FROM THE COLUMBIA VALLEY TO FORT OWEN. 
251 
F. 
SURVEYS FROM THE EASTERN BASE OF THE MOUNTAINS TO THE LOWER 
COLUMBIA. 
17. Report of the route of lieutenant r. saxton, u. s. a., from the Columbia valley to 
FORT OWEN, AND THENCE TO FORT BENTON. 
Washington, D. C., Febrvanj, 1854. 
Sir : In obedience to your instructions of April, 1S53, appointing me acting assistant quarter¬ 
master and commissary for the expedition under your command, for the exploration and survey 
of a route for a railroad from some point on the Mississippi river to Puget sound, and directing 
me to proceed by the way of the Isthmus of Panama to Columbia barracks, in Washington Ter¬ 
ritory, and there organize a supply train, and establish a depot of provisions at the Flathead 
Indian village of St. Mary’s, and join you at Fort Benton, proceeding thither by the Blackfoot 
Pass of the Rocky mountains, I have the honor to submit the following report of my operations 
in the performance of that duty. 
As incidental to the establishment of a depot of provisions for the use of the main parties 
engaged in the exploration, I was directed to make such observations with reference to the 
topography of the country through which I should pass, and the facilities or difficulties it pre¬ 
sented to the construction of a railroad, as would not interfere with the main object of my 
expedition. 
The distances stated in the report are only approximations inferred from the pace of a horse, 
and the directions were determined by the bearings of a pocket compass. They will, however, 
I trust, give a tolerable, if imperfect, idea of the country through which I passed. 
I left New York on the 5th of May, and proceeded, by the way of the Isthmus of Panama, to 
San Francisco, California, where I arrived on the 1st of June. It being necessary to procure 
most of the articles required for the use of the expedition at this place, my arrival in Washington 
Territory was delayed until June 27th. The abundance of gold in California, and the conse¬ 
quent high price of labor, made it very difficult to procure men for the expedition, even at the 
highest rates. But for the assistance afforded by the agents of the Hudson’s Bay Company, I 
should have been unable to organize a party at all. I applied to Governor P. Ogden, the chief 
factor of the company, for aid, which he very readily granted. It is worthy of remark, however 
little flattering to American pride, that the power and influence of that company over the inhab¬ 
itants of the country which I traversed is greater than that of the government of the United 
States. Even the Quartermaster’s department is obliged to depend upon them for the transport¬ 
ation of troops and army supplies. 
On the 2d of July, Lieutenant Arnold, 3d artillery, who had volunteered for the expedition, 
started up the Columbia river with the greater part of the stores destined for the Flathead village, 
and twenty-one men employed as packers. In consequence of high water in the river, the 
passage of the Cascades was exceedingly difficult, and it was necessary to transport all our 
baggage for a considerable distance on the backs of men. Lieutenant Arnold, With character¬ 
istic energy, succeeded, after a week’s hard labor, in landing his stores at the Dalles of the Colum¬ 
bia. I completed all the arrangements for the expedition, and with the soldiers detailed as an escort, 
and the remaining commissary stores, arrived at the Dalles on the 14th of July. As all the 
animals in the possession of the Quartermaster’s department at Fort Vancouver were required by 
Captain McClellan’s party, we were obliged to depend, in a great measure, upon the Indians for 
our horses. Reports were in circulation that we were fitting out a war party against them, and 
they showed great unwillingness to bring in horses. Every aid in their power was promptly 
rendered by the officers at Fort Vancouver, and the Dalles, to forward the interests of the 
expedition. 
