The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 53, July 1949 - April, 1950 Page: 443

Notes alxd DoaumHlts
W. . remaia's Report on the eighth iitary
Department
Edited by M. L. CRIMMINS
(Continued)
Returning to Fort McKavett, August 22d, I left the next day for
Fort Chadbourne, distant 95 miles slightly to the West of North, and
reached that post August 26th. The route had not been much trav-
elled, and in some places the trace was rather indistinct. The country,
which is mostly rolling prairie, occasionally hilly, admits of a good
road being made between the two points. After striking Kickapoo
Spring, the head of Kickapoo Creek and 25 miles distant from Fort
McKavett, the general course of that Creek is followed to the Concho,
a distance of 3o miles. The road crosses the Concho near this point,
and continuing a Northwardly direction passes the Colorado 15 miles
beyond, and Valley Creek 4 miles farther, after which it takes a
north westwardly course to Fort Chadbourne, 20 miles distant. Kick-
apoo Creek, Valley Creek and the Concho, are all tributaries of the
Colorado. This river and the Concho are wide and rapid at the ford
and are sometimes impassable when the streams are swollen by rains.
Indians were seen occasionally on the route and an unsuccessful
attempt-the only instance of the kind throughout my tour-was made
at the encampment near Kickapoo Spring to steal the public animals.
A curious feature in the country between the San Saba and Fort
Chadbourne, is the number and extent of the prairie dog towns, a
single town, not unfrequently, covering an area of a mile square.
XX.-FORT CHADBOURNE- (Inspected August 27, 1853-.)
This post, established October 28, 1852, is situated in latitude 32
oz' North, longitude loo 14' West, about 2,1oo feet above the sea.
It lies on the east side and within a short distance of Oak Creek (a
small tributary of the Colorado) called by the Indians Tan-tan-se-,o-
ah-keep-Hoo-nough, or Mosquito Creek. There is a direct road to
Fort Mason, 12o miles to the South East, from which place the mails,
brought up from San Antonio, are received weekly by special express.
The soil is good and well adapted to the cultivation of corn and
small grain, and the grazing in the vicinity is excellent. The country