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diff --git a/75650-h/75650-h.htm b/75650-h/75650-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3815732 --- /dev/null +++ b/75650-h/75650-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3374 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html lang="en"> +<head> + <meta charset="UTF-8"> + <title> + Report to Hon. A. V. Brown, postmaster-general | Project Gutenberg + </title> + <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> + <style> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .51em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .49em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: 33.5%; + margin-right: 33.5%; + clear: both; +} + +hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} +@media print { hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;} } + + +div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} +h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} +table.autotable { border-collapse: collapse; } +table.autotable td{ padding: 0.25em; } + +.tdl {text-align: left;} +.tdr {text-align: right;} +.tdc {text-align: center;} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: small; + text-align: right; + font-style: normal; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal; + text-indent: 0; +} /* page numbers */ + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.author { + text-align: right; + margin-right: 20% + } + +.x-ebookmaker body {margin: 0;} +.x-ebookmaker-drop {color: inherit;} + +.ph2, .ph3, .ph4 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; } +.ph2 { font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; } +.ph3 { font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; } +.ph4 { font-size: medium; margin: 1.12em auto; } + +hr.tiny {width: 10%; margin-left: 45%; margin-right: 45%;} + +.tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; +padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; padding-left: .5em; +padding-right: .5em;} + + </style> +</head> +<body> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75650 ***</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</span></p> + + + +<h1> +REPORT<br> + +TO<br> + +HON. A. V. BROWN, POSTMASTER GENERAL,</h1> + +<p class="ph4">ON THE</p> + +<p class="ph2">OPENING AND PRESENT CONDITION</p> + +<p class="ph4">OF THE</p> + +<p class="ph4">UNITED STATES OVERLAND MAIL ROUTE BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, +AND SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA,</p> + +<p class="ph4">BY</p> + +<p class="ph3">I. C. WOOD, SUPERINTENDENT. +</p> + + +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">Washington City, D. C.</span>, <i>March —, 1858</i>.<br> +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Sir</span>: In compliance with your request, I beg leave to submit the +following report, showing the present condition of the mail stage line +running semi-monthly between San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego, +California, containing also extracts from the journal of my trip over +the line and back.</p> + +<p>I have here grouped together observations, made from time to time, +along the road, of the soil, climate, distances, deserts, mountains, +supplies of wood, water, and grass, arable land, pasturage, and general +character of the road we stage over. I have endeavored to avoid +inserting anything except what I learned from the experiences of my +trip; but the statements of the distances and altitudes are from government +surveys, as I had neither time to measure the road nor to +ascertain its altitudes.</p> + + +<p class="center"><i>Extracts from my journal.</i></p> + +<p><i>June 12, 1857.</i>—The late James E. Birch entered into a contract +with your department for the transmission of a semi-monthly mail to +and from San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego, California. I had +been laboring in connexion with Mr. Birch during the period in which +the great overland mail letting was pending, and, in compliance with +the understanding between us, I took charge of the execution of this +contract.</p> + +<p><i>June 15.</i>—To-day I despatched a man from New York, with instructions +to proceed at once to San Antonio, Texas, and there to purchase +a suitable outfit with which to take the first mail, namely, that of +July 9th, through to San Diego. That he might be able to transport +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</span>the mail through in proper shape, and in schedule time if possible, +I wrote a full authority for him to act in any emergency which might +arise on the road, and also gave him the cash necessary to carry out +these instructions. Never having travelled the road, I was of course +unable to give specific directions to the first conductor, but depended, +in a great degree, on his discretion.</p> + +<p><i>June 20.</i>—By the mail steamer to California to-day I forwarded +full instructions to Mr. R. E. Doyle, of San Francisco, accompanied by +an authority from Mr. Birch to him, in virtue of which he was to take +the management of that portion of the mail line running west of +Tucson. I instructed Mr. Doyle to start the first mail, if possible, on +the 24th of July, from San Diego.</p> + +<p>[I subsequently learned, and insert the facts here to make my report +more connected, that these instructions reached Mr. Doyle on the 13th +of July; the steamer for San Diego would sail on the 18th, thus +leaving him only five days for making his preparations. Mr. Doyle +agreed to take an interest, and to advance the money needed to commence +service on the Pacific end of the line. The purchase and shipment +of the necessary saddles, bridles, blankets, rations, arms, &c., +as well as the selection of the first conductors and guard, was a work +requiring more than five days. The first outfit, all but the animals, +was shipped to San Diego on the 18th; the steamer arrived there on +her usual time, namely, July 21st, leaving three days only in which +to purchase the required animals. The difficulty in finding suitable +mules proved greater than was anticipated, and the outfit, though +nearly complete, could not be made ready to leave at 6 a. m. of the +24th, according to contract. The first mail for San Antonio left San +Diego on the 9th of August; relays of animals having previously +been sent forward to Fort Yuma.]</p> + +<p><i>June 23.</i>—From the 12th, the date of the signing of the contract, +up to this date, I had been engaged in the necessary preliminary preparations +for my journey to San Diego; also in making such purchases +as I deemed indispensably necessary to be made in New York. +My purchases in New York were limited, in comparison with the requirements +of the line. I hardly knew myself what I wanted; therefore +I determined to make the bulk of my purchases in San Antonio, +where I hoped to get some reliable information as to my new duties.</p> + +<p>To-day Mr. Birch gave me my authority to act for him, which +authority was made out in the form of a common letter, addressed +by him to me, instead of a power of attorney. His purpose was to +convey to me the most unlimited powers. I enclose a copy of this +document.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">New York</span>, <i>June 23, 1857</i>.<br> +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>: I have taken a contract with the Postmaster General to +carry the United States mail between San Diego and San Antonio +twice a month for four years, a copy of which contract you have been +furnished with. I wish you to take charge, for me, of the fulfilment +of this contract, and of any additions that may be made to it, as my +general agent for the purpose. After making all preliminary +arrangements which you deem proper, I desire you to proceed to the +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</span>line of the route, put it into operation, and perform the service. You +are authorized by me to make all the contracts, and do all things you +may deem necessary or proper for the purpose, having the same +authority in the premises that I would myself if present. To carry +out the above, I hand you certificates of deposit—</p> + + +<table class="autotable"> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Ten of $1,000 each</td> +<td class="tdr">$10,000 00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Forty of $200 each</td> +<td class="tdr">8,000 00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Cash</td> +<td class="tdr">800 00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Advanced James Mason</td> +<td class="tdr">1,200 00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">—————</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">20,000 00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">==========</td> +</tr> +</table> + + +<p>To be distributed on my account.</p> + +<p class="author"> +JAMES E. BIRCH.<br> +</p> + +<p>Mr. <span class="smcap">I. C. Woods</span>.</p> +</div> + +<p><i>June 24.</i>—I left this morning for San Antonio, <i>via</i> Chicago, Cairo, +and New Orleans. The only assistant I took with me was a young +gentleman of liberal education, who was acquainted with English, +French, and Spanish, as well as the German, his native language. I +have since found that it is an indispensible requisite to the economical +management of our line that all mail conductors and agents should +speak the Spanish language; we make a point of this now in selecting +men for our service.</p> + +<p><i>July 5.</i>—Having been detained on the way by business and railroad +accidents, I only reached New Orleans the night before last, missing +the mail connexion to Indianola. To-day I received a telegraphic communication +from Mr. Birch, informing me that he would leave New +York that day per steamer for California. It had been agreed between +us that we were to meet in San Diego as soon as I could reach there.</p> + +<p>[In the course of my journal I shall refer again to this appointment, +though I deem it proper to mention here that I never saw Mr. Birch +after we parted on the 23d June. He was lost in the Central America +September 11th, three days after I reached the Pacific.]</p> + +<p><i>July 7.</i>—We were due in Indianola this morning at daylight, but +unfortunately grounded in a fog on a sand bar at the entrance of the +bay, which lost us the connexion with the coach for San Antonio. +This delay prevented my attending in person to despatching the mail +of the 9th from San Antonio, as I had much desired to do.</p> + +<p><i>July 11.</i>—Reached San Antonio to-day at 4 p. m.</p> + +<p><i>July 13, Monday.</i>—As my letter of authority will show, Mr. Birch +gave me eighteen thousand eight hundred dollars in hand. After +deducting the cost of some purchases of arms and clothing made in +New York, I have, on reaching San Antonio, about seventeen thousand +seven hundred dollars. With this money I commenced operations +at once. To-day I hired a corral and office, also commenced +making arrangements for men, in all of which I was very kindly +assisted by Mr. G. H. Giddings.</p> + +<p><i>July 16.</i>—Busily engaged in purchasing mules and the necessary +articles to fit out the mail trains. To-day I hired Captain Henry +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</span>Skillman as a conductor to take the mail of the 24th through to the +Pimos villages, with which country he is very familiar. After this +first trip through he is to run regularly on the Arizona section. Captain +Skillman is, I believe, well known to your department as the +first contractor for the mail between San Antonio and Santa Fé.</p> + +<p><i>July 19.</i>—To-day I despatch an extra train with stores for the +road, and under instructions to go as far as Fort Lancaster, three +hundred miles from here, and then to return. By this train I sent +relays to be used by the up mail of the 24th, which is to be under +charge of Captain Skillman. Nine mules were to be left at Fort +Clarke, and eighteen at Fort Lancaster.</p> + +<p>[This train was attacked and captured on Devil’s river by the Indians. +I have referred to it more particularly in the course of my +journal.]</p> + +<p><i>July 22.</i>—Mr. Giddings’ mail in from El Paso; they met our mail +of July 9 getting along safely, though slowly.</p> + +<p><i>July 24.</i>—Punctual to the hour named in the contract, 6 a. m., I +this morning despatched the mail coach from the Plaza with the +through mail to San Diego. The postmaster made up mails also for +all the intermediate military posts on our route, although supplying +them was not at first contemplated in the contract. Desiring to +manifest, from the first, a spirit of accommodation to all parties, we +were happy to take charge of anything the postmaster chose to send. +This mail was the second <i>through mail</i> which had left San Antonio, +being at the same time the first that had been sent forward in a +coach. This outfit consisted of—</p> + +<p>One coach and harness.</p> + +<p>Six men, well armed with rifles, and a Colt’s pistol to each.</p> + +<p>Four saddles and accoutrements.</p> + +<p>Ropes, hopples, shoeing tools, shoes and nails.</p> + +<p>Cooking utensils, and numerous minor articles.</p> + +<p>Provisions for thirty days, calculated to last to the Pimos villages +and back to El Paso.</p> + +<p>Thirty-six mules; of these, twenty-seven had been sent forward on +the road as relays.</p> + +<p>Also six hundred dollars in cash to purchase supplies on the route.</p> + +<p>[It was twenty-one of these mules which were captured on Devil’s +river by the Indians; see journal of June 19 and <a href="#Page_7">August 2</a>.]</p> + +<p>[To insure this mail getting through in schedule time, if possible, +I gave Capt. Skillman authority to act for the line in any emergencies +which might arise. The reputation which he enjoyed in San Antonio +fully warranted me in entrusting this pioneer coach to him, and I +subsequently found him every way qualified for the service he had +undertaken, as some interesting incidents connected with his trip will +prove hereafter.]</p> + +<p>[I will here add a brief sketch of the manner in which I had +planned to send the mail through to San Diego. In my instructions +of June 20 to Mr. R. E. Doyle, I had requested him to make all his +arrangements to send the mails from San Diego as far east as the +Pimos villages. In my plan of operation, taking San Antonio as the +starting point, I would work westwardly, while with his plan of operation, +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</span>with San Diego as the basis, he would work eastwardly, I proposed +to make the connexions between the two systems at the Pimos +villages. I calculated that Captain Skillman would reach these Pimos +villages about the 17th of August, (he reached there August 20;) +furthermore, that he could meet there the mail of August 9 from San +Diego, and then he would return to El Paso in time to make the +through connexion there with the mail train from San Antonio, which +train I undertook to have in waiting. Owing to circumstances entirely +beyond my control, and likely to arise only in a pioneer trip, the mail +from San Diego failed to make the connexion at the Pimos villages by +thirty-six hours. It was a part of the plan that Captain Skillman +should purchase a complete new outfit of mules at El Paso, which he +was unable to do.</p> + +<p>At Cook’s Wells he overtook the mail of July 9 from San Antonio, +waiting for an escort. The two trains proceeded together under charge +of Captain Skillman as far as the Pimos villages, at which point the +conductor of the mail of July 9 pushed on to San Diego with both +mails, reaching his destination at 11 a. m. August 30. I have found +no reason, as yet, to alter the system of mail connexion referred to in +this note, though the place where we now join the eastern and western +management is at Tucson, Arizona Territory. One hundred miles +west of the Pimos villages each carrier now delivers the mails, and retraces +the road with the return mail.]</p> + +<p><i>July 29.</i>—Since my arrival in San Antonio, I had made every possible +exertion to procure mules adapted to the purpose of staging. I +drove about the country myself, and sent agents to purchase wherever +we heard of any good mules for sale. As yet, the right kind come in +slowly.</p> + +<p>[There was another view which I took of my position as superintendent +of the line, and one which governed me throughout in all my +exertions. It was this:</p> + +<p>An understanding existed between Mr. Birch and myself, that your +department desired to have the new mail service commence at once, +and to have it pushed, if possible, to an early and vigorous success. +It had been from the first determined to spare neither money nor labor, if +either, or both combined, could by any possibility produce the desired +result. I had determined to go myself over the road and back +again, in as short a period of time as was consistent with the proper +discharge of my duties as superintendent. I had planned to leave San +Antonio on the 1st of August for El Paso, with a train consisting of +coaches, mules, rations, arms, men and general equipment, to be placed +on that portion of our road situated in Arizona Territory, between +El Paso and the Pimos villages.</p> + +<p>I had further planned to reach El Paso in season to purchase the +necessary mules with which to carry forward, in person, the mail for +San Diego of 9th August. This mail I estimated would overtake me +on the 21st or 22d at the last named place.]</p> + +<p><i>July 29.</i>—After examining the subject thoroughly for several days +past, I saw but one way in which to bring about the results I had in +view within the time required. This was to purchase or hire the +entire stock of mules and coaches used on the San Antonio and Santa +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</span>Fé line, owned and run by G. H. Giddings, of San Antonio. Mr. +Giddings had treated me with every possible consideration, and +during the time I had been in San Antonio had rendered me as much +assistance as though he had had a personal interest in the success of +the enterprise. On the 26th I opened to him the matter of this purchase +which I desired to make, and to-day made a conditional purchase +of all the mules, coaches, and other property used on his mail +route. The bringing of this property under my superintendence, in +conjunction with the stock I had already purchased, would enable me +to perform our mail service of twice a month, and also Mr. Giddings’ +contract of once a month, with less stock than if the two lines had +been run separately.</p> + +<p>One of the most advantageous features of this arrangement with +Mr. Giddings was his agreement to go to El Paso with the mail +of August 9, there to remain as agent of this line during my necessary +absence in California.</p> + +<p><i>July 31.</i>—This morning I despatched the train of coaches, men, +and supplies, referred to <a href="#Page_5">July 29</a>. I shall take this train with me, +and distribute it along the road wherever it is needed, principally to +the west of El Paso.