just returned from buying horses they have brought two with them: they are very beautiful I should like to send one home to Father we pay about $50. for them apiece: in Boston they would bring $150. Respects to all

Yours truly

George Winslow.

LETTER FROM BRACKETT LORD DESCRIBING WINSLOW'S SICKNESS, DEATH AND BURIAL

Fort Kearny June 17' 1849.

My very beloved wife | It has thus far been a pleasure for me to write to you from the fact that I have had nothing to write that you would not with pleasure peruse but my dear wife the scene has changed and this letter will bear to you intellegence of the most unwelcome character —— intellegence of the most painful for me to write and which will wring your hearts with anguish and sorrow George is dead--what more shall I write -- what can I write- but unpleasant as the news may be you will be anxious to hear the particulars.

About the 27th of May he was taken with the diareahea which lasted several days and which visibly wore upon him. He was taken the day we crossed Kansas river. He however partially recovered but on the following Tuesday he ate some pudding for dinner which hurt him and about three o'clock in the afternoon he was taken much worse vomiting & purging also cramping; here we stopped he continued to grow worse & became very sick. Doct Lake Uncle Jessee Mr. Staples & myself watched with him during the night, about three o'clock in the morning we thought him dying I told him of the fact spoke to him of home, asked him if he did not wish to send some word to Eliza and his Father & mother & others he did not leave any-seemed very sick. Wednesday morning appeared a little better and continued to improve so during the daywe remained camped during the day and untill Friday morning continued to improve so much so that he wanted to start on and the road being smooth we concluded to go on giving him as comfortable a bed as possible in one of our large waggons and I took charge of the wagon &

drove it all the time that he rode that he might receive all the attention that our circumstances would allowEvening he continued about the same-Saturday we travelled part of the day Doctor thought him improving. Sunday we moved a short distance to water and camped remained till Monday 10 o'clock A. M. George appeared much improved-we started on our journey he stood the ride much better than on the previous day we felt quite encourged all said that he was visibly improving. Tuesday we started at 6 o'clock A. M. George continued improving the day was pleasant till the afternoon & George continued in good spirits. At 5 o'clock P. M. there come up a most violent shower such an one you perhaps never saw, there is nothing on these plains to break the wind and it sweeps on most furiously the lightning is truly terrific & when accompanied with wind hail & rain as in this case it is truly sublime. To this storm I attribut G's death. I was however aware of its violence & guarded him as thougroughly as possible with our rubber blankets from all dampness that might come through our covered wagons George did not appear worse. Wednesday morning George remains about the same travelled most of the day. 3 o'clock George appeared worse. I sent immediately for the Doctor who was behind. Camped as soon as we could get to water. George did not appear better. Uncle Jessee watched the first part of the night but George growing worse uncle Jessee called Staples & myself & we remained with him. till he died. Thursday morning George was very sick & much wandering-did not know us only at intervals— seemed to fail very fast-continued to sink very fast9 o'clock-George is dead-his body lays here in the tent but his spirit has fled-Our company feel deeply this solemn providence. I never attended so solemn funeralhere we were on these plains hundreds of miles from any civilized being—and to leave one of our number was most trying. The exercises at the funeral consisted in reading the scriptures and prayer: this closed the scene-we erected grave stones on which we inscribed "George Winslow Newton Mass aged 25-1849" my dear Clarissa you will sympathise deeply with Eliza in her affliction. What a pity that such a young family should be broken up. I hope

that it may never be thus with us. George remarked several times during his sickness that he had a ways had a poor opinion of human nature but that he had received during his sickness more sympathy and attention than he supposed a member could receive. I am sorry that I have no particular word from him to send to Eliza or his Father and Mother or you-he left none. It was not because he did not think of home but because he thought he might get better then at the last attack he was too sick to say anything: he used to say to me frequently "Lord if you are taken sick you will think more of your folks at home than yourself. I dont care anything about myself but my wife and my children they are dependent on me." I had every reason to know that he thought much of home and his folks though he said but little. I was with him most of the time during his sickness all the time days and most of the time nights. We did not leave him from the time he was taken sick till his death without a watch and here let me say that he seemed to sink away as though he was going to sleep and died without a struggle. We shall take care of all his things. It is most time for us to start and I must close this letter and leave it. I have not yet said anything to you and I cannot say much now but I can assure you in the first place that I am well and I hope that you are all well-dont let the children forget papa. we are getting along very well and determined if possible to go through. I hope that you will not give yourself much anxiety about us in regard to sickness. I think we have passed through the most of it all of our party are well. I must now close hoping that when I arrive in California I shall receive a letter from you. As to your getting along in my abscence do as you think best. Very affectionately yours,

