to that of the Rio Grande del Norte. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 492. It
may be difficult or impossible to find the record of any earlier passage
of these mountains by an American party, or indeed any previous itinerary
of the whole Taos Trail.
[86] Sangre de Cristo creek, tributary to Trinchera creek, a branch of
the Rio Grande. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 494.
[87] Besides the distance above given for making the pass to-day. Camp
on Sangre de Cristo creek, which flows past Fort Garland into Trinchera
creek, in the San Luis valley. That branch of the D. and R. G. R. R.
which goes through the Veta pass follows down the creek on which Fowler
is camped.
[88] Trinchera creek. Fowler seems to have left Sangre de Cristo creek at
a point about 4 m. E. of Fort Garland.
[89] A portion of the San Luis valley, through which the Rio Grande flows
for a great distance. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 492.
[90] Rio Culebra, next tributary of the Rio Grande from the E. See Pike,
ed. of 1895, p. 494.
[91] The San Luis hills, on each side of the Rio Grande near the Rio
Culebra.
[92] Rio Costilla, next tributary of the Rio Grande from the E. See Pike,
ed. of 1895, p. 494. On reaching lat. 37° N. Fowler passes from Colorado
into New Mexico. The principal landmark is Ute peak, isolated in the
plain, a little south of the boundary and of Rio Costilla, on the E. bank
of the Rio Grande, alt. about 10,000 feet.
[93] Apparently Colorado creek, another tributary of the Rio Grande from
the E.
[94] San Cristobal—or the next village below, Los Montes. The “deet
guters” of the text are the arroyos which Fowler intended to call deep
gutters.
[95] See Lewis and Clark, ed. of 1893, p. 215, for a similar name of
ardent spirits, apparently the same word as _ratafia_. What Fowler
procured was aguardiente de Taos, a fiery fluid distilled at San
Fernandez from native wheat, and soon too well known as “Taos lightning.”
[96] Baptiste Roy, the interpreter, who had gone on to Santa Fé with Col.
Glenn.
[97] San Fernandez de Taos, the Mexican village about 2 m. from the
Indian Pueblo de Taos. Gregg states that the first white settler was a
Spaniard named Pando, _ca._ 1745. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 598.
[98] Pueblo de Taos, the ancient seat of the Pueblo Indians of Taos,
consisting then as now of two casas grandes—great adobe buildings with
the streamlet between them. Readers who would like a little local
color here will find it well laid on in chaps. xiii-xviii of Garrard’s
Wah-to-yah. The youthful author witnessed the executions which followed
the battle of Taos in 1847.
[99] Pueblo creek, the northern one of two main forks of Taos creek.
[100] Square brackets in the original MS.
[101] Square brackets in the original MS.
[102] Cieneguilla—to be distinguished from a place of the same name S. W.
of Santa Fé.
[103] On Feb. 12, at the mouth of Taos creek.
[104] See back, date of Feb. 8: 14 m. from the mouth of Taos creek would
bring him about to Los Montes, but not to San Cristobal.
[105] Fowler has come by his count 48 m. from the mouth of Taos creek,
N. along the right or W. bank of the Rio Grande, which runs in a cañon
the whole of this way. This distance is about right to take him past the
several special elevations between which and the river he passes, known
as Cerros Taoses, San Cristobal, Montoso, Chifle, and Olla; when he
reaches the low ground of which he speaks, there are a crossing of the
river, cattle ranch, etc. See Pike, ed. of 1895, pp. 597, 598.
[106] That is, from the mouth of Taos creek to present camp—and this
is about right for the vicinity of Ute peak, on the E. side of the Rio
Grande, 4 m. S. of the boundary of Colorado (lat. 37° N.).