</p> + +<p>This train, the fourth that had gone from San Antonio, and the +third one I had sent off, consisted of three coaches and harness; seventeen +men well armed with rifles, and a Colt’s pistol to each; thirty-eight +mules; about four thousand pounds weight of rations, and +equipments for the upper end of the line; ten saddles and accoutrements; +also all the smaller articles usually sent forward in one of our +mail trains.</p> + +<p><i>August 1.</i>—Up to this date my personal luggage had not reached +me from the coast, partly owing to my haste in leaving San Antonio, +and partly to its not having been sent forward from Lavacca as speedily +as it might have been after I had left it. Up to this date I have only +seen my baggage once since leaving it at Lavacca the 9th of last July. +It met me at El Paso, where I was compelled to leave it for want of +room in my coach. To-day I left in the Santa Fé mail coach to overtake +the train I sent out yesterday. We would travel together for +several hundred miles.</p> + +<p>Before I left San Antonio I completed the outfit for the up mail of +August 9, in which mail Mr. Giddings was to come to El Paso, and +the arrival of which I was to await there before proceeding westward +on my journey.</p> + +<p>The conductor of our train was compelled to remain all night in +Castroville. This detention was in consequence of the herder having +got intoxicated, and permitted six of our mules to stray. It was not +prudent to go on and leave them behind in this condition, so we +remained, in the hope of finding them in the morning by daylight.</p> + +<p>Castroville is a very pretty town picturesquely situated on the west +bank of the Medina river.</p> + +<p>We found our road thus far to be an excellent one, though dusty at +this time. The country through which we passed was parched and +the grass dry, yielding but little nutriment to animals. It must be +taken into consideration that southwestern Texas has had a partial +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</span>drought for three successive seasons; this last year was the worst of +all. Corn in San Antonio, and in the surrounding country, is now +brought from New Orleans and from Mexico. We pay two dollars +per bushel for all we consume. In seasons of good crops corn sells in +and about San Antonio at fifty cents per bushel. Made 25 miles +to-day.</p> + +<p>[When I came back over this road in January the whole country +was full of water; the river was barely passable, the roads were +muddy and tedious all the way from Fort Clarke to San Antonio, and +the prospects of a crop were excellent.]</p> + +<p><i>August 2.</i>—Left Castroville at 4 a. m.; an hour afterwards we found +five of our six missing mules grazing quietly by the road side unguarded. +I thought at the time that this losing of mules was very +strange, but I have since found it quite a feature in our business, and +one that it is impossible to prevent. Animals are left behind because +the mail cannot be detained waiting for broken down mules to recruit, +or to find strayed stock. About 8 a. m. I met Captain Wallace, whom +I had despatched from San Antonio on the 19th in charge of the train +with relays for Captain Skillman. (See journal of <a href="#Page_4">that day</a> and <a href="#Page_4">July +24</a>.) All that now returned of a fine outfit was the conductor and +one man on borrowed mules. A drizzling rain was falling, the two +discomfitted mail men were wrapped in sombre looking blankets. +One of them had his arm in a sling from a wound received in the +fight, and indeed their whole appearance was well calculated to give +their narrative of the loss a gloomy coloring to any one not familiar +with Indian depredations.</p> + +<p>The particulars of this disaster, as I gathered them from the two men, +were as follows: The train was getting along finely on its way to Fort +Lancaster, being at the time of the attack eighteen miles north of +<i>Fort Hudson</i>. The Indians appeared suddenly on all sides of them +from the chapparal, and commenced firing at the mules in the coach, +the loose mules being a few hundred yards ahead. The frightened +animals ran into a mezguer, turned short round, and broke the pole. +As this accident prevented his keeping up with the <i>mulada</i> ahead, the +conductor, who was driving at the time, jumped from the box, called +to a young man by the name of Clifford to follow him, and went to +the assistance of the men driving the herd. Clifford was either surrounded +by Indians, or wounded so that he was unable to get away +from the coach, and died fighting hand to hand with the Indians. +The conductor got the <i>mulada</i> turned off from the road for the purpose +of making a detour to escape his pursuers; but the chase was so hot, +and one saddle mule having to be double mounted, they were compelled +to betake themselves to running and leave the mules and property +to their fate.</p> + +<p>We lost coach and harness, twenty-one mules, provision and equipment, +one hundred dollars in money, and one box of personal property +valued at some hundreds of dollars, belonging to a sergeant’s wife at +Fort Lancaster.</p> + +<p>The Indians were supposed to be Camanches.</p> + +<p>At Fort Hudson the conductor found a scouting party, of the second +cavalry, from Fort Clarke. They had been on the Rio Grande, examining +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</span>well known Indian trails which lead into Mexico. Captain +Whiting, the officer in command of this scouting party, immediately +started on the trail of the Indians who had captured our train. A +party of infantry was kindly sent out by Lieutenant Fink, commanding +at Fort Hudson, for the purpose of burying young Clifford and +of bringing in the broken coach, if worth preservation.</p> + +<p>Captain Whiting overtook the Indians and recaptured nearly all +our mules, though many of them we found were ruined for stage purposes.</p> + +<p>The accident was rather a disagreeable one to come upon us, in the +outset of our enterprise. It seemed to place a number of great obstacles +in my way. I hardly knew how to prevent its being repeated, +or whether such attacks were to be of common occurrence. I knew not +where to look for mules to replace those stolen, as good stage animals +were not plenty in or about San Antonio. That which seemed another +risk presented itself in the fact that Captain Skillman was only a few +days behind Wallace’s train; this naturally suggested the thought +that perhaps the Indians would remain concealed among the cañons +of Devil’s river until he came along, and cut him off. On the other +hand there seemed a chance that they would let a mail party like his +pass unmolested, preferring to try us because we had a large <i>mulada</i>, +and presented a temptation worth fighting for. However, I consoled +myself with this fact that I had left a good outfit in San Antonio for +the mail of August 9, and that furthermore I had then with me a +strong party of men, sufficient, in my opinion, to guard the relays and +property under my charge. I had time to consider as to my course +before passing Fort Clarke. Commending my discomfited conductor +to a surgeon at once, and promising to send such instructions from +Fort Clarke as were rendered necessary by his loss, we went on our +way.</p> + +<p>Our route to-day has been over an excellent road passing through +a country adapted to grazing, or capable of being cultivated to advantage, +in seasons when rain enough falls to insure a crop. We camped +at midnight five miles this side of “Uvalde.” Made a distance of 58 +miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 3.</i>—Left our camp at 5 a. m. During the morning we +passed a government train under charge of Captain John E. Pope, +topographical engineers. Captain Pope is <i>en route</i> for the Llano +Estacado, near the 32d parallel of latitude, to experiment as to the +practicability of procuring water there by means of artesian wells.</p> + +<p>[When I returned over this portion of our road in January, I found +that Captain Pope was at his camp near the mouth of Delaware creek. +I consider it an excellent thing for this section of country that our +government should undertake to establish or disprove the opinions +expressed by many scientific men upon the question of obtaining +water by means of artesian wells in the Llano Estacado of Texas, +and on the high table lands of Arizona and New Mexico. I refer to +this matter again in treating of the present watering places on our +route, and in presenting my ideas of the proper method of securing +an adequate supply of water at intermediate points.]</p> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</span></p> +<p>We cooked our breakfast this morning under the trees just outside +of the tower of Uvalde. We have tin plates, tin cups, knives and +forks, iron spoons, a gunny bag as a table cloth, and one seat in the +shape of a water keg among eight of us. Camped for the night at 8 +p. m. Made 42 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 4.</i>—Left camp at 3 a. m. Reached Fort Clarke at 5 a. m. +Left Fort Clarke at 1 p. m.</p> + +<p>I wrote to Mr. Birch to-day, informing him of my progress up to +this point, calling his attention particularly to the attack on Captain +Wallace, which resulted in the loss of that complete outfit. I further +advised him of having drawn on him at 90 days’ date for the sum of +five thousand dollars, payable at the Bank of Manhattan Company, +New York, at which I knew he kept his account. I requested Mr. +Birch to remit this money at once from California to the cashier +of the bank, as our agent at San Antonio would need money to purchase +new stock with which to replace those stolen by the Indians; +this letter I addressed to Sacramento, the city which would be his +headquarters during his stay in California.</p> + +<p>[Desiring to make this draft the basis of a further credit for our +agent in San Antonio, I enclosed it to the firm there who had agreed +to make advances to the line. I requested them to continue such advances +according to promise, and further desired them to collect this +draft of $5,000, passing the same to the credit of the line on open +account. In consequence of Mr. Birch’s death this draft was not paid +at maturity, but returned protested to Texas, and is supposed to have +been in the mail on board the steamer Opelousas, which was lost in +the Gulf.]</p> + +<p>Before leaving San Antonio I procured an order, which General +Twiggs gave me very cheerfully, requesting the commanders of the +military posts in his division to give me an escort for the mail whenever +I asked it. I did not deem it necessary at this time to ask for +one, as I had with me twenty well-armed men. Under any circumstances, +however, when we were required to make mail speed, this +order for an escort would prove useless, inasmuch as by its terms I +was required to furnish transportation to the soldiers. We could not +do it and make mail time. To escort a train of supplies for us, at any +time, such an order would prove very acceptable, when the speed is +about one-half that of the mail.</p> + +<p>In this same order of General Twiggs, of which I regret not having +a copy, he gave us permission to place our mules in the government +herd, and also to keep an hostler with them at each of the military +posts.</p> + +<p>Camped for the night, at 10½ p. m.; made 42 miles to-day. August +5. Left camp at 4.40.</p> + +<p>Leaving Fort Clarke may be properly described as leaving the +settlements for the Indian country. This fact in connexion with the +recent accident to our train made us all now doubly cautious on our +day and night guards.</p> + +<p>At noon to-day we saw Indian signs around a water hole; these +signs consisted of pony tracks, unshod hoofs, and moccasin prints; +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</span>they were presumed by our most most expert frontier men to be only +a few hours old. Camped for the night at 8 p. m.</p> + +<p>Made 41 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 6.</i>—Left camp at 4 a. m.</p> + +<p>[After this day I did not note the precise hour of leaving camp in +the morning, or of camping at night, because the jolting, or some +other cause, had put my own watch out of order. Our hours, however, +were much the same as they have been stated until passing +the Tucson, west of which a large portion of the work was night +service.—See Journal, <a href="#Page_19">Sept. 1st</a> to 18th.]</p> + +<p>In carrying the mail we do not drive all the time from our morning +start to the night camp. We stop four times during the day; twice +for our two meals of breakfast and dinner; breakfast after the morning +drive, dinner about 4 o’clock. We also stop once for a nooning, +and once about sunset to graze the mules, at which hour they seem to +feed best.</p> + +<p>We stopped half an hour to-day at Camp Hudson, situated at the +second crossing of the San Pedro, or the Devil’s river; here I found +the remnant of our coach, with the pole and ten spokes broken, the +bars gone, the top all stripped, a bullet hole through the body from a +gun, carbine, or some piece carrying a heavy ball, and fired by the +Indians. Made 42 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 7.</i>—To-day we crossed the Llano Estacado at the narrowest +part. By my schedule of distances you will perceive it is only thirty +miles from Howard Springs to Live Oak creek, and only a portion of +the distance can be properly called the <i>staked plain</i>; in fact this is +about its southern termination. Camped about midnight. Made +52 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 8.</i>—Our morning drive brought us about breakfast time just +outside the lines at Fort Lancaster. I learned that Captain Skillman +had purchased a pair of mules here, and gone on in good condition. +We have had a fine road, with abundance of good grazing, all the +way from Fort Clarke to this post. Now that we have been a number +of days on our journey, we find that many of our mules are becoming +foot sore or tired; these are such as are new to the service, and they +become, by the time the night drive is over, very much fatigued. +Mules, with us, have to go through a period of hardening and a process +of acclimation before they become adapted to the purposes of prairie +staging. The speed at which we trot them, their hard work, the +drinking of different kinds of water at different stopping places, all try +the constitution of the animal, while even eating corn, which we feed +to them at all times, whether on the road or at stations, is something +to be learned. On the journey up from San Antonio to El Paso we +change the limestone water of the coast for the water impregnated +variously with vegetable matter, alkali, or sulphur. This change is +found to affect men as well as all descriptions of stock, and mules +often times give out when hard driven immediately after drinking +either the waters of the Pecos or those of any of the watering places +between that river and Fort Davis. Coming down the road from El +Paso to San Antonio, reversing the course of this change, the water is +not found to have the same effect. Took in a supply of corn, for which +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</span>we paid $2 50 per bushel. Made 28 miles, camping on the Pecos at +8 p. m.</p> + +<p><i>August 9.</i>—To-day we passed a freshly made grave which marked +a spot which had recently been the scene of a battle between a party +of soldiers and the Indians. I gathered the following particulars: +The soldiers, under a sergeant, were escorting a mail which, previously +to the letting of our contract, had been once a month transported by +the quartermaster’s department to and from Fort Davis and Fort +Clarke. While the soldiers were at dinner, a few Indians came into +their camp, under the protection of a white flag, asking for something +to eat. As it turned out from their subsequent attack, this visit was +a ruse to ascertain the strength of the party, as well as to form an +idea of their vigilance. The soldiers treated them well, gave them +some trifles, and the Indians partook of their hospitality. At parting +they shook hands and went off on the road ahead, leaving the soldiers +without the slightest suspicion of any danger. A few hundred +yards from their camping place, as the wagon was descending a short +steep hill into a gully which runs from the mountains to the Pecos, +the soldiers were attacked by the Indians, and the sergeant was mortally +wounded at the first fire. They retreated, fighting as well as +they were able, while four of them carried the wounded sergeant; but +an overwhelming number of the Indians pressed upon them so closely +that, at his earnest request to save themselves and drop him, as he +would only embarrass their efforts, they left the sergeant the prey of +the Indians and gathered around the wagon. They were finally compelled +to abandon the property, with the result, usual in such cases, +of not being followed by the Indians, who only wanted the plunder. +The soldiers came into Fort Lancaster, distant about forty miles.</p> + +<p>The policy which requires government officers to respect a white +flag in the hands of Indians has led to a number of massacres on the +road. The policy of the mail men is, never, under any circumstances, +to allow them near us, and much less to risk the danger of +having them actually in camp. They have repeatedly tried the ruse +of endeavoring to approach under the protection of a piece of dirty +cotton cloth tied to a spear, but we send a ball over their heads so soon +as they come within rifle range, after which warning they keep aloof.</p> + +<p>Made 44 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 10.</i>—Made 45 miles to-day, without anything having +happened of particular interest.</p> + +<p><i>August 11.</i>—Camped to-night a few miles east of Fort Davis, preferring +to arrive there at breakfast to-morrow morning. Our mules +were suffering yesterday and to-day from the effects of drinking the +sulphur waters, which mineral impregnates nearly all the springs and +creeks from the Pecos to Fort Davis. We are now rapidly ascending +the table land of western Texas, where copious rains have been falling +for some time. The grass is abundant and excellent in quality, but +rather young for working mules that are compelled to make speed. +The grass, combined with the sulphur water, compelled us for a day +or two to be cautious not to overwork our stock. We avoid trouble by +shortening our drives.</p> + +<p>We made only 34 miles to-day.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</span></p> +<p><i>August 12.