LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR. 
55 
line of Clark’s fork, I determined with, a little party, consisting of Mr. Stanley, Mr. Osgood, 
and four men, to push over the Coeur d’Alene mountains by the Coeur d’Alene mission, and 
thence to proceed to Colville to bring about a connection. To guard against Captain McClellan 
passing us, Lieutenant Donelson was instructed to send Lieutenant Arnold to Colville from the 
crossing of Clark’s fork by the northern trail, and to repair to the Spokane house, o-n the 
Spokane river, to receive additional instructions. He was directed in his instructions to Lieu¬ 
tenant Arnold to provide for his not meeting Captain McClellan or receiving instructions from 
me, and was likewise directed, in case of a similar experience on his own part, to push forward 
on his own route, either by Wallah-Wallah or the valley of the Yakima, and thence over the 
military road to Nisqually, taking the precaution, however, to communicate in an) r event with 
Wallah-AVallah for instructions. 
I likewise determined to assign that resolute and intelligent civil engineer, Mr. Tinlcham, to 
the duty of examining the Marias Pass, of returning by the main Flathead trail to St. Mary’s, 
thence by the southern Nez Perces trail to Wallah-Wallah, and thence on the military road to 
Nisqually and Olympia. 
To bring about a thorough understanding as to the mutual relations of the work intrusted 
to Lieutenant Mullan and Mr. Doty, on the two sides of the Rocky mountains, it seemed to me 
important that Mr. Doty should accompany Mr. Tinkham to St. Mary’s to confer with Lieuten¬ 
ant Mullan, and then to return by a known trail to Fort Benton. 
This general plan being determined upon, the necessary verbal instructions were given to 
Lieutenants Donelson and Mullan on their arrival. Under Lieutenant Donelson’s instructions, 
Mr. Lander was assigned to the duty of exploring the whole of the St. Mary’s valley, and of 
meeting the main party in the Horse Plain, nearly opposite the confluence of the two streams. 
But a serious embarrassment now occurred in consequence of the non-arrival of Mr. Tinkham. 
Fortunately, all the parties had a common route down the valley for some thirty odd miles to 
opposite Hell Gate. On the 2d instant they were all in motion, with an extra supply of pro¬ 
visions for Mr. Tinkham’s party, in charge of three men of Lieutenant Mullan’s command, and 
proceeded in slow marches down the valley. We were in camp opposite Hell Gate on the 5th 
instant, and I then determined the next day to push forward Lieutenant Donelson and remain 
in camp till Mr. Tinkham’s party returned, or some decisive steps could be taken to recover it. 
It was obvious to my mind that Mr. Tinkham had got involved in a difficult, perhaps imprac¬ 
ticable country, as he took no guide with him, and my great fear was that he might suffer for 
want of food. Accordingly, that evening I despatched a Flathead guide to Fort Owen, with 
instructions to Lieutenant Mullan to come to my camp with additional provisions and men; 
and in a conference with Victor, who had now returned from the mission, secured the services 
of good Flathead guides. Lieutenant Donelson and Mr. Lander moved off on the sixth; but 
scarcely had Lieutenant Mullan reached my camp, about four in the afternoon, before Mr. 
Tinkham came in. The provisions had held out, and the route examined by him had an 
important bearing on our railroad question. In the absence of Lieutenant Donelson's written 
report, and the barometric profile, I can only say that it will probably furnish a practicable 
mode of avoiding the Hell Gate defile, and of passing from the valley of the pass to that of 
Clark’s fork. The traiFnot being much in use, was difficult to follow, and the party frequently 
became entangled in boggy ground and dense thickets. 
They finally struck into a valley passing between impracticable mountains, and so crowded 
with wood that their route had to be cut. They proceeded down the valley to near Clark’s 
fork, and then succeeded in crossing over to the valley of the Jocko river, where a much-used 
trail led to the St. Mary’s valley. In his course Mr. Tinkham passed by a winter post of the 
Hudson’s Bay Company, and fell in with a small party of Indians. 
The same evening Mr. Tinkham made his arrangements to reach Lieutenant Donelson’s 
camp the next day, and exchange his tired animals for fresh ones. He started on his duty 
