LETTER OP LIEUTENANT A. J. DONELSON. 635 



latter route. I estimated the distance travelled by the route to Fort Hall to be 325 miles, the 

 return route 386 miles, to my main camp making a difference oT sixty-one miles in favor of the 

 more western route, but over a more rough and more uninviting country. We did not experience 

 snow to a greater depth than fifteen inches on a level, and this only in places. On the dividing 

 ridges, however, the cold at times was very intense, the thermometer for many days being as 

 low as 20 and 25 below zero. This was one great difficulty to contend with, which made 

 travelling exceedingly uncomfortable, and hard both for men and animals. Myself and two of 

 my men were frosted by the cold. We arrived at our main camp on the 10th of January, 1854, 

 after an absence of forty-four days. It had been my intention, when leaving the Bitter Root 

 valley, to connect Fort Hall with Fort Benton direct; but finding my animals very much jaded 

 by their long march, and the season so far advanced, with such intense cold, with great re 

 luctance I was compelled to abandon it. I would have desired to have made a barometical 

 profile of the route travelled ; but fearing that our regular ba ometrical register, in the Bitter Root 

 valley, would be thus interfered with, I was unable to take it. The temperature, however, was 

 noted on each day till within a few days of the Bitter Root valley; by comparing which with 

 those taken in the Bitter Root valley, I found the cold much more intense on the eastern than on 

 the western rside of the mountains. I am under the impression that the route could not be 

 travelled at any season later than I travelled it. But having partially made the connexion as far 

 as the Jefferson fork of the Missouri, when I set out to go as far as Fort Hall, and being deceived 

 in my guide, I was anxious to complete the line, arid thus connect our survey with that of 

 Fremont. It is impossible to give in this short sketch the character of each portion of the route 

 travelled, being over 700 miles, but by Lieutenant Grover s or the next express I will send a 

 detailed report and the accompanying map. 



Sketches of the principal features of the route were made with great accuracy by Mr. Adams, 

 which will be sent down in the spring, together with those taken in the meanwhile. 



Truly, your obedient servant, J. MULL AN, 



Lieutenant United States Army. 



Governor I. I. STEVENS, 



In Command of the Northern Pacific Railroad Survey, &fc. 



WASHINGTON, D. C., November 27, 1854. 



SIR: I most respectfully beg leave to protest against the following portion of Governor Stevens s 

 published correspondence, as being erroneous, and consequently unjust to me : 



&quot;At Fort Union the observations were placed in charge of Lieutenant Donelson, with instruct 

 ions, if practicable, to get longitudes by lunar distances ; but Lieutenant Donelson was not able 

 to report any results except for latitude.&quot; 



In proof that this is erroneous, I respectfully refer you to the orders and letters which accom 

 pany Governor Stevens s first published report ; and I would say, that no verbal understanding 

 or instruction to the above effect ever prevailed. 



I much regret being compelled to object to a statement of one under whom I have served for 

 so long a time, and under such peculiar circumstances. 



Feeling it to be due to myself, I most respectfully ask your indulgence for the course I take. 

 I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your most obedient servant, 



A. J. DONELSON, 



Second Lieutenant Engineers. 

 Hon. JEFFERSON DAVIS, 



Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. 



[ISP See note on next page.*) 



