All these matters detained us until 4.30 P.M., when I pushed forward with Dr. Suckley’s and the scientific parties. The clouds were gathering and indicated a severe gust. We reached a beautiful lake about three miles distant, called by us Lake Stanley, in honor of the artist of the expedition, and had just time to get into camp to save ourselves from a very severe storm, which continued with great violence till near seven P.M. June 22. My party, leaving Dr. Suckley, got off about six A.M. We arrived at White Bear Lake, about nine and a half miles from the morning’s camp, at 10.15 A.M. Leaving Lightning Lake the country seems to change its character, and is no longer a flat, undiversified surface, with occasionally a gentle undulation scarcely attracting attention. It has gradually changed to a heavy, rolling prairie, which, before approaching White Bear Lake, becomes broken up into hills, valleys, and basins varying from thirty to fifty feet in depth. Boulders and stones, from the size of pebbles to paving-stones, are very numerous. Our route to-day appears to be gradually ascending at a probable rate of eight or ten feet per mile. White Bear Lake is a beautiful sheet of water, bordered with timber, about fourteen miles long and two wide, with high, swelling banks, running back a mile or so, and rising to the height of about one hundred and fifty feet. As the animals looked so fresh, and the day was cool and good for traveling, we halted only for a rest. About five miles from the lake we came to a stream, apparently running into it. Other bad places occurred; soft bogs, marshes, and brooks impeded our progress so much that we did not get into camp until three P.M., making nine and one third miles from our halting-place, and eighteen and three fourths for our day’s march. Our camp was on a very rapid stream, with steep, high banks. We called it Lambert River, in honor of our topographer, who received a sad overturn as he crossed it with Lieutenant Grover’s command.
The main train in charge of Mr. Osgood moved from camp on Lightning Lake at seven o’clock, after settling a difficulty of a very serious aspect growing out of a strike of all the teamsters, in consequence of a discharge by him of six of their number, according to my directions, because their services were not required. They threatened to shoot the first driver who moved out of camp. Mr. Osgood declared that he would drive out each wagon himself. Finally, after some discussion, the discharged men moved off cheerfully, and the main train pushed forward to White Bear Lake.
June 23. Our first labor this morning was to cross the stream at a point half a mile from our camp, from which we moved about six. This crossing delayed our little party some two hours. Grass had to be cut and placed on both sides of the stream. The banks were steep and soft, and it required the presence of a man or two at each wheel to keep the wagons in motion and prevent their being stuck in the mire. The country to-day appears admirably adapted to grazing purposes, and the bottoms, of frequent occurrence, are of a very rich character. Marshes and little streams, bordered by soft places, occur frequently. In one of these places, fully one hundred feet in length, one of our wagons got mired, making it necessary to remove part of its load to get it through.
About ten A.M. I left the train in charge of Mr. G.W. Stevens, and, pushing on, reached Lieutenant Grover’s camp about twelve. The train arrived at half past one, crossed a marsh and a small stream, and encamped opposite the camps of Messrs. Grover, Lander, and Tinkham. Lieutenant Grover’s camp is beautifully situated on the shores of Pike Lake. The main train and Dr. Suckley’s party arrived about half past eight, and the whole expedition was again brought together. This I consider the real starting-point of the expedition, and named our camp here Camp Marcy, in honor of the Secretary of State. We remained here a day in order to give the animals a chance to rest. They appear to be in very good condition, and the grazing is fine. Received of the various scientific chiefs reports of their labors to this point.
CHAPTER XVII
PIKE LAKE TO FORT UNION
From Pike Lake the expedition pursued a general course westerly by ten degrees northerly in order to clear the great northeastern bend of the Missouri, and reached Fort Union in thirty-eight days, traversing a distance of five hundred and fifty miles. A compass and odometer line was run with the main party. Pursuing his system of exploring a wide scope of country by means of detached parties, Governor Stevens dispatched Lieutenant Grover with a picked party to survey a separate route south of that of the main body as far as Fort Union, and kept Lander, Tinkham, Dr. Suckley, Lambert, Doty, and Adams, with small parties of the voyageurs, examining the country within forty miles of the route by frequent side trips. The main train crossed the Red River near the town of Breckenridge, the James River some distance north of Jamestown, and skirted the Mouse River near Minot, on the Great Northern Railroad, from which point to Fort Union, and for hundreds of miles beyond, that railroad follows Governor Stevens’s route. It is characteristic of the governor that in sending officers on the detached trips he always furnished them the best men and animals of the party, frequently allowing them to select them themselves. On July 12 he overstrained himself in his exertions to prevent a herd of buffalo from stampeding the train, and the old rupture, which had given him so much trouble in Mexico, broke out afresh, and obliged him to ride in an ambulance for many hundreds of miles. But his spirit and energy were no-wise quelled by this grievous physical disability. The graphic descriptions of the country, the incidents of the march, the encounter with countless herds of buffalo, and the meetings with the Red River hunters and Assiniboine Indians are given in the final report with a fullness of detail which cannot be attempted here, but the following extracts will give a fair idea of this stage of the exploration:—
June 24. I directed Lieutenant Grover to select a party of twenty picked men, twenty-six mules, three horses, and twenty-five days’ provisions, including an ox, with which to go forward on the Dead Colt Hillock line. In thus giving to Lieutenant Grover his own selection of animals and men, my purpose was to make him in the highest degree effective in the means at his disposal, and to demonstrate by the success of his undertaking the entire feasibility of operating in detached parties. Messrs. Lander and Tinkham moved forward this afternoon to Chippewa River.
On counting rations, it was found that for the main party there was a supply for twenty days, while it might take forty-five to reach Fort Union. But with the eight oxen in the carts, and the known abundance of game, I feared no scarcity. The men showed some anxiety, and talked of a strike, but, seeing the confidence of the officers, abandoned any open demonstration. I had ordered a reducing of rations whenever the quantity of game would justify it, and henceforward I gave the most particular attention to it, so that, although we did not reach the Yellowstone for thirty-eight days, there was at no time a scarcity of provisions.
June 25. To-day the expedition may be considered fairly under way. Lieutenant Grover started at 7.30 A.M. The main party, under my own direction, moved forward at about the same time. In ten miles reached the Chippewa River. The india-rubber boats did good service, carrying over each time more than half a wagon-load. The whole train was all well encamped two miles further on at a fine lake by sunset.