Note I-65 — Chapter I · ITINERARY: UP THE MISSOURI AND OSAGE RIVERS, AND THROUGH KANSAS TO THE PAWNEE VILLAGE ON THE REPUBLICAN RIVER, JULY 15TH-SEPT. 30TH, 1806.

"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.