work.

Chapter I

Routes explored, and main incidents affecting their extent and duration. In presenting the following report of explorations in Nebraska, made by me in the year 1857, I shall include also my previous recon naissances in that Territory in the years 1855-56, while attached to the staff of Brevet Brigadier General W. S. Harney, commanding the Sioux expedition. As, at this time, a complete narrative of these cannot be made, I shall only mention the routes pursued and the nature of the examination, and then give what I consider the most prominent results. A report of the explorations made in 1855, and map of the routes pursued by the Sioux expedition, have already been published by the United States 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 Platte river; from Fort Laramie to Fort Pierre ; and from Fort Pierre to the mouth of the Big Sioux river.

In 1856 I started from St. 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 steamboat Genoa. During our passage up the Missouri we made a careful sketch of the river above the southern boundary of Nebraska by means of compass courses, and distances estimated from the rate of travel of the steamboat, and by astronomical observations for latitude. The 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 size and quantity of timber on the banks, the nature of the bottom lands as regards marshes, &c, not equalled by those of any other means of reconnaissance, and the topographer at the same time could avail himself of the extensive and accurate knowledge of the pilot.

Our observations, by means of forward and back sights, showed us that the effects of local attraction on the compass by the iron on the boat were not important, and the checks on the estimated distances, afforded by the results of observations for latitude, proved that these estimates were very accurately made by Messrs. Hutton and Snowden, who, by turn3, prepared the sketch of the river. As far up as the mouth of James river our advance had been quite rapid, the river being at a good stage ; but a short distance above that point we encountered a sudden and heavy freshet in the river, (produced by rains,) with a current so rapid that our boat was unable to advance against it. From this cause we remained tied up to the bank a whole day. As soon as the river began to fall, the velocity abated, and we proceeded on the voyage.

So sudden, however, was the subsidence of the flood that, in five days after we had escaped the embargo of too much water, we found ourselves aground and drawing several inches more water than there was anywhere on the bar, which stretched across the river. This occurred to us near the first Cedar island. Under these circumstances, being anxious to reach Fort Pierre as soon as possible, as was also Captain Frost, (who was sutler at the fort, and whose goods were the principal freight of the boat,) we determined to leave the boat and proceed on foot to the dragoon camp, at the mouth of American Crow river, about 80 miles distant. Our means of transportation were two horses, the property of Colonel Lee, 2d infantry, and Lieutenant Colonel Andrews, of the 6th infantry, which carried our blankets and provisions, and we were accompanied by a Mr. Moore and two men.

On arriving opposite to the dragoon camp on the evening of the third day's travel, we were informed that there was no boat to bring us across. We stayed on the bank of the river that night, and the next morning renewed our signals to com municate with the camp. These, however, sailed to attract attention to us, and our provisions being short we were obliged, though much wearied by our journey on foot, (there having been a cold rain one day and night,) to attempt to reach Fort Pierre, 80 miles distant. This we accomplished in three days, and arrived there on the 20th of May, completely exhausted, having subsisted mainly on the birds killed with our shot guns. The journey gave me an -opportunity of viewing the country and its appearances a few miles back from the Missouri. The steamboat having landed a portion of her freight at the place where we left her, reached Fort Pierre three days after us.

On my arrival all the tribes of the Dakotas west of the Missouri, except the Sichangus and Ogalalas, were assembled in council, and a treaty of peace was made with them by General Harney, which terminated the Sioux war. Instructions were now given me by General Harney to proceed with my party in the American Fur Company's boat to the mouth of the Yellowstone, and as far above as she should ascend, and to return by means of a Mackinac boat, and carefully examine all points on the river to determine their suitability as sites for military posts, and to obtain such other information as we should be able with regard to the country. An escort of fifteen men and two non-commissioned officers of the 2d infantry were placed under my command. We left Fort Pierre in the American Fur Company's boat " St. Mary," Cap tain Labarge, on the 28th of June, and reached Fort Union on the 10th of July.

The boat landed most of her stores, and then proceeded to a point about 60 miles above the mouth of the Yellowstone and discharged the balance. While ascending the river, the sketch of it was taken above Fort Pierre, as it had been below, by Messrs. Hutton and Snowden, and observations were made by me for latitude. At Fort Union a 16-inch transit was set up, and observations taken during a whole lunation; but owing to the cloudy condition of the nights during the time, and the shortness of the nights themselves, only two sets of observations were obtained on the moon and stars. The result of these gave the longitude of that post 104° 02', with a limit of error of about 10'. While at Fort Union we saw the Assinniboin Indians. Having ascertained that a Mackinac boat could not be prepared for me before the 1st of September, I determined to make an examination of the Yellowstone during the month of August; and in carrying this out I was fortunate in being able to purchase the means of land trans portation from Sir St. George Gore, who was returning from an ex ten ive hunting excursion on the waters of the Yellowstone and its br inches.

We left the mouth of the Yellowstone July 25, and, travelling leisurely up the left bank, reached a point one hundred miles from its mouth, beyond which it was impossible to advance with wagons along the valley of the Yellowstone without crossing to the opposite banks. Here we 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 Lands of the Yellowstone) to the mouth of Powder river, 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 river at the mouth, no one would suppose the stream to be of the length it really is, and I was not surprised at Captain Clarke not having done so on his voyage down the Yellowstone in 1806.

On returning to our wagon camp, we all travelled 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 cotton-wood and willow trees. With this vessel a small party navigated the Yellowstone to its mouth, carefully map ping the islands and bends of the river. The wagons and land party returned to the Missouri by travelling over nearly the route by which they ascended. We enjoyed the greatest abundance of large game of all kinds while on the Yellowstone river. On reaching Fort Union again we found our boat nearly ready, and, all our arrangements being completed, we left that place on the 1st of September. A small party conducted the animals along the snore on our journey down the Missouri, generally camping each nignt 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 1856. Dr. Hayden was indefat igable in his efforts 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 far 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 St. Louis, and thence by railroad to Wash ington. The cost of this expedition to the United States was about $10,000. No special report has yet been made by me on the results of this year's exploration. The maps were about completed, and the material in the process of elaboration, when I was assigned to the command of another 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 Mendota and the Big Sioux westward to Fort Laramie and the South Pass.

Thence to proceed northward and make such examinations on the Black Hills as my time and means would permjt, and to return by the valley of the Niobrara, and make a careful examination thereof. I was assisted in the examination by Messrs. J. H. Snowden and P. M. Engel, as topographers ; Dr. F. V. Hayden, as geologist; W. P. C. Carrington, as meteorologist; Dr. S. Moffett, as surgeon ; and Lieut. Jas. McMillan, commanding the escort. The escort, numbering twenty-seven men and three non-commissioned officers, under Lieut. McMillan, all of the 2d infantry, was directed to meet me at Sioux City, transportation for it being furnished by the quartermaster's department. Transportation for the remainder of the party was assembled at Omaha City as soon as pos sible; and on the 27th of June, under the charge of Mr. Snowden, set out for the rendezvous at the mouth of Loup Fork.

Accompanied by Mr. Engel, I then proceeded to Sioux City, where we found the escort had been awaiting us several days on the Big Sioux river. Through some misunderstanding there were no team sters furnished for the wagons of the escort ; and the mules, from a disease of the hoof, and the wagons, and especially the harness, from long use, were of very inferior quality. It occupied me six days in getting the train in travelling condition, which was only done by abandoning one wagon and a large supply of stores for the escort. During this time a rumor* reached there of a fight having taken place between the soldiers and the Shyennes at Ash Hollow, in which a hundred of the former were killed. Twelve of the soldiers of the escort, tempted by the high prices of labor in this vicinity, and tired of the toils and privations of campaigning, deserted as we were about to set out, and some white thieves who infested the neighborhood of Sioux City carried off two of my best horses.

These losses occurring in a civilized community, where we supposed ourselves among friends, were quite annoying, and gave rather unpleasant forebodings of what might occur to us when we should come among our enemies, the Indians. -We set out from Sioux City July 6, and, taking a direct course, joined the other party on the Loup Fork, being 11 days in going 110 miles. The route was heavy from frequent rains, all the ravines being filled with water, and the most insignificant rivulet requiring preparation, on account of the soft nature of the soil, before a wagon could cross it. We had to make one bridge (over Middle creek) about 30 eet long, and construct a raft with which to cross the Elk Horn. The united party now set out on their journey westward on the Loup Fork, meeting with no serious difficulties on the route (except the quicksands in crossing the main north branch) till we came to within 50 miles of the source of the stream.