[107] Neither this course nor this distance would bring Fowler to the Rio
Conejos from any point on the Rio Grande to which the previous mileages
appear to have advanced him. The distance is 15 m. on an air line due N.
along the meridian of 105° 45´ from Myer’s or Colona’s ferry to the mouth
of the Rio Conejos; hence we infer that Fowler has come up the Rio Grande
further than his previous mileages would indicate. But there is no doubt,
from his description in the above interesting passage, that he is on the
Rio Conejos; and 2 m. up it would be 3 m. below Pike’s stockade of 1807,
as he says. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 495 and following, and p. 595.
[108] Passing La Jara and Alamosa creeks between 4 and 6 m. from the Rio
Conejos. One of these, probably La Jara, is called Willow creek on April
28, p. 135.
[109] The San Juan range of mountains, bounding the San Luis valley on
the W., whence the Rio Grande issues into that valley in the vicinity of
the place called Del Norte.
[110] Fowler has fetched up against the San Juan range somewhere about
the foot of Pintada peak, whence creeks called Piedra Pintada, San
Francisco, and others, flow E. and N. into the Rio Grande. The above
“large rock” is Hanging Rock on p. 126.
[111] In the vicinity of La Loma del Norte, Rio Grande Co.
[112] Perhaps Wolf creek, making down from Del Norte peak, or another in
that vicinity.
[113] This fixes the position of the party exactly. This is the South
Fork of the Rio Grande, above which the main stream comes S. E. from
Wagon Wheel Gap, for about 12 m. to the forks. Fowler’s compass points
are here far out; the Rio Grande is flowing about E. from the forks to
the plains; and the courses of the two forks _from_ their confluence
upward are, respectively, about S. W. and N. W.
[114] Up the North Fork or main Rio Grande, in Wagon Wheel Gap, to a
point about 2 m. below the mouth of Hot Spring creek, presently mentioned
in the text.
[115] About W. from Fowler’s present position, and much further off than
the Spaniards told him.
[116] Santa Maria lake, about in the position indicated, if we make the
required correction of compass points. This lake is 2 or 3 m. N. E. of
San Juan City, a place on the Rio Grande in Antelope park, at the mouth
of Clear creek. The road from the Rio Grande N. W. to Lake fork of
Gunnison river skirts Santa Maria lake, and strikes the Lake fork at San
Cristobal lake.
[117] Text obscure, but intelligible if read as above amended. The trip
was from the creek on which the party had trapped through a gap to the
Rio Grande at a point whence the Spanish road led from the river down the
west side of the San Luis valley to the Rio Conejos.
[118] Trinchera creek, whose Sangre de Cristo branch the party descended
Feb. 4 and 5. See p. 101.
[119] Vicinity of Fort Garland, Costilla Co., Col.
[120] See back, date of Mar. 14, p. 126.
[121] At p. 502 of the ed. of 1895; see also my notes at pp. 495, 496,
for this Ojo Caliente at the foot of the hill opposite Pike’s stockade on
the Rio Conejos. For the above named Willow (La Jara) creek, see back, p.
132 and p. 115, Apr. 13 and Feb. 20.
[122] Rio Culebra, which Fowler first passed Feb. 5, on his way to Taos:
see that date, p. 101. “Snake river” translates the Spanish name, and the
“Snake Hill” of the text is that one of the San Luis hills which is near
this river, on the E. side of the Rio Grande.
[123] New name, probably of some man who has joined the party. See June
1, p. 142, where James and McKnight’s party join.
[124] The party start for home by a different route from that on which
they came to Taos. Crossing the mountains eastward by the Taos Pass, they
leave the watershed of the Rio Grande for that of the Arkansaw, and fetch
out of the mountains on certain headwaters of the Canadian, as noted
beyond.
In Gregg’s Comm. of the Pra., i, 1844, p. 19 and p. 67 (quoted in Pike,
ed. of 1895, p. 437), it is stated that a party of about a dozen men,
including two named Beard and Chambers, reached Santa Fé in 1812, and
returned to the U. S. in 1822. In Inman’s Santa Fé Trail, p. 41, it is
made eight years after James Pursley’s trip that “Messrs. _McKnight_,
Beard, and Chambers, with about a dozen comrades, started with a supply
of goods across the unknown plains, and by good luck arrived safely at
Santa Fé,” where their troubles began; their wares were confiscated, and
most of them were incarcerated at Chihuahua “for almost a decade.” Inman
agrees with Gregg that Beard and Chambers reached St. Louis in 1822, and
notes that “McKnight was murdered south of the Arkansas by the Comanches
in the winter of 1822,” meaning of 1822-23. This McKnight is obviously
the man whom Fowler names.