B. Lord

THE OREGON RECRUIT EXPEDITION

BY ALBERT WATKINS

The object of early travel from the Missouri river to the region beyond the Rocky mountains was, first, exploration, as in the example of the expeditions of Lewis and Clark, and Frméont; second, trapping and trading; third, the colonization of Oregon; fourth, the reaching of the California and intramontane go d mines; fifth, the transportation of soldiers and military supplies for the protection of these enterprises from hostile Indians. Prior to the period of transcontinental railroad building there were several rival experimental routes to the northerly part of those regions and, more particularly, to Oregon; but the Platte river route, known as the Oregon Trail, gained supremacy during the decade of 1830-1840, and held it until the opening of the Pacific roads north of the first (Union Pacific) line divided the traffic.1 The military department of the federal government, including its engineers, had faith in the superiority of upper routes while the general traffic persistently preferred the Platte route. In this test native instinct and experiment seem to have been wiser than science unassisted by experimental knowledge.

On the 6th of February, 1855, congress appropriated thirty thousand dollars "for the construction of a military road from the Great Falls of the Missouri River, in the Territory of Nebraska, to intersect the military road now

1 For an account of the evolution of the Oregon Trail see History of Fort Kearny, Collections Nebraska State Historical Society, v. 16; The Evolution of Nebraska, Proceedings of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, 1909-1910, p. 126 et. seq.

established leading from Walla Walla to Puget's Sound", but no action was taken upon this scant allowance. In subsequent appropriations the eastern terminus of the road was fixed at Fort Benton, which was forty miles below the great falls and practically the head of navigation, and also an important post of the American Fur Company. It was only in very high water that boats could run to a point a little below the great falls.

On the 3d of March, 1859, the federal congress appropriated one hundred thousand dollars "for the construction of a military road from Fort Benton to Walla Walla", and another hundred thousand was appropriated for the same purpose by the act of May 25, 1860. Lieutenant John Mullan, of the Second artillery regiment, was detached to superintend the construction of the work."

On the 31st of March, 1860, Pierre Choteau, Jr., of

2 United States Statutes at Large, v. 10, p. 603; 11, p. 434; 12, p. 19. Fort Walla Walla, situated contiguous to the city of the same name on the Walla Walla river, about thirty-five miles above its mouth, was established as a military post September 23, 1856. Whitman's mission, at Waiilatpu, five miles farther down the river, was established near the close of 1836. The original Fort Walla Walla, a post of the Northwest Fur Company (British), was established at the junction of the Walla Walla and Columbia rivers in 1818.

Fort Benton was established in 1846 by Alexander Culbertson, as a post of the American Fur Company. On the 17th of October, 1869, it was taken over for a military post of the United States. A town was laid out there in 1864 (Report of Secretary of the Interior, House Executive Documents 1864-5, v. 5, p. 415). Trade and steamboat traffic fell off from the time that it became a military establishment; but they revived again in 1882-83. The river trade was destroyed and the town crippled by the advent of the Great Northern railroad. (Forty years a Furtrader, v. 2, p. 258, note.)

Lieutenant Mullan's regiment was already in Oregon on account of the Indian troubles. He received his instructions on the 15th of March, 1859, had organized his party and started from Fort Dalles on the 8th of June and began the work of construction on the 25th. (Senate Documents 1859-60, v. 2, doc. 2, p. 542; House Ex. Docs. 1859-60, v. 9, doc. 65, p. 108.) On the 19th of March the adjutant general of the army directed General W. S. Harney, then in command of the Oregon department, to provide Mullan's party with a military escort and supplies. (Ibid., p. 118.)