Here the river became shut up in a gorge impassable for wagons, and we were forced out among the difficult sand hills which border the bluff's and which extend north to the Niobrara and south nearly to the Platte. They also extend much further east, but they occasioned us no difficulties till we were forced to leave the bank of the stream. We finally came to the source of the Loup Fork, and from this point endeavored to proceed as directly as possible north to the Niobrara, for we were somewhat apprehensive of losing everything, for want of water, by endeavoring to push our way westward through the Sand Hills. These hills, however, were so impracticable for wagons that we were forced much more to the west than we desired, and one day we were unable to find water to camp by. There are numerous lakes in this Sand Hill country, but many of them are too much impregnated with salts to be wholesome.

Some of these latter our animals drank out of without injury. On reaching the longitude of 102° 30' we had the good fortune to find an open stretch of country with a large well marked lodge trail leading between the Platte and Niobrara, which, in one day's travel northward, brought us to the Niobrara. We now proceeded rapidly over an easy route to Fort Laramie. During the journey there had been considerable sickness in the camp from fevers, and one of the men was so near the point of death that a halt of several days was made for his benefit. Dr. Moffett also became so ill as to require a delay of one or two days. These necesc This rumor was without foundation, as it afterwards appeared. sary stoppages, the difficulties of the route, rainy weather, together with my being obliged 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 sugar or coffee.

We had also been very much disappointed in the amount ot game ; and though the country gave evidence of having recently been occupied by large herds of buffalo, only a few bulls were seen. During the early part of the journey mosquitoes were abundant, and allowed our animals no rest at night, and immense numbers of flies attacked them by day. These insects, combined, exhausted and worried the animals more than the labor they performed, and the lives of one or two were saved only by covering them with grease and tar to keep the flies and mosquitoes away. At Fort Laramie we entirely refitted the party, which took us a long time, on account of everything being required for the Utah expedition. It gives me great pleasure to state that the commanding officer, Colonel Hoffman, and the acting quartermaster, Lieutenant Higgins, gave me all the facilities at their command.

Owing to the great number of animals 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 in 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. Hayden and Mr. Engel also made an excursion to Laramie 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 Indians, I deemed the case to justify the risk. The wagons were, half of them, turned in to the quartermaster, and the remainder, with the escort under Lieutenant McMillan, were to proceed down the Niobrara, and await me in longitude 101° 30'.

Mr. J. H. Snowden went with this party to make the topographical reconnaissances ; Dr. Moffett also accompanied it. My own party consisted of Dr. Hayden, Mr. Carrington, and Mr. Engel, and we had with us 17 men as packers, &c. , and Mr. Morin as a guide and interpreter. Our supplies were packed on mules. Setting out from Fort Laramie on the 4th of September, we proceeded direct for the Black Hills, z-fa Raw Hide butte, Old Woman creek, the south fork of the Shyenne, and Beaver creek ; up a branch of this last we entered the Black Hills. We continued north to the vicinity of the Inyan Kara, (or the peak 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 such earnest remonstrances and threats against our proceeding into their country that 1 did not think it prudent for us, as a scientific expedition, to venture further in this direction.

Some of them were for attacking us immediately, as their numbers would have insured .success ; but the lesson taught them by General Harney, in 1855, made them sear they would meet with retribution, and this I endeav ored to impress upon them. We were at the time almost in sight of the place where these Indians had plundered Sir George Gore in 1856, for endeavoring to proceed through their country, and one of them was actually mounted on one of his best horses taken at that time. Sir George Gore's party was only about half as numerous as mine; but there were a number of my party which I had picked up at Fort Laramie on whom we placed very little reliance. The grounds of their objections to our traversing this region were very sensible, and of sufficient weight, I think, to have justified them in their own minds in resisting ; and as these are still in force for the prevention of the passage of any other party of whites not large enough to resist successfully, they are of sufficient importance to be repeated here.

In the first place, they were encamped near large herds of buffalo, whose hair not being sufficiently grown to make robes, the Indians were, it may be said, actually herding the animals. No one was permitted to kill any in the large bands for fear of stampeding the others, and only such were killed as straggled away from the main herds. Thus the whole range of the buffalo was stopped so that they could not proceed south, which was the point to which they were travelling. The intention of the Indians was to retain the buffalo in their neighborhood till their skins would answer for robes, then to kill the animals by surrounding one band at a time and completely destroying each member of it. In this way no alarm is communi cated to the neighboring bands, which often remain quiet almost in sight of the scene of slaughter.

