The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California | Page 2

MISSOURI RIVER AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS,
ON THE LINE OF THE KANSAS AND GREAT PLATTE RIVERS.

* * * * *
Washington, March 1, 1843.
To Colonel J.J. Abert, _Chief of the Corps of Top. Eng._
Sir: Agreeably to your orders to explore and report upon the country
between the frontiers of Missouri and the South Pass in the Rocky
Mountains, and on the line of the Kansas and Great Platte rivers, I set
out from Washington city on the 2d day of May, 1842, and arrived at St.
Louis by way of New York, the 22d of May, where the necessary
preparations were completed, and the expedition commenced. I
proceeded in a steamboat to Chouteau's landing, about four hundred
miles by water from St. Louis, and near the mouth of the Kansas river,
whence we proceeded twelve miles to Mr. Cyprian Chouteau's
trading-house, where we completed our final arrangements for the
expedition.
Bad weather, which interfered with astronomical observations, delayed
us several days in the early part of June at this post, which is on the
right bank of the Kansas river, about ten miles above the mouth, and
six beyond the western boundary of Missouri. The sky cleared off at
length and we were enabled to determine our position, in longitude 90°
25' 46", and latitude 39° 5' 57". The elevation above the sea is about
700 feet. Our camp, in the mean time, presented an animated and
bustling scene. All were busily engaged in completing the necessary
arrangements for our campaign in the wilderness, and profiting by this
short stay on the verge of civilization, to provide ourselves with all the
little essentials to comfort in the nomadic life we were to lead for the

ensuing summer months. Gradually, however, every thing--the materiel
of the camp--men, horses, and even mules--settled into its place; and by
the 10th we were ready to depart; but, before we mount our horses, I
will give a short description of the party with which I performed the
service.
I had collected in the neighborhood of St. Louis twenty-one men,
principally Creole and Canadian voyageurs, who had become familiar
with prairie life in the service of the fur companies in the Indian
country. Mr. Charles Preuss, native of Germany, was my assistant in
the topographical part of the survey; L. Maxwell, of Kaskaskia, had
been engaged as hunter, and Christopher Carson (more familiarly
known, for his exploits in the mountains, as Kit Carson) was our guide.
The persons engaged in St. Louis were:
Clement Lambert, J.B. L'Esperance, J.B. Lefevre, Benjamin Potra,
Louis Gouin, J.B. Dumes, Basil Lajeunesse, François Tessier,
Benjamin Cadotte, Joseph Clement, Daniel Simonds, Leonard Benoit,
Michel Morly, Baptiste Bernier, Honore Ayot, François La Tulipe,
Francis Badeau, Louis Menard, Joseph Ruelle, Moise Chardonnais,
Auguste Janisse, Raphael Proue.
In addition to these, Henry Brant, son of Col. J.B. Brant, of St. Louis, a
young man of nineteen years of age, and Randolph, a lively boy of
twelve, son of the Hon. Thomas H. Benton, accompanied me, for the
development of mind and body such an expedition would give. We
were well armed and mounted, with the exception of eight men, who
conducted as many carts, in which were packed our stores, with the
baggage and instruments, and which were drawn by two mules. A few
loose horses, and four oxen, which had been added to our stock of
provisions, completed the train. We set out on the morning of the 10th,
which happened to be Friday, a circumstance which our men did not
fail to remember and recall during the hardships and vexations of the
ensuing journey. Mr. Cyprian Chouteau, to whose kindness, during our
stay at his house, we were much indebted, accompanied us several
miles on our way, until we met an Indian, whom he had engaged to
conduct us on the first thirty or forty miles, where he was to consign us
to the ocean of prairie, which, we were told, stretched without
interruption almost to the base of the Rocky Mountains.
From the belt of wood which borders the Kansas, in which we had

passed several good-looking Indian farms, we suddenly emerged on the
prairies, which received us at the outset with some of their striking
characteristics; for here and there rode an Indian, and but a few miles
distant heavy clouds of smoke were rolling before the fire. In about ten
miles we reached the Santa Fé road, along which we continued for a
short time, and encamped early on a small stream--having traveled
about eleven miles. During our journey, it was the customary practice
to encamp an hour or two before sunset, when the carts were disposed
so as to form a sort of barricade around a circle some eighty yards in
diameter. The tents were pitched, and