</i>—At 3 a. m. this morning, accompanied by two men, I +took the mail on to Fort Davis in my own light carriage, drawn by +four mules, leaving the three heavy coaches and stock to come on at +their leisure. Fort Davis is about 4,500 feet above the ocean; and +before getting so far on my road even as this post, I had found the +coaches, of which we had purchased eleven for the line, so heavy as +to be unfit for the service. [The continual ascent of the roads, together +with the weight the mules were compelled to haul, had fatigued them +so much that I deemed it necessary to change them, if possible. To +borrow some government mules for the trip to El Paso seemed to be +an excellent plan, if I could procure such a privilege. I would then +leave those I had here to be used as relays for the next up mail. From +the information I had obtained, I had not the least doubt but that +I could purchase plenty of mules in El Paso to use in stocking the +upper portion of our road. I made application to Colonel Sewall, +the commanding officer at this post, who, upon reflection, decided to +loan me the mules I wanted. I made an arrangement which I considered +a very favorable one, and it certainly was a great advantage +at the time, but it afterwards proved a prolific source of trouble to me. +To sustain my application for mules, I represented to Colonel Sewall +my exact position; that I was the superintendent of the road and also +sole agent for the contractor; that I was engaged in stocking and putting +in running order this pioneer mail. I further took the liberty of +stating how great an interest your department felt in the enterprise. +I proposed to leave my forty-two mules at the fort, and that he should +loan me thirty-six of theirs to take our coaches to El Paso. I stated +to him my plan of purchasing on the Rio Grande all the mules I +needed, and that I would return his at once with the first down mail. +To this arrangement he assented, sending a corporal and two men +with me to take charge of the mules.</p> + +<p>I may as well mention here that, on reaching El Paso, I found myself +in a position where, in consequence of inability to purchase mules, +I had either to stop the mail until I could collect them in the towns +up and down the valley and over the river, or else to take some of +these Fort Davis mules further on my journey. Believing myself +justified, under the circumstances, in deviating my promise as to the +time of returning the mules, I took fourteen of them with me to Tucson; +the balance, twenty-two in number, I returned at once to Fort +Davis by the corporal. Of these fourteen so taken, seven were returned +to Fort Davis during the period of my stay on the Pacific, +while the other seven were replaced from our own herd, by virtue +of an agreement which allowed Colonel Sewall to take such of +ours as he wanted, to replace any of his mules which might be missing. +Colonel Sewall was so indignant at my not sending back the +whole number of his mules at once, that he wrote to all the posts +along our line, requesting them to refuse me any favor, alleging, as +his reason, my bad faith to him. He further desired the officers to continue +such refusal until the mule transaction should be settled to his +satisfaction. This request gave the line considerable trouble at Fort +Fillmore, during my absence. On my return to Fort Davis I was unable +to appease Colonel Sewall, though I explained to him the whole +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</span>transaction, as I have endeavored to do here. He refused to order the +quartermaster to withdraw his offensive letter to the posts on the line, +although this was the point I particularly urged for his consideration, +as injurious to our interests. I feel now, as I did at the time of +taking the mules—which I did not do without reflection—that the +circumstances justified my course; that the interest of the overland +mail to the government was above the value even of the whole number +of mules borrowed, and that, under these circumstances, I should +have been forgiven for not keeping my promise.]</p> + +<p><i>August 13.</i>—Left Fort Davis at 5.40 a. m. Early this morning I +met the mail from Santa Fé, and, in accordance with the agreement +between Mr. Giddings and myself to incorporate our two stocks, so as +to perform the tri-monthly service, I sent back a portion of my own +party, with orders to return as far as Fort Clarke. One great advantage +of this additional force to the party going down was the greater +protection the mail would receive in passing through that portion of +the Indian country so recently the scene of depredations.</p> + +<p>Made 29 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 14.</i>—Our government mules, fresh and corn-fed, took us +along at a much more rapid pace than we have been in the habit of +travelling during the course of the past week.</p> + +<p>We made 60 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 15.</i>—Our second drive to-day was for a mile or more, through +a long and narrow cañon, with the mountains bordering the Rio +Grande on the east. This cañon led us into the valley of the river, +at a point one hundred miles below where our road leaves it in going +westward. After crossing the valley, and making a camp on the +banks of the river, our road to-day turns abruptly northward. We +encountered a terrible thunder storm at noon, it being the first heavy +rain we have had on the road. August is one of the rainy months +throughout this portion of the Rio Grande valley and Sonora; we +may, therefore, expect many such storms before reaching the coast +range of mountains which form the climatic boundary between California +and Arizona. After a thorough drenching, we started at two +o’clock, in a bright sunny afternoon, and drove slowly up the Rio +Grande. Through this particular portion of the valley the rainy +season is an advantage to the otherwise sandy road. Along here, animals +which are fatigued from a tedious or rapid journey through +Texas must be well treated or they give out. Fifty miles above here, +in the neighborhood of San Eleazario, and, indeed, at all the Spanish +towns along the river, the road is made much worse by the rains. +The corn and wheat fields are all cultivated by irrigation, and the +irrigating ditches, called <i>acequias</i>, liable to be overflowed from the +rain, cross the roads in many places. Camped to-night on a slough +of the river.</p> + +<p>Made 40 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 16.</i>—The road proving so very muddy in some places, and +heavy from sand in others, besides finding it was growing more and +more muddy as we proceeded, I took my light four-mule carriage, +with a change of animals, left all our heavy coaches and baggage, and +started on with the mails. We reached the <i>presidio</i> of San Elearan +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</span>at 7 p. m. to-day; there we changed our mail, and then pushed on, +after dark, for Socorro, where the conductor, with his train, was waiting +to take the mail through to Santa Fé. Our drive from San Elearan +to Socorro was at a slow walk through mud and water all the way, +caused by the recent rains overflowing the ditches. Many portions of +the surrounding country were covered with water like a lake.</p> + +<p>Made 43 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 17.</i>—Rained all night, showering during the morning. I +went nineteen miles to-day, to Franklin, El Paso. The Santa Fé +mail went on to its destination. The quartermaster at Fort Bliss +very kindly gave me the use of his blacksmith shop in which to repair +one of my wagons, by which timely aid I was enabled to place it in a +pretty decent condition for service. Looked about me for mules to +complete my outfit for the Pimos villages, but much to my disappointment +could find none suited to our service. Mules are scarce at El +Paso.</p> + +<p><i>August 18.</i>—Another rainy day, with occasional sunshine. Found +an abundance of very excellent fruit at El Paso: pears, peaches, and +particularly grapes. The heavy train came in to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 19.</i>—A beautiful day; I find some difficulty in purchasing +the required corn for my mules. Last year the corn crop of this valley +was a partial failure, in consequence of which the corn at present in +use here is brought from Chihuahua; I pay equal to about $2 50 +per bushel. I find it impossible to purchase mules and get them here +in season to be of use for the next mail going west, due here on the +21st or 22d. To insure that the next mail shall go forward with +despatch, I deemed it best to-day to send the train up the river with +directions to proceed as far as Fort Fillmore, 50 miles above El Paso, +there to await the coming mail. Our mules need shoeing, and some +other preparations are required for the journey. I have bought all +the mules I could find, and lastly borrowed fourteen from the herd +of government mules which I brought from Fort Davis. The others +I returned in charge of the corporal who came up with me, (see journal, +<a href="#Page_7">August 2</a>.) I purchased to-day a pair of large Missouri mules, and +at once sent my small wagon and nine mules down to the Presidio, 25 +miles below El Paso, with directions to receive the up mail there, and +bring it with all speed to Fort Fillmore; this I planned to save time.</p> + +<p><i>August 20.</i>—Was engaged all day in preparing the way, as far as +possible, to have the business of the line run smoothly during my +absence, I stored my two heavy coaches to wait the chances of the future.</p> + +<p><i>August 21.</i>—Early this afternoon an express came in from Captain +Holliday, who was <i>en route</i> to Fort Fillmore, for the purposes stated +under date of August 19. He wrote me that his wagon had broken +down, with the further prospect of being scarcely able to reach the +post with it. I immediately purchased a private carriage, the only +one in El Paso any way suited to our purpose. By the kindness of +Colonel Reeves, commanding Fort Bliss, who loaned me a team, I was +enabled to despatch the carriage for Fort Fillmore this evening. I +had no mules at Franklin with which to send it up. At 10 p.m. the +mail and Mr. Giddings came in from San Antonio, having left there +August 9, the contract day. Our coach arrived here with a broken +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</span>pole which is by no means a small obstacle in this remote country, +particularly when the accident chances to happen after dark and +no other carriage is to be obtained, while the mail must go on. By +splicing we made it answer our present purpose, though consuming +nearly all night in preparations.</p> + +<p><i>August 22.</i>—Left El Paso at three o’clock, a. m., and found the +roads heavy all the way along the river. Succeeded in reaching Fort +Fillmore at six o’clock, p. m., after a day’s work of forty-two miles. +I found the train encamped ready for departure, only waiting my +arrival with the mail. We examined the Rio Grande to-night, preparatory +to crossing; found the river not fordable, and also found +there would be too much risk in attempting to ferry over in the +night; thus we are unwillingly compelled to remain encamped on +the east bank until to-morrow morning. Another source of trouble +was my carriages; I found that neither of those I now had were fit +to go on the road. Those we had originally purchased, two of which +I brought up with me, were too heavy for the mules, while the two I +now had were not strong enough to carry the required loads. In this +dilemma I despatched two men to Las Cruces, six miles above Fort +Fillmore, giving them orders to purchase at any fair price, if suited +to our purpose, a second-hand carriage which we heard was there for +sale. My messengers returned about two o’clock in the morning with +an old ambulance, which answered a good purpose all the way to San +Diego. By setting the axletrees of one of my other carriages I +thought to secure two, which would answer a temporary purpose. +Made 44 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 23.</i>—We commenced crossing the river at about sunrise. +Our method was this: we placed all our baggage and mails in skiffs, +and ferrying them over in the first place, then swam our mules, and +lastly the carriages were crossed, by placing the wheels of one side of +the carriage on one skiff, and those of the other side in another skiff, +and poling them along; on reaching the other side we pulled the +carriage up the steep bank by man power.</p> + +<p>At the town of Mesilla, which is situated some four miles from the +ferry, I had to purchase yet another carriage in place of one of mine, +the axeltrees of which proved entirely too light. This made four carriages +I had purchased since arriving in the Rio Grande valley, before +getting two which were even temporarily fit for carrying the mail. +We finally got away from Mesilla at 11 o’clock, a. m. In consequence +of the muddy state of the roads across the valley, which was +here one continuous cornfield for some half dozen miles, we made very +slow progress. The <i>Mesa</i>, so called, rises very abruptly after you +cross the valley, and we pass to the left of this <i>Mesa</i> through some one +of its numerous cañons or gorges. The only road accessible at this +time to wagons was so dimly defined that we missed our way and consumed +all of the afternoon in trying to get to the top of the <i>Mesa</i>, and +ended in being compelled to return to the village of “Pechacio,” +where we passed the night. Made 8 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 24.</i>—Left Pechacio village at daylight, this time with another +guide; reached the top of the <i>Mesa</i> through a cañon and road some +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</span>three miles long. We are now crossing the <i>jornada</i> of 65 miles, between +La Mesilla and Cook’s wells. We found the road somewhat +muddy, the result of the recent rains. We had a fearful thunder +storm at noon to-day, and in about half an hour every one was wet +through to the skin; afterwards the sun came out warm and pleasant +and dried us to a cheerful temperature again. To-day our conductor, +Captain Holliday, who is an experienced voyageur on the plains, discovered +a natural tank in the rocks. He was first attracted to it by +noticing a pair of doves which flew over his head and alighted there. +[This tank held enough to water all of our mules, and on my return +trip in November, I learned that the same conductor had found water +enough for his mules every trip during the intermediate period. I +state this incident as one illustrative of the probable chances of finding +places adapted to natural tanks. Doves and a species of small sparrow +are said to be sure signs of water.]</p> + +<p>Camped at 8½ p. m., making 48 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 25.</i>—Started at daylight this morning, and breakfasted at +Cook’s spring, in a drizzling rain, which lasted at intervals all day. +This spring is at the foot of the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre +mountains. By examining the table of distances, it will be noticed +that the Rio Mimbres is eighteen miles westward from Cook’s spring. +We breakfasted at Cook’s spring, and dined several miles west of the +Mimbres. This speed made over the mountains will, I think, convey +a good idea of what must be the nature of our roads through the Sierra +Madre. Passed the Rio Mimbres just before dinner; we had to be very +cautious in crossing, else the force of the current would have upset our +carriages; the stream was so much of a flood that we had to have one +of the men plunge into the water and hold up the lead mules by a rope +fastened to their heads. The force of the current and depth of water took +them off their feet for a distance of a few yards. A few weeks later, one +of our mail trains going west was camped two days on the eastern camp +of the Mimbres, unable to cross. We stopped at Cow spring for a couple +of hours, about sunset, to graze our animals; camped for the night at +the mouth of a cañon leading up to the Burre mountains; camped at +10 o’clock 30 minutes, making fifty-five miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 26.</i>—Started at daylight. About 8 o’clock this morning, +coming down through one of the many cañons leading from the Burre +mountains, we found the mail coach which Captain Skillman had taken +from San Antonio standing in our road. My first thought was, that +another train had been cut off by the Indians, but an examination +soon showed the nature of the accident; one of the hind wheels had +evidently crushed down, and the two forward ones were gone. The +wagon stood propped up carefully in the middle of the road. We +concluded that Capt. Skillman had gone on with his two forward wheels, +making what travellers term a “cache” among the surrounding rocks +of all his spare articles. This we afterwards found to be the case. We +stopped here only about as long as it takes to write the fact, then rolled +away over the plaza on our journey. About sunset, we had a small +sample of what might be suffered for want of water, if men were ignorant +of the road. We had brought water from where we breakfasted to +answer for our dinner uses, but the day had been very warm, and all of +us had drunk very freely, until our canteens had become low. We were +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</span>deceived by some wagon tracks into turning off from the main road, +losing considerable time in finding our way back again, both men and +mules being very thirsty. We found water in wagon ruts and holes +in the ground. Down went men on the ground, mules and men both +drinking in the same manner from the same holes. More accurate information +as to distances, and the consequent preparation we now +make for any portion of our journey, where we know there is a long +stretch without water, does away with any danger from thirst, so far +as the men and passengers are concerned; the mules sometimes have +to go all day without water. Camped at 11 o’clock.</p> + +<p>Made 43 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 27.</i>—Off at 5.30 a. m. Crossed the Saur river this morning; +found it quite a stream, and the land swampy on both sides, with +plenty of water at the crossing. I had a splendid shot at a fine flock of +wild ducks. At 4 p. m. we camped for dinner in the Chiracahui +mountains at what is termed Apache Spring. Here we met the train +of Paymaster Major Brice, <i>en route</i> for Fort Bliss. He had been +paying off the troops at Fort Buchanan.</p> + +<p>Showery this afternoon. About noon we saw the tracks of Captain +Skillman’s two wheels; he was returning eastward; he took a different +road from the one we came. I regretted missing him. This pass +through the Chiracahui mountains is the most tedious of any we have +on our road through Arizona, though this is only slow by comparison +with the pass through the Sierra Madre. Though slow, the road is +excellent, excepting for a short distance and the climbing of a number +of steep hills.</p> + +<p>From the Rio Saur to Dos Cabesas Spring is thirty-two miles. We +made this in seven hours driving time. We breakfasted at the Saur; +made two camps in the distance, making our last drive for the day +after we had passed Dos Cabesas spring. Camped at 12 o’clock, midnight. +Made 47 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 28.