188 
GENERAL REPORT ON WESTERN DIVISION. 
c. 
GENERAL REPORTS OE THE SURVEY OF THE CASCADES. 
7. General report of captain george b. mcclellan, corps of engineers, u. s. a., in com¬ 
mand OF THE WESTERN DIVISION. 
Olympia, W. T., February 25, 1853. 
Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of the expedition under my command. 
The instructions under which it was conducted will be found appended to this report. 
I arrived at Fort Vancouver on the 27th of June; but it was not until July 24 that the party 
fairly started. 
The season being late, our progress slow for the first few weeks, and the northern half of the 
range being entirely unknown, it was impossible to make more than a mere reconnaissance of 
the different passes, and it became necessary to push on towards the north, to determine whether 
any existed in that direction. 
Supposing that there would be less timber on the eastern than on the western slope of the 
range, and that the elevation of the plateau between the Rocky and Cascade mountains would 
facilitate our progress, I determined to gain the eastern slope as soon as possible; and then, 
moving as close to the mountains as practicable, strike in with small parties whenever a possi¬ 
bility of finding a pass presented itself. 
Originally, I intended to follow the valley of the Columbia as far as that of the White Salmon, 
and to reach the eastern slope by following the latter valley. In consequence of the high stage 
of water in the Columbia, that trail was not yet practicable when we were ready to move. 
Being informed that there would be but little difficulty in following a trail direct from Vancouver 
to Mount St. Helen, and there cross the mountains, I determined to take that route. 
My party consisted of Lieut. J. K. Duncan, third artillery, astronomer, topographer, and 
draughtsman; Lieut. H. C. Hodges, fourth infantry, quartermaster and commissary; Lieut. S. 
Mowry, third artillery, meteorologist; Mr. George Gibbs, geologist and ethnologist; Mr. J. F. 
Minter, assistant engineer, in charge of courses, distances, &c.; Dr. J. G. Cooper, surgeon and 
naturalist; Mr. A. L. Lewes, assistant engineer and interpreter; five assistants in observations, 
carrying instruments, &c.; two sergeants, two corporals, and twenty-four privates of fourth 
infantry—one sergeant being the quartermaster and commissary sergeant ; one private doing 
duty as blacksmith. Six privates, whose terms of service expired shortly after we started, being 
employed as packers, the number of the escort and working party was reduced to three non¬ 
commissioned officers and seventeen privates. Two chief packers, three hunters and herders, 
and twenty packers, completed the party, which thus numbered sixty-live persons besides myself. 
Guides we took from place to place, as we could find them; for even among the Indians there 
were none who knew more than small portions of the country we traversed. There were 17 r 3 
animals with the command; 73 for the saddle; 100 for packing. Of the whole number, 40 were 
mules. The mules were generally very excellent; some of the horses good, but the greater part 
very indifferent Indian horses; the best, however, that could be procured at so short a notice. 
The pack-saddles wiih which we started were in part sent from San Francisco, partly purchased 
from the Hudson’s Bay Company; they were alike worthless. Fortunately, there were about 
fifty of the old-pattern Ringgold saddles at Vancouver, which we obtained; they answered 
admirably. As it was, we were greatly delayed by the frequent breaking of the others. 
The size of the party may seem too large ; but from the nature of what little information we 
possessed at the time in reference to the country we were to traverse, the disposition of the 
Indians among whom we were to travel, and other circumstances which need not be mentioned, 
it seemed that the number was as small as it ought to be; especially when the practicability of 
detaching small parties was considered. 
