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diff --git a/75650-0.txt b/75650-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..72a2f88 --- /dev/null +++ b/75650-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2399 @@ + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75650 *** + + + + + + + REPORT + + TO + + HON. A. V. BROWN, POSTMASTER GENERAL, + + ON THE + + OPENING AND PRESENT CONDITION + + OF THE + + UNITED STATES OVERLAND MAIL ROUTE BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, + AND SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, + + BY + + I. C. WOOD, SUPERINTENDENT. + + + WASHINGTON CITY, D. C., _March --, 1858_. + +SIR: 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. + +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. + + +_Extracts from my journal._ + +_June 12, 1857._--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. + +_June 15._--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 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. + +_June 20._--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. + +[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.] + +_June 23._--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. + +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. + + NEW YORK, _June 23, 1857_. + + DEAR SIR: 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 + 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-- + + Ten of $1,000 each $10,000 00 + Forty of $200 each 8,000 00 + Cash 800 00 + Advanced James Mason 1,200 00 + ---------- + 20,000 00 + ========== + + To be distributed on my account. + + JAMES E. BIRCH. + + Mr. I. C. WOODS. + +_June 24._--I left this morning for San Antonio, _via_ 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. + +_July 5._--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. + +[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.] + +_July 7._--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. + +_July 11._--Reached San Antonio to-day at 4 p. m. + +_July 13, Monday._--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. + +_July 16._--Busily engaged in purchasing mules and the necessary +articles to fit out the mail trains. To-day I hired Captain Henry +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. + +_July 19._--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. + +[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.] + +_July 22._--Mr. Giddings’ mail in from El Paso; they met our mail of +July 9 getting along safely, though slowly. + +_July 24._--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 _through mail_ which had left San Antonio, being at the +same time the first that had been sent forward in a coach. This outfit +consisted of-- + +One coach and harness. + +Six men, well armed with rifles, and a Colt’s pistol to each. + +Four saddles and accoutrements. + +Ropes, hopples, shoeing tools, shoes and nails. + +Cooking utensils, and numerous minor articles. + +Provisions for thirty days, calculated to last to the Pimos villages +and back to El Paso. + +Thirty-six mules; of these, twenty-seven had been sent forward on the +road as relays. + +Also six hundred dollars in cash to purchase supplies on the route. + +[It was twenty-one of these mules which were captured on Devil’s river +by the Indians; see journal of June 19 and August 2.] + +[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.] + +[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, 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. + +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.] + +_July 29._--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. + +[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: + +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. + +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.] + +_July 29._--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 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. + +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. + +_July 31._--This morning I despatched the train of coaches, men, and +supplies, referred to July 29. I shall take this train with me, and +distribute it along the road wherever it is needed, principally to the +west of El Paso. + +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. + +_August 1._--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. + +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. + +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. + +Castroville is a very pretty town picturesquely situated on the west +bank of the Medina river. + +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 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. + +[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.] + +_August 2._--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 that day and July 24.) 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. + +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 _Fort Hudson_. 