52 EXPLORATIONS FROM A. D. 1843 To A D. 1852. 
RECONNAISSANCE BY LIEUT. JAMES W. ABERT, TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS, 1845. 
This report forms Senate Doc. No. 438, 29th Congress, Ist session, and is accompanied by 
a map on a scale of about 32 miles to an inch, embracing the country from the 94th meridian 
to the Rocky mountains, and between the Platte river and the 35th parallel. 
Lieutenant J. W. Abert, assisted by Lieutenant William G. Peck, Topographical Engineers, 
having been detached at Bent’s Fort by Captain Frémont, in 1845, with instructions from him 
to explore the Purgatory creek, the Canadian and False Washita rivers, left that fort on the 
Arkansas on the 15th of August, 1845, with a party of 30 men, four wagons, and 63 horses 
and mules. "They were supplied with a chronometer and sextant. "They travelled down the 
Arkansas to the mouth of the Purgatory creek, and thence up that stream about 15 or 18 miles, 
when the cañons forced them to strike westward to Timpa creek, which they followed. to its 
head. Travelling over a low divide, they again came to Purgatory creek, and followed it to 
the Raton Pass. "Taking the Santa Fé road through this pass, they reached the sources of the 
Canadian, and followed down the banks of this river to about latitude 35? 50. Here they 
crossed over to Utah creek, one of its tributaries, and followed this to its mouth. Keeping 
along the Canadian to the vicinity of Valley creek, they again left it and struck south to the 
sources of the north fork of Red river, which they supposed were those of the False Washita. 
Continuing along this fork, they travelled east some 10 miles, and took a northeast course to 
the Canadian, before reaching which, they crossed the head branches of the False Washita. 
They then travelled down the valley of the Canadian to Fort Gibson. 
RECONNAISSANCE BY LIEUTENANT W. B. FRANKLIN, TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS, 1845. 
An abstract of Lieutenant Franklin's journal, and a reduced copy of his map, on a scale of 
75 miles to an inch, were published in House Ex. Doc. No. 2, Ist sess. 29th Cong. The 
the title of the map is ** Map of the Route pursued by the late Expedition under the command 
of Colonel S. W. Kearney, United States lst dragoons, by W. B. Franklin, Lieutenant Topo- 
graphical Engineers, attached to the expedition, 1845.” ۱ 
The original map is on a scale of 32 miles toaninch. The new information which it contained 
was published with Lieutenant Abert’s map of his exploration, made in 1845, wherein credit 
is given to Lieutenant Franklin for the material taken from his map. 
The expedition was under command of Colonel S. W. Kearny, United States Ist dragoons. 
It started from Fort Leavenworth for the South Pass, travelling on the usual road to Fort 
Kearny, thence up the Platte and South Fork to where the road crosses to the North Fork, at 
Ash Hollow, and thence up the North Fork and Sweetwater to the source of the latter. 
Returning to Fort Laramie, the expedition proceeded south along the Chugwater and Crow 
creeks to St. Vrain’ s Fort, and thence to the Arkansas, below the mouth of Boiling Spring 
creek. It returned along the Arkansas and Santa Fé road to Fort Leavenworth. 
An account of the expedition is given in Lieutenant Colonel P. St. G. Cooke's late book of 
** Scenes and Adventures i in the Army." 
RECONNAISSANCE OF MAJOR WM. H. EMORY, TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS, 1846-47. ۰ 
The report forms a part of Senate Ex. Doc. No. 7, 1st session of 30th Congress, and is 
entitled ‘‘ Notes of a Military Reconnaissance from Fort Leavenworth, in Missouri, to San Diego, 
in California, includiny parts of the Arkansas, Del Norte, and Gila rivers. By Wm. H. Emory, 
Brevet Major Topographical Engineers, made in 1846-41, with the advanced guard of the * Army 
