Chapter I: C. Woods,

_Superintendent S. A. & S. D. Mail Line_.

Hon. A. V. BROWN,
_Postmaster General_.

Accompanying this please find the measurements from point to point on the whole road from San Antonio to San Diego, with names of the watering places.

_Table of distances, and from one watering-place to another from starting point._

From San Antonio to Leon river 6.53
From Leon to Castroville, “Medina” river 18
From Castroville to Dharris “Saco” river 25.28
From Dharris to Ranchero creek 8.38
From Ranchero creek to Sabinal creek 3.94
From Sabinal creek to Camanche creek 5
From Camanche creek to Rio Frio 8.46
From Rio Frio to Head of Leona “Uvalde” 6.08
From Uvalde to Nueces 9.04
From Nueces to Turkey creek 10.27
From Turkey creek to Elm creek 15.23
From Elm creek to Las Moras river, Fort Clarke 7.13
----- 123.34
From Fort Clarke to Piedra Pinto 7
From Piedra Pinto to Maverick creek 8.86
From Maverick creek to San Felipe 12.61
From San Felipe to first crossing of San Pedro
or Devil’s river 10.22
From First Crossing to Painted Caves 2.54
From Painted Caves to California Spring 15.73
From California Spring to Willow Spring 2
From Willow Spring to Fort Hudson, or second
crossing of San Pedro or Devil’s river 16.39
----- 75.35
From Fort Hudson to Head of San Pedro or
Devil’s river 19.50
From Head of river to Howard Springs 44
From Howard Springs to Live Oak creek 30.44
From Live Oak creek to Fort Lancaster 3
----- 96.94
From Fort Lancaster to Pecos 4.29
From Pecos Crossing to Pecos Spring 6
From Pecos Spring to Leaving of Pecos 32.26
From Leaving of Pecos to Arroyo Escondido 16.26
From Arroyo Escondido to Escondido Spring 8.58
From Escondido Spring to Camanche Spring 19.40
From Camanche Spring to Leon Hole 8.88
From Leon Hole to Hackberry pond 11
From Hackberry pond to Limpia creek 32
From Limpia creek to Fort Davis 18.86
----- 157.53
From Fort Davis to Point of Rocks 10
From Point of Rocks to Barree Springs 8.42
From Barree Springs to Deadman’s Hole 13.58
From Deadman’s Hole to Van Horn’s Wells 32.83
From Van Horn’s Wells to Eagle Springs 19.74
From Eagle Springs to first camp on Rio Grande 31.42
From first camp on Rio Grande to Birchville 35
----- 150.99
From Birchville to San Eleazario 24.80
From San Eleazario to Socorro 5.45
From Socorro to Isletta 3.10
From Isletta to El Paso 14.14
----- 47.49
From El Paso to Cottonwood 22
From Cottonwood to Fort Fillmore 22
From Fort Fillmore to La Mesilla 6
----- 50
From La Mesilla to Cook’s Spring 65
From Cook’s Spring to Rio Mimbres 18
From Rio Mimbres to Ojo La Vaca 17
From Ojo La Vaca to Ojo de Ynez 10
From Ojo de Ynez to Peloncilla 34
From Peloncilla to Rio Saur or San Domingo 18
From Rio Saur to Apache Springs 23
From Apache Springs to Dos Cabesas Springs 9
From Dos Cabesas Springs to Dragon Springs 26
From Dragon Springs to mouth of Quercos cañon 18
From mouth of Quercos cañon to San Pedro crossing 6
From San Pedro to Cienega 20
From Cienega to Cienega creek 13
From Cienega creek to Mission San Xavier 20
From Mission to Tucson 8
---- 305
From Tucson to Pico Chico mountain 5
From Pico Chico to first camp on Gila 35
From first camp on Gila to Maricopa Wells 29
---- 99
From Maricopa Wells to Tezotal, across Jornada 40
From Tezotal to Ten-mile camp 10
From Ten-mile camp to Murderer’s grave 8
From Murderer’s grave to Oatman’s Flat,
1st crossing of Gila 15
From Oatman’s Flat to 2d crossing of Gila 25
From 2d crossing of Gila to Peterman’s station 32
From Peterman’s station to Antelope Peak 20
From Antelope Peak to Little Corral 24
From Little Coral to Fort Yuma 16
---- 190
From Fort Yuma to Pilot Knob 7
From Pilot Knob to Cook’s Wells 13
From Cook’s Wells to Alamo Mucho 21.94
From Alamo Mucho to Indian Wells 20.94
From Indian Wells to Carissa creek 32.24
----- 95.12
From Carissa creek to Vallecito 18
From Vallecito to Lassator’s ranch 18
From Lassator’s ranch to Julian’s ranch 7
From Julian’s ranch to Williams’ ranch 7
From Williams’ ranch to Ames’ ranch 14
From Ames’ ranch to Mission San Diego 16
From Mission to San Diego 5
----- 85

_Recapitulation._

San Antonio to Fort Clarke 123.34
Fort Clarke to Fort Hudson 75.35
Fort Hudson to Fort Lancaster 96.94
Fort Lancaster to Fort Davis 157.53
Fort Davis to Birchville 150.99
Birchville to El Paso 47.49
------ 651.64
El Paso to La Mesilla 50
La Mesilla to Tucson 305
Tucson to Maricopa 99
Maricopa to Fort Yuma 190
Fort Yuma to Carissa 95.12
Carissa to San Diego 85
--------
San Antonio to San Diego 1,475.76
========

_Itinerary of my own journey across the continent._

August 1.--From San Antonio to Castroville 25 miles.
2.--From Castroville to 9 miles east of Uvalde 46 ”
3.--From camp to 11 miles west of Turkey creek 40 ”
4.--From camp to near San Felipe creek 40 ”
5.--From camp to 10 miles east of Fort Hudson 35 ”
6.--From camp to 10 miles west of San Pedro 44 ”
7.--From camp to 6 miles east of Live Oak creek 53 ”
8.--From camp to 6 miles above Pecos spring 28 ”
9.--From camp to Escondido creek, 8 miles east of
the spring 44 ”
10.--From camp to 10 miles west of 46 ”
11.--From camp to Limpia creek 33 ”
12.--From camp to Fort Davis 19 ”
13.--From Fort Davis to 7 miles west of Dead Man’s
Hole 42 ”
14.--From camp to 8 miles west of Eagle Springs 51 ”
15.--From camp to 10 miles south of Birchville 49 ”
16.--From camp to Socorro 40 ”
17.--From Socorro to Franklin, El Paso 17 ”
18, 19, 20, 21.--In El Paso.
22.--From El Paso to Fort Fillmore 44 ”
23.--From Fort Fillmore to Picacho village, 6 miles
west of Mesilla 12 ”
24.--From Picacho village to 9 miles east of Cook’s
Spring 50 ”
25.--From camp to mouth of Burro Mount cañon, near
Ojo de Ynez 55 ”
26.--From camp to 9 miles east of River Saur 43 ”
27.--From camp to 9 miles west of Dos Cabesas
Spring 50 ”
28.--From camp to ford of San Pedro river 40 ”
29.--From camp to Mission San Xavier 53 ”
30.--From Mission San Xavier to 30 miles west of
Tucson 38 ”
31.--From camp to 1-mile camp on Gila 40 ”
Sept. 1.--From camp to Tezotal 69 ”
2.--From Tezotal to second crossing of Gila 58 ”
3.--From second crossing to Antelope Peak 52 ”
4.--From Antelope Peak to Fort Yuma 40 ”
5.--From Fort Yuma to Alamo Mucho 