</i>—Harnessed at 5.45 a. m. To-day we left the main +travelled road, now in use by the troops, and by trains of supplies +<i>en route</i> to Fort Buchanan. This road turns southward before +coming to the San Pedro river, crossing that stream higher up than +we do. The main road is in nearly a due west course till we reach +the river; then we turn northward six miles before coming to the +ford. This cut-off is not so well defined as the road we had been +travelling. Our route lies through Tucson, to which place there has +been but little direct trade; and as this was only the second mail coach +which has come over the road, we found the way by no means very +clearly marked out. We did not deem it prudent to cross the San +Pedro river to-night, as the recent rains had swollen it to a much +higher point than usual. Camped for the night on the eastern +branch of the San Pedro at 11.15 p. m. Made 42 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 29.</i>—Crossed the San Pedro as soon as it was light +enough to see. About 10 o’clock this morning, as we were making +our second drive for the day, I saw a party approaching us mounted +on mules. Rode forward to meet them. They proved to be the mail +party from San Diego, who left there 9th August with an outfit of +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</span>saddle mules and pack animals. Our agent had reached San Diego +with men and supplies on the 21st of July, in ample time to have +started the mail of the 24th, if he could have procured animals.—(See +Journal of June 20.) This mail had been twenty days in coming +from San Diego to our place of meeting, forty miles east of Tucson. +Our mail had been twenty days coming twice the distance. I had sent +positive orders in my letters, per steamer of 20th June, to San Francisco, +that the mail should be started in a coach, if possible, but that at +all events it was only to be sent as far east as the Pimos villages.—(See +Journal of <a href="#Page_4">July 24</a>.) Mr. Birch had deemed it best in San +Francisco to alter this plan, and ordered complete outfits to be sent +from San Diego, to go through to San Antonio. I ordered this mail +party back, to return with me to Tucson, as nothing was to be gained +by their continuing on. At 8 o’clock I mounted my mule, and went +on to Tucson with two men. We reached there at 2 o’clock in the +morning. My purpose in hastening on in advance of the train was +to lose no time, but to purchase mules at once, with which to proceed +to San Diego with the through mail. I wished also, if possible, to +buy some description of vehicle, in which to send the mail back to +El Paso. Train camped in a drizzling rain at 11 o’clock.</p> + +<p>Made 49 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>August 30.</i>—Commenced operations at daylight. I found here Mr. +Tivey, formerly of Texas, a surveyor from California, who was <i>en +route</i> for Santa Fé. He had with him a wagon which would suit our +purpose, also a dozen of good mules; he had been waiting some weeks +for company. I made an arrangement with this gentleman by which +he loaned the mail party his outfit, and agreed to accompany them to +La Mesilla. This he did, partly for the consideration of protection, +but principally from public spirit and a desire to see the new mail +line go into operation at once; besides, having been an extensive +traveller himself in new countries, he had a good idea of the obstacles +to be overcome in our early organization. The wagon and mules +belonging to Mr. Tivey, added to those mules I had brought on which +were in condition to return, made a respectable outfit to use in sending +the mail back to El Paso. I made up another outfit for myself +by taking the inferior of the two carriages I had brought from +La Mesilla, purchasing seven mules, and selecting five more from +among those belonging to the San Diego party, whom I had turned +back. To aid me in taking the mail through to its destination, a +distance of 469 miles, I took two Americans and a Mexican, making +four of us in the party, as we should soon be beyond the point where +the Apaches are in the practice of roaming, and, therefore, so strong +a party as came from La Mesilla to Tucson would be unnecessary. +For the first time since coming on to the road I took command of the +mail party. To make the needed connexion here between the eastern +and western divisions of our road, I made two arrangements of mail +parties. I detailed two men to come on slowly to the Pimos villages, +with instructions to await there the next mail from San Antonio. On +receiving the mail they were to push on with all speed for Yuma, +180 miles from Pimos, where I would leave further instructions.</p> + +<p>I took with me two other men, whom I also proposed leaving at the +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</span>Pimos under instruction to return to Tucson with the next mail +going east, which mail would have left San Diego August 24. +At Tucson they were to deliver the mail to the present train, which +would wait as long as possible. Got away about noon, and in the +night met with a disagreeable accident: the perch of our carriage +broke. We spliced it with mezquit branches and ropes, but, in the +first gully we went through, we broke down again even worse than +before. This second accident happened at 2 o’clock in the morning; +our carriage was a complete wreck, but in any view of the case it was +apparently best to camp until daylight; we could then see whether +the damages could be repaired or the carriage would have to be abandoned. +Camped about 3 o’clock in the morning. Made 36 miles since +leaving Tucson.</p> + +<p><i>August 31.</i>—At daylight we commenced repairing damages. I +found that by taking out one of the standards to the top of the carriage, +and wrapping that and a piece of broken whiffle tree tightly +with raw hides soaked soft in water, the coach promised well for a +temporary purpose with a light weight. To lighten us I left on the +road our agent for the Pimos station whom I had with me, also the +two men who were to return to Tucson with the mail. I then proceeded +on my journey towards San Diego. Camped about 12 o’clock +on the banks of the Gila river. Made 40 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>September 1.</i>—Off at daylight this morning; reached the first village +of the Pimos about sunrise, and there I bought the corn necessary +for our mules, a little wheat for same purpose, and a few beans, +also a pair of chickens. (Wheat should be fed sparingly, and soaked +before using.) Our barter consisted of cotton cloth and a few bells, +both of which I purchased in Tucson. Camped for breakfast at the +Maricopa wells, which we have since selected as the site for our station; +remained at the wells until 3 p. m. waiting for our agent to +come up whom I yesterday left behind on the road. Finally he came +along, and we prepared for a start. While camping at the wells I +was witness to the largest Indian battle of the times. The Yuma Indians, +aided by the Mojaves and Tonto Apaches as their allies, attacked +the Maricopas just before daylight this morning. The Maricopas +and Pimos are allied strongly together. The former being comparatively +few in numbers, are rather under the protection of the +more numerous Pimos. The Maricopas are the more western of the +two tribes, and as the Yumas approached from down the river, their +villages were consequently the first attacked. Some warriors and their +families were killed, and their huts fired before the presence of the +Yumas was known. We saw the huts blazing and thought they were +signal fires. Besides warriors on foot, every Indian that could get a +horse was in the fight, many of them going a half dozen miles to reach +the battle ground. One aged chief, whose wife had been killed by +the Yumas, rode furiously up to our camp, foaming at the mouth, +and begged of us in good Spanish to aid them against the Yumas; of +course we declined. When the battle was over he refused to speak or +understand a word of Spanish.</p> + +<p>The principal fight was along the bank of the Gila, not half a mile +from our camp. One hundred and four Yumas left their villages at +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</span>the junction of the Gila and Colorado, led on by a young and ambitious +chief, whose new dignity required some striking act to dazzle his +people. He and ninety-three of his warriors were killed within an half +hour, on the side of a hill in plain view from the spot where I was +reclining under a tree.</p> + +<p>At this place the river makes what is termed “the big bend” of the +Gila; the road lies nearly due east and west, while the river makes a +horse shoe, probably four times as long as the distance from the Maricopa +to Tazotal, at which place the road touches the river again. By +the schedule of distances you will perceive it is forty miles from Maricopa +to Tazotal.</p> + +<p>We started from Maricopa Wells at 3 p. m. and drove all night, +reaching Tazotal for our breakfast camp a little after sunrise.</p> + +<p>Made 69 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>September 2.</i>—After breakfast this morning we made a drive of ten +miles, and then lay by to avoid travelling during the hottest part of +the day. The four of us take turns in sleeping and herding mules. +Fed our animals on the Mesquit beans, of which there is a great +abundance along the Gila river. Started from camp at 3 o’clock p. +m.; about sunset met the mail party of August 24, from San Diego, +equipped in the same excellent manner for the service as the party of +August 9. The train I had come on with from El Paso, together +with the addition made by Mr. Tivey, was waiting at Tucson for this +mail; to expedite its progress, I had brought two men to the Maricopa +station to take it back to Tucson, (see journal of <a href="#Page_18">August 30</a>,) but I +had also left orders with these men not to wait any longer than sunset +to-night, as the conductor and train must return to La Mesilla at +once to be in time to bring westward, from El Paso to Tucson, the +mail of September 9, from San Antonio. In view of these orders, +together with the certainty of not being able to make the connexion +at Tucson, I turned this party back to Fort Yuma. I gave +instructions to the conductor of this mail to equip himself and two +men for a light service of three days’ duration, and to be in readiness +to take the next mail, namely, that of September 9, from San Diego, +and carry it with all possible speed to Maricopa station, at which place +the carriage, or an escort for Tucson, would thereafter be waiting to +receive it. We drove until 10 p. m., then camped on the banks of the +Gila, waiting for the moon to rise before attempting to cross. Moon +rose nearly full, and at about 12 o’clock we crossed and recrossed the +Gila, leaving ourselves on the southern bank from which we started. +Drove until about three o’clock in the morning.</p> + +<p>Made 40 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>September 3.</i>—Started at daylight. Camped about four hours at +noon to rest ourselves and animals. Started at four o’clock, and drove +till dark. Started again at ten o’clock, p. m., and drove till two +o’clock in the morning.</p> + +<p>Made 56 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>September 4.</i>—Off at daylight; we should have made a good morning +drive, but our carriage stuck in a mud hole, and we had to +lighten it by stripping and wading in; even then we hauled it +out with difficulty. It had been raining on the Gila during the +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</span>past few weeks, and the road in many places is gullied, while mud +holes are common, and I noticed considerable standing water. We +reached Colorado city, opposite Fort Yuma, at 11 o’clock p. m., here +we changed a few of our mules, took the mail for San Diego from the +quartermaster, and repaired our coach with additions of leather and +raw hide. These operations consumed the balance of the night, and +it was daylight when we hitched up for a start.</p> + +<p>Made 49 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>September 5.</i>—Crossed the Colorado about sunrise over an excellent +ferry, then drove to Cook’s Wells to breakfast, 20 miles. We remained +encamped at Cook’s Wells to rest ourselves and animals till nearly sunset, +and then started to cross what is considered the worst portion +of the Colorado desert, namely, a distance of twenty-two miles through +heavy sand from Cook’s Wells to Alamo Mucho. This journey consumed +the night. We reached the Alamo Mucho wells at daylight.</p> + +<p>Made 42 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>September 6.</i>—To-day we pushed all day long to get over the desert, +and reached Indian Wells about sunset, twenty-two miles from Alamo +Mucho; our road was much better than that of last night. Here we expected +to find water for ourselves and stock, but an encampment of +Yuma Indians had used it nearly all up, and we could only procure +enough for our own dinner; none was to be had for the mules, so we +tried to console them with a feed of corn. The want of water left us +no resource but to push on for Carissa creek, thirty-two miles more. +We travelled all night and reached Carissa creek about sunrise in the +morning. This portion of the road is by no means a bad one.</p> + +<p>Made 52 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>September 7.</i>—We found our fourteen animals were now very much +fatigued. They have had no sleep from Fort Yuma to Carissa, while +many of them have come with me all the way from Tucson in less +than eight days; they had had no water for twenty-four hours, that +is, from Alamo Mucho to this place, Carissa; here they filled themselves +at once with the medicated waters of the creek, and thus destroyed +their appetites, so that they would not eat a proper quantity +of hay or grain. At 9 o’clock, when we left, they were very tired, +sleepy, and unwilling to go. Under these circumstances, I decided to +select the best animals from among our <i>mulada</i>, and push on over the +coast range of mountains to San Diego with the mail, taking only one +man with me; the coach would come the longer road, by way of San +Ysabel. I put this decision in execution about 9 o’clock in the morning, +and reached Vallecita at 2 p. m., where we procured something to +eat, but could get none of the Indians to guide us over the mountains, +as I had confidently calculated upon being able to do. There was no +resource left us but to push on alone; so, taking minute directions +where to find the best trail, we recommenced our journey, expecting +to climb the mountains in time to reach Lassator’s ranch, in one of +the valleys, by or before sunset. Our tired animals proved unequal +to the required speed, so that after climbing the steep mule path +which led up the mountain for several miles, we camped on our trail, +in the middle of a splendid table land covered with pine trees, situated +near the top of the mountains.</p> + +<p>The moon came up about 11 o’clock, giving enough light for us to keep +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</span>the trail; once we chased a star for a mile, thinking it was a light in a +hut; finally reaching the ranch without accident, or much detention +on the way, at 2 o’clock in the morning. Tried to procure horses at +once to proceed on to San Diego, but the animals were all turned out +in the valley grazing and could not be had before morning. We +reluctantly went to bed; and, once in the hay-stack, we slept soundly +till daylight.</p> + +<p>Made 36 miles to-day.</p> + +<p><i>September 8.</i>—At 9 o’clock a. m. we left Lassator’s ranch with fresh +animals, this time mounted on horses. After a toilsome day’s journey +down the mountains, we reached San Diego at 10 o’clock p. m., +bringing the first through mail which had reached here in schedule +time. I had come myself from San Antonio to San Diego in thirty-eight +days.</p> + +<p><i>September 9.</i>—This morning I despatched the mail from San Diego +in charge of two men, with directions to deliver it at Fort Yuma to +the party I had left there, who would in turn carry it to the Pimos +villages at Maricopa station, or at Tucson, where a coach would be in +readiness to carry it on to La Mesilla, at which last place a second coach +would carry it to the Presidio of San Eleazario. Each of these parties +going east, after delivering their mail, were under instructions to wait +and bring back a return mail over that portion of the road allotted to +them. [These were the arrangements I had made <i>en route</i>, and up to +this date they have insured the prompt delivery of the mails at each +end of our line.]</p> + +<p>When Mr. Birch and myself parted in New York, on the 23d of +June, we made an arrangement to meet in San Diego as soon as I +could get there; I would then have travelled across the continent, +and thus be able to report understandingly about the route, with estimates +of expenditures made up to that time, obligations incurred, and +promises given. Together we could then estimate for the future, and +Mr. Birch was to give me, in San Diego, all the money I needed in retracing +my steps to San Antonio, at which latter place he would again meet +me on my return. With this understanding, I had promised all along +the line, to whomsoever should aid us, that I would return from California +with the coin to pay up all obligations. Mr. Giddings also +made use of this promise for me during my absence. Under my understanding +of this agreement, I was not only very much surprised +but embarrassed, on reaching San Diego, to hear of Mr. Birch’s departure +from San Francisco per mail steamer of August 20. Neither +did I find here any advices as to his movements; furthermore, the +coast steamer had left for San Francisco on the 6th, two days before +my arrival, and would not be here to leave again until the 21st. Thus +I was compelled to entire inaction towards placing the Pacific end of +our line in good condition until I could send to San Francisco for +coaches, harness, provisions, general equipment, and money. My +time, from the 9th to the 21st, appeared to be nearly or quite useless +to the line, except in scouring the country for mules, which proved to +be not particularly plenty in that section of California.</p> + +<p>[Had not Mr. Birch been lost in the Central America September 11, +no trouble would have arisen from his not having met me according +to agreement. He could have explained everything satisfactorily, +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</span>and shown, in my opinion, that he had otherwise planned well for +the maintenance of our credit.]</p> + +<p><i>September 13.</i>—To-day I despatched a party of our men with a +wagon and saddle mules, under instructions to examine very carefully +the mountain passes eastward of San Diego, that we might find, +if possible, a better and shorter route for a road than the present circuitous +one by way San Ysabel. The county surveyor very kindly +accompanied our party, giving us the benefit of his experience; so +also did one of the county supervisors, thus showing the great interest +which the citizens of San Diego felt in the success of an overland +mail. [Our party returned on the 18th, reporting having found a +trail which, in their opinion, could be made an excellent road with a +moderate outlay of labor.]