[125] Ferdinand creek; up this to its forks at foot of Taos Pass.
[126] Thus making the Taos Pass, 8450 feet in altitude, and crossing
to the watershed of the Arkansaw; but still far from being out of the
mountains.
[127] Cieneguilla creek, running N. down Moreno valley to join Moreno
creek, from the N., on which is Elizabethtown. The confluence of these
two creeks, at the foot of Little Baldy peak, forms Cimarron creek, a
tributary of the Canadian river. Moreno valley separates the Taos range
from the Cimarron range, which latter Fowler is now crossing.
[128] About E., over the Cimarron range, passing by Black Peak, 10,900
feet high, to camp in the plains on a tributary of Cimarron creek, a
branch of the Canadian (not to be confounded with that vastly larger
stream, the Cimarron _river_, which is a branch of the Arkansaw itself).
Cimarron creek, after issuing from the mountains, and having been joined
by Ponil creek on one side and Rayado creek on the other, falls into the
Canadian river; on it are the towns of Cimarron and Springer, Colfax Co.,
N. M.
[129] Cimarron creek, as already said.
[130] Vermejo creek, next considerable branch of the Canadian from the W.
above Cimarron creek. It falls into the Canadian between stations Dover
and Dorsey of the A., T. and S. F. R. R.
[131] The Canadian river itself, which Fowler appears to have struck
somewhere about the mouth of Tenaja creek, from the E. This is in the
vicinity of Maxwell’s station, a noted place in the old days of staging,
which I well remember, having arrived there at 5 p. m. of Friday, June
10, 1864.
[132] Position uncertain—see next note.
[133] It is impossible to ascend the Canadian river _any_ distance on
such a course, as the river is running due S. along here, after coming
E. from the mountains. Fowler was camped last night at some uncertain
point on the Canadian and on the present railroad line, which runs due N.
through Raton pass, across the boundary between New Mexico and Colorado
at 37°, and past Fisher’s peak to Trinidad, on Purgatory river. But
Fowler makes altogether too much easting for any such course as this. I
understand, after careful consideration of his meager indications, that
his “up the crick” so many miles means up the Canadian to the mouth of
Chico Rico creek, a branch from the N. E. which, if followed up, would
take him through Manco Burro Pass, between the Raton Mesa and the Chico
Rico Mesa, to a tributary of Purgatory river; but that, having gone up
Chico Rico creek to the confluence of its Una de Gato branch, he follows
up the latter to camp at the foot of the Chico Rico Mesa. In no other
way can we follow him “up a crick” continuously in anything like the
direction or to anything like the distance he gives; and that this was
the way he went will presently appear.
[134] Chico Rico Mesa, a part of the general Raton plateau, separated
from Raton Mesa proper by the defile known as Manco Burro Pass.
[135] He means the chaparral cock or road-runner, _Geococcyx
californianus_, though he makes its bill about six times too long.
[136] That is to say, Purgatory river, at the mouth of which Lewis Dawson
was killed by a grizzly bear: see p. 41, Nov. 13, 1821. Fowler had no
name for this large river, excepting that it was Pike’s “1st Fork,” and
here speaks of it in terms which recall the tragedy.
[137] Chaquaqua creek, a large branch of Purgatory river, draining N.
from Chico Rico Mesa. Crossing this mesa in the direction said, Fowler
passes at 37° the line between New Mexico and Colorado at the same place
that the Denver, Texas, and Ft. Worth R. R. does now—about long. 103° 53´
W.—and comes down off the mesa about 5 m. due E. of Watervale, Las Animas
Co., Col. He keeps down the creek some 10 m. and camps on it, about
opposite the westernmost point of the Mesa de Maya.
