Chapter I (3)

[I-30] _Sic_, usually in Pike, and I make no change. But "Cheveux Blanche" is a phrase joining a masculine plural noun to a feminine singular adjective. The English ed. alters to Cheveu Blanc; but as doubtless the savage had more than one hair of that color, probably Cheveux Blancs would be better in form and fact for the F. name of the person also known as White Hair.

[I-31] Before the Youngar is reached Pike passes on his left Linn cr.; county seat called Linn Creek, a mile above its mouth. The name of the river has fluctuated widely. Pike has Yungar, Youngar, and also Nehemgar; the latest G. L. O. and U. S. G. S. maps letter Niangua. The word, whatever may be its preferable form, is the Osage name of the bear, though by some it is said to refer to the numerous springs at the sources of the stream. It is by far the largest tributary of the Osage thus far reached; Pike credits it with a canoe navigation of 100 m. The main stream heads in Webster Co., in relation with sources of the Osage fork of the Gasconade, and runs through Dallas Co., also touching the W. border of Laclede, into Camden; its tributaries are numerous and widespread. One called Little Niangua falls in on the W., 6 or 8 m. above the mouth of the main river. To-day's voyage takes the Expedition past Purvis, and finishes about 4 m. above Bolinger or Bollinger cr., from the S., on which are the Osage Iron Works.

[I-32] Pike's map marks none of the places passed to-day by the names given in his text. We have therefore a triple adjustment to make--of map with text, and of these with modern geography. This I can do, bearing in mind that Pike does not necessarily mention places in the order in which they are passed en route, and that all his mileages are guessed at by the hours spent in making them. His map marks camp of Aug. 8th a good ways above the Niangua, and I set it 4 m. above Bolinger cr., as already said. For the 9th the map has: (1) Big Rock cr., right; (2) Rapids; (3) Slave r., right; (4) camp, right. The facts in the case are: Pearson's branch, left; Wells' branch, right; Proctor cr., right, on which is Proctor; Raney, Rainey, or Rainy cr., left, with Crittenden at its mouth--none of the foregoing noted by Pike in any way; then (1) Little Buffalo cr., right, on or near which is a place called Search; (2) rapids along a long curved bluff, right, with three little creeks on the left; (3) Big Buffalo cr., right, with a place called Riverview at its mouth; (4) camp, right. This makes about 25 m., barely over the border of Morgan into Benton Co., Big Buffalo cr. falling in just short of the same boundary; whence it is evident that (1) Big Rock cr. of the map is (1) Little Buffalo cr., on which is Search; (3) Slave r. of the map is (3) Big Buffalo cr., on which is Riverview; and this last is the Upper Gravel cr. of the text. This ends the day, for by no stretch can we get Pike past Pottoe r. of the text: see next note for this.

[I-33] Text gives no geography to-day, but the map shows three large streams between the camp-marks of 9th and 10th. These are: (1) a river, left, lettered "P. R."--that is, "Pottoe" r.; (2) Francis r., right; (3) Cardinal r., left. The facts in the case are: Knobby cr., left, small, at lower point of Williams isl., large; (1) a large creek, left, falling in at head of Williams isl., called Beaver cr. on the G. L. O. map, Deer cr. on the U. S. G. S. map, and on which is a place named Hastain; 2 m. above its mouth is another place called Duroc, on the S. bank of the Osage; (2) a very large creek, right, variously called Vermilion, Coal Camp or Cole Camp cr.; (3) a very large creek, left, called Turkey cr. These three are of the relative sizes and in the relative positions of the three that Pike charts; so that unquestionably "P. R." or "Pottoe" r. of Pike's map is (1) the Beaver or Deer cr.; (2) Francis r. is the Vermilion or Cole or Coal Camp cr.; and (3) Cardinal r. is the Turkey cr. It is true Pike says his Pottoe cr. was passed on the 9th; but his map shows otherwise; and if it had been, that is a question of the location of camp for the 9th, not affecting the identification of the streams here made. The queer name "Pottoe" I suppose to be intended for Poteau, and not a misprint for Potatoe: see the name Pomme de Terre or Potatoe for a river further on. Where Pike got his name Francis r. I have no idea. His Cardinal r. I imagine was so called by some confusion with Vermilion r.; for cardinal and vermilion are two names of a red color--in the one case worn by certain church dignitaries on their heads, in the other by cochineal insects on their bodies. Camp of the 10th (and 11th) is 3 or 4 m. above Turkey cr.

[I-34] The lacuna of the orig. text can be supplied from the map, which marks camp of the 12th as above said. On decamping this morning Pike passed what he charts as Cave cr. This is the middle one of three insignificant runs which make in on the right. "Vermillion" r. of to-day is a mistake. This is the stream Pike charts as Deep cr., on the right, immediately below Grand r., and is that now called Little Tebo, Teabo, Tabo, Tebeau, etc. These are commonly supposed to be forms of a personal name; but I am informed by R. I. Holcombe they are perversions of Terre Beau, old name of the prairie in Lafayette Co. where the "Tebo" r. that flows into the Missouri rises. The Osage tributary called Tebo, etc., falls in a mile below Grand r.; its E. fork is meandered for some miles by the Sedalia, Warsaw and Southern branch of the Mo. Pac. R. R., which then leaves the creek and strikes the Osage 2½ m. below Warsaw. This is the county seat of Benton, on the N. bank of the Osage, 2 m. below Little Tabeau cr. and three below Grand r., opposite the very large island also called Warsaw. Grand r. of the text and present maps is the largest branch of the Osage passed since the Niangua was left. It falls in on the N., a mile below Wright's isl. Some of its affluents head not far from Independence (on the Mo. r.), and others in Kansas. Its largest branch is Big cr.; others are Deep Water and Big Tabeau. Camp is in the bight of the bend that receives Grand r., between Wright's and Holloway isls.

