[From James G. Scrugham, Nevada: The Narrative of the Conquest of a Frontier Land (1935), vol. I, pp. 25-32]

IV

JEDEDIAH STRONG SMITH

1826-1827

The new firm of Smith, Jackson and Sublette, composed as it was of practical men, formed its plan of operations while at the rendezvous at Great Salt Lake in 1826. Jackson and Sublette were to continue trapping on the streams within the northeastern portion of the Great Basin, and in contiguous territory on the headwaters of the Snake and the Yellowstone; while Smith was to head an exploring expedition to the unknown country to the south and west of Great Salt Lake, for the purpose of finding new fields for trapping, and possibly of opening a new route to the Pacific whence furs could be shipped directly to the great world market in Canton. The parties headed by Jackson and Sublette were successful. They occupied practically without competition the small but productive territory in that part of the Great Basin, and they met the keen and powerful rivalry of the Hudson's Bay men along the streams of the Columbia and Missouri watersheds with a skill born of long years of experience in the wilderness, and with an energy and hardihood which even the trained veterans from the north could hardly match. The destructive competition which was soon to overtake the fur-trade in the northwest and bring it to .the sinister conditions which decent men could not tolerate, had not yet arrived when the new firm began to operate, though its menace was beginning to be felt. It is with Smith's Expedition to the southwest that the story of Nevada is concerned.

The country to the south and west of Great Salt Lake into which Smith proposed to go was most uninviting to those viewing it from the western slope of the Rocky Mountains; and the knowledge gained from its miserable inhabitants only added to its ill-repute. No streams led out into its desert wilds to lure the hardy trapper; within its desolate expanse, said the Indians, was neither plant nor water for human subsistence except at isolated spots. Yet there was an empire unexplored, and there was still persisting the tradition of the Bueneventura River flowing from the desert to the Pacific. Somewhere in this unknown empire might be, more than likely were, untrapped streams with countless pelts of beaver.

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Smith was much more than a mere leader of trappers. He had become an exceedingly intelligent observer and explorer, and his great interest in the new lands he delighted to discover was perhaps deeper than in their promise of wealth. While, therefore, the exploration of the Great Basin country was for his partners primarily an expedition to find new fields for trapping, it was to young Smith a voyage of virgin discovery. At this date there were two routes overland from the Rockies to the Pacific known to white men: one was by the Columbia River and its tributaries, traveled extensively by trappers and traders since the days of Lewis and Clark and the Astorians; the other was by way of the Spanish trails far to the south in Mexico. An expedition depending upon the country traveled for forage and supplies must, per-force, in an arid country, keep in touch with streams and springs, not only for the water itself but because in its vicinity alone would be found wild animals for food and grass for horses.

The Smith party left Great Salt Lake in August, 1826, and followed the general course of the valleys to the south without attempting the direct but hazardous course across the trackless desert to the west. Our only authentic information concerning his route comes from a letter which he wrote to Gen. William Clark, superintendent of Indian affairs, formerly of the Lewis and Clark expedition, in which he says : "My situation in this country has enabled me to obtain information concerning a section which has hitherto been measurably veiled in obscurity to the citizens of the United States. I allude to the country S. W. of the Great Salt Lake west of the Rocky Mountains. I started about the 22nd of Aug., 1826, from the Great Salt Lake with a party of fifteen men for the purpose of exploring, the country S. W. which was entirely unknown to me, and of which I could collect no satisfactory information from the Indians who inhabit this country on its N. E. borders.

"My general course on leaving the Salt Lake, was South W. & West—passing the Little Uta Lake, and ascending Ashley's River which empties into little Uta Lake; from this I found no more sign of buffalo—there are a few antelope and mountain sheep and an abundance of black-tail hares. On Ashley's River, I found a nation of Indians who call themselves Sampatch. They were friendly disposed toward us. I passed over a range of mountains running S. E. and N. W. and struck a river running S. W. which I called Adams River, in compliment to our President. The water is of a muddy cast, and is a little brackish—the country is mountainous to the East—toward the West there are sandy plains, and detached Rocky Hills. Passing down this river some distance, I fell in with a nation of Indians, who call themselves Pa Ulches. These Indians, as well as those last mentioned, wear rabbit skin robes; who raise some little corn and pumpkins. The country is nearly destitute of game of any description except a few hares here (about 10 days march down it) the river turns to the south east. On the S. W. side of the river there is a cave, the entrance of which is about 10 or 15 feet high and five or six feet in width. After descending about 15 feet the room opens out from 25 to 30 feet in length and 15 to 20 feet in width. The roof, sides and floor are solid rock salt—a sample of which I send you. . . . I followed Adams River two days further, to where it empties into the Seeds Keeden, a southeast course."

