EXPLORATIONS FROM A. D. 1852 To A. D. 1857. 89 
EXPLORATIONS FOR ROAD FROM FORT RILEY TO BRIDGER'S PASS, BY LIEUTENANT F. T. BRYAN, 
TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS, 1856. 
The report of this will be found in the annual documents accompanying the President's 
message for 1857. The original map, on a scale of 1 to 600,000, is in the Topographical 
Bureau, and was not published with it. Lieutenant Bryan was assisted by Mr. J. Lambert, 
Mr. C. F. Larned, Mr. S. M. Cooper, assistant topographers, and Mr. H. Englemann, as 
geologist. They were provided with odometers, compasses, barometers, and sextant. They 
were accompanied by thirty men, and protected by an escort of one company of the 6th 
infantry, under Major L. A. Armistead. 
They left Fort Riley in June, 1856, and followed up the Republican Fork of the Kansas to 
the 40th parallel, when they crossed over to the Platte, near Fort Kearny. From this point 
they travelled up the Platte and South Fork to Lodge Pole creek, up which the main party 
proceeded. At the mouth of Lodge Pole creek Mr. Lambert was directed to ascend the South 
Fork to the mouth of Pawnee creek, examine this to its source, then to proceed west to the 
Emigrant. road, and, by following it northward, to join the main party on the Lodge Pole 
creek. This junction having been effected, the whole command proceeded west to the source 
of Lodge Pole creek, passed the Black Hills, continued westward, south of the Medicine Bow 
Butte, crossed the Platte, and reached the divide between the waters of the Platte and Green 
river, in the neighborhood of Bridger's Pass. 
On their return they passed north of the Medicine Bow Butte, crossed the Black Hills at the 
source of Cache à la Poudre creek, and travelled down it to the south fork of the Platte. At the 
head of Cache à la Poudre Mr. Lambert was detached, and proceeded east, along the source of 
Howard's creek to Crow creek, down which he travelled, joining the main party at its mouth. 
The whole party now proceeded down the South Fork to near the mouth of Pawnee creek, 
where they left it. Striking east, they came upon the Rock creek branch of the Republican 
Fork, and examined it down to the main stream. The main party continued down the 
Republican to Fort Riley. In about longitude 99? 30', Lieutenant Bryan, accompanied by Mr. 
Larned and Mr. Cooper, left the Republican, and turning south struck Solomon's Fork and 
ore it to its mouth. Thence they proceeded to Fort Riley. 
SURVEY o uD rio oana omr To sont KEARNY, BY CAPTAIN JOHN H. DICKERSON, A. Q. M. 
1856. 
d‏ مجرتم 
z et FOE M‏ 
The report of Captain Dickerson is published with the documents accompanying the Presi- 
dent's annual message for 1857, but without the map, which is in the Bureau of Topographical 
Engineers, under the direction of which the survey was made. This survey, from Omaha to 
the Platte, and along that river to Fort Kearny, was made with a chain and compass and 
spirit level. 
A survey was made, with compass and odometer, of the route up the Loup Fork, on the south 
side, leaving it near the mouth of Beaver creek. 
RECONNAISSANCE FROM FORT RANDALL TO FORT KEARNY, BY LIEUTENANT W. D. SMITH, SECOND 
DRAGOONS, IN 1856. 
A reconnaissance was made of this route during the march of a squadron of the 2d dragoons, 
under Lieutenant W. D. Smith. The report is accompanied by a sketch map, made from the 
measured distances, but without compass courses. The report has not been printed. 
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