Pike has mapped the river unmistakably along here, rendering identifications easy; but the text is not so correct, and requires the interpretation I have given. The mileages of the 10th-12th seem excessive. Here, as in various other places, he seems to have supplied the loss of orig. notes from memory.

[I-35] In making the circuit Pike passed two rivers which he charts by name as "Hallico R." and "Potatoe R.," both from the S., or on his left as he ascends. Potatoe is clearly the same name as Pomme de Terre, by which latter title is now mapped the large stream which heads in Webster Co., cuts the N. E. corner of Green, perhaps also the S. W. corner of Dallas, then traverses Polk and Hickory, and in Benton falls into the bight of the bend of the Osage herein mentioned. The natives call this river "Pumly Tar." Two miles above its mouth it receives the Little Pomme de Terre, from the W., in the vicinity of Fairfield. A much smaller stream, next above on the same hand, which is received in the same bend of the Osage, is Hogle's cr. The relative situations of these would make Pike's Hallico correspond to Pomme de Terre, and his Potato to Hogle's. But I have no doubt he _meant_ by Potato the river now called Pomme de Terre, and we need not insist upon the reversal of names, especially as there may be some small stream below to answer to Hallico, and it would be nothing for Pike to pass over so small a creek as Hogle's, both in the text and on the map.

[I-36] This letter formed Doc. No. 8 of the App. to Pt. 2. The name, omission of which causes the hiatus in the text, is Chouteau. The letter was sent by one Baptiste La Tulipe, who is no doubt the man of whom we read in Frémont, Rep. 1845, p. 18: "I had found an old companion on the northern prairie, a hardened and hardly-served veteran of the mountains, who had been as much hacked and scarred as an old moustache of Napoleon's 'old guard.' He flourished in the soubriquet of La Tulipe, and his real name I never knew."

[I-37] Near the N. E. corner of St. Clair Co. and the S. E. corner of Henry Co. The Park is a narrow, somewhat rectangular loop of the Osage, including some bold bluffs in its bight. The distance was much under "28" m., unless the river were then even crookeder than it is now. We have to foreshorten the mileages along here, in order to bring Pike into anything like the proper position above the mouth of Sac r. on the 16th. He passes five or six small creeks to-day, the last and largest being charted by Pike as Buckeye cr. This is Wright's, from the S., in St. Clair Co. A mile above this is a large island, which seems to be Pike's Turkey isl.; and a mile above this is another, probably that on which he camped.

[I-38] That is to say, Lieut. Wilkinson, Dr. Robinson, the interpreter, and one soldier, who left the boats to march across country with some of the Indians, thus avoiding the periplus of several bends in the river.

[I-39] Pike is still considerably below the present site of Osceola, at the neck of the last remarkable bend the river makes some 6 or 7 m. (direct distance) from that town. At present this loop is 4 or 5 m. around and about a quarter of a mile across at the narrowest part. It receives several creeks from the N. E., E., and S., the highest and largest now called Bear cr. In this day's course, which does not include the circuit of the bend, Pike charts a certain "East River," which he runs in directly from the W. This corresponds in position with the stream now called Muddy cr., but if meant for that it is drawn much too large--half as large as Grand r. itself.

[I-40] Several points require attention in this long course, whatever its actual length may have been. 1. Passing Osceola in the forenoon, Pike reaches his "Grand Fork," _i. e._, the confluence of Sac r. with the Osage, at noon. This is clear, and the distance seems about right from the place where I set his camp of the 15th. But the streams he charts on this course, below the forks, are not more easily disposed of than was the "East" r. 2. Thus, on the same side as "East" r., about halfway from this to the forks, he lays down two small streams from the W., the lower of which he names Light cr. There are in fact several such; and it may be reasonable to assume that by Light cr. Pike means the largest of them. This is the one now called Gallinipper cr., which falls in a mile below Osceola, and which is now meandered for a few miles by both the Kansas City, Clinton, and Springfield R. R., and the Kas. Cy. and Southern R. R. 3. After rounding the bend above described, and passing the Bear cr. there said, Pike passes two creeks on his left, from the S., one of which he charts by the name of Lime r. This probably answers to the stream now called Wablo, or Weablo, or Weaubleau cr. The other one of the two is Brushy cr. But the identification of Lime r. with Weaubleau cr., and of Light with Gallinipper, throws both out of relative position, and introduces a difficulty which can only be done away with by supposing an error of the map. 4. Osceola is the seat of St. Clair Co., on the left hand going up river, 3 or 4 m. below the mouth of Sac r. This village is notable as a point up to which steamboats used to come, especially during our Civil War; it was burned in Sept., 1861, by "Jim" Lane (James Henry Lane, b. Lawrenceburg, Ind., June 22d, 1814, committed suicide at Leavenworth, Kas., July, 1866); pop. lately 331. 5. Two of the little crosses which usually mark Pike's camps are superfluous for the 14th-16th. One I cannot account for; the other evidently marks the spot where Bel Oiseau was killed, as there is the legend "Beloiseau Kill'd." Pike usually calls him Belle Oiseau; but the French noun is of the same gender as the Indian himself. He was also known as Beautiful Bird. 6. The Sac is about as large as the Osage at their confluence; it runs on an average due N. course from Lawrence, through Dade and Cedar, into St. Clair Co. We are told by the old pioneer "Jack" Beard that the river was so called because a party of Sacs (probably of the Missouri River band) camped on it about 1820; in the fall of 1861 Sterling Price's rebel army were on this river for several weeks. 7. Camp is set on the left bank or right hand of the Osage, above Salt cr., right, and just below the mouth of the stream from the N. called Mine r. in the text, but lettered "Mire Cr." on the map. This is the Little Monegan, Monegau, or Monegaw cr.; the place called Monegaw Springs is in the vicinity. (The name may be preferably _Monega_, Osage word for "wolf.")

