Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean: Vol. 1, Pt. 2

LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
They should be numbered, and a corresponding number entered in the note-book, with a particular description of the localities.
It will not be necessary to make geological collections, except of soils, until you reach
Traverse des Sioux, as the exploring parties of Dr. Owen have already determined with sufficient accuracy the geology of that district. But after crossing the extensive drift region before
alluded to (where it is only important to notice the underlying rocks) youl come into the rich
fossiliferous regions of the cretaceous and tertiary formations. Here it is of great importance to
make careful geological sections of the rocks exposed, and to collect all the fossil remains met
with, in order to determine with greater accuracy the boundary of these formations, and as far
as practicable of their various members. As before stated, they extend to near the falls of the
Missouri, and this is the only portion of the route where it is particularly desirable that extnsive
geological collections should be made. All specimens collected in this region you are requested
to deposit at Forts Union and Benton, carefully packed in boxes for shipment down the Missouri river, and directed to
An interesting feature in the geology of the upper Missouri river country is the great lignite
bed, commencing about latitude 47~, and showing itself at various points on the Missouri river
for seven hundred miles. In this vast prairie country, almost wholly destitute of timber, it is
important that the quality and extent of this coal bed be determined. Specimens, therefore,
should be collected, both of the coal and the rocks associated with it.
Special attention is directed to the geological formations along the base of the Rocky mountains, both east and west of the main range. The age of these rocks has been a matter of some
doubt; and it is highly important, if any of them are fossiliferous, that collections be made.
The Bitter Root range of mountains is perhaps the most interesting portion of your route for
mineralogical research. I collected here rich specimens of iron, copper, and other valuable and
useful ores; and in some portions of the range the rocks bear considerable analogy to the
talcose and other allied rocks of the gold-bearing regions of California.
As you proceed northward a considerable change occurs in the geological features of the
country. Galena, of good quality, has been found near Fort Colville, north of the British line.
If these seams extend into our own territory, it would prove a discovery of great value, and it is
therefore worthy of investigation.
West of the Cascade range of mountains, on the way to-and from Puget sound, your parties
will pass and repass through the great coal or lignite region of Washington Territory. The
beds are of greater thickness and better quality than have been found in the same geological
formation in any other country, and may prove of great value. It is my intention to spend
several months in the exploration of that section, but the incidental information obtained by
your numerous corps might be of great advantage in developing the extent and value of these
deposits.
Very respectfully,
JOHN EVANS,
Geologist of the Expedition.
Gov. ISAAC I. STEVENS.
CAMP PIERCE, June 3, 1853.
SIR: I reached St. Paul's on Friday.evening last (May 27,) and the next morning went to
the camp which had been established by Captain Gardiner, some three miles from Fort
Snelling, west of the Mississippi river; and which, in honor of the President, I have named
Camp Pierce.
The camp was established by Captain Gardiner on the 24th of May, the day after the arrival
of the full list of mules, one hundred and seventy-two in number; and on the 25th ultimo the
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