38 INSTRUCTIONS TO LIEUTENANT DONELSON. 



plated survey, by Lieutenant Grover, of Cadottc s Pass, with a dog train, in the month of 

 January. 



Lieutenant Grover has already preceded you to reconnoitre the pass, and to open a communi 

 cation with Captain McClellan. On reaching Medicine river, you may expect to meet his 

 express, consisting of Cadotte and H. Beaubien, with a letter to me, giving information as to 

 camps, water, difficulties of the route, and as to the arrival of Lieutenant Saxton at St. Mary s. 

 This you will open and copy, and will then send the express forward with it to the supply 

 train, and thence to meet me. 



Should Lieutenant Grover meet you on his return, before you reach St. Mary s, you will 

 furnish him with such men as he may select for his winter s work, not exceeding eight in his 

 whole party, and render such assistance as he may require on his way to Fort Benton. 



The most vigilant attention must be given to issues of provisions, and only half rations of 

 hard bread and flour will be allowed when fresh meat is in abundance. This rule will apply to 

 the gentlemen as well as men of the party. Single rations of sugar and coffee only can be 

 allowed, except on extraordinary occasions. 



I need not enlarge upon the necessity of care of animals, and keeping daily reports, as it is 

 already well understood by you, and has been made the occasion of issuing an excellent order. 



The scientific parties left behind will all move with the supply train. It is my expectation 

 to return from the Piegan camp about the 18th instant ; to move from Fort Benton not later 

 than the 20th, and to reach the St. Mary s valley by the close of the month. 



Yours, &c., 



ISAAC I. STEVENS, 

 Governor of Washington Territory, in Command of Exploration. 



Lieutenant A. J. DONELSON, 



Corps of Engineers. 



NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD EXPLORATION AND SURVEY, 



Camp Dobbin, near Fort Benton, September 14, 1853. 



DEAR SIR: The arrival of Lieutenant Saxton, with information of the establishment of the 

 St. Mary s post, of the practicability of Cadotte s Pass, and of the route pursued by him for a 

 railroad, but with the information that the Bitter Root range of mountains cannot with cer 

 tainty be crossed after the 20th of October, makes it necessary to use all possible despatch in 

 crossing the Rocky range, and getting the exploring parties at work on their general routes 

 westward to the Columbia. 



The survey of the Marias Pass will be deferred until next year. Mr. Lander s party, as 

 signed to this duty, have been directed to report to you. The whole party will move through 

 the pass under your direction, with pack-train. Two efficient parties, under the associate en 

 gineers, Messrs. Lander and Tinkham, will get in side-work, and make the necessary estimates. 

 Mr. Graham will report to you for astronomical duty, and Mr. Bixby to Mr. Lambert, in charge 

 of the odometer party, for running the base-line. All the dragoons, except Sergeant Lindner, 

 Corporals Coster and Rummell, Avill be ordered to report to Lieutenant Saxton. Mr. Doty will 

 be directed to report to me with Corporal Coster, and will occupy Fort Benton as a meteoro 

 logical and supply post. An observer may be kept at Fort Union. The two Osbornes, the 

 blacksmith and saddler, will also report to Lieutenant Saxton. 



Mr. Stevens will report to me with the portable transit, and the necessary astronomical in 

 struments, for special duty. When your train is in readiness to move, all the stores and bag 

 gage left behind will be turned over to Mr. Osgood, who will report to me for his duties, in 

 connexion with all the parties, as the disbursing, quartermaster, and commissary agent of the 

 expedition. 