</p> + +<p><i>September 21.</i>—To-day I despatched a messenger to San Francisco +by the steamer, with instructions to make, as far as possible, all +needful purchases of supplies for the western end of the line, and to +bring them to San Diego by return steamer. I leave at the earliest +possible moment to retrace my steps over the road, as I had promised +to be back about October.</p> + +<p><i>September 24.</i>—I contracted to-day for hay and straw to supply +stations we had made on the desert, at Vallecita and Carissa creeks.</p> + +<p><i>September 29.</i>—To-day I despatched a train, consisting of a coach +and wagon, destined for our mail station at Maricopa wells; they +were loaded with rations for the men who remain there permanently.</p> + +<p><i>October 4.</i>—Despatched a relay of ten mules over the mountains to +meet and accompany the train of September 29.</p> + +<p><i>October 6.</i>—Steamer arrived from San Francisco this morning, +having on board for us all the supplies our agent had been able to +obtain. Commenced at once preparing for my return trip.</p> + +<p><i>October 17.</i>—To-day I despatched two coaches, with complete outfits +of animals and other necessaries. One of the coaches is to run between +Carissa creek and Fort Yuma; the other is to run between +Fort Yuma and Maricopa wells. I despatched these coaches to-day +in order to have them at their stations in readiness to take through +any passengers for Arizona or San Antonio which might come from +San Francisco by steamer of the 18th. We had advertised in the +California papers that we were ready for passengers as follows:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p><i>Office of the San Antonio and San Diego Mail Line.</i>—This line is +now ready to ticket passengers through from San Francisco to New +Orleans, <i>via</i> San Diego, Fort Yuma, Tucson, Mesilla, Fort Filmore, +El Paso, and San Antonio, as well as to all intermediate stations. +Also to Santa Fé and Albuquerque, (New Mexico.) For rates of passage, +and further information, apply at the office of the company, +Kearny street, (opposite Plaza.)</p> + +<p class="author"> +C. McLAUGHIN, <i>Agent</i>.<br> +R. E. DOYLE,<br> +<i>Superintendent Western Division</i>.<br> +</p> +</div> + +<p><i>October 22.</i>—This morning I despatched two more coaches and fourteen +animals heavily laden with every description of supplies for the +line. They go round to Carissa creek by the road, while I shall +take the shorter mountain trail to-morrow.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</span></p> +<p><i>October 23.</i>—Left San Diego on horseback this morning, accompanied +by Mr. Doyle and one of my through passengers, of whom I had +several.</p> + +<p><i>October 25.</i>—Passed the day in the mountains at our corral, branding +a mulada of seventy-five animals, which I had purchased for the line.</p> + +<p><i>October 27.</i>—Reached Carissa creek, the place of rendezvous, early +this afternoon, with our <i>mulada</i>; found the coaches waiting. My +party now consisted of twelve men, with three coaches, seventy-two +animals, and everything necessary for our stage purposes. Our progress +to Fort Yuma was slow. We left Carissa creek the 28th October +and reached the fort November 2d; the delay arose from the fact that +fifty-nine of our animals strayed away, detaining us two days in finding +them in the desert.</p> + +<p><i>November 5.</i>—To-day the mail came in from the east, bringing to +me the melancholy news of Mr. Birch’s death. This intelligence very +naturally alarmed the parties at Colorado city, who had been furnishing +our men with supplies. Feeling myself perfectly sure that Mr. +Birch’s death would have no influence in disarranging the affairs of +the line, I assured the parties of my determination to continue, as I +had planned, to San Antonio, and to see that the business was properly +cared for. Mr. Doyle, who had accompanied me thus far from San +Diego, joined with me in assuring our creditors here that we would +both continue in as vigorous a superintendence as ever of the interests +of the mail.</p> + +<p>The Steamer General Jesup came up the river to-day with a cargo for +the quartermaster at the post. This steamer is one of two boats owned +by Johnson & Co., who are the government contractors for transporting +all supplies from the mouth of the river to Fort Yuma. This boat +would be a credit to her owners and builders by comparison with +steamboats anywhere.</p> + +<p><i>November 7.</i>—Left Fort Yuma to-day; had with me two of the +coaches with which I originally started, loaded with supplies; I had +also seventy-nine of the mules. Left coach and relays at the fort.</p> + +<p><i>November 9.</i>—To-day we left Peterman’s station, (on the bank of the +Gila,) consisting of a log house and excellent corral, built since I +passed here. Peterman told me he had built this station, which he +intended making his permanent residence, in order to obtain the business +of the mail line. I purchased of him several tons of mezquit +beans, besides contracting for a supply of hay.</p> + +<p>The soil in this neighborhood is excellent. Already this enterprising +pioneer has contracted with a party of Mexicans to build a main irrigating +ditch from the Gila, with branches sufficient to enable him to cultivate +several hundred acres of land. The Mexicans are now at work. I +made such arrangements for him, by writing to an agent at Fort Yuma, +as would secure the necessary barley for seed, making at same time a +conditional purchase of all his crop. He felt confident of gathering +a good harvest the present season. Peterman originally came up here +from Fort Yuma to execute a contract for several tons of mezquit +beans, made with the parties who are contractors for hauling the ore +of the Arizona Copper Mining Company to Fort Yuma. From the +fort this copper ore is carried by steamer to the mouth of the Colorado +river; thence by sailing vessel to San Francisco.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</span></p> +<p>Had conversations with two other men to-day, who said they were +half determined to open stations on the Gila for our accommodation; +they anticipated also the chance of selling supplies to emigrants, and +trading for cattle.</p> + +<p><i>November 11.</i>—Came this morning to the ford where the road usually +crosses the Gila. One of our men stripped and swam across the river. +I could see plainly that the current was too swift and the volume of +water too great to justify the risk of attempting to cross our coaches +without unloading them. We preferred making a long detour over +the hills rather than attempt fording. The bottom of the river at +these fords is a sort of quicksand, likely to prove troublesome when +the river is swollen by rains, as it is now.</p> + +<p><i>November 12.</i>—Came to the other ford of the Gila at Oatman flat, +but preferred not to attempt to cross.</p> + +<p><i>November 13.</i>—To-day we were on the <i>jornada</i> between Tezotal +and Maricopa station; found plenty of water, the rains having been +recent and very heavy.</p> + +<p><i>November 14.</i>—Beached our station at the Maricopa Wells to-night, +after getting bogged in the mud and having to send to the station for +assistance. No one could see the road, for the night was very dark. +The sagacious instinct of my mule here did me good service. Giving +her the reins, she took me through mud holes, around pools of water, +on the road direct to the station, where she remembered having been +fed with corn a few weeks before.</p> + +<p>At the station to-night we numbered so large a party that many of +us had to sleep out of doors; what with mail men waiting to go to +Tucson, mail men waiting to return to Fort Yuma, Maricopa agent, +our herdsman, three passengers for Tucson, seven through passengers, +cook, and one or two travellers who always make our station their +stopping place, added to my own party, and all of us particularly well +armed, we felt ourselves to be rather formidable enemies to the +Apaches.</p> + +<p><i>November 15.</i>—Quite a change has taken place since my passing +here on the 1st of September. At that time I left two men, with two +mules and accoutrements, a few rations, a little cotton cloth, and a +few beads for barter, also a little money. Now I found a comfortable +house built by putting upright poles in the ground, thatching them with +tules, and covering the sides with the same. The agent had also put +up a decent brush corral in which to keep our animals safe at night, +for we are liable here to inroads from the Tonte Apaches.</p> + +<p>Had a conference to-day with the Indians, who had been for a number +of weeks around our post enquiring anxiously for my coming. +They now squatted to have a smoke and get some presents. They informed +me through an interpreter, who spoke very decent Spanish, +that all the grass and the water and the land around us belonged to +their tribe; that I must pay them for protecting as well as for feeding +all of the many mules they saw grazing about there daily, which they +found it convenient to consider as mine personally. I had promised +them, when going west, that on my way back we would have this talk, +and as far as possible prepared myself for them at San Diego. I gave +such of them special presents as had particularly aided our agents +during my absence. I fed the principal, gave all the warriors plugs +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</span>of tobacco, beads, and cotton cloth, and presented the head chief and +interpreter with suitable presents of shirts and fancy colored handkerchiefs. +About sunset, finding that the talking, smoking, and feeding +was over, and realizing the certainty of procuring no more presents +to-day, the Indians shook hands with us and went off. Such of them +as had horses rode them bare back, but the bulk of the warriors were +footmen.</p> + +<p><i>November 16.</i>—Left the Maricopa station, on our way to Tucson, +with three coaches, forty-nine animals, and twelve men. To-day met +the mail of October 24 from San Antonio.</p> + +<p><i>November 17.</i>—Reached Tucson at 11½ p.m. Found train from La +Mesilla waiting for the mail.</p> + +<p><i>November 19.</i>—Started from Tucson with three coaches, forty-six +animals, and sixteen men, including our passengers. I also had in +charge the mail of November 9 from San Diego, for which I had +waited at our Maricopa station. I was now retracing my steps to La +Mesilla, through the same country I had passed over in August, and, +with a few unimportant variations, by nearly the same road. Then +it was the rainy season, with showers almost every day; now it was +the commencement of winter, with occasional northers. On both trips +I found the gramma grass excellent in quality and abundant in quantity. +There is plenty of water for our purposes, with wood enough +for cooking, and comfortable sleeping on the ground in our blankets.</p> + +<p><i>November 24.</i>—I met Mr. Hutton at Ojo La Vaca; he is engineer +of the El Paso and Fort Yuma wagon road expedition, and was examining +the country very carefully to select the best line for a road, +and was progressing finely.</p> + +<p><i>November 25.</i>—Met the mail coach going west with the mail of November +9, from San Antonio; also passed to-day the working party of +Colonel Leach’s expedition, who were building a road up the cañon, +from the valley of the Rio Grande to the top of the Mesa.</p> + +<p><i>November 26.</i>—Reached Mesilla at 10 a. m., and immediately despatched +the mail for San Diego by a messenger in waiting to carry it +to Buchanan, one hundred miles below the Mesilla, where the train +was waiting to carry it on to San Antonio. We have stocked this +one hundred miles along the Rio Grande valley chiefly with horses; +when we have a light mail we can express it through. I remained +in the valley of the Rio Grande, passing to and fro in the course of +business, from November 26 until December 24.</p> + +<p>During my absence in California, Mr. Giddings had done every +thing possible for the line; I must say he could not have done more +if he had been an owner. Furthermore, I am satisfied that few men +could have done so well for us. At his agency in El Paso he came +in contact with the mail men, who were running from San Antonio to +that place, and did much to place things in order which had been +neglected at San Antonio. On leaving Mr. Giddings I had promised +him, upon the faith of the understanding that Mr. Birch was to meet +me at San Diego, that I would bring back with me the cash necessary +to pay up all claims against the line; but, as before explained, Mr. +Birch did not meet me, I could not reach the supplies of money required, +and was consequently compelled to return to the Rio Grande +empty handed, relying on selling my drafts to cancel large amounts +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</span>due to creditors in the valley. When I crossed the Rio Grande +going west, on the 23d of August, I had twenty-four mules and two +poor carriages; fourteen of these twenty-four animals belonged to +Fort Davis.—(See journal, <a href="#Page_12">August 12</a>.) When I recrossed the same +river, November 27, coming east, I had left behind me quite a different +state of things.</p> + +<p>The mail line had now nearly or quite two hundred head of mules +west of the Rio Grande, stationed at San Diego, Carissa creek, Fort +Yuma, Peterman’s, Maricopa wells, Tucson, and La Mesilla. At +each of these places agencies or stations had been established, with +abundant supplies of grain everywhere. We feed corn to all our working +mules. I had made contracts for hay wherever the grass was +likely to be short the coming winter. We had thirty-five mail carriers +and agents along this part of the line; all well-armed border-men, +carefully selected for their familiarity with this kind of service. +We had seven coaches on the road, and three more building in San +Diego, so that we could already take passengers through from ocean +to ocean in stage coaches. I felt that I had carried out in spirit the +agreement with your department to place a creditable service on the +line, besides having complied with the letter of the contract in carrying +the mail.</p> + +<p>I was met here in the valley by unexpected difficulties, which should +not have been thrown in the way of the line.</p> + +<p>The following advertisement was put in the San Antonio papers +and came to El Paso about the time of my arrival:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">San Antonio</span>, <i>November 20, 1857</i>.<br> +</p> + +<p>Whereas Julia A. B. Birch, of Swansea, in the county of Bristol +and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, administratrix of the estate of +James E. Birch, of the town and Commonwealth aforesaid, has sold, +assigned, transferred, conveyed, and set over unto Oltes H. Kelton, +of Charleston, South Carolina, for a good and sufficient consideration, +all the stock of the mail lines and post routes from San Antonio; +Texas, to San Diego, California, and from El Paso to Santa Fé, in +Texas, so far as the said James E. Birch, deceased, has any interest +in the same; and whereas the said Oltes H. Kelton has appointed the +undersigned his agent and attorney, by power of attorney duly acknowledged, +to take charge of and superintend his entire interest in +said routes, as his sole agent: Now, this is to notify all whom it may +concern, that all contracts and acts made by any person otherwise +than those that I may appoint, touching the interest of said routes, +will be treated as a nullity.</p> + +<p class="author"> +ABNER BARROWS.<br> +</p> +</div> + +<p>[Mr. Giddings also received a letter from Mr. Barrows, stating that +Mr. Kelton had appointed him as sole agent in Texas, at the same +time requesting Mr. G. to continue in charge of the line at El Paso, +sending the mail forward to California as he had been doing under my +superintendence. This was an awkward dilemma. It seemed clear +to myself and friends that if I gave up my situation of superintendent +the line must stop. If I once discarded the charge, the property +would be seized by the creditors. Wages were due to the men, and +accounts had been made with merchants for advances of every kind. +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</span>A line through remote settlements must have a good credit. In this +aspect of things, having received no letters from Mrs. Birch nor any +of her friends, and no revocation of my authority having reached me, +I applied to Simeon Hart, esq., of El Paso, to advance me the necessary +funds to carry on the line until I could reach New York. I exhibited +to Mr. Hart my original authority from Mr. Birch, together +with all the subsequent facts since his death, so far as I knew them. +I consider that we are indebted to Mr. Hart for the present existence +of the line. He went in person to the different merchants whom we +owed for advances, recommended them to take my drafts on New +York, stating that he had examined the matter and was perfectly satisfied. +Mr. Hart himself did more: he loaned the line ten thousand +dollars, which enabled me to not only pay up the more pressing claims +of the mens’ wages, but all the outstanding obligations of the line, +excepting the drafts before referred to on New York, and the +amount due to Mr. Giddings. When I turned my back on the Rio +Grande valley, the credit of the line stood well. I felt satisfied that I +had done right; I am now more than satisfied.]</p> + +<p><i>El Paso, December 24.</i>—The mail of December 9 came in from San +Diego at 10 a. m.</p> + +<p><i>Presidio, San Eleazario, December 25.</i>—Mail from San Antonio came +in at 1 a. m. I reached our lower station on the Rio Grande, a new +place which we have named Birchville, at 8 p.m.; I was <i>en route</i> for +San Antonio. Here I found that the up mail of December 9 had been +caught in a snow storm west of Fort Davis. Five mules had been +chilled so they were unable to go on with the train. The conductor +was compelled to leave the coach and nearly all the mules at Fort +Davis, coming on to Birchville with six mules only, bringing the +letter mail. He was most fortunate in being able to borrow a buggy +for this purpose. The conductor who brought up this mail of December +9 should have returned at once to San Antonio with the down +mail; but as he was unable to do so for the reason which I have stated, +I carried out an intention which I had formed at El Paso, and determined +to take the mail through to San Antonio under my own charge. +I had a coach and twenty-two mules, and four passengers. To perform +the actual labor of this trip, I had two clerks of mine now +out of employ by my discharge. Mr. Giddings accompanied me, with +two hired men.</p> + +<p><i>December 26.</i>—Birchville, at 10 a. m., weather very pleasant.</p> + +<p><i>December 27.