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Inasmuch as this is the first known instance of white men entering the present State of Nevada it is unfortunate that the account is so meagre and confusing. If Smith after leaving the Sevier followed Escalante's route, as most writers on the subject have agreed, and crossed the mountain range to the south, his Adams River is the Virgin River of today. His description of the muddy cast and brackish taste of its waters would still be applicable, and its southwesterly course in general correct. It is not correct to say that the stream "turns to the southeast" in any part of its course, but it does turn to the south after its junction with the Muddy. The salt cave alluded to is "southwest" of the Muddy but west of the Virgin. If Smith followed the Virgin down to the Muddy he entered Nevada near the towns of Mesquite and Bunkerville, in Clark County.

[picture]

PETRIFIED TREE IN VIRGIN VALLEY

Opal Fields, Humboldt County

Sevier Valley and crossed the range of hills west of Escalante Valley and so entered Nevada near the towns of Panaca and Pioche in Lincoln County.

After a careful survey of the situation and study of the available information, Dr. Merriam says of this portion of Smith's route : "In conclusion, it may be said with confidence that 'Ashley's River' of Smith is the upper part of the Sevier—the part flowing northerly toward Utah Lake, as correctly identified by Chittenden, Richman, and Dale; that `Adams River' of Smith is Meadow Valley Wash of eastern Nevada and its continuation the Muddy—not the Virgin, as heretofore misidentified (except the last few miles of its lower course, as previously explained); and that Smith's route after crossing the mountains west of the Sevier lay across the Escalante Desert and thence down Meadow Valley

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Wash and the Muddy to the lower Virgin, and down it to the Colorado River."

This explanation of his route is strongly fortified by the facts that Smith naturally desired to turn to the west rather than to the south, and it allows Smith's statements of direction to stand; there are also other corroborative evidences that Smith followed the Meadow Valley Wash rather than the Virgin River. The name of Adams River was probably not bestowed upon the stream until the Colorado was reached. Smith's visit to the salt cave may have caused him to miss the junction of the Virgin and the Muddy altogether, and so left him unaware of the existence of the former stream.

With Smith on this journey, serving as a clerk, was Harrison G. Rogers, who kept a daily journal of the events. Unfortunately that portion relating to the trip from Great Salt Lake to California has been lost; but in a notation relating to issues of supplies to the men, Rogers locates the party on "Muddy River," October 1, 1826, and on the "Siskadee" October 5. The homely but expressive name of "Muddy," used by Rogers, has been permanently attached to the stream, while the intended "compliment" to President Adams has been forgotten. In the following year, as the events will show, Smith came again to the Muddy River, probably noting the larger stream, of which it is a tributary, and perhaps naming it the Virgin River for one of his men, Thomas Virgin. On the whole the evidence points rather strongly to the conclusion that Smith entered Nevada near Panaca and followed the Meadow Valley Wash down to the Muddy which he named Adams River. His entire route from Utah Lake to the Muddy would rather closely approach the present line of the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad.

The Smith party crossed the Seeds Keeden (Colorado) near the mouth of the Virgin River and "went down it four days, a South Course. I here found the country remarkably barren, rocky and mountainous—there are a good many rapids in the river. About at this place a valley opens out:" One of the rapids passed by Smith at this time was that at which the famous Boulder Dam is now being constructed by the United States Government. The lake to be formed by the dam will cover the lower portions of the Virgin as far up as its junction with the Muddy.

Finding the Indians in the valley friendly, the expedition rested for two weeks and replenished its stock of worn-out horses by "purchase of a few more from runaway Indians who stole some horses from the Spaniards." These "runaway Indians" were aptly named. They in fact constituted what was perhaps the most vexatious problem with which the good padres at the California missions had to deal. It was the custom of the mountain Indians to flock to the missions during winter months, when living conditions were severe in their natural habitats, and become humble and exemplary children of the church; but when spring came they would flee to the mountains again, taking with them as many horses as they could steal from the widely scattered flocks of the missions.

Securing from these Indians information of the country to the west and two guides to go with him, Smith again crossed the Colorado River near the present site of Needles, the first white American citizen, so far as known, to enter California by an over-

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land route from the United States. Passing out from the desert and crossing the San Bernardino Mountains through the now well-known El Cajon pass they came on November 27 to the mission of San Gabriel, which had been founded in 1771 by the famous Catholic missionary, Junipero Serra. Here they were hospitably received and entertained. But the reception of the American expedition by the civil authorities in California was entirely lacking in the hospitality extended by the mission. The governor would not allow Smith to take his expedition up the coast to the Russian settlements, but consented to his return over the route by which he came. Instead, Smith, making a circuit of the settlements, and keeping from 150 to 200 miles from the coast, traveled along the western foothills of the Sierra Nevadas to the Stanislaus River.

