Exploration of the Red River of Louisiana, in the year 1852 / by Randolph B. Marcy ; assisted by George B. McClellan. Page: 97 of 368
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COMPLETION OF JOURNRY.
81
evening is upon the border of a ravine in the timber, where we find
good water and grass.
In our march to-day, we have passed the heads of several branches
running into Wild Horse, Beaver, Rush, and Mud creeks, upon all of
which there is an exuberant vegetation, denoting a fertile soil. The
timber is abundant, and of a good quality, and the water, issuing from
springs, is perennial. I have passed through the Cross-Timbers at five
different points before this, and have always found them similar in
character and composition.
Some Kickapoo hunters came into camp this evening, and we could
not but remark the striking contrast between them and the Witchitas.
They were fine-looking, well dressed young men, with open, frank, and
intelligent countenances, and seem to scorn the idea of begging;
while the others, as has been observed, are incessantly begging every
article they see, and do not possess the slightest gratitude for favors
received.
July 26.-At daylight this morning we resumed our march through
the Cross-Timbers, keeping the dividing ridge for two iiles, when we
turned to the left, and passed down near Wild Horse creek; but we
found small streams, with abrupt banks, crossing our course so frequently,
that we had much difficulty in making progress. We, however, by
hard labor in digging down banks and cutting through dense thickets,
succeeded in making eight miles, and encamped upon a small spang
branch in the Cross-Timbers. A short distance before we reached our
present position we fell into an old Indian trail, where some wagons had
passed several years before. We noticed where several small trees had
been cut, and where the bark had been scraped off from others by the
ends of the axles as they passed along.
July 27.-As soon as it was sufficiently light to enable us to see the
trail this morning, we started on, keeping the old wagon trace through
the timber for eight miles, when it led us into a road I had made the
last season, between Fort Arbuckle and Fort Belknap, at a point fourteen
miles from the former poet. As soon as the men came in sight of
this, they gave a prolonged and simultaneous shout of joy; it seemed
to them like greeting an old familiar acquaintance: it was the first
place they had recognised in several months, and it brought them near
home.
The axes and spades were laid by in the wagons, as our labors in
road-making terminate here; and I have no doubt the command are
heartily rejoiced upon the occasion, as their duty since we left the
Witchita mountains has been very laborious. Two miles after striking
6
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Marcy, Randolph Barnes. Exploration of the Red River of Louisiana, in the year 1852 / by Randolph B. Marcy ; assisted by George B. McClellan., book, 1854; Washington, DC. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth6105/m1/97/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .