ITINERARY OF ROUTE FROM ST. PAUL TO FORT UNION. 
June 5, Sunday .—In camp ; showers of rain ; black flies excessively annoying, 
so thickly besetting the mules as to endanger them. 
June 6.—Passing over rolling prairie, the road touches on Elk river, flowing some 
sixty feet or so below the level of the road, crossing the river with a good bridge 
about four miles and three quarters from camp ; river some ninety feet wide. 
With little change of the character of the country, either prairie or oak openings, 
easy rolling ground ; road passes on the south side of Big lake—a deep, pretty 
lake, scantily wooded... 
Rolling prairies, with occasionally a wet meadow in the vicinity of the road, 
and without any running brooks ; thence forward to camp on the edge of a small 
lake, half a mile north of the road, furnishing wood, water and grass, all good; 
flies troublesome to the animals ; should have camped sooner had there been 
wood and water on the road; soil throughout the day vegetable mould, one to 
four feet in depth, resting on a sand or gravel substratum. 
June 7.—Prairie open and unwooded, or with scattering scrub-oaks; tamarac 
swamps several miles to the right of the road; cross Elk river a second time, by 
a miserable bridge. 
Cross Elk river a third time, by a miserable bridge; probably since replaced by 
a good structure, as also is likely at the crossing above ; stream small now, about 
forty feet wide... 
Prairie to a hill about half a mile across... 
Prairie to a small brook ; Mississippi river has now been within a short distance 
on the left of the road for some two miles. 
A wooded ridge near by on the right; road passes under this and near the river, 
to Mr. Russel’s, a short distance above Sauk rapids. 
Camp in immediate vicinity of Mr. Russel’s; wood scarce ; water from the Mis¬ 
sissippi river—grass fair. 
June 8.—Lying in camp, waiting; rainy. 
June 9.—Ferried across the Mississippi river, here some six hundred to eight 
hundred feet wide—boating the camp equipage, provisions, &c., and swimming the 
animals ; through rich and fertile prairies, variegated with the wooded banks of 
Sauk river a short distance on the left, with the wooded hills on either side, the 
clustered growth of elm, poplar and oak, which the road occasionally touches ; 
following the “ Red River trail,” we camp at Cold Spring brook, with clear, cool 
water, good grass and wood. 
June 10.—Cold Spring brook is a small brook about ten feet across, flowing 
through a miry slough, which is very soft and deep, and previous to the passage of 
the wagons had, for about two hundred feet distance, been bridged in advance by 
a causeway of round or split logs of the poplar growth near by; between this and 
the crossing of Sauk river are two other bad sloughs, over one of which are laid 
logs of poplar, and over the other the wagons were hauled by hand after first 
removing the loads; Sauk river is crossed obliquely with a length of ford some 
three hundred feet—depth of water four and a half to five feet; goods must be 
boated or rafted over, the river woods affording the means of building a raft; 
camped immediately after crossing; wood, water, and grass good and abundant. 
June 11.—Over rolling prairies, without wood on the trail, although generally 
in sight on the right or left, with occasional small ponds and several bad sloughs, 
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