</i>—In our second drive this morning we ascended the +cañon leading from the valley of the Rio Grande to the high table +lands of this portion of western Texas. We found a change of +climate apparent at once. The whole of our journey, from the summit +of this pass till we reached Devil’s river, in the course of which +we had descended from this table land, was cold and uncomfortable, +though by no means to the extent of any personal suffering; I +may except very cold fingers, while driving, before sunrise.</p> + +<p><i>December 29.</i>—To-day we reached Fort Davis. The officers’ quarters, +with good oak wood fires, looked more comfortable than our +camping on ground; but, for fear of catching cold by the change, +I preferred to continue sleeping out of doors.—(See journal of <a href="#Page_12">August +12</a> for my interview with Col. Sewall.)</p> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</span></p> +<p><i>December 30.</i>—Met an extra of ours going up to Birchville—coach, +mules, and complete outfit to take their place in the line. Gave orders +for the conductor to take the newspaper mail from Fort Davis, which +had been left behind by the last up mail in consequence of the snow +at Birchville. He would meet another coach and send it forward to +El Paso.</p> + +<p><i>January 3.</i>—We reached Fort Lancaster at 7 a. m., changed our +mail, and started again at 11 a. m. It commenced snowing as we left +Fort Lancaster, and continued to snow so rapidly that I deemed it +prudent to stop about 3 o’clock p. m. We halted in a cañon 9 miles +from the fort, on the edge of the Llano Estacado. It was not safe to +attempt to cross this bleak plain in the face of a snow storm, with the +road obliterated by the snows. We might have lost our way, or our +mules might have perished from being chilled through by standing +exposed, after heating themselves in the exertion of hauling the coach. +I therefore made a halt and camped for the night. We then drove the +mules into a cañon, where they would be partially sheltered from the +wind and storm by bushes, made a fire, cooked our dinner, set the +guard, and then went to bed, with the snow falling at intervals all +night long.</p> + +<p><i>January 4.</i>—A fine morning, with the sun bright and pleasant, +the ground covered with snow to the depth of several inches, rendering +it almost impossible to roll our coach to-day. The snow would +have clung to the hoofs of our mules and to the tire of our coach so +as to render our progress very slow. Under these circumstances I +deemed it best to send the mail forward on mules in charge of one of +the two hired men, accompanied by a passenger equally familiar with +the road, who very kindly volunteered to accompany the mail and +rider. They each took a riding mule, also a third mule packed with +the mail, provisions, and a few small articles. These animals they +were to change at Fort Clarke, with yet another change, if possible, +at Dharris. (They made the trip to San Antonio in good order and +in time, delivering the mail at 6 a. m. the morning of the 9th.) This +morning, after the mail was gone, I sent our mules back to Fort Lancaster +with directions to have them well fed with grain, returning +them to our camp by night with an additional supply of grain and +provisions if the snow melted so that we could proceed. In the course +of the afternoon, the weather looking threatening, I sent one of my +clerks, who volunteered to go on foot, to the quartermaster with a +request that he would send out a team of mules and haul us back to +the fort; this request he promptly acceded to, and we reached there +about 10 o’clock at night. Having despatched the mail, there was +now no cause for our immediate haste; I, therefore, determined to +recruit my animals at Fort Lancaster before continuing our journey. +With this view I remained there for three days.</p> + +<p><i>January 7.</i>—This morning we left Fort Lancaster the second time. +We had for company a party under escort to Fort Hudson. This +evening we met the mail coach which left San Antonio December 24. +It had been detained several days by high water in the Medina river +at Castroville, being afterwards caught in the same snow storm that +had delayed our coach; like us they were compelled to lie by and wait +a day or two for the snow to disappear. As they had but commenced +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</span>their journey to Birchville, they could not send their mail +forward on pack animals as we did. Again, as the up mail contains +newspapers it is much heavier than the down mail.</p> + +<p>Nothing of special interest occurred on the road to San Antonio +differing from the usual routine which I have sketched from day to +day. I staid at Fort Hudson and at Fort Clarke long enough to attend +to the business of the line at each of those posts. I did this in the +absence of any one to take my place, though I was yet in doubt as to +my own position.</p> + +<p><i>January 17.</i>—Reached San Antonio to-night.</p> + +<p><i>January 18.</i>—Received to-day a revocation of my authority from +Mrs. Birch, the revocation dated the 26th of last October; I ceased at +once to act for the line and prepared to come north, giving the new +local agent every information the limited time permitted.</p> + +<p><i>January 19.</i>—I left for Washington.</p> + +<p>The question is frequently asked as to whether we have a well defined +road all the way from San Antonio to San Diego. To this I +answer that it is as plain a road as any stage route over which a mail +is carried in coaches for your department. An emigrant would find +it as impossible to miss his way when once on our road either going +to or returning from California, as he would if traveling in a country +where guide posts marked every cross-road.</p> + +<p>An examination of my table of distances will show four military +posts between San Antonio and Birchville; from Birchville to La +Mesilla we have a settled country all the way; from La Mesilla to +Tucson, we have not at present any military posts, but I am informed +that the War Department contemplates placing two forts in this portion +of Arizona, immediately on the completion of the Fort Yuma +and El Paso wagon road. In the whole distance of 460 miles from +Tucson to San Diego, one hundred and fifteen miles is the longest +distance at present between any of our mail stations.</p> + +<p>An emigrant passing over our route will meet or be overtaken by a +mail party four times every month, while from our mail conductors +he can always obtain the reliable information as to road, wood, water, +grass, camping places, with directions where to find safe valleys in +which to feed his stock for a few weeks, and transmit messages, letters, +or any desired intelligence from friends before or behind him. I have +received many expressions of satisfaction from emigrants I met on +the road, and, also, from others in California, who, last season, on +the trip, realized, in a small way, the advantages of the mail, in +these respects to overland emigration.</p> + +<p>When camping, after a drive of about ten miles, we unharness in +the middle of the road, and from one end of our route to the other, +from San Antonio to San Diego, the road can almost be measured by +the ashes of our camp fires.</p> + +<p>From Fort Hudson, in Texas, to Tazotal, on the Gila, a distance of +1,200 miles, nearly the whole of our route is over an elevated, dry +country. When but a small amount of labor was requisite at first to +make a road suited to staging, only a portion of this has ever had any +labor bestowed on it beyond that of passing trains. From San Antonio +to El Paso, a distance of 651 miles, the road was opened in the +year 1849, by a government train of several hundred wagons, <i>en +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</span>route</i> to El Paso; since that time, the continual passage of government +and freighting trains, as also of the Santa Fé and San Antonio +mail coaches, had beaten down an excellent road, before the labors of +the El Paso and Fort Yuma wagon road expedition commenced.</p> + +<p>That portion of our route situated between El Paso and the Pimos +villages has never had even a government train to open it. Col. Leach’s +labors will be of great service in straitening it, finding new watering +places, enlarging others, and in constructing tanks, if the appropriation +will admit of such an expenditure. A consultation of the items +of my own journey, where I have put down each day’s advance, will +tend to show the excellent condition of our roads, for we used a coach +all the way from San Antonio to San Diego, sometimes drawn by six, +never by less than four mules.</p> + +<p>There are a number of formidable looking ranges of mountains +upon all the maps, running across Arizona, north and south, which +look to be barriers almost impassable without a great expenditure +of time and money. Our road we found to be <i>through</i>, rather than +<i>over</i>, these mountains; although they appeared formidable at a +distance, yet, on approaching, they generally proved to be isolated +buttes, with our road winding around them by easy grades through +the valleys, or else passing over some low span or saddle, no way impeding +staging. These passes in the mountains seemed to be formed +by nature on purpose for a road. The speed our coaches are making +through these mountain ranges is the best evidence of their easy and +expeditious passage. By my journal of August 25, it will be +noticed that the speed we made from Cook’s spring, through the Sierra +Madre mountains to and beyond the Mimbres river, was 21 miles in +five hours; through all the other mountain passes we made much the +same rate of speed.</p> + +<p>Having formed my ideas of mountains and mountain roads from a +pretty extensive experience among the Sierra Nevada of California, +was very forcibly struck by the fact of not meeting a regular chain of +mountains all the way from San Antonio until I reached the coast +range of California, eighty miles from San Diego. I wish to call particular +attention to the distinction between ranges of mountains like +the Alleghanies and Sierra Nevada, and the system of isolated buttes +scattered over portions of our line and around which we pass by +valley roads well adapted to speed. The mountains south of the +Gila, and its immediate neighborhood, do not interfere with our road; +they come up close to the river in many places, but leave an ample +passage way for our road around the bases. These mountains are mostly +what the Mexicans term <i>Mesas</i>; high hills, flat on their tops. It appears +as if the plain had formerly been level with the tops of the +hills, some hundreds of feet higher than it is now. This same appearance +of Mesas is found along the Pecos.</p> + +<p>On the 15th of November, looking northward from our station at +the Maricopa Wells, I could plainly see that the high mountains to the +north of the Gila, standing in a bold relief against the sky, were covered +at their summits with a cap of snow, glistening in the pleasant +sun of the valley, where we were. Abundance of rain had fallen +throughout the Gila valley this season, but no cold weather had come +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</span>as yet; we naturally concluded that the rain of the valley was snow +on the tops of the mountains. In the day time we found it so pleasant +that bathing was our constant practice, though the nights were cool +and damp from heavy dews. I am informed that all or most of these +valleys north of the Gila have a rich soil, capable of sustaining +a large population. I trust, on some future trip, to be able to +explore them, as they are situated within what is likely to become +a portion of the new Territory of Arizona, through the whole length +of which our line passes. It was among some of the valleys to which +I refer, that John R. Bartlett, esq., found evidences of a race of men +long since extinct, who must have been superior to the present Indians +of the country.</p> + +<p>At present we have no good road directly over the coast range of +mountains from Lassator’s ranch to Vallecito on the desert, but the +enterprise of the people of San Diego will secure us one at an early +day. When I came over the mountains on my way east, there was a +large working party of Indians, under Mr. Lassator, diligently using +the means which had been subscribed in the county for a road over +the mountains.</p> + +<p>Wood, water, and grass, are the emigrant’s necessities in crossing +our continent. Over our route we have enough of these for all purposes +of staging or emigration. Through the country over which we +pass, though there is enough water for emigration and staging, yet +there is but one river not usually fordable; I refer to the Colorado of +the West. This is a great deal in its favor as a stage road. If it +were a heavy timbered country, it would not be likely to be so well +grassed, as it would be sure to have large rivers troublesome to cross, +and need an immense labor cutting down timber to open a road. As to +grass, it is wonderfully provided all the way to our Maricopa station. +Wood is generally scarce on our route. From San Antonio to +San Felipe creek, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles, there is +an abundance of wooded country; post oaks and mezquit flats are +quite numerous. Along Devil’s river, for a distance of twenty miles, +there is plenty of wood.</p> + +<p>At Forts Lancaster and Davis, oak wood is hauled from a distance +of seven miles to supply the military posts. Along the Rio Grande +universally the fuel is the root of the mezquit tree, a sort of underground +forest; it burns with as hot a fire as hickory wood, and makes +superior charcoal. Cotton-wood is used along the Rio Grande valley, +being the fuel used in some places. We found wood scarce all the +way from the Rio Grande to the Maricopas; from thence to Fort Yuma +along the Gila abundant; then it is scarce over the desert; at +the watering places, however, enough can be found in spots not remote +from the wells; once among the San Diego mountains there is wood +enough. Over these portions of our road where we find no wood at +the springs or watering holes, and for want of time cannot wander off +among the mountain gulches to look for it, we secure enough for all +purposes of cooking from the great abundance of roots generally found +just cropping out of the ground; these make an excellent fire.</p> + +<p>An examination of my table of distances will show no want of water +along the route; all my measurements are to and from well known +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</span>watering places. From San Antonio our road is extremely well +watered until we reach the head of the San Pedro or Devil’s river, a +distance of 218 miles; going west thence, we have a jornada of forty-four +miles; thence another of thirty miles, between permanent roads, +on to the Pecos. In the rainy season there are plenty of places in this +distance where the water stands in natural tanks in the rocks, or in +cañons. This stretch of forty-four miles is the longest we have on the +road between permanent water stations; it forms however no great +obstacle to staging. We haul water for ourselves in kegs, and the +mules, having to go about twelve to sixteen hours without it, do not +suffer in consequence. We have no scarcity of water in Arizona for +our present purposes.—(See <a href="#Page_39">schedule</a> of distances.) Our watering +places on the desert west of Fort Yuma are by no means far apart, +but the supply is limited at all times. It will be a matter of absolute +necessity to enlarge them before the overland emigration of this spring +reaches the desert. The improvement of those now used, as well as +the digging of others, will be very easily accomplished.</p> + +<p>I am of opinion that the chances of procuring water by boring +artesian wells on the elevated table lands, over which our road runs, +may be considered as very limited. At any rate, as a practical mode +of procuring water for us, it will not do. Supposing Captain Pope +should demonstrate the feasibility of boring these artesian wells, even +then private individuals cannot afford to make them, neither can they +wait for government to do so. We should be compelled, in staging +across the continent at a rate of speed necessitating the erection of +stations, to adopt the old Mexican method of building tanks wherever +the natural formation of the country admits of it which it does in +numerous places along our road.</p> + +<p>As for grass, the country through which our road runs is unequalled +as a grazing country, in the opinion of practiced men acquainted with +the subject. I have heard farmers pronounce the gramma and mezquit +grass nearly equal to clover. There is a peculiarity of the grass of +this section which adapts it most admirably to our purpose; when appearing +dried up and dead, it contains life and nutriment; an examination +will show this on plucking it. When the rains come, instead +of our having to wait wholly for new grass to spring up, we find the +old dried grass renewing its life, becoming green again, until in a few +days the country is covered with an excellent crop of grass, as good +as if it had been growing many weeks.</p> + +<p>Many of the finest ranches or grazing farms in the State of Sonora +were once located in what is now called Arizona; the buildings are at +present deserted; the inhabitants have fled from the Apaches, who +stole their cattle, as far as possible destroyed the buildings, and murdered +or carried into captivity the inhabitants.</p> + +<p>The section of the country along the Gila river is commonly pronounced +by emigrants the worst portion of the whole southern road +across our continent; but even along this river, though it is not +superabundantly supplied with grazing lands, no one need let their +animals suffer for the want of food. Travellers must take some care +in examining to the right and left of the road. To those who have +just been passing over the finest grazing lands in the world, where a +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</span>range of a few hundred yards would suffice for their teams anywhere +along the road, the Gila naturally seems a desert. As a fair illustration +of the grazing in Arizona, I would state that an overheated +horse or mule will actually founder on the rich gramma grass as he +would on clover. On nearly all the hills found along the Gila river +spots of gramma and quinta or bunch grass are scattered in places. +Young willows also grow along the river banks, which are good food +for animals. A weed much liked by them and very nutritious is +found in many places along the bottoms. Mules are also fond of the +fallen leaves of the mezquit tree. By crossing the river and making +a little exploration, spots of good grazing can be found on the north +side of the Gila. Lastly, there is in the season an abundant supply +of excellent food for animals in the mezquit beans which are found on +our road along the Gila, from Tezotal to Fort Yuma. These beans +fall from the tree as soon as ripe; animals will leave their corn to +eat them, as I have proved.