For us to have continued on then would have been an act for which certain death would have been inflicted on a like number of their own tribe had they done it; for we might have deflected the whole range of the buffalo fifty or one hundred miles to the west, and prevented the Indians from laying in their winter stock of provisions and 6kins, on which their comfort if not even their lives depended. Their feelings towards us, under the circumstances, were not unlike what we should feel towards a person who should insist upon setting fire to our barns. The most violent of them were for immediate resistance, when I told them of my intentions ; and those who were most friendly, and in greatest fear of the power of the United States, begged that I would " take pity" on them and not proceed. I felt that, aside from its being an unnecessary risk to subject my party and the interests of the expedition to, it was almost cruelty to the Indians to drive them to commit any desperate act which would call for chastisement from the government.

But this was not the only reason they urged against our proceeding. They said that the treaty made with General Harney gave to the whites the privilege of travelling on the Platte and along White river, between Fort Pierre and Laramie, and to make roads there, and to travel up and down the Missouri in boats ; but that it guaran tied to them that no white people should travel elsewhere in their country, and thus frighten away the buffalo by their careless manner of hunting them. And finally, that my party was there examining the country to ascertain if it was of value to the whites, and to discover roads through it, and places for military posts; and that having already given up all the country to the whites that they could spare, these Black Hills must be left wholly to themselves. Moreover, if none of these things should occur, our passing through their country would give us a knowledge of its character and the proper way to traverse it in the event of another war between themselves and the troops.

I was necessarily compelled to admit to myself the truth and force of these objections. The Indians whom I first met were the Minikanyes, to the number of forty lodges, near whom, as they were very friendly, we encamped.* They were soon joined by the warriors of a large camp of Unkpapas and Sihasapas, and our position, which was sufficiently unpleasant in the presence of such a numerous party of half-avowed enemies, was rendered doubly so by a storm of sleet and snow, which lasted two days and nights, and against which we had but little protection. A young 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 Minikanyes. Under these embarrassing circumstances my associates evinced the most resolute bravery and determination to abide the result like true men.

I consented to wait three days without advancing, in order to meet their great warrior, Bear's Rib, appointed first chief by General Harney's treaty, merely changing our position to one offering greater facilities for defence. At the expiration of the time, Bear's Rib not making his appearance, we broke up camp, and, travelling back on our route about forty miles, struck off to the eastward, through the southern part of these mountains. The point where we turned back is well marked by the Inyan Kara peak, whose position was fixed by us. After we had proceeded two days on our journey eastward, we were overtaken by Bear's Rib 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.

I then told him that I believed he was our friend, but that if he could do nothing for us, he bad better return to his people, and leave us to take care of ourselves, as I was determined to proceed as far as Bear butte. After a whole day spent in deliberation, he concluded to accompany 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 General Harney had told them * I am much indebted to the influence of Major Twits, the Indian agent near Fort Laramie, for his efforts to give the Dakotas a favorable opinion of my expedition, and to Becure us a friendly reception. not to go to war, and yet he was all the time going to war himself. (Bear's Rib knew that when General Harney left the 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 paid 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, they did not want them. (It is a fact, that for several years, owing to this cause, these In dians have not come in for their goods at all.)

He said that he heard that the Ihank tonwans were going to sell their lands to the whites. If they did so, he wished them informed that they could not come on his people's lands. They must stay with the whites. Every day the Ihanktonwans were coming there, but were always turned back. Whatever may have been Bear's Rib's actions after leaving us, it is certain we saw no more Indians in the Black Hills. We completed our reconnaissance along the eastern portion of these mountains as far as Bear peak, which forms another convenient and accurate point with which any future reconnaissance may connect with our own. We also visited the north fork of the Shyenne, in this vicinity. . On our return we took a southeast direction, striking she south fork of the Shyenne at the mouth of Sage creek. We then proceeded up the south fork to French creek; thence southeast, through the Bad Lands, to White river ; thence along the sources of White Clay creek and Porcupine creek ; and thence to the Niobrara, striking it in longitude 102° 03'.