[I-41] Legended "Chouteau's" on the map, where the cross × also does duty for to-night's camp, two miles higher up. The spot can be identified by the coal bank and shoal mentioned, though the "41½" m. assigned for the day's journey take us beyond the confluence of the Little Osage, and we see by tomorrow's itinerary that we are still half a day's sail short of that point. Pierre Chouteau's place was known in Spanish records as Fort Carondelet, and was built about 1790 at what is now called Halley's Bluff named for Col. Anselm Halley. It was an actual fortification with mounted swivels, which Lieut. Wilkinson speaks of in his Report (given beyond); but it was only maintained for a few years. The post is twice noticed in the Hist. of Vernon Co., 1887, by R. I. Holcombe, who informs me that he went over the ground, including Blue Mound, Timbered Hill, and other places in the vicinity, and that some old caches in the sandstone may still be seen. 1. In the course of to-day's voyage the map shows a large stream, unnamed, falling in from the N., on the right-hand or left bank. This is evidently intended for Big Monegan or Monegaw cr.; place called Dollie at its mouth. 2. Higher up, on the other side, another nameless cr. is charted, from the S. This is Beshaw, better called Clear, cr.; quite large, coming from Barton, through Vernon, past the N. W. corner of Cedar, into St. Clair Co. 3. Above this, Pike has two traces, both from the N., unnamed. One of these doubtless represents Panther or Painter cr., in Bates Co. Here the Mo., Kan. and Tex. R. R., a branch of the Mo. Pac. R. R., crosses the Osage between Rockville on the N. and Schell City on the S. of that river. These places are 4 m. apart. A mile or two below this crossing the Osage now forms a circle circumscribing a large round island, nearly a mile in diameter, which may have been a bend in Pike's time. Several smaller streams than those just named fall into the Osage on either side, in the course of a few miles, as Miller, McKenzie, Shaw, Willow, and Lady's. The "10 French houses" Pike speaks of were opp. the mouth of Lady's cr. (named for one Wm. Lady). Camp was on the N. W. side of the Osage, near Lady's cr., and thus in the vicinity of Papinsville (old Harmony Mission).

[I-42] A most important point in this itinerary, for here is the junction of the Little Osage with the main stream, which latter Pike now leaves to proceed up the former to the villages, and so on into Kansas, etc. He elsewhere says: "The three branches of the [Osage] river, viz.: the large east fork [_i. e._, Sac r., lying E. of where he now is], the middle one up which we ascended [_i. e._, Little Osage], and the northern one [_i. e._, main Osage]." The present confluence is at the point where Bates and Vernon cos. begin or cease to be separated by the meanders of the Osage; for the Little Osage runs in Vernon Co., and the main Osage, above the confluence, runs in Bates. There is a conspicuous mound in the prairie, a short distance S. of this "second fork," giving name to Blue Mound township. Both forks head beyond (W. of) the Missouri State line, in Kansas, in which State the main Osage r. bears the name of Marais des Cygnes. The "large drift" in the Little Osage which stopped the boats is marked and so legended on the map, a short distance above the forks. It seems to have been above the mouth of Muddy cr., which falls in from the N. within 2 m. of the forks, and was probably about the place where there is now some marshy ground on the W. side, opposite Horseshoe l. The latter is a mile long around the curve, and discharges by a short stream into the Little Osage, from the S., between the forks and the mouth of Muddy cr. Doubtless it was once the bed of the river. Close by this lake, an eastward bend of the Little Osage receives a creek from the S.; and beyond this was the Grand Osage village, close to which Pike established what he calls Camp Independence, on the E. side of the river, near the confluence of Marmiton or Marmaton r. This stream falls in from the S., and is rather larger than the Little Osage; in fact, it forms with the latter the main forks. The Marmiton receives Drywood cr. a few miles above its confluence with the little Osage. The name of this river is apparently the F. word _marmiton_, scullion, from _marmite_, pot or kettle; the settlers pronounce it "Mommytaw." For other features of the locality we may note that the river bottoms are here below the 75-foot contour line, which represents the general level of the surrounding prairie; and that there is an isolated mound or butte of 850 feet or more on the E. side of the Marmiton and close to this river, at the first bend it makes eastward. The Marmiton is otherwise notable in the present connection, as Pike's further route goes between it and the Little Osage.

[I-43] A letter received from General Wilkinson by this express formed Doc. No. 9 of the App. to Part 2.