</p> + +<p>The Indians make a kind of flour from these beans by roasting and +then pounding them; they contain a large portion of saccharine +matter, so much so that the Pimos manufacture from them a species +of syrup. They commence falling in August; we found a great +many under the trees in November, after the emigration had passed +down the river.</p> + +<p>On my return trip from San Diego I brought my mules into our +Maricopa station in a much better condition than when I left Fort +Yuma with them. My practice was this: while one of my two teams +of mules was working in the coaches for a couple of hours at a walk, +I would have the other team under charge of an experienced man, +either ahead or behind the coaches, eating their fill of grass, beans, +or whatever they could find. At the end of two hours we would +change teams, giving the other set of mules their chance for loitering +behind to eat.</p> + +<p>Sometimes emigrants who are going to California pasture their +cattle on the bottom lands of the Colorado river for a few weeks before +attempting to cross the desert; others again put on at once, in order +to reach as soon as possible the excellent grazing on the coast range. +We keep a mulada at Fort Yuma for our changes, which we send out +every day to feed in the river bottom, under charge of a Mexican +herder, bringing them in at night for safety.</p> + +<p>In crossing the Colorado desert of ninety-five miles from Fort Yuma +to Carissa there is but little for animals to eat. In some few places +arroyos make up to the northward, containing mezquit trees full of +beans, but these are limited in number, while they are not situated at +the watering places.</p> + +<p>In the mountains near Carissa, or at Vallecito, good grazing commences +again. I am assured by men familiar with this section of +country that good hay can be cut on the mountain sides, a few miles +south of the present desert, and hauled on to the line of our road at a +fair price. Mezquit beans can also be procured sufficiently near the +road to be sold to travellers at reasonable rates. One advantage of our +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</span>road is, that any emigrant who may be <i>en route</i> to California can now +leave his stock in Arizona to recruit, while he takes passage for San +Diego or along the road to explore for himself the country over which +he intends to pass.</p> + +<p>The country we stage over is a grazing and mineral country, rather +than an agricultural one, though I found no lack of grain along the +road. In seasons of rain an abundance of grain is raised all the way +from San Antonio to Fort Clarke; from there to Birchville there are +no settlements, and the grain has to be hauled from either end to the +military posts between these two points; along the Rio Grande +the whole country is capable of cultivation. Wheat, corn, beans, +pumpkins, and onions of very superior flavor are all raised in great +abundance by the Spanish population.</p> + +<p>Flour of an excellent quality is made at a mill on the Rio Grande, +a couple of miles above El Paso; it is owned and managed by Simeon +Hart, esq., who is the contractor for supplying with flour all the forts +in that section of the country.</p> + +<p>In many places along the Rio Grande our road lies through cornfields +miles in length. At Tucson we found no difficulty in purchasing +corn and barley for our mules; flour from wheat grown +in the Santa Cruz valley, and ground at Tucson by the Mexicans; +also beans and onions.</p> + +<p>At Maricopa station we bought, of the Indians, flour, beans, peas, +green and dried pumpkins, chickens, eggs, corn, and wheat. At Fort +Yuma every thing has to be imported. There is a considerable importation +there of flour, pinola, pounded parched corn, jerked beef, and +sugar, called pinoche, all of which comes on pack animals from Sonora; +no doubt a large trade will spring up from this when Colorado City +becomes of consequence. Nearly everything is now brought from +San Francisco by way of the Gulf of California and steamer up the +Colorado river.</p> + +<p>Arizona ought to be supplied through Guyamas, a Mexican port +on the Gulf of California.</p> + +<p>Ours is emphatically a stage road. If it were a rich agricultural +country all the way from San Antonio to San Diego, it would be impossible +for a stage line to cross it in schedule time until some remote +day, when the whole distance shall have been settled, and towns built +at convenient distances, with good roads connecting them. Our present +road would be called a superior one in any State for thirteen hundred +miles of its length, and a fair road the remainder of the distance, save +twenty-two miles of sand in the Colorado desert, from Cook’s Wells +to Alamo Mucho.</p> + +<p>In the valley of the Rio Grande I had an application from an old +mountain man, who wanted a situation as guide. This man had +trapped beaver in all the principal streams falling into the Gila +and Colorado rivers. He said the trappers pronounced our present +route across Arizona a good one at all seasons of the year.</p> + +<p>I had a good opportunity of knowing the nature of the climate we +have to contend with. Leaving San Antonio in August, and going +directly through, I passed over the road in the hottest months of the +year. Then, leaving San Diego October 23, and spending nearly +three months returning, I experienced the winter weather over the +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</span>same country. It was very warm in San Antonio in July; but when +we had once commenced ascending to the table lands of Texas, the +heat became comparatively moderated, with nights particularly pleasant. +In going down the Gila, where we were descending toward the +level of the sea, the heat was very great, so much so that, for comfort, +and having a full moon, we travelled by night and lay by during +the middle of the day. In my experience of the heat on the Gila, +which looks so formidable, as marked by the thermometer, I suffered +much less with that instrument indicating a hundred and over +than I have suffered in the Atlantic States with the thermometer at +85 or 90. The air was pure and clear, the heat produced a copious +perspiration, and gave no feeling of oppression in breathing.</p> + +<p>In my plans for returning across the continent, the recollection of +the hot days along the Gila, or on the Colorado desert, never present +themselves to me as any serious inconvenience. The heat does not +oppress animals any more than it does men. Our mail carriers, who +regularly cross the desert, frequently complain of the blinding influence +of the sun reflected in their eyes from the bright sands; I never +heard any of them complain of unpleasant effects from the heat, and +we have a number of men employed who have traversed this desert for +several years past. In returning to San Antonio, through Arizona and +Texas, I experienced the northers a number of times, having been +delayed once by snow; but none of our party ever suffered anything +more than the natural annoyances incidental to wet feet and damp +blankets. I make here some few extracts from my journal about the +cold I experienced on our route:</p> + +<p><i>December 5.</i>—At El Paso have had a week of cold weather, with an +occasional strong north wind during the time. Ice formed in a pond 100 +feet across in the rear of the house; ice also made in the acequias, but +the river was barely skimmed over once very early in the morning. +Only once in a great many years, in El Paso, has the ice been thick +enough to put up a few tons in an ice house.</p> + +<p><i>December 9.</i>—The mail coach came into El Paso from Tucson, and +the conductor reported a norther, accompanied by snow, in the Mimbres. +It fell on them the same day we had a norther at El Paso, the +5th, as above; the snow melted as it fell, so that by making a longer +morning drive than common he reached the shelter of the trees at the +Mimbres; none of his mules were chilled by being exposed without +blankets, after unharnessing. The same conductor reports a snow +squall on the previous trip, without any detention in either case to +the mail, and without the snow lying on the ground at all; it melted +as it fell both times.</p> + +<p>A letter per this mail from our train going west reports the +weather cold enough in the night to freeze water in the canteens, but +no one suffering from cold by sleeping on the ground. During the +day it was bright and warm, forming a pleasant contrast to the night.</p> + +<p>At El Paso, December 9, we received advices of the northern wagon +road expedition having returned for the winter. I consulted Colonel +Leach, superintendent of the El Paso and Fort Yuma wagon road as +to his movements; he assured me he had no intention of going into +winter quarters, but, on the contrary, should continue on the road +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</span>through the winter months; in fact, he deemed them the best suited +to his purposes of shortening and improving the road.</p> + +<p>The surgeon of Fort Lancaster, who keeps a meteorological journal, +said they had not as much snow in that part of Texas during the +whole of the past six years taken together as had fallen during the +present winter. The snow which fell on the 3d had so far disappeared +from the ground as to allow the animals to graze sufficiently, but I +waited in order to accompany a detachment of mounted infantry going +on a scout as far as Fort Hudson.</p> + +<p><i>January 6.</i>—The snow had entirely disappeared.</p> + +<p><i>January 7.</i>—We camped to-night on the Llano Estacado, about +half way across it; there was not a particle of snow on the ground. +We found one advantage from the snow, it had melted and run into a +natural stone tank, giving us abundance of water for ourselves and +stock; it will last some weeks. An expense of a few hundred dollars +in building up the sides of the tank would make it capable of holding +several millions of gallons of water.</p> + +<p>The Llano Estacado is here very narrow; we cross the extreme +southern portion of it immediately south of us. Not a mile distant, I +saw the cañons and broken gulches running eastward to the Devil’s +river, and westward to the Pecos.</p> + +<p>I never had a case of sickness among either men or passengers +during my whole trip, excepting a little annoyance from an over indulgence +in fruit in the valley of the Rio Grande. The salubrious +air must be conducive to health. Such is the purity and clearness of +the atmosphere that the stars shine at night with a brilliancy unknown +in this section of the country; cloudy days or nights are an +exception, and the stars at night actually give light enough to enable +us on our night drives, of which we have a considerable number, to +find the road. It can be seen, for some distance ahead of the mules, +very plainly.</p> + + +<p class="center"><i>Climatic boundary on the west.</i></p> + +<p><i>October 24.</i>—The coast range of mountains, which approaches the +sea in San Diego county, is the climatic boundary between California +and Arizona. Our stock is kept at Lassator’s, 48 miles, nearly due +west, from San Diego, in a beautiful valley among the mountains; +in San Diego they have a charming climate the year round, while +among the mountains snow falls occasionally during the winter, +which in the valley below turns to rain. The snow remains on the +ground but a day or two. In California there is no rain from March +until October, but showers occasionally fall in these valleys during +the summer months, when it is the rainy season in Sonora.</p> + +<p>The exploring party I sent over the mountain on the 15th of September +were rained on all one night. We saw clouds to the westward, +but not one drop of rain fell upon us.</p> + +<p>By reference to my journal it will be noticed that rain fell on us at +intervals all the way from the opening of the Rio Grande valley +until I came near to Fort Yuma. While the coast along the Pacific +was, in September and October, parched with a drought, compelling +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</span>rancheros to send their cattle into the mountains; our contractor was +cutting hay to send over to our station on the desert. Lassator’s is +twelve miles from the top of the coast range, which we there descend +by a mule path for several miles on our way to Vallecito, though a +good road can be made with a moderate amount of money. After +crossing the desert, emigrants usually give their stock a run of the +excellent grazing valleys in these mountains, before proceeding further +on their journey.</p> + +<p>It is hardly possible for me to do more than sketch a few of the +changes which our road has produced in the country through which +we pass.</p> + +<p>The War Department uses the facilities offered by our line for a +regular semi-monthly correspondence with seven military posts.</p> + +<p>Persons interested in mining pursuits are now looking with great +interest towards the silver and copper mines of Arizona. Our mail +not only carries the correspondence which takes the money to the +mining parties, but regularly bring reports of their success, while +passengers are, all the while, taking our line to Arizona; our stations +afford stopping places, and our agents information to all who prefer +their own mode of conveyance; such travellers are numerous.</p> + +<p>The newly appointed consul for Guyamas takes our stage as far as +Tucson, starting from San Antonio, Texas.</p> + +<p>Our line is already forming the basis of a new State, rich in minerals, +half way between Texas and California.</p> + +<p> +Very respectfully,</p> + +<p class="author">I. C. WOODS,<br> +<i>Superintendent S. A. & S. D. Mail Line</i>.<br> +</p> +<p>Hon. <span class="smcap">A. V. Brown</span>,<br> +<i>Postmaster General</i>.<br> +</p> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</span></p> + +<p>Accompanying this please find the measurements from point to point +on the whole road from San Antonio to San Diego, with names of the +watering places.</p> + + +<p class="center"><i>Table of distances, and from one watering-place to another from starting +point.</i></p> + + +<table class="autotable"> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From San Antonio to Leon river</td> +<td class="tdr">6.53</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Leon to Castroville, “Medina” river</td> +<td class="tdr">18.00</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Castroville to Dharris “Saco” river</td> +<td class="tdr">25.28</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Dharris to Ranchero creek</td> +<td class="tdr">8.38</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Ranchero creek to Sabinal creek</td> +<td class="tdr">3.94</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Sabinal creek to Camanche creek</td> +<td class="tdr">5.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Camanche creek to Rio Frio</td> +<td class="tdr">8.46</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Rio Frio to Head of Leona “Uvalde”</td> +<td class="tdr">6.08</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Uvalde to Nueces</td> +<td class="tdr">9.04</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Nueces to Turkey creek</td> +<td class="tdr">10.27</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Turkey creek to Elm creek</td> +<td class="tdr">15.23</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Elm creek to Las Moras river, Fort Clarke</td> +<td class="tdr">7.13</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">123.34</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Fort Clarke to Piedra Pinto</td> +<td class="tdr">7.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Piedra Pinto to Maverick creek</td> +<td class="tdr">8.86</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Maverick creek to San Felipe</td> +<td class="tdr">12.61</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From San Felipe to first crossing of San Pedro or Devil’s river</td> +<td class="tdr">10.22</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From First Crossing to Painted Caves</td> +<td class="tdr">2.54</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Painted Caves to California Spring</td> +<td class="tdr">15.73</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From California Spring to Willow Spring</td> +<td class="tdr">2.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Willow Spring to Fort Hudson, or second crossing of San Pedro or Devil’s river</td> +<td class="tdr">16.39</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">75.35</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Fort Hudson to Head of San Pedro or Devil’s river</td> +<td class="tdr">19.50</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Head of river to Howard Springs</td> +<td class="tdr">44.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Howard Springs to Live Oak creek</td> +<td class="tdr">30.44</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Live Oak creek to Fort Lancaster</td> +<td class="tdr">3.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">96.94</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Fort Lancaster to Pecos</td> +<td class="tdr">4.29</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Pecos Crossing to Pecos Spring</td> +<td class="tdr">6.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Pecos Spring to Leaving of Pecos</td> +<td class="tdr">32.26</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Leaving of Pecos to Arroyo Escondido</td> +<td class="tdr">16.26</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Arroyo Escondido to Escondido Spring</td> +<td class="tdr">8.58</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Escondido Spring to Camanche Spring</td> +<td class="tdr">19.40</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Camanche Spring to Leon Hole</td> +<td class="tdr">8.88</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Leon Hole to Hackberry pond</td> +<td class="tdr">11.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Hackberry pond to Limpia creek</td> +<td class="tdr">32.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Limpia creek to Fort Davis</td> +<td class="tdr">18.86</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">157.53</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Fort Davis to Point of Rocks</td> +<td class="tdr">10.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Point of Rocks to Barree Springs</td> +<td class="tdr">8.42</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Barree Springs to Deadman’s Hole</td> +<td class="tdr">13.58<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</span></td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Deadman’s Hole to Van Horn’s Wells</td> +<td class="tdr">32.83</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Van Horn’s Wells to Eagle Springs</td> +<td class="tdr">19.74</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Eagle Springs to first camp on Rio Grande</td> +<td class="tdr">31.42</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From first camp on Rio Grande to Birchville</td> +<td class="tdr">35.