CHAPTER II. 

 Field Explored ly Different Parties. 



As the field contemplated in my instructions extended from the great lakes to the Pacific 

 coast, and from the 49th parallel to the emigrant route of the South Pass, and as no portion 

 of this field had been explored since the days of Lewis and Clark, except a small portion 

 towards the Pacific coast; as a portion of it was occupied by Indians supposed to be treacherous 

 and hostile, and as it was in a high latitude, much abridging the season of active operations, 

 it was determined that the exploration should be conducted in two divisions, operating respect 

 ively from the Mississippi river and Puget sound; and that a depot of provisions should be 

 established by a third parly at the St. Mary s village, at the western base of the Rocky 

 mountains, to facilitate the winter operations of the exploration, and enable the exploring parties 

 to continue in the field the longest practicable period ; and that all the parties should be organ 

 ized in a military manner for self-protection, and to force their way through whatever diffi 

 culties might be encountered. 



Accordingly, Captain George B. McClellan, corps of engineers, was assigned to the charge of 

 the western division; Lieut. Rut us Saxton, jr., to the duty of establishing a depot in the St. 

 Mary s valley; and the eastern division was under my own personal direction. A small military 

 force was assigned to each, and the necessary scientific corps, composed of officers of the 

 army and civilians. 



The western division was charged with the duty of exploring the passes of the Cascade 

 mountains, from the Columbia river to the northern parallel, and of pushing eastward to meet 

 the eastern division between the Cascade and Rocky mountains. Captain McClellan was assisted 

 in this duty by Second Lieut. Johnson K. Duncan, third artillery, astronomer, topographer, 

 and artist; Second Lieut. S. Mowr} r , third artillery, in charge of the meteorological operations; 

 Second Lieut. H. C. Hodges, fourth infantry, quartermaster and commissary; J. F. Minter, 

 Esq., civil engineer; George Gibbs, Esq., geologist and ethnologist; Dr. J. G. Cooper, surgeon 

 and naturalist; A. L. Lewis, Esq., civil engineer and interpreter. 



Lieut. Rufus Saxton, jr., in addition to establishing the depot at the western base of the 

 Rocky mountains, was directed to make a reconnaissance of the country passed over by him, 

 with the view of combining the operations of the eastern and western divisions; and he was 

 assisted in this duty by Second Lieut. Richard Arnold, third artillery, assisted by Mr. Lyman 

 Arnold, in charge of astronomical observations; Second Lieut. R. Macfeely, fourth infantry, in 

 command of the escort; and D. S. Hoyt, meteorologist and topographer. 



The eastern division, excluding the mention of certain officers and civilians who were on duty 

 only for a short time, and whose cases have been brought to your notice in previous reports, con- 

 sisied of Second Lieut. \. J. Donelson, corps of engineers, in command of a detachment of ten 

 sappers and mintrs; Second Lieut. Cuvier Grover, fourth artillery; Second Lieut. John Mul- 

 lan, fourth artillery; Doctor George Suckley, surgeon arid naturalist; Isaac F. Osgood, Esq., 

 disbursing, quartermaster s, and commissary agent; J. M. Stanley, artist; F. W. Lander and 

 A. W. Tiukham, Esq&amp;gt;., civil engineers; John Lambert, Esq., topographer; George W. Stevens, 

 E.-q., astronomer, iinrl for a portion of the route in charge of the magnetic observations, assisted 

 by James Doty; William M. Graham, Esq., astronomer; Joseph MofTett, meteorologist; T. S. 



