54 
LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR. 
Lieutenant Mullan, as tlie department lias already been advised, left Fort Benton on the 9th 
instant, and struck the Muscle Shell river on the 13th. After following the trail of the Flat- 
head camp eastward twenty miles to a pond, and thence twenty miles farther in a southeastern 
direction, over a rough and difficult country, he found it still five days ahead of him, and deter¬ 
mined to place his party in camp, and with his Indian guide follow on the trail. The Flathead 
camp was found sixty or seventy miles distant, in a beautiful valley, and he was received with 
the greatest hospitality. Four of the principal chiefs agreed to accompany him to the St. 
Mary’s village. Ilis route was by the north fork of the Muscle Shell, thence by an excellent 
prairie road to Smith’s river, which flows into the Missouri in a northeasterly direction, and 
which he followed for a considerable distance; when finding it to lead too far to the north, he left 
it and crossed to the Missouri over an easy divide, and struck it at a point where a most excel¬ 
lent road led westward some twenty miles to the dividing ridge, whence rises the main fork of 
the Bitter Root river. This dividing ridge he crossed the second day after leaving the Missouri, 
the divide being only four hundred feet high and three miles across, and proving the only diffi¬ 
cult point of passage in his route from Fort Benton. Thence his route was by the Blackfoot 
fork of the St. Mary’s river, and the St. Mary’s river to Fort Owen. The valleys open the whole 
distance, except in the case of a single mountain shutting down upon the river bank, and 
making a light side cutting necessary to a good wagon road, and the grades scarcely percepti¬ 
ble either for rails or wagons the whole distance. 
Immediately on reaching the St. Mary’s village, Lieutenant Arnold, in charge of the post 
left there by Lieutenant Saxton, sent for Victor, the Flathead chief, (the small remnant of the 
tribe not on the hunt east of the mountains, and in camp some forty miles down the river,) for 
a conference in reference to the condition of the tribe, its disposition towards meeting the 
Blackfeet in council, and to communicate the determination of the government to protect them 
in their rights. A portion of the camp moved up to the village and met the chiefs who accom¬ 
panied Lieutenant Mullan. Victor, however, Avas absent on business to the Coeur d’Alene 
mission, and I did not meet him for some days. The conference Avas satisfactory, and impressed 
me very favorably as regards the truthfulness and Avorth of these Indians. The spirit of my 
conference, as Avell as that of Lieutenant Mullan, will appear from my instructions to him at 
Fort Benton, which have already beim communicated to the department, and his report, a copy 
of which I hereAvith enclose. I will particularly call your attention to his account of the fertile 
valleys of the Muscle Shell and Smith’s rivers, to the mild climate west of the Missouri, and 
the rich and abundant grass on the whole route. The same luxuriance of the grasses is every- 
Avhere found in the valleys of the Rocky mountains and the adjacent prairies. 
On my arrival at Fort Owen, the importance of establishing the Avinter post already deter¬ 
mined upon Avas only the more apparent, and fifteen men Avere placed on duty with Lieutenant 
Mullan. Unfortunately but feAV of the animals left by Lieutenant Saxton Avere fit for service, 
and Avere all needed for the parties going westward over the Cmur d’Alene mountains. 
The remaining animals were, however, gradually improving, and would, it Avas believed, 
furnish Lieutenant Mullan in the course of ten Aveeks the means of running a line doAvn to 
Fort Hall to connect our surveys with those of Fremont. By referring to a copy of his instruc¬ 
tions, herewith enclosed and marked 2, it will be seen that he has likeAvise had assigned to him 
the duty of extending the survey northward, of making all possible examination of the passes, 
and to occupy a meteorological post during the winter. Very good specimens of gold have 
been found in the St. Mary’s valley, and Lieutenant Mullan’s attention has been specially 
called to it in these instructions. 
Lieutenant Donelson Avas placed in command of the principal party with the civil engineer 
Mr. Lander, and Lieutenant Arnold associated with Mr. Stevens in the astronomical obser¬ 
vations, and also in charge of a separate party for side reconnaissance. It Avas now important 
to give such directions to the operations as to insure a connection betAveen the eastern and 
western divisions of the survey; and whilst Lieutenant Donelson Avas moving along the general 