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">150.99</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Birchville to San Eleazario</td> +<td class="tdr">24.80</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From San Eleazario to Socorro</td> +<td class="tdr">5.45</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Socorro to Isletta</td> +<td class="tdr">3.10</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Isletta to El Paso</td> +<td class="tdr">14.14</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">47.49</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From El Paso to Cottonwood</td> +<td class="tdr">22.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Cottonwood to Fort Fillmore</td> +<td class="tdr">22.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Fort Fillmore to La Mesilla</td> +<td class="tdr">6.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">50.00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From La Mesilla to Cook’s Spring</td> +<td class="tdr">65.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Cook’s Spring to Rio Mimbres</td> +<td class="tdr">18.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Rio Mimbres to Ojo La Vaca</td> +<td class="tdr">17.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Ojo La Vaca to Ojo de Ynez</td> +<td class="tdr">10.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Ojo de Ynez to Peloncilla</td> +<td class="tdr">34.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Peloncilla to Rio Saur or San Domingo</td> +<td class="tdr">18.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Rio Saur to Apache Springs</td> +<td class="tdr">23.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Apache Springs to Dos Cabesas Springs</td> +<td class="tdr">9.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Dos Cabesas Springs to Dragon Springs</td> +<td class="tdr">26.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Dragon Springs to mouth of Quercos cañon</td> +<td class="tdr">18.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From mouth of Quercos cañon to San Pedro crossing</td> +<td class="tdr">6.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From San Pedro to Cienega</td> +<td class="tdr">20.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Cienega to Cienega creek</td> +<td class="tdr">13.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Cienega creek to Mission San Xavier</td> +<td class="tdr">20.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Mission to Tucson</td> +<td class="tdr">8.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">305</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Tucson to Pico Chico mountain</td> +<td class="tdr">5.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Pico Chico to first camp on Gila</td> +<td class="tdr">35.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From first camp on Gila to Maricopa Wells</td> +<td class="tdr">29.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">99.00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Maricopa Wells to Tezotal, across Jornada</td> +<td class="tdr">40.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Tezotal to Ten-mile camp</td> +<td class="tdr">10.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Ten-mile camp to Murderer’s grave</td> +<td class="tdr">8.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Murderer’s grave to Oatman’s Flat, 1st crossing of Gila</td> +<td class="tdr">15.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Oatman’s Flat to 2d crossing of Gila</td> +<td class="tdr">25.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From 2d crossing of Gila to Peterman’s station</td> +<td class="tdr">32.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Peterman’s station to Antelope Peak</td> +<td class="tdr">20.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Antelope Peak to Little Corral</td> +<td class="tdr">24.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Little Coral to Fort Yuma</td> +<td class="tdr">16.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">190.00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Fort Yuma to Pilot Knob</td> +<td class="tdr">7.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Pilot Knob to Cook’s Wells</td> +<td class="tdr">13.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Cook’s Wells to Alamo Mucho</td> +<td class="tdr">21.94</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Alamo Mucho to Indian Wells</td> +<td class="tdr">20.94</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Indian Wells to Carissa creek</td> +<td class="tdr">32.24</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> + +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td class="tdr">95.12<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</span></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Carissa creek to Vallecito</td> +<td class="tdr">18.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Vallecito to Lassator’s ranch</td> +<td class="tdr">18.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Lassator’s ranch to Julian’s ranch</td> +<td class="tdr">7.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Julian’s ranch to Williams’ ranch</td> +<td class="tdr">7.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Williams’ ranch to Ames’ ranch</td> +<td class="tdr">14.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Ames’ ranch to Mission San Diego</td> +<td class="tdr">16.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">From Mission to San Diego</td> +<td class="tdr">5.00</td> +<td></td> + +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdr">———</td> +<td class="tdr">85.00</td> +</tr> +</table> + + + +<p class="center"><i>Recapitulation.</i></p> + + +<table class="autotable"> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">San Antonio to Fort Clarke</td> +<td class="tdr">123.34</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Fort Clarke to Fort Hudson</td> +<td class="tdr">75.35</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Fort Hudson to Fort Lancaster</td> +<td class="tdr">96.94</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Fort Lancaster to Fort Davis</td> +<td class="tdr">157.53</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Fort Davis to Birchville</td> +<td class="tdr">150.99</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Birchville to El Paso</td> +<td class="tdr">47.49</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdr">———</td> +<td class="tdr">651.64</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">El Paso to La Mesilla</td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">50.00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">La Mesilla to Tucson</td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">305.00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Tucson to Maricopa</td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">99.00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Maricopa to Fort Yuma</td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">190.00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Fort Yuma to Carissa</td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">95.12</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Carissa to San Diego</td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">85.00</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">————</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">San Antonio to San Diego</td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">1,475.76</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">========</td> +</tr> +</table> + + + +<p class="center"><i>Itinerary of my own journey across the continent.</i></p> + + +<table class="autotable"> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">August</td> +<td class="tdl">1.—From San Antonio to Castroville</td> +<td class="tdr">25</td> +<td class="tdl">miles.</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">2.—From Castroville to 9 miles east of Uvalde</td> +<td class="tdr">46</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">3.—From camp to 11 miles west of Turkey creek</td> +<td class="tdr">40</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">4.—From camp to near San Felipe creek</td> +<td class="tdr">40</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">5.—From camp to 10 miles east of Fort Hudson</td> +<td class="tdr">35</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">6.—From camp to 10 miles west of San Pedro</td> +<td class="tdr">44</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">7.—From camp to 6 miles east of Live Oak creek</td> +<td class="tdr">53</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">8.—From camp to 6 miles above Pecos spring</td> +<td class="tdr">28</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">9.—From camp to Escondido creek, 8 miles east of the spring</td> +<td class="tdr">44</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">10.—From camp to 10 miles west of</td> +<td class="tdr">46</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">11.—From camp to Limpia creek</td> +<td class="tdr">33</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">12.—From camp to Fort Davis</td> +<td class="tdr">19</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">13.—From Fort Davis to 7 miles west of Dead Man’s Hole</td> +<td class="tdr">42</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">14.—From camp to 8 miles west of Eagle Springs</td> +<td class="tdr">51</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">15.—From camp to 10 miles south of Birchville</td> +<td class="tdr">49</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">16.—From camp to Socorro</td> +<td class="tdr">40</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">17.—From Socorro to Franklin, El Paso</td> +<td class="tdr">17</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td></td> +<td class="tdl">18, 19, 20, 21.—In El Paso.</td> +<td></td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">22.—From El Paso to Fort Fillmore</td> +<td class="tdr">44</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">23.—From Fort Fillmore to Picacho village, 6 miles west of Mesilla</td> +<td class="tdr">12</td> +<td class="tdc">”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</span></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">24.—From Picacho village to 9 miles east of Cook’s Spring</td> +<td class="tdr">50</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">25.—From camp to mouth of Burro Mount cañon, near Ojo de Ynez</td> +<td class="tdr">55</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">26.—From camp to 9 miles east of River Saur</td> +<td class="tdr">43</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">27.—From camp to 9 miles west of Dos Cabesas Spring</td> +<td class="tdr">50</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">28.—From camp to ford of San Pedro river</td> +<td class="tdr">40</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">29.—From camp to Mission San Xavier</td> +<td class="tdr">53</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">30.—From Mission San Xavier to 30 miles west of Tucson</td> +<td class="tdr">38</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">31.—From camp to 1-mile camp on Gila</td> +<td class="tdr">40</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Sept.</td> +<td class="tdl">1.—From camp to Tezotal</td> +<td class="tdr">69</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">2.—From Tezotal to second crossing of Gila</td> +<td class="tdr">58</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">3.—From second crossing to Antelope Peak</td> +<td class="tdr">52</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">4.—From Antelope Peak to Fort Yuma</td> +<td class="tdr">40</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">5.—From Fort Yuma to Alamo Mucho</td> +<td class="tdr">42</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">6.—From Alamo Mucho to Carissa creek</td> +<td class="tdr">53</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">7.—From Carissa creek to Lassator’s</td> +<td class="tdr">36</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td class="tdl">8.—From Lassator’s to San Diego</td> +<td class="tdr">49</td> +<td class="tdc">”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">——</td> +<td></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"></td> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">1,476</td> +<td class="tdl">miles.</td> +</tr> +</table> + + +<p>Making the trip personally from San Antonio to San Diego in +thirty-eight days.</p> +<hr class="tiny"> + +<p class="center">[From the San Antonio Herald.]</p> + +<p class="center"><i>A few notes and distances from San Antonio to San Diego.</i></p> + +<p>The following information in relation to the distances from this +place to San Diego, has been obtained from the superintendent of the +S. A. & S. D. Mail Stage Company, who has passed over the route +and back, and the statements as to distances and the nature of the +route may be implicitly relied on:</p> + +<p>1. The distance from San Antonio to El Paso is 652 miles, and the +character of the route is so well known to most of our readers that +we deem it unnecessary to enter into any description of it. Grass and +water are considered sufficiently abundant. The road passes by a +number of the military posts, and though Indians are occasionally met +with, they have seldom made any hostile demonstrations, and have +never, but once, made an attack upon the train.</p> + +<p>2. From El Paso to Messilla Valley in the Gadsden Purchase, the +route running up the east bank of the Rio Grande to Fort Fillmore, +(N. M.) where it crosses the river into the Messilla Valley, the distance +is 50 miles.</p> + +<p>3. From Messilla Valley to Tucson the distance is 305 miles. This +portion of the route is remarkably fine travelling, with good grass +and water. The streams on this section are the Mimbres and San +Pedro, both fordable, and usually crossed with but little trouble. +The Apache Indians are met with occasionally on this route, yet the +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</span>mail party which here consists of eight men, has never been attacked +in making some thirty-two trips over the route.</p> + +<p>4. From Tucson to Maricopa Wells, (Pimos Villages,) is 99 miles. +On this portion of the route the mail is carried by two men. Very +few Indians are seen, and they are harmless. The Maricopa Wells +are at the further end of a beautiful and fertile valley, occupied by the +Pimos Indians, who raise corn and other grain in considerable quantities.—(See +<a href="#Page_1">Journal</a>.) On this portion of the route, and indeed, +throughout the entire distance from San Antonio to San Diego, the +road is well defined, and is a finely beaten level track, with just enough +gravel for the most part to make it pleasant travelling.</p> + +<p>5. From Maricopa Wells down the river Gila to Fort Yuma is +190 miles. On this portion of the route the grass, though not abundant, +is yet sufficient for the maintainance of trains and herds.—(See +<a href="#Page_1">Journal</a>.) Few Indians on the route, and they not dangerous. The +mail train between these points consists of three men. Fort Yuma is +situated on the west bank of the Great Colorado of the West, and just +opposite the junction of the Gila with that stream. There is a splendid +large ferry-boat on the Colorado here, sufficient to cross a six-horse +stage. The river is about as large as the Ohio at Wheeling. This +portion of the road is travelled considerably by Californians who carry on +mining operations in the Gadsden Purchase. It is the opinion of all +who have seen that region that it possesses the finest silver mines in +the world, together with fine quantities of gold on the streams north +of the Gila. These mines are now little known and but slightly valued, +because of the proximity of the Indians, and their remoteness +from mining facilities.</p> + +<p>6. From Fort Yuma to Carissa creek is 95 miles. This section +embraces the “great bugbear” known as the “Great Colorado Desert.” +Between the two points there are three watering places on the +direct route, whilst there are others that may be reached by a slight +deflection. The mail party here consists of two men.</p> + +<p>7. From Carissa creek to San Diego is 85 miles, its whole extent. +This is by a new route, and at present not open to wagons its whole +extent, but which, by a little work in the mountain passes, can be +made an excellent road. The mail is now carried over this new route. +The old route, over which the stages have to pass, is 125 miles. Over +this section the mail is carried by a single person.</p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="tnote"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="Transcribers_note">Transcriber’s note</h2> + + +<p>Minor punctuation errors have been changed without notice. Inconsistencies in italics, spelling, and hyphenization have +been standardized.</p> + +<p>In this version on pages <a href="#Page_39">39</a>-<a href="#Page_41">41</a> the whole numbers in the tables have .00 added +at the end to aid in lining up the numbers.</p> + +<p>The author often refers to previous entries in his journal i.e., "(see journal, +August 2.)" If those exist in this extract, then there is a link to that entry.</p> + +<p>Spelling has been retained as originally published except +for the changes below.</p> + +<table class="autotable"> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Page <a href="#Page_14">14</a>: “during the moring”</td> +<td class="tdl">“during the morning”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Page <a href="#Page_14">14</a>: “in charge of the coporal”</td> +<td class="tdl">“in charge of the corporal”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Page <a href="#Page_17">17</a>: “paying off the trooops”</td> +<td class="tdl">“paying off the troops”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Page <a href="#Page_18">18</a>: “made two arragements”</td> +<td class="tdl">“made two arrangements”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Page <a href="#Page_30">30</a>: “Department contemplate”</td> +<td class="tdl">“Department contemplates”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Page <a href="#Page_35">35</a>: “nature of the climate wit”</td> +<td class="tdl">“nature of the climate we”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Page <a href="#Page_35">35</a>: “go ee directly through”</td> +<td class="tdl">“going directly through”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Page <a href="#Page_35">35</a>: “hottest months gof hn”</td> +<td class="tdl">“hottest months of the”</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Page <a href="#Page_37">37</a>: “drop of rain feel upon us”</td> +<td class="tdl">“drop of rain fell upon us”</td> +</tr> +</table> + +</div> +</div> + +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75650 ***</div> +</body> +</html> + diff --git a/75650-h/images/cover.jpg b/75650-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..47eb034 --- /dev/null +++ b/75650-h/images/cover.jpg |
