APPENDIX. 
INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR. 
War Department, 
Washington , February 21, 1854. 
Sir: Your letter of the 30th of November to the Chief of the Corps of Topographical Engi¬ 
neers has been, by him, submitted to this department, and the following instructions are given 
for your government. 
You are placed in charge of the party commanded by the late Capt. Gunnison, and will 
carry out the instructions given him by this department, with the following modifications. 
By your letter it appears those instructions had been complied with by Capt. Gunnison pre¬ 
vious to his death, with the exception of exploring the Weber river and Timpanogos passes or 
canons. You will explore and survey those passes, extending your operations eastward to 
connect with some well known point, ascertained by previous surveys, to he selected by yourself. 
You will hear in mind that the object of these explorations is the determination of the most 
practicable railway route to the Pacific; and that you must obtain a profile of the country 
traversed, by which it will he practicable to show the gradients of the road: that is to say, 
you must obtain the data for plotting the courses and distances traversed, and the rise and fall 
of the ground at intervals wherever decided changes occur in the altitude of the surface of the 
earth above the level of the sea, or above a point the elevation of which is already known. 
After completing the explorations and surveys of the two passes above described, you will 
retrace your steps and survey the route which you propose, passing to the south of the Great 
Salt lake, in the direction of the “Sink” of Humboldt or Mary’s river, thence towards Mud 
lake and across to the tributaries of Feather river, and thence by the most practicable route .to 
the valley of the Sacramento river; provided that the three conditions hereafter stated can he 
complied with: 
First. If you have money enough left from the sum assigned the late Capt. Gunnison, after 
completing the surveys already ordered. That amount was $40,000; and a statement from 
this department is herewith sent you, showing what portion of it had been drawn by Capt. 
Gunnison at his death. 
Second., If, after the completion of the surveys of the Weber river and Timpanogos, you 
will have remaining, in good condition, the instruments necessary to make the explorations and 
surveys in the manner which has been described to you as necessary, more particularly the 
instruments necessary to obtain the data to make the profiles of the country traversed. 
Third. Provided you can employ an armed force necessary to supply the place of that which 
has been removed by the massacre of Capt. Gunnison; and which, in addition to that already 
employed, and the military escort under command of Capt. Morris, will he sufficient to enable 
you to make your surveys with security from the Great Basin to the settlements in California. 
It is presumed you would not have suggested a survey of the route by Mud lake and Feather 
river hut upon information which leads you to suppose it a practicable one for a railway. If 
the conditions above stated are complied with, and you make the explorations, Capt. Morris 
is hereby directed to escort you, and you will make a requisition on him to that effect. On 
arriving in California you will disband your party, sell your public property, and return by 
sea, with your assistants, to Washington city. 
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