From this point Fowler makes a break, almost as straight as the crow
flies, for the Arkansaw, which he will strike at Coolidge, Kas. It is a
long distance across country, about N. E., with no exactly identifiable
landmark till we stand him on Two Buttes; and his trail does not
coincide, except approximately, with any road I can find laid down on the
best modern maps. The nearest I know of is what is called the “probable
course” of the wagon road from Cimarron to Granada, on the drainage sheet
of Hayden’s Atlas of Colorado, 1877; but the maps I go by are the later
ones of the U. S. Geological Survey, 2 m. to the inch. It is a matter of
special interest to recover this old trail as closely as possible.
[138] A long lap in the open to a blind camp, and copy a little vitiated
by some interlineation not quite clear. But we can follow the trail
pretty closely. The “mountain to our right” is the general elevation of
the Mesa de Maya, along which Fowler passes about E. N. E., crossing
successive dry drains of tributaries of Purgatory river, all running to
his left. Rounding the extreme W. point of the Mesa said, Fowler steers
past “a small mountain standing by itself,” which appears to be, by a
singular coincidence, an isolated part of the general elevation now known
as _Fowler_ Mesa. Further on E. along the N. border of the Maya Mesa, is
the better-known Mt. Carrizo, capped by Potatoe Butte; the line between
Las Animas and Baca counties cuts this isolated elevation about lat. 37°
10´ N., and long. 103° 05´ W. Camp cannot be far from the obscure place
called Willow Spring, on one of the collateral sources of Two Butte
creek—possibly at that identical water-hole.
[139] Passing from Las Animas Co. to camp at some indeterminable point
in Baca Co., west of Springfield. From the degree of easting made, and
what is presently said of the S. E. course of the dry washes to be passed
to-morrow, I suppose Fowler to be among the numberless and nameless
drains which make for tributaries of Cimarron river.
[140] Two Butte creek, at a point Fowler gives as 3 m. short of the Two
Buttes whence it takes its name. Camp is still in Baca Co., but very near
the border of Prowers Co. Fowler’s “mound” above said is Two Buttes, a
conspicuous landmark, the first absolutely identifiable one we have had
for several days. The principal one of his several dry water-courses is
Bear creek, that tributary of the Cimarron which runs past Springfield.
[141] Two Buttes, position as said with reference to Two Butte creek, and
1 m. due N. of the boundary between Baca and Prowers counties.
[142] North Butte creek, principal fork of Two Butte creek.
[143] On Two Butte creek, a little above the confluence of North Butte
creek, having passed from Baca Co. into Prowers Co. when opposite the Two
Buttes. If he had kept on a little further, about 4 m. below the forks,
he would have reached Butte Springs, and need not have dug for water.
[144] Striking the Arkansaw about opposite Coolidge, in Kansas near
the border of Colorado. Camp of Nov. 4, 1821, which Fowler presently
mentions, was a mile lower down. As he says on Nov. 5 that he went 9 m.
to reach “a large crick” (Two Butte creek), he appears to have struck the
Arkansaw 8 m. below that creek—_i.e._, about opposite Coolidge, as just
said.
[145] Vicinity of Syracuse, Hamilton Co., Kas.
[146] No doubt Braxton Cooper, from Daniel Boone’s salt works, which were
about 4 m. from Franklin, Mo. See Lewis and Clark, ed. of 1893, p. 18,
and Pike, ed. of 1895, pp. 367, 570.
[147] George Douglas, Nathaniel Pryor, and one unidentifiable man. The
blind word looks like “Rohland” or “Soulard,” but is nothing like any
name previously occurring in this MS. It must be that of some man who
joined the party at Taos, or else the missing Christian name of one of
the party mustered on p. 4.
[148] Unidentified—named for one of the party. See back, Oct. 22, p. 26.