[I-44] Joseph Browne, who in 1806 was first Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the District of St. Louis, appointed by Governor and General Wilkinson Tuesday, Mar. 18th, 1806; in 1807 he was Territorial secretary, and sometimes acting governor. He was succeeded by Frederick Bates, appointed secretary by Jefferson, May 7th, 1807: see L. and C., p. 1236. The "Babtiste Larme" of the above paragraph is elsewhere called by Pike "Mr. Baptist Duchouquette alias Larme." Billon's Annals of St. Louis for 1764-1804, pub. 1886, p. 437, has "Jno. B. Duchouquette, usually called Batiste Lami." Among the signers of a paper relating to the erection of a Roman Catholic church in St. Louis, Oct. 30th, 1819, is found "Batiste [Symbol: X] Duchouquete" (his mark). The alias occurs in various forms, as Lamie, Lamy, Lamme, etc. J. B. D. was son of François Lafleur Duchouquette and Céleste Barrois; b. about 1760, d. May, 1834; married Marie Brazeau, St. Louis, 1798.

[I-45] The village of the Little Osage Indians was about 6 m. higher up and on the other (west) side of the river of the same name. Marmiton r. falls in between where the two villages were. These were so well-known to the traders and others in Pike's time that he does not take the trouble to say exactly where they were; nor are we favored with the precise location of Camp Independence, "near the edge of the prairie." But there is of course no question of the exact site of a village which stood for more than a century: see for example Holcombe's Hist. Vernon Co. Hundreds of Osages were buried on the mound, to which their descendents used to come from Kansas to cry over them, as late at least as 1874. Among the remains rested those of old White Hair himself, until his bones were dug up and carried off by Judge C. H. Allen of Missouri. In the vicinity of the upper village is now a place called Arthur, where the Lexington and Southern Div. of the Mo. Pac. R. R. comes south from Rich Hill, Bates Co., and continues across both Little Osage and Marmiton rivers; a mile W. of its crossing of the former, on the S. of that river, is the present hamlet called Little Osage. All Pike's positions of Aug. 18th-Sept. 1st are in the present Osage township.

[I-46] This census of the Grand Osage village was contained in a letter which in the orig. ed. formed Doc. No. 12 of the App. to Pt. 2, being a folded table opp. p. 52, with a tabular "recapitulation" on p. 53. The matter is given beyond.

[I-47] Three letters from Pike to Wilkinson which went by this express formed Docs. Nos. 10, 11, 12 of App. to Pt. 2. One of them is dated from "Camp Independence," by which we learn the name Pike gave his station: see beyond.

[I-48] So far as the white men are concerned, the party is identical with that which left Belle Fontaine (see the roster, pp. 358-360), excepting Kennerman, deserted, which reduced the privates from 16 to 15, and further excepting the additional interpreter, one Noel alias Maugraine. (Mr. George Henry, who is left here, was engaged after the start, and therefore does not affect this count.)

[I-49] By "Grand Osage fork" Pike means the stream on which was the Grand Osage village, _i. e._, Little Osage r. By "fork of the Little Osage" his actual implication is Marmiton r., near which was the Little Osage village--though the phrase happens to be verbally applicable, as the Marmiton is the fork of the Little Osage r. Pike's course "N. 80° W." at the start would seem to conflict with the dot-line on his map; but this is simply due to faulty projection of the streams: see next note. Observe also that the course of Sept. 1st is simply a swing-around to the mouth of the Marmiton, whence Pike revisits the Grand Osage village. There is no camp-mark for this day; the first [Symbol: +] set is camp of the expedition of Sept. 2d, before Pike had rejoined his party.

[I-50] Which the party had made on the 3d before Pike joined them. Their camp of the 2d is the first one marked on the map, and this of the 3d is the second one so marked. This we know from the position marked for the 6th, just over the divide, and three camps ahead of this of the 3d. Pike is now first fairly en route. The faulty projection of his map makes him seem to go E. of S. till the 6th, and then turn W. abruptly. The course of the Little Osage is practically from W. to E., and Pike ascends it the whole way, having it at a considerable distance to his right. His trail is over the prairie between the Little Osage and Marmiton rivers. This is to be particularly noted, as some have vaguely supposed Pike "followed up the Osage river," _i. e._, the main Osage (Pike's "North fork"), and then wondered how he came where we presently find him. In fact, he goes almost due W. from Missouri over into Kansas. Camp of the 3d was in the vicinity of the present town of Little Osage. Gregg's map, on which Pike's trail is traced for the most part with all the accuracy that the small scale allows, starts him into Kansas too far S.--a good way S. of Fort Scott, which is correctly located on the Marmiton.

[I-51] Misleading, at first sight; but "Grand river" here means that stream on which was the Grand Osage village. Pike and Robinson simply took an excursion of 6 m. to the Little Osage and back to camp, supposed to be 13 m. from that of the 3d. It was considerably past Rinehart, and probably in the vicinity of Hoover, a place 2 m. E. of the inter-State line; or perhaps just over this boundary, which here runs on a meridian of longitude (about 94° 37´). This vicinity is notable as the scene of the raid of old John Brown in Dec., 1859, when this extraordinary compound of saint and sinner, whose prophetic visions of the coming struggle had startling distinctness, killed a man and stole some negroes and horses. Pike has entered or will immediately enter the N. E. portion of Bourbon Co., Kas., in the vicinity of places called Hammond, Fulton, and Barnesville. The two former of these are on the Kansas City, Fort Scott, and Gulf R. R. I suppose Pike to be about 10 m. N. N. E. of Fort Scott, the county seat of Bourbon. This is a well-known city, on Marmiton r., at the point where Mill cr. falls in. Its military name is a legacy from former days, the fort having been built in 1842; pop. now about 12,000.