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 _mulada_ 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 _mulada_ 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. + +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. + +The Indians were supposed to be Camanches. + +At Fort Hudson the conductor found a scouting party, of the second +cavalry, from Fort Clarke. They had been on the Rio Grande, examining +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. + +Captain Whiting overtook the Indians and recaptured nearly all our +mules, though many of them we found were ruined for stage purposes. + +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 _mulada_, 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. + +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. + +_August 3._--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 _en route_ 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. + +[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.] + +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. + +_August 4._--Left camp at 3 a. m. Reached Fort Clarke at 5 a. m. Left +Fort Clarke at 1 p. m. + +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. + +[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.] + +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. + +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. + +Camped for the night, at 10½ p. m.; made 42 miles to-day. August 5. +Left camp at 4.40. + +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. + +At noon to-day we saw Indian signs around a water hole; these signs +consisted of pony tracks, unshod hoofs, and moccasin prints; 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. + +Made 41 miles to-day. + +_August 6._--Left camp at 4 a. m. + +[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, +Sept. 1st to 18th.] + +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. + +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. + +_August 7._--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 _staked plain_; in fact this is +about its southern termination. Camped about midnight. Made 52 miles +to-day. + +_August 8._--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 we paid $2 50 per bushel. Made 28 miles, +camping on the Pecos at 8 p. m. + +_August 9._--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. + +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. + +Made 44 miles to-day. + +_August 10._--Made 45 miles to-day, without anything having happened of +particular interest. + +_August 11._--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. + +We made only 34 miles to-day. + +_August 12._--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. + +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 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.] + +_August 13._--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. + +Made 29 miles to-day. + +_August 14._--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. + +We made 60 miles to-day. + +_August 15._--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 _acequias_, liable to be overflowed from +the rain, cross the roads in many places. Camped to-night on a slough +of the river. + +Made 40 miles to-day. + +_August 16._--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 _presidio_ of San Elearan 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. + +Made 43 miles to-day. + +_August 17._--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. + +_August 18._--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. + +_August 19._--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, August 2.) 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. + +_August 20._--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. + +_August 21._--Early this afternoon an express came in from Captain +Holliday, who was _en route_ 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 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. + +_August 22._--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. + +_August 23._--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. + +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 _Mesa_, so called, rises very abruptly after +you cross the valley, and we pass to the left of this _Mesa_ 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 +_Mesa_, and ended in being compelled to return to the village of +“Pechacio,” where we passed the night. Made 8 miles to-day. + +_August 24._--Left Pechacio village at daylight, this time with another +guide; reached the top of the _Mesa_ through a cañon and road some +three miles long. We are now crossing the _jornada_ 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.] + +Camped at 8½ p. m., making 48 miles to-day. + +_August 25._--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. + +_August 26._--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 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. + +Made 43 miles to-day. + +_August 27._--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, _en route_ for Fort Bliss. He had been paying off the troops at +Fort Buchanan. + +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. + +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. + +_August 28._--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 _en route_ +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. + +_August 29._--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 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 July 24.) 