1702 REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. 



ern branch of the Musselshell and joins the latter at a point 16 miles from its month. 

 Lodge Pole Creek has its head near that of Squaw Creek, the breaks of the two inter- 

 locking. Crossed the former ten times before 4.30 p. in. Valley of the creek one- 

 eighth mile wide ; bluffs on either side clothed with pine and from 100 to 300 feet in 

 height, water in creek highly alkaline, running and probably permanent, plenty of 

 cottonwood continuously met with in valley of creek, pine in hills and ravines; creek 

 very winding with considerable quicksand in places; good gravelly crossings with 

 sloping banks easily found, no work necessary: one eoule met with a short distance 

 from camp where two hours' work will be sufficient to make a good crossing; much 

 sage brush and cactus in valley of creek, interspersed with a poor quality of bunch, 

 bottom, and gama-grass growing sparsely; several places met with in the valley the 

 character of the soil of which would render it heavy in the rainy season. The 

 appearance of the bluffs would indicate that the creek during the spring months 

 would be considerably increased in volume and velocity, and would probably be quite" 

 impassable. From 2 till 4.30 p. m. our course is 35° south of east, and during that time 

 we probably marched (3 miles. From this time until camp, 5.15 p. m., still continued 

 up the principal branch of Lodge Pole Creek, crossing it six times. The valley grad- 

 ually narrows to 200 yards in width, plenty of pine in bluffs and drift cottonwood dis- 

 tributed along the valley ; grass in valley continues poor. Creek about 40 feet in 

 width and very winding; has low-cut alkali banks ; cannot follow its sinuosities by 

 reason of cut bluffs meeting the stream, hence the numerous crossings. Soon after 

 sunset, 5.15 p. m., made a bivouac for the night. Estimated distance traveled during 

 the day is 25 miles. Thus far the route passed over during the day has been practi- 

 cable for a wagon-road and preferable to that up Squaw Creek. However, during the 

 spring months travel would be delayed by high water. This probably would also ob- 

 tain in Squaw Creek Valley. Plenty of buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope seen. 



October 17. — Sunrise this morning at 6 o'clock, at which time we started, and for 6 

 miles continued up Lodge Pole Creek, the compass reading 42° south of east, crossing 

 the creek eighteen times in this distance. The creek is very winding and valley nar- 

 rows, but crossings are over the gravelly bed and but little work required to make them 

 passable. At 0.50 a. m. passed a permanent spring of clear water not alkaline. For 

 two hours after leaving camp no cottonwood in the valley of creek, but some irine 

 on the hills. From 8 a. m. for five miles we travel 40° north of east. At 8.30 a. m. 

 we reach the forks of the creek, the principal branch of which comes from the south- 

 east. The valley is somewhat wider than the one we traverse, has plenty of cotton- 

 wood, permanent alkaline water, good bunch, bottom, and gama-grass, and far as 

 can be seen up to its valley would be practicable for a wagon-road. We followed the 

 other or northern fork which winds through low hills to its head, passing several 

 coulees where some work would be required to make good crossings. 



From 9.30 a. m. for 8 miles our compass read 26° north of east. We pass a prominent 

 butte close to our trail on the left. At 10.45 a. m. we arrive at the head of the branch 

 of the creek Ave are following, compass reading 64° north of east, and passing through 

 one and one-half miles of bad land — the first we have encountered — we continue for 5 

 miles over a rolling country cut by arroyos, and gradually ascend to the top of a high 

 ridge, from which point we discover the command we left yesterday winding over the 

 hills some 5 miles distant. To reach them our course lies 25° south of east and passes 

 over several ridges of easy slope and through the intervening valleys where good grass 

 grows abundantly. The water in Lodge Pole Creek although strongly alkaline, is 

 probably permanent. Even at its head it is found in pools. 



The country moved over to-day would admit of a wagon-road being passed through 

 it with but little work at the crossings of the creek or coulees, and without necessarily 

 passing through the small strip of bad land referred to. At 3.20 p. m. we meet the 

 command, and continuing with it for 7 miles arrive in camp on a branch of Spring 

 Creek, having marched a distance of 33 miles. 



The route up Lodge Pole Creek to the mouth of the Musselshell would probably be 

 preferable for a wagon-road to that up Squaw Creek, leaving out the consideration of 

 distance, for fewer natural difficulties would be met with and less work required to 

 make a roadway practicable. However, the distance traveled through the valley of 

 Squaw Creek to the mouth of the Musselshell is shorter by one-third than that through 

 the valley of Lodge Pole Creek. 



ADDITIONAL. 



In addition to the foregoing marches, as acting engineer officer I accompanied the 

 following-named officers, keeping careful itineraries of the route passed over: 



Captain Casey, Fifth Infantry, from the cantonment, Tongue River, Montana, to 

 Fort Buford, Dak., February, 1877, over the lower or old trail. Distance marched, 

 170.88 miles. The return march was made over the same road. 



Lieutenant Casey, Twenty-Second Infantry, March, 1877, from the cantonment, 

 Montana, to Fort Buford, Dak., over the upper or new road (short route). Distance 

 marched, 148.70 miles. 