From the present station we have to trail Pike clear across Kansas to a point on the Republican Fork of the Kansas r., just over the middle of the northern boundary of the State. This is not easy. It would be impossible to do so with precision, had we only the slender thread of text to guide us. His Indians took him a roundabout way by the Smoky Hill r. The whole country is flat, with a complicated river-system; Pike cuts through it, incessantly _crossing_ creeks and rivers, not one of which does he follow for any considerable distance after he leaves the Osage basin. The names of the many small towns and stations, as well as of the small streams, will be recognized by few non-residents. Fortunately we have the trace dotted on his map, and though this is far out of drawing for absolute geography, its relative positions are recognizable for the most part. I am satisfied that the course I lay down for Pike is true to his route in all its main features. The whole of this Kansan route would be in the Missourian watershed, were it not for the northward extension of the Arkansan basin in the drainage of the Neosho and Vermilion rivers. This Pike enters as soon as he leaves the Osage basin, crosses, and quits before reaching the Smoky Hill: see the two places legended "Dividing Ridge," etc., on his map. If we suppose, what I see no reason to question, that his camp-marks are all right, his marches of Sept. 5th to 17th may be summarized as follows: Sept. 5th, further up Little Osage r.; 6th, over divide to Arkansan waters of the Neosho r.; 7th, approaching the Neosho; 8th, across this river; 9th, further along S. of it; 10th, across subdivide of Vermilion river basin; 11th, heading this river, and across subdivide into Neosho basin again; 12th, across Cottonwood fork of the Neosho; 14th, further along this fork; 15th, across divide from these Arkansan to Missourian waters again; 16th, nearing Smoky Hill r.; 17th, across this river. (Total distance from the Osage villages about 210 m., by Pike's mileages of Sept. 1st-17th about 250 m.) The counties crossed are Bourbon, Allen, Woodson, Coffey, Lyon, Chase, Marion, Dickinson, and Saline. Further details in following notes.

[I-52] The whole of this way is W. up along the S. side of the Little Osage, for the most part at a considerable distance from the river, which here has a northward convexity. But for some miles after leaving Camp Independence, Pike must have kept pretty close to the south side of the Little Osage, to avoid the unnumbered mounds into which the country further to his left is broken. The hill to which Pike came in the forenoon represents a rise from the general 750-foot level hitherto traveled to about 1,100 feet. From its southern slopes, Mill and Wolverine creeks gather to flow into the Marmiton at and near Fort Scott; while from the other side some small runs seek the Little Osage. Camp is in Bourbon Co., somewhere in the vicinity of Xenia, Zenia, or Hay, a small place near a branch of the Little Osage.

[I-53] Pike does not mean that the Arkansaw r. itself is otherwise called White r., but the waters of the Arkansaw River basin he has reached are those of a river called the White, which is perfectly true. He elsewhere calls this Grand r. He also discusses whether this White r. be a tributary of the Arkansaw or of the Mississippi, and comes to the latter erroneous conclusion. This White or Grand r. of Pike is the Neosho; a large stream which waters much of southeastern Kansas, leaves the State in Cherokee Co., enters Indian Territory, and falls into the Arkansaw on the boundary between the Cherokees' and the Creeks' country. Its general course is S. E., then S. Pike lays it down pretty well on his map, by the name of Grand r., and I find it so charted on various modern maps. Pike runs it into the Arkansaw all right, and makes its Cottonwood fork the main stream, out of all proportion to the little creek he traces for the other fork; but there is not much difference in the two streams, which unite in Lyon Co. some 8 m. below Emporia. From the vicinity of Xenia, in Bourbon Co., Pike has to-day continued about W., by or near the station Bayard of the Mo., Kas., and Tex. R. R., in Allen Co. Having thus headed all Osage (Missourian) waters, he strikes and crosses the divide, and camps on the head of a small tributary of Elm cr., a branch of the Neosho (Arkansan waters). I suppose his camp to be at a point about equidistant from Bayard and two other places called respectively La Harpe and Wise--perhaps rather Bayard, La Harpe, and Morantown.

[I-54] The two streams concerned in Pike's approach to the Neosho are Elm and Deer creeks. Elm is the large forked one which falls in close below Iola, county seat of Allen. Deer cr. is the next above, falling in about 4 m. above Elm cr. Pike's map indicates that, after passing some insignificant heads of Elm cr., he got into its forks, then crossed its north branch near Iola, and camped on Deer cr., very near the junction of this with the Neosho. I do not know whether horses can swim in Deer cr.; if not, the only alternative stream would be the Neosho itself. But the map sets Pike on the east branch of Deer cr., and there I leave him.

[I-55] The Neosho, Neozho, or Neocho r. "A grand fork of the White river" is ambiguous; but becomes intelligible if we remember that he has just spoken of the "Arkansaw, alias White river." Pike's ideas of what he calls "White" and "Grand" r. were not clear. There is no stream in his present vicinity large enough to be dignified as the "grand fork" of the Neosho itself; we must understand him to mean the Neosho, as being itself a grand fork of whatever he meant by "White" r. The Neosho was long and often called Grand r.; "Neosho or Grand R." is lettered on Gregg's map. Pike never says where he crossed the Neosho, nor in fact does he inform us that he ever crossed it--unless it was when he swam his horses. But that was on the 7th. However these uncertainties be regarded, two facts are certain: Pike was across the Neosho on the 8th, and he crossed it between Iola and the town of Neosho Falls, Woodson Co. I think the crossing was a little above the mouth of Deer cr.