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. + +Made 49 miles to-day. + +_August 30._--Commenced operations at daylight. I found here Mr. Tivey, +formerly of Texas, a surveyor from California, who was _en route_ 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. + +I took with me two other men, whom I also proposed leaving at the +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. + +_August 31._--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. + +_September 1._--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. + +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 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. + +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. + +We started from Maricopa Wells at 3 p. m. and drove all night, reaching +Tazotal for our breakfast camp a little after sunrise. + +Made 69 miles to-day. + +_September 2._--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 August 30,) 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. + +Made 40 miles to-day. + +_September 3._--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. + +Made 56 miles to-day. + +_September 4._--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 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. + +Made 49 miles to-day. + +_September 5._--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. + +Made 42 miles to-day. + +_September 6._--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. + +Made 52 miles to-day. + +_September 7._--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 _mulada_, 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. + +The moon came up about 11 o’clock, giving enough light for us to +keep 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. + +Made 36 miles to-day. + +_September 8._--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. + +_September 9._--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 _en +route_, and up to this date they have insured the prompt delivery of +the mails at each end of our line.] + +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. + +[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, and +shown, in my opinion, that he had otherwise planned well for the +maintenance of our credit.] + +_September 13._--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.] + +_September 21._--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. + +_September 24._--I contracted to-day for hay and straw to supply +stations we had made on the desert, at Vallecita and Carissa creeks. + +_September 29._--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. + +_October 4._--Despatched a relay of ten mules over the mountains to +meet and accompany the train of September 29. + +_October 6._--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. + +_October 17._--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: + + _Office of the San Antonio and San Diego Mail Line._--This line is + now ready to ticket passengers through from San Francisco to New + Orleans, _via_ 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.) + + C. McLAUGHIN, _Agent_. + R. E. DOYLE, + _Superintendent Western Division_. + +_October 22._--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. + +_October 23._--Left San Diego on horseback this morning, accompanied by +Mr. Doyle and one of my through passengers, of whom I had several. + +_October 25._--Passed the day in the mountains at our corral, branding +a mulada of seventy-five animals, which I had purchased for the line. + +_October 27._--Reached Carissa creek, the place of rendezvous, early +this afternoon, with our _mulada_; 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. + +_November 5._--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. + +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. + +_November 7._--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. + +_November 9._--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. + +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. + +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. + +_November 11._--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. + +_November 12._--Came to the other ford of the Gila at Oatman flat, but +preferred not to attempt to cross. + +_November 13._--To-day we were on the _jornada_ between Tezotal and +Maricopa station; found plenty of water, the rains having been recent +and very heavy. + +_November 14._--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. + +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. + +_November 15._--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. + +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 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. + +_November 16._--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. + +_November 17._--Reached Tucson at 11½ p.m. Found train from La +Mesilla waiting for the mail. + +_November 19._--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. + +_November 24._--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. + +_November 25._--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. + +_November 26._--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. + +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 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, August 12.) When I recrossed +the same river, November 27, coming east, I had left behind me quite a +different state of things. + +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. + +I was met here in the valley by unexpected difficulties, which should +not have been thrown in the way of the line. + +The following advertisement was put in the San Antonio papers and came +to El Paso about the time of my arrival: + + SAN ANTONIO, _November 20, 1857_. + + 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. + + ABNER BARROWS. + +[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. 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.] + +_El Paso, December 24._--The mail of December 9 came in from San Diego +at 10 a. m. + +_Presidio, San Eleazario, December 25._--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 _en route_ 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. + +_December 26._--Birchville, at 10 a. m., weather very pleasant. + +_December 27._--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. + +_December 29._--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 August 12 for my +interview with Col. Sewall.) + +_December 30._--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. + +_January 3._--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. + +_January 4._--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. + +_January 7._--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 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. + +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. + +_January 17._--Reached San Antonio to-night. + +_January 18._--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. + +_January 19._--I left for Washington. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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, _en route_ +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. + +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. + +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 _through_, rather than _over_, 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. + +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 _Mesas_; 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. + +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 +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 +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 schedule 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 road is, +that any emigrant who may be _en route_ 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +Arizona ought to be supplied through Guyamas, a Mexican port on the +Gulf of California. + +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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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: + +_December 5._--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. + +_December 9._--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. + +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. + +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 through +the winter months; in fact, he deemed them the best suited to his +purposes of shortening and improving the road. + +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. + +_January 6._--The snow had entirely disappeared. + +_January 7._--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. + +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. + +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. + + +_Climatic boundary on the west._ + +_October 24._--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. + +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. + +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 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. + +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. + +The War Department uses the facilities offered by our line for a +regular semi-monthly correspondence with seven military posts. + +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. + +The newly appointed consul for Guyamas takes our stage as far as +Tucson, starting from San Antonio, Texas. + +Our line is already forming the basis of a new State, rich in minerals, +half way between Texas and California. + + Very respectfully, + + I. C. WOODS, + _Superintendent S. A. & S. D. Mail Line_. + + Hon. A. V. BROWN, + _Postmaster General_. + + +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. + + +_Table of distances, and from one watering-place to another from +starting point._ + + From San Antonio to Leon river 6.53 + From Leon to Castroville, “Medina” river 18 + From Castroville to Dharris “Saco” river 25.28 + From Dharris to Ranchero creek 8.38 + From Ranchero creek to Sabinal creek 3.94 + From Sabinal creek to Camanche creek 5 + From Camanche creek to Rio Frio 8.46 + From Rio Frio to Head of Leona “Uvalde” 6.08 + From Uvalde to Nueces 9.04 + From Nueces to Turkey creek 10.27 + From Turkey creek to Elm creek 15.23 + From Elm creek to Las Moras river, Fort Clarke 7.13 + ----- 123.34 + From Fort Clarke to Piedra Pinto 7 + From Piedra Pinto to Maverick creek 8.86 + From Maverick creek to San Felipe 12.61 + From San Felipe to first crossing of San Pedro + or Devil’s river 10.22 + From First Crossing to Painted Caves 2.54 + From Painted Caves to California Spring 15.73 + From California Spring to Willow Spring 2 + From Willow Spring to Fort Hudson, or second + crossing of San Pedro or Devil’s river 16.39 + ----- 75.35 + From Fort Hudson to Head of San Pedro or + Devil’s river 19.50 + From Head of river to Howard Springs 44 + From Howard Springs to Live Oak creek 30.44 + From Live Oak creek to Fort Lancaster 3 + ----- 96.94 + From Fort Lancaster to Pecos 4.29 + From Pecos Crossing to Pecos Spring 6 + From Pecos Spring to Leaving of Pecos 32.26 + From Leaving of Pecos to Arroyo Escondido 16.26 + From Arroyo Escondido to Escondido Spring 8.58 + From Escondido Spring to Camanche Spring 19.40 + From Camanche Spring to Leon Hole 8.88 + From Leon Hole to Hackberry pond 11 + From Hackberry pond to Limpia creek 32 + From Limpia creek to Fort Davis 18.86 + ----- 157.53 + From Fort Davis to Point of Rocks 10 + From Point of Rocks to Barree Springs 8.42 + From Barree Springs to Deadman’s Hole 13.58 + From Deadman’s Hole to Van Horn’s Wells 32.83 + From Van Horn’s Wells to Eagle Springs 19.74 + From Eagle Springs to first camp on Rio Grande 31.42 + From first camp on Rio Grande to Birchville 35 + ----- 150.99 + From Birchville to San Eleazario 24.80 + From San Eleazario to Socorro 5.45 + From Socorro to Isletta 3.10 + From Isletta to El Paso 14.14 + ----- 47.49 + From El Paso to Cottonwood 22 + From Cottonwood to Fort Fillmore 22 + From Fort Fillmore to La Mesilla 6 + ----- 50 + From La Mesilla to Cook’s Spring 65 + From Cook’s Spring to Rio Mimbres 18 + From Rio Mimbres to Ojo La Vaca 17 + From Ojo La Vaca to Ojo de