[149] Hitherto Fowler has retraced his steps down the Arkansaw, and the
points passed are easily reckoned by back references. But here he leaves
the river to cut off the large bend it makes in sweeping past Ford, where
Mulberry creek comes in. For this “dry route” see Pike, ed. of 1895, pp.
433, 434.
[150] Of our author = Walnut creek, near Great Bend: see back, notes at
p. 22 and p. 23.
[151] Vicinity of Raymond, Rice Co.
[152] Cow creek or one of its branches; vicinity of Lyons, seat of Rice
Co.
Fowler has left the Arkansaw and taken up a devious ’cross country route,
which is to bring him through Kansas into Missouri near Kansas City and
so on through Independence, Mo., to Fort Osage, on the Missouri river.
In 1822 the road which soon became the long famous Santa Fé caravan
route from Independence to the great bend of the Arkansaw was hardly
established. This went through Council Grove, by the most direct way
which the traders found it convenient to take. For an examination of this
route see Pike, ed. of 1895, pp. 517-522. It is interesting to note, as
showing that no such route as this had become established and well known
when Fowler went through, that he deviates widely from what would have
been his most direct and in every way most eligible line of march. As we
recover his trail we shall find it to be one now unknown, looping far to
the S. into Butler Co., then passing heads of the Verdigris, crossing the
Neosho below the mouth of the Cottonwood, and so on eastward with the
requisite northing. I regard the trail we now take up as something of an
unexpected discovery.
[153] From any position in which last night’s camp can have been, it is
impossible to bring Fowler to the Little Arkansaw on any such course as
_N._ 60° E. 30 miles. That course and distance would take him far beyond
the Little Arkansaw, to some point about the heads of Turkey cr., N. of
McPherson. Moreover, he would never have seen the other party making down
the Arkansaw. Once more, the change I have made in reading the text is
required by what follows. He can be brought in “30” miles _S._ 60° E. to
the Little Arkansaw somewhere about the mouth of Turkey creek, in Harvey
Co. Observe that to-morrow’s course, S. 65° E., is practically in the
same direction he travels to-day.
[154] Of the Little Arkansaw, running S.; these are the Emma creeks and
Sand creek, the latter flowing through Newton, Harvey Co.
[155] Walnut creek—not to be confounded with the other of the same name
which joins the Arkansaw near Great Bend. This Walnut creek falls into
the Arkansaw near the border of Oklahoma, being the one called White
river by Fowler on Oct. 9 (p. 16), one of whose branches is still known
as Whitewater. Camp is on one of these, near the boundary between Harvey
and Butler counties. We now realize what a roundabout route Fowler is
taking from the great bend of the Arkansaw to Fort Osage on the Missouri,
being far S. of the regular “Santa Fé Trail” that was soon to become
established.
[156] Of the same Walnut creek, on a course nearly E., in Butler Co.
[157] Of the same Walnut creek—the second branch above said being the
main source of this stream, interlocking with a source of the south
fork of Cottonwood river, nearly on the line between Butler and Chase
counties. Camp about the place called Sycamore Springs, in Butler Co.
[158] Not quite yet—Fowler has still to pass the heads of the south fork
of the Cottonwood, which he mistakes for those of the Verdigris. No head
of the Verdigris flows anything like west, as he says that branch does
on which he camps. All his indications set camp unmistakably at or near
Thurman, Chase Co., on that branch of Thurman creek which runs westerly.
This creek is joined at Matfield Green by two others, the three together
composing the south fork of the Cottonwood, running N. This is a queer
place to find a man on his way from Great Bend to Kansas City—but here he
is!
[159] Head of Verdigris river, in Chase Co., at the distance and in the
direction said from Thurman.
[160] The Verdigris itself and four of its collateral heads, named Camp,
Fawn, Rock, and Moon. Fowler’s trail here crosses that of Pike, who
was camped on one of these creeks Sept. 10, 1806. For the remarkable
fan-shaped leash of streamlets which compose the headwaters of the
Verdigris, see Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 400. Camp in vicinity of Olpe, Lyon
Co.