[I-56] West for a few miles, then about northwest, up along the Neosho, but at several miles' distance from that river, on the dry prairie, and passing from Woodson into Coffey Co. As to the "second branch" on which is camp: Pike charts three streams passed to-day, running to his right into the Neosho, and marks his camp on the third one of these. I take these to be Turkey, South Big, and North Big creeks; and suppose that Pike camped on the last of these. It is true that these all three unite in one before falling into the Neosho; but Pike passed them too high up to observe their connections. Turkey cr. is practically a separate one, as it falls into Big cr. only about one-quarter of a mile above the mouth of it; and the connection of North and South creeks, much higher up, may be implied in his speaking of the "second branch" on which was camp (Turkey cr. then answering to a first branch). The single mouth of the three streams here in mention falls into the Neosho about 2 m. west of Leroy. If it seems rather a stretch to get Pike some distance up North Big cr. to-day, it may be remembered that the place he crossed the Neosho was not determined with precision; and that we have to find him to-morrow, at 11 miles' distance, on a large creek up which he can go over the divide to the heads of Verdigris r. There seems to be no alternative.

[I-57] The total of 12 m. does not agree with the text, which calls for 11 + 4½ = 15½. Eagle cr. seems to have been struck about on the boundary between Coffey and Lyon cos., where Four Mile cr. falls into it. It is a considerable stream, which heads in the divide about Olpe (a place on the A. T. and S. Fé R. R.), is increased by Harper, Hoosier, and other tributaries, and runs E. into the Neosho a mile and a half above Strawn (a place on the Mo. Pac. R. R.). To reach Eagle cr. from North Big cr. Pike passed opposite Burlington, seat of Coffey Co., several miles to his right, and headed the small Otter cr., on or near which is a place called Patmos.

[I-58] It may not be possible to decide which of the several branches of Eagle cr. Pike went up to the divide. To send him up the main branch, past Olpe, agrees best with his 21 m. to-day; but in that case he must have breakfasted late. There is a sharp elbow in his dotted trail, which would seem to indicate that he made a turn from his former course over the divide. Aside from any questions of detail, which perhaps could not be decided even by a resident of the region traversed, we have Pike safe on the headwaters of Vermilion or Verdigris r. (it has these alternative names on recent maps). It heads in the divide which Pike has crossed, by numerous small tributaries, several of which Pike charts. Among them are Haldemand and Tate, heading opposite branches of Eagle cr., and further on Moon, Rock, Fawn, and Camp creeks. The Verdigris is of a size smaller than the Neosho, W. of which it runs in an approximately parallel course; it leaves Kansas through Montgomery Co., enters Indian Territory, and in the country of the Creek Indians falls into the Arkansaw 8 m. above the mouth of the Neosho. Pike lays it down well, especially the fan-shaped leash of branches in which it heads, but runs it into the Arkansaw in common with the Neosho. The Verdigris has of course its proper basin or drainage within the more general watershed of the Neosho and other Arkansan as distinguished from Missourian waters. The rim of this basin is the divide Pike crosses over to-day. He camps on one of the small headwaters, probably Fawn or Camp cr., in the close vicinity of the places called Elco and Verdigris.

[I-59] Pike has headed Verdigris r., and recrossed the brim of its basin into the Neosho basin again. In cutting off this small segment of the Verdigris basin he passed from Lyon into Chase Co., "over high hilly prairies," _i. e._, the divide, and continued westward till he struck "a large branch of Grand r." We discover later that Pike takes Cottonwood r. to be the main Grand, _i. e._, Neosho r., which I do not see that it is not, though the other one retains the name of Neosho above their confluence. The stream he strikes is the S. fork of Cottonwood r. This heads in the same hilly country, by tributaries known as Little Cedar, Thurman, and Mercer creeks, in relation or opposition to the uttermost sources of Verdigris r., and flows N. to fall into the main Cottonwood 4 m. below Cottonwood Falls, county seat of Chase. Pike probably came on this stream somewhere in the vicinity of Baker or Crocker cr., between places called Matfield Green and Bazar.

Cottonwood "creek" was originally so named at the point where it was struck on the old Santa Fé caravan road, and because it showed the first trees of that kind to be found in traveling westward on that route. The crossing was at or near present town of Durham, Marion Co. It was some time before the true connection of the Cottonwood with the Neosho was made out. At Council Grove the traders knew they were on a head of the Neosho or Grand r., though they called it Council Grove cr. They kept on W. to "Diamond springs" (on a head of Six Mile or present Diamond cr.), and thence to "Lost spring" on their "Willow" cr. (a head of present Clear cr., which falls into the Cottonwood at Marion); the next stream they struck being this Cottonwood cr., at or near Durham: see a note beyond, where I undertake, perhaps rashly, to recover the old caravan road in terms of modern geography.