Ynez 10 + From Ojo de Ynez to Peloncilla 34 + From Peloncilla to Rio Saur or San Domingo 18 + From Rio Saur to Apache Springs 23 + From Apache Springs to Dos Cabesas Springs 9 + From Dos Cabesas Springs to Dragon Springs 26 + From Dragon Springs to mouth of Quercos cañon 18 + From mouth of Quercos cañon to San Pedro crossing 6 + From San Pedro to Cienega 20 + From Cienega to Cienega creek 13 + From Cienega creek to Mission San Xavier 20 + From Mission to Tucson 8 + ---- 305 + From Tucson to Pico Chico mountain 5 + From Pico Chico to first camp on Gila 35 + From first camp on Gila to Maricopa Wells 29 + ---- 99 + From Maricopa Wells to Tezotal, across Jornada 40 + From Tezotal to Ten-mile camp 10 + From Ten-mile camp to Murderer’s grave 8 + From Murderer’s grave to Oatman’s Flat, + 1st crossing of Gila 15 + From Oatman’s Flat to 2d crossing of Gila 25 + From 2d crossing of Gila to Peterman’s station 32 + From Peterman’s station to Antelope Peak 20 + From Antelope Peak to Little Corral 24 + From Little Coral to Fort Yuma 16 + ---- 190 + From Fort Yuma to Pilot Knob 7 + From Pilot Knob to Cook’s Wells 13 + From Cook’s Wells to Alamo Mucho 21.94 + From Alamo Mucho to Indian Wells 20.94 + From Indian Wells to Carissa creek 32.24 + ----- 95.12 + From Carissa creek to Vallecito 18 + From Vallecito to Lassator’s ranch 18 + From Lassator’s ranch to Julian’s ranch 7 + From Julian’s ranch to Williams’ ranch 7 + From Williams’ ranch to Ames’ ranch 14 + From Ames’ ranch to Mission San Diego 16 + From Mission to San Diego 5 + ----- 85 + + +_Recapitulation._ + + San Antonio to Fort Clarke 123.34 + Fort Clarke to Fort Hudson 75.35 + Fort Hudson to Fort Lancaster 96.94 + Fort Lancaster to Fort Davis 157.53 + Fort Davis to Birchville 150.99 + Birchville to El Paso 47.49 + ------ 651.64 + El Paso to La Mesilla 50 + La Mesilla to Tucson 305 + Tucson to Maricopa 99 + Maricopa to Fort Yuma 190 + Fort Yuma to Carissa 95.12 + Carissa to San Diego 85 + -------- + San Antonio to San Diego 1,475.76 + ======== + + +_Itinerary of my own journey across the continent._ + + August 1.--From San Antonio to Castroville 25 miles. + 2.--From Castroville to 9 miles east of Uvalde 46 ” + 3.--From camp to 11 miles west of Turkey creek 40 ” + 4.--From camp to near San Felipe creek 40 ” + 5.--From camp to 10 miles east of Fort Hudson 35 ” + 6.--From camp to 10 miles west of San Pedro 44 ” + 7.--From camp to 6 miles east of Live Oak creek 53 ” + 8.--From camp to 6 miles above Pecos spring 28 ” + 9.--From camp to Escondido creek, 8 miles east of + the spring 44 ” + 10.--From camp to 10 miles west of 46 ” + 11.--From camp to Limpia creek 33 ” + 12.--From camp to Fort Davis 19 ” + 13.--From Fort Davis to 7 miles west of Dead Man’s + Hole 42 ” + 14.--From camp to 8 miles west of Eagle Springs 51 ” + 15.--From camp to 10 miles south of Birchville 49 ” + 16.--From camp to Socorro 40 ” + 17.--From Socorro to Franklin, El Paso 17 ” + 18, 19, 20, 21.--In El Paso. + 22.--From El Paso to Fort Fillmore 44 ” + 23.--From Fort Fillmore to Picacho village, 6 miles + west of Mesilla 12 ” + 24.--From Picacho village to 9 miles east of Cook’s + Spring 50 ” + 25.--From camp to mouth of Burro Mount cañon, near + Ojo de Ynez 55 ” + 26.--From camp to 9 miles east of River Saur 43 ” + 27.--From camp to 9 miles west of Dos Cabesas + Spring 50 ” + 28.--From camp to ford of San Pedro river 40 ” + 29.--From camp to Mission San Xavier 53 ” + 30.--From Mission San Xavier to 30 miles west of + Tucson 38 ” + 31.--From camp to 1-mile camp on Gila 40 ” + Sept. 1.--From camp to Tezotal 69 ” + 2.--From Tezotal to second crossing of Gila 58 ” + 3.--From second crossing to Antelope Peak 52 ” + 4.--From Antelope Peak to Fort Yuma 40 ” + 5.--From Fort Yuma to Alamo Mucho 42 ” + 6.--From Alamo Mucho to Carissa creek 53 ” + 7.--From Carissa creek to Lassator’s 36 ” + 8.--From Lassator’s to San Diego 49 ” + ----- + 1,476 miles. + +Making the trip personally from San Antonio to San Diego in +thirty-eight days. + + +[From the San Antonio Herald.] + +_A few notes and distances from San Antonio to San Diego._ + +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: + +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. + +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. + +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 mail party +which here consists of eight men, has never been attacked in making +some thirty-two trips over the route. + +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 Journal.) 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. + +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 Journal.) +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. + +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. + +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. + +* * * * * + + + + +Transcriber’s note + +Minor punctuation errors have been changed without notice. +Inconsistencies in italics, spelling, and hyphenization have been +standardized. + +Spelling has been retained as originally published except for the +changes below. + + Page 14: “during the moring” “during the morning” + Page 14: “in charge of the coporal” “in charge of the corporal” + Page 17: “paying off the trooops” “paying off the troops” + Page 18: “made two arragements” “made two arrangements” + Page 30: “Department contemplate” “Department contemplates” + Page 35: “nature of the climate wit” “nature of the climate we” + Page 35: “go ee directly through” “going directly through” + Page 35: “hottest months gof hn” “hottest months of the” + Page 37: “drop of rain feel upon us” “drop of rain fell upon us” + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75650 *** |