LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR. 55 



line of Clark s fork, I determined with a little party, consisting of Mr. Stanley, Mr. Osgood, 

 and four men, to push over the Co3ur d Alene mountains by the Cceur d Alene mission, and 

 thence to proceed to Colville to bring about a connection. To guard against Captain McClellan 

 passing us, Lieutenant Donelson was instructed to send Lieutenant Arnold to Colville from the 

 crossing of Clark s fork by the northern trail, and to repair to the Spokane house, on the 

 Spokane river, to receive additional instructions. He was directed in his instructions to Lieu 

 tenant Arnold to provide for his not meeting Captain McClellan or receiving instructions from 

 me, and was likewise directed, in case of a similar experience on his own part, to push forward 

 on his own route, either by Wallah- Wallah or the valley of the Yakima, and thence over the 

 military road to Nisqually, taking the precaution, however, to communicate in any event with 

 Wallah-Wallah for instructions. 



I likewise determined to assign that resolute and intelligent civil engineer, Mr. Tinkham, to 

 the duty of examining the Marias Pass, of returning by the main Flathead trail to St. Mary s, 

 thence by the southern Nez Perces trail to Wallah- Wallah, and thence on the military road to 

 Nisqually and Olympia. 



To bring about a thorough understanding as to the mutual relations of the work intrusted 

 to Lieutenant Mullan and Mr. Doty, on the two sides of the Rocky mountains, it seemed to me 

 important that Mr. Doty should accompany Mr. Tinkham to St. Mary s to confer with Lieuten 

 ant Mullan, and then to return by a known trail to Fort Benton. 



This general plan being determined upon, the necessary verbal instructions were given to 

 Lieutenants Donelson and Mullan on their arrival. Under Lieutenant Donelson s instructions, 

 Mr. Lander was assigned to the duty of exploring the whole of the St. Mary s valley, and of 

 meeting the main party in the Horse Plain, nearly opposite the confluence of the two streams. 

 But a serious embarrassment now occurred in consequence of the non-arrival of Mr. Tinkham. 

 Fortunately, all the parties had a common route down the valley for some thirty odd miles to 

 opposite Hell Gate. On the 2d instant they were all in motion, with an extra supply of pro 

 visions for Mr. Tinkham s party, in charge of three men of Lieutenant Mullan s command, and 

 proceeded in slow marches down the valley. We were in camp opposite Hell Gate on the 5th 

 instant, and I then determined the next day to push forward Lieutenant Donelson and remain 

 in camp till Mr. Tinkham s party returned, or some decisive steps could be taken to recover it. 

 It was obvious to my mind that Mr. Tinkham had got involved in a difficult, perhaps imprac 

 ticable country, as he took no guide with him, and my great fear was that he might suffer for 

 want of food. Accordingly, that evening I despatched a Flathead guide to Fort Owen, with 

 instructions to Lieutenant Mullan to come to my camp with additional provisions and men ; 

 and in a conference with Victor, who had now returned from the mission, secured the services 

 of good Flathead guides. Lieutenant Donelson and Mr. Lander moved off on the sixth; but 

 scarcely had Lieutenant Mullan reached my camp, about four in the afternoon, before Mr. 

 Tinkham came in. The provisions had held out, and the route examined by him had an 

 important bearing on our railroad question. In the absence of Lieutenant Donelson s written 

 report, and the barometric profile, I can only say that it will probably furnish a practicable 

 mode of avoiding the Hell Gate defile, and of passing from the valley of the pass to that of 

 Clark s fork. The trail not being much in use, was difficult to follow, and the party frequently 

 became entangled in boggy ground and dense thickets. 



They finally struck into a valley passing between impracticable mountains, and so crowded 

 with wood that their route had to be cut. They proceeded down the valley to near Clark s 

 fork, and then succeeded in crossing over to the valley of the Jocko river, where a much-used 

 trail led to the St. Mary s valley. In his course Mr. Tinkham passed by a winter post of the 

 Hudson s Bay Company, ar d fell in with a small party of Indians. 



The same evening Mr. Tinkham made his arrangements to reach Lieutenant Donelson s 

 camp the next day, and exchange his tired animals for fresh ones. He started on his duty 