[161] The Neosho is struck at a point between Neosho Rapids and the mouth
of the Cottonwood, some 8 m. a little S. of E. from Emporia, seat of Lyon
Co.
[162] Marais des Cygnes creek, continuation of Marais des Cygnes river,
as the main course of the Osage river in Kansas is still called, by
curious survival of the pure French phrase. This stream is struck in the
vicinity of Reading, Lyon Co., nearly on the border of Osage Co.; whence
Fowler proceeds about E. N. E. across Cherry creek, to camp on the divide
between Marais des Cygnes creek and its Salt creek branch—somewhere
between Olivet and Osage City, seat of Osage Co.
[163] Salt creek, crossed in the vicinity of Lyndon, seat of Osage Co.
[164] Dragoon creek of present nomenclature, considered by Fowler as the
main Osage river. It is a large stream, about the size of the Marais des
Cygnes itself, separated from the latter by Salt creek—all three of these
coming together within a mile or two of each other, in the immediate
vicinity of Quenemo, Osage Co., close to the border of Franklin Co. For
Dragoon cr., see Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 520. Fowler is now nearing what
was soon to become the regular Santa Fé caravan route from Independence,
Mo., to the great bend of the Arkansaw—after having needlessly made a
great bend of his own southward from that direct line of travel.
[165] Appanoose creek, a branch of the Marais des Cygnes which falls in
near Ottawa, seat of Franklin Co., into which Fowler has passed from
Osage Co.
“In 1812 a Captain Becknell, who had been on a trading expedition to the
country of the Comanches in the summer of 1811, and had done remarkably
well, determined the next season to change his objective point to Santa
Fé,” says Inman, p. 38. When at or near the Caches on the Arkansaw, he
left that stream and took his party across country on the Cimarron or dry
route; but they were obliged to return, after suffering horribly from
thirst, and follow up the Arkansaw route to Taos.
“The virtual commencement of the Santa Fé trade dates from 1822”; and in
1824 was made the first attempt to introduce wagons, etc., says Inman, p.
51. According to Gregg, a better authority, both pack animals and wagons
were used 1822-25, but after that wagons only. According to Fowler’s
passage above, we see that Becknell had taken wagons in 1822 if not
earlier; and thus the party to which Col. Marmaduke was attached, and
which reached Santa Fé with wagons in 1824, was not the first to pass
through Kansas on wheels.
[166] One of these is Eight Mile creek, next branch of the Marais des
Cygnes, falling in near the mouth of the Appanoose, at Ottawa. As “all
the Watters runs South East,” we know that Fowler is still on the Osage
watershed, and I am inclined to set his camp on one of the heads of
Ottawa creek, some 6 m. W. of Baldwin City, Douglas Co., perhaps not far
from Willow Springs camp of the traders; for which see Pike, ed. of 1895,
p. 519.
[167] Heads of the Ottawa creek last said, especially of its East fork.
Fowler passes Baldwin City to camp on the divide between the Osage and
the Kansan waters.
[168] Position not exactly determinable, somewhere between Baldwin City
and Edgerton, in the vicinity of Black Jack: see Pike, ed. of 1895, p.
519. The divide is here between heads of Big Bull creek, tributary to the
Osage, on the S., and heads of Captain creek, a branch of Kansas river,
on the N.—Captain creek being the first branch from the S. below the
mouth of Wakarusa creek, which latter falls into the Kansas at Eudora.
From present camp Fowler passes into the watershed of the Kansas river.
[169] Cedar creek, a branch of Kansas river, as Fowler supposed. Camp on
it in the vicinity of Olathe, Johnson Co., Kas. See Pike, ed. of 1895,
p. 510. The direct distance is much less than “22” m.; but the party
wandered about all the morning.
[170] Turkey creek or a branch of it; this falls into the Kansas
river within present limits of Kansas City, Mo. Camp on or near the
Kansas-Missouri line, 5 m. from where the road then crossed Big Blue
river.