[I-60] If Pike bore as much N. of W. as his dotted trail seems to indicate, the mileage would fetch him on Cottonwood r. about the situation of Cedar Grove and Cedar Point, which are within a mile or two of each other and of the boundary between Chase and Marion cos., and about 6 m. down river from Florence, Marion Co. He is evidently in the loop which the Cottonwood makes S. E. from Marion to Florence, and then gradually N. E. to the vicinity of Cottonwood Falls. If the old Kansas Indian trail the map lays down could be recovered or identified, it would serve to locate him still more precisely. He crosses the Cottonwood and camps on its left bank. If we attentively regard the camp-marks of the 12th and 13th, we find them close together, N. of the Cottonwood, S. of a creek flowing E., and W. of a pair of creeks flowing S. These requirements are fulfilled, if we take the one running E. to be Middle creek, which falls in by Elmdale, 10 m. below Cedar Grove; and the other two, those that fall in together at Marion, 12 m. (direct) above Cedar Grove. It is true there are several creeks nearer, on the same side, as Silver, Bruno, and Martin, but these are all smaller than such as Pike usually charts, and, moreover, he could not go his 9 m. to-morrow in any direction without getting beyond them.

[I-61] Camp in the close vicinity of Marion, seat of the county of that name. The Indian trail seems to have run past or through Marion. We can confidently locate Pike within 3 m. of the town on the night of the 13th; and Marion thus furnishes an excellent fixed point whence to trace him on to Smoky Hill r. The two streams which unite at Marion, and run through the place as one, are called Brook Luta and Clear cr.

[I-62] Continuing past Marion, up the Cottonwood, which he has to his left, Pike camps near Durham, Marion Co. This town is on the river, and through it runs the Chic., Kas. and Neb. R. R. The route seems to have sheered off from the river a little to the right, more in line with Brook Luta than with the Cottonwood itself: see next note.

[I-63] Passing north between Cottonwood r. on his left and Brook Luta on his right, Pike makes the divide in the vicinity of Tampa, Marion Co. This is a village on the head of Brook Luta; the railroad last named goes through it, and Pike crosses the line of this railroad between Durham and Tampa. He is flanking the higher hills (1,500 feet or more) in which the main Cottonwood heads, by leaving them to the left or W. This is a somewhat roundabout way from the vicinity of Durham to that of Bridgeport on the Smoky Hill, where Pike strikes this river early on the 17th; but it is evident that he did not go straight between these points, for they are only about 25 m. (direct) apart, and we have to account for 18 + 13 + 6 = 37 m. on the 15th, 16th, and morning of the 17th. These mileages adjust themselves to a nicety by the way I make out. I suppose he crossed the divide between Tampa and Kuhnbrook, Marion Co., thus passing from Arkansan to Missourian waters, as he says. Kuhnbrook is a little place on one of the heads of the large Turkey cr., which runs N. into the Smoky Hill r. opp. Abilene. Rhoades is the next place on this branch of Turkey cr., and in passing to its vicinity Pike crosses from Marion into Dickinson Co. He continues on, bearing to the vicinity of Elmo and Banner. These are places near another head of Turkey cr., and both on the Mo. Pac. R. R.; they are within a mile of each other. Pike keeps on a piece, westerly, and sets camp in the vicinity of Carlton, Dickinson Co. Carlton is between the two forks of Holland cr., next W. of Turkey cr., with which Holland runs parallel to fall into the Smoky Hill r. opp. Abilene. Carleton is 7 m. due E. of Gypsum City, which latter is on a creek of that name Pike next strikes.

[I-64] Pike camps on a branch of Gypsum creek. This is a large stream which heads in close relation with the uttermost sources of Cottonwood r., in the vicinity of Canton, McPherson Co., and flows due N. into the Smoky Hill, between the mouths of Solomon and Saline rivers. It is larger than either Turkey or Holland cr., and much branched. It runs about halfway between Holland cr. and the Smoky Hill, parallel with both; for the latter, having made a bold sweep from the W., curves N. past Lindsburg and Bridgeport to Salina, and thence E. to receive first the Saline, next Gypsum, and then Solomon r. On Gypsum cr. are Chico and Gypsum City, 10 and 12 m. above its mouth; and Pike strikes it a few miles further up or S. of these towns. Pike charts its headwaters elaborately, and sets his camps of the 15th and 16th among the five branches he lays down. Probably one of these should be taken for Holland cr.; the other four are less easily identified. From his position in the vicinity of Carlton Pike passes W. from Dickinson into Saline Co., comes first to Hobbs cr., next upon Gypsum itself and Stag cr., in quick succession; crossing these three he continues W. to another branch of Gypsum cr., namely, that one now meandered by the Mo. Pac. R. R. between Gypsum City and Bridgeport. He camps on the latter, 6 m. E. of the Smoky Hill.

[I-65] "We passed it six miles to a small branch to breakfast" is a dubious phrase which I understand to mean that Pike went 6 m. to a small branch to breakfast, and then crossed the Smoky Hill r. at once--at nine o'clock. This crossing was in the immediate vicinity of Bridgeport, and perhaps at the very place the Council Grove, Smoky Valley and Western branch of the Mo. Pac. R. R. crosses to run into Bridgeport. Two insignificant runs fall into the river from the east within 3 m. below Bridgeport; the first of them is named Pawnee cr. Crossing the river, Pike proceeds up it, but a little W. of N., and bearing somewhat away from it; he passes Dry cr., which lower down runs through the county seat Salina, and camps on Mulberry cr., 2 or 3 m. due W. of that city, and about the same distance below the point where Spring cr. falls into Mulberry. This stream skirts north of the city, receives Dry cr., and falls into Saline r. a mile or two further. Salina is a large place, one of the best known in the State, where four great railroad lines meet--the U. P., Mo. P., A., T. and S. F., and C., R. I. and P. Six or 8 m. due W. of the place where Pike crossed the river are the Smoky hills, or Smoky Hill Buttes, celebrated in story if not in song. The great river named from these conspicuous landmarks is the main southern fork of Kansas r., as the Republican is the northern. Its uttermost sources are in Colorado. Receiving uncounted tributaries in its long course, it runs E. in Kansas through Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, Russell, and Ellsworth, loops S. into McPherson and out again N. into Saline Co., makes an elbow at Salina and continues E. through Dickinson into Geary Co., where it joins its mate between Junction City and Fort Riley, thus composing the Kansas. Two of its largest branches are the Saline and Solomon.

This finishes the first section of Pike's Kansas route from the Little Osage to Salina. The rest of the way to the Pawnee Republic is northward, crossing in succession Saline r., Salt cr., Solomon r., Buffalo cr., and White Rock cr., striking the Republican r. in Webster Co., Neb., near the S. border of that State. The distance is less than the 97 m. Pike makes of it. His map is extremely faulty; he seems to have gone about N. W., though his actual route was very little W. of N. It also runs Saline and Solomon rivers far apart into the Republican, instead of the Smoky Hill, magnifies Salt cr. out of all proportion, and minimizes both Buffalo and White Rock cr.

As a bit of authentic history which may interest those in Salina who have reason to be proud of the growth of their city during one generation, I will transcribe a passage from my own field notebook, made when I was staging from Leavenworth to Santa Fe, in 1864: "Sunday, May 29th. Left Junction City and came to a place called Salina--three houses and a pig stye."

Fort Riley, as above mentioned, was begun by Major Edmund Augustus Ogden, who had selected the site and was occupied with the work when he died there Aug. 3d, 1855, in the epidemic of cholera then raging. He was born at Catskill, N. Y., Feb. 20th, 1810; removed to Unadilla, N. Y., and from there entered West Point July 1st, 1827; he became second lieutenant of the 1st Inf., July 1st, 1831; first lieutenant, Dec. 17th, 1836; was transferred to the 8th Inf., July 7th, 1838; promoted to be captain, Dec. 1st, 1839; and was breveted major for meritorious conduct. His first duty was at Prairie du Chien; his marriage with Captain Gustavus Loomis' daughter Eliza, at Fort Snelling, is said to have been the first ceremony of the kind between white persons in Minnesota; he served faithfully and with distinction in the Black Hawk, Florida, and Mexican wars, and for many years discharged arduous and responsible duties in the quartermaster department. For several years immediately preceding his death he was stationed at Fort Leavenworth.

[I-66] Saline r., distinctively called Great or Grand Saline, has been already noted. Pike crosses this, and proceeds to "a small dry branch" of the next river, to camp for three days. This river is the one he calls Little Saline, and is now known as Covert or Salt cr., a branch of Solomon r. which falls into the Solomon 4 m. below Minneapolis, Ottawa Co. Pike's map connects it correctly, but magnifies its size; for the stream which he passed on returning from the Pawnee village, and which he lays down as a head of his Little Saline, is a branch of the Great Saline. Pike probably crossed Saline r. in the vicinity of Culver, where the railroad now does, then soon passing from Saline into Ottawa. The small branch of Salt cr. on which he camped was one of several such in the vicinity of Ada.

[I-67] An error is here evident, and I suspect some confusion of the diary of the 21st and 22d. 1. "Distance 11 miles," for the whole 22d, is necessarily wrong, if m. were made in the afternoon, and this, too, after marching from eight to eleven in the forenoon. 2. Aside from the fact that there is no branch of the Republican fork in this vicinity, the map shows that Pike did not reach Solomon r. till the 23d, and the text of that day confirms this. Camps of the 21st and 22d were both in the space traversed between Salt cr. and Solomon r., less than 20 m. at the furthest. 3. The difficulty disappears if for "12 miles," etc., of the above questionable clause, we read "2 miles to the first branch of Solomon river on our route." This would set Pike on one of the small creeks that fall into the right bank of Solomon r. in the vicinity of Glasco, Simpson, and Asherville. A former name of Solomon r. was Nepeholla, used, _e. g._, by Gunnison, P. R. R. Rep. II. 1855, p. 17. Capt. J. W. Gunnison came to the mouth of Solomon's fork July 6th, 1853, from Westport, Mo., by the Wakarusa River route, striking the Kansas r. at Fort Riley, crossing there, and continuing through Abilene; he was en route to the great bend of the Arkansaw by the usual Smoky Hill route.

[I-68] Taking Pike northward across Buffalo cr. I suppose this was crossed somewhere in the vicinity of Jamestown, Republic Co. In this position the Republican r. itself is only 5 or 6 m. to his right, and the rest of the journey is simply following up this river obliquely on about a N. W. course, at a somewhat increasing distance from it, until he nears it to approach the village.

[I-69] To White Rock cr., west of White Rock, a town on the creek and on the boundary between Republic and Jewell cos. This stream runs east through these, and falls into the Republican r. opposite Republic City. In getting here, Pike seems by his map to have crossed several small streams _running to his left_, and into a stream he runs into Solomon r. I suppose these to be some branches of Marsh cr., a sluggish tributary of Buffalo cr. from the N. W.