APPENDIX A.—PROGRESS OF THE SURVEY. 
123 
V.— Letter, dated September 23, 1853, Camp 72, Bitter Creek, Utah Territory, Jrom Captain 
Gunnison to Colonel J. J. Abert, forwarding a rude copy of the field-work of the survey. 
Camp 72, Bitter Creek, Utah Territory, 
September 23, 1853. 
Sir : I have the honor to submit a succinct report of our operations to the 20th instant. Amid 
the bustle of camp duties it is necessarily a mere abstract, for a strong necessity urges us forward. 
We have had miserable grass and water for much of the last one hundred miles, neither very 
accessible, and it is growing late for crossing the Wahsatch range, and any great delay might be 
injurious. I have caused a copy of the field-work map to be made, which I am sorry to send 
in such a rough dress, but the guide is about to leave for Taos. 
In three weeks I hope to reach the Mormon settlements. From thence it will be requisite to 
our subsistence that funds be estimated for, to be placed in the hands of Colonel R. Campbell, 
at St. Louis, which will be available in the mountains. 
I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant, 
J. W. GUNNISON, 
Captain Topographical Engineers. 
Col. J. J. Abert, Chief Top. Engineers. 
VI.— Letter, dated October 29, 1853, Camp near Fillmore, Utah Territory, from Lieut. Beckwith to 
Col. J. J. Abert, reporting the progress of the survey, requesting instructions, and indicating future 
operations. 
Camp near- Fillmore, Utah Territory, 
October 29, 1853. 
Colonel : The death of the late Captain J. W. Gunnison, Topographical Engineers, in charge 
of the Central Pacific R ailroad Survey, whose death, with the particulars, is being communicated 
by Captain R. M. Morris, Mounted Rifles, officially to the Adjutant General, devolves upon me 
the duty of requesting instructions from the Hon. Secretary of War for my future guidance. The 
short time allowed me before the departure of the express, which goes hence in time, to reach 
Great Salt Lake City before the departure of the mail from that place, on the first proximo, for 
the States, does not admit of my making any detailed statement, even of the operations of the 
surveying party during the season, which is closing so disastrously and painfully to us. Besides, 
the report which the late Captain made on, I think, the 20th of September last, of his opera¬ 
tions up to that date, (an annual statement of operations as an officer of Topographical Engineers, 
in charge of public duties,) and forwarded through New Mexico, and which, it is presumed, came 
safely to hand, makes any statement as to the preceding part of his survey unnecessary. On 
that date we were on or near Grand river, travelling towards the Spanish trail, which we struck 
between that river and the Green; following it but a few miles beyond the latter stream, we left 
it, passing north and west to White river, (a small branch of Green river,) which we followed 
up a few days, and then skirted along the base of the Wahsatch mountains, crossing the St. 
Rafael, also a small stream, with its numerous branches, to the pass in those mountains known 
as the Wahsatch Gap. After leaving it to examine White river, travelling by a very circuitous 
route for seventy or seventy-five miles, we again returned to the Spanish trail, soon after pass¬ 
ing the St. Rafael. This trail, as is well known to you, passes through the Wahsatch Pass, 
a few miles beyond which we left it and struck off directly for the Sevier river, distant from the 
pass about thirty miles, and then followed down that stream to where it is crossed by the road 
leading from Great Salt Lake City to California, via Vegas de Santa Glara. We here crossed 
the Sevier and the range of mountains lying to the south and west of that stream, probably 
at the point at which Fremont crossed them in 1S44, into the valley of the Sevier lake. Leaving 
this range of mountains, we passed northwest to the Sevier river again, a few miles above 