It should be borne in mind that Smith had been hitherto imbued with the belief that by following along the western foothills of the Sierras he would come to the Buenaventura River up which he could proceed to the Great Salt Lake. Failing to find this river in the journey of three hundred miles to the north of San Gabriel, and of course finding the Indians ignorant of such a stream, his belief in its existence would be greatly weakened if not entirely destroyed. It was also time for him to report to his partners who were trapping east and north of Great Salt Lake. He therefore essayed the difficult task of taking his expedition across the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the high altitudes of that vicinity in early spring. The attempt failed, the men suffering severe hardships while five of his horses "starved to death." Compelled to return to the valley with his party, he immediately prepared to make a quick dash across the mountains, and the equally dangerous deserts beyond, with two men only and a small pack train of seven horses and two mules. No one could realize better than the young leader the hazardous nature of the undertaking. He had just tested the dangers of the mountain passes; he knew by experience and reputation something of the horrors of the waterless and trackless desert that lay between the Sierras and the Great Salt Lake. As he was the first white man to cross this hitherto unexplored land it would be of great historical interest to know more of his route and his experiences; unfortunately his account is as brief as it is modest. In his letter to General Clark, above quoted, he says : "Leaving my party, I started with two men, seven horses and two mules, which I loaded with hay for the horses and provisions for ourselves, and started on the 20th of May (1827), and succeeded in crossing it (the mountain chain) in eight days, having lost only two horses and one mule. I found the snow on the top of this mountain from 4 to 8 feet deep, but it was so consolidated by the heat of the sun that my horses only sunk from half a foot to one foot deep. After traveling twenty days from the east side of Mount Joseph, I struck the S. W. corner of the Great Salt Lake, travelling over a country completely barren and destitute of game. We frequently traveled without water sometimes for two days over sandy deserts, where there was no sign of vegetation and when we found water in some of the rocky hills, we most generally found some Indians who appeared the most miserable of the human race having nothing to subsist on (nor any clothing) except grass seed, grasshoppers, etc. When we arrived at the Salt Lake, we had but one horse and one mule remaining,

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which were so feeble and poor that they could scarce carry the little camp equipage which I had along; the balance of my horses I was compelled to eat as they gave out." One of Smith's two companions on this perilous trip was Silas Gobel, a blacksmith; the name of the other is unknown.

The course followed from the eastern slope of the Sierra to Great Salt Lake can only be conjectured from the meagre details preserved. It certainly was not, as some writers have stated, a retracing of the outbound journey of the year before. That route was three hundred miles to the south, and to have covered the extra six hundred miles required in the time actually consumed would have been quite impossible. It is equally certain that writers who have located his route along the Mary's (Humboldt) river to the north are also in error. Had he followed that route he

[picture]

CHARLESTON MOUNTAINS NEAR LAS VEGAS

would not have travelled "over a country completely barren and destitute of game" nor would he have "struck the S. W. corner of the Great Salt Lake." More conclusive still he would certainly have returned to California by that route had he known its great advantages. The situation that presented itself to Smith as he reached the desert east of the Sierra was this: a trackless waste of three hundred miles to the south to reach his west bound route of the year before; an unknown journey of even greater

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distance to the north to reach the routes of the Hudson's Bay Company's trappers in the Columbia basin; his objective, the rendezvous on Bear Lake, five hundred miles across an unexplored desert to the east. Had it been his purpose to return by either of the known routes, north or south, he would surely have sought one of them by travelling to it in the well watered country west of the Sierra. When he essayed the perilous trip across the snow covered mountains there can be no doubt that it was with the grim determination to hold his course straight for the rendezvous where he could meet his partners before they separated for the fall hunt. All that he says of his route corresponds to the now known conditions that he was sure to meet. Narrow as was his escape from the perils of his journey across the parched desert in the month of June, it is exceedingly doubtful if one of the party would have escaped alive had the journey been delayed until mid-summer, for then the snows on the low ranges would have been melted and the streams dried up; and the few springs are so far apart and so hard to find that men die of thirst in their vain search for them. Knowing then that his journey of some three hundred miles to the south from Great Salt Lake had been offset by his like journey to the north from San Gabriel mission, he would naturally take a general course to the east, modified by such natural conditions as he would encounter from day to day.

            Striking the southwest corner of Great Salt Lake Smith undoubtedly kept to the east along the southern shore of the lake; for while the rendezvous was northeast of the lake, in Bear Valley, the route from the southwest corner along the west and north sides would be through a most desolate and forbidding country with which Smith was familiar not only from the reports of it made by the Ashley party which had sailed around the lake but also from his own observations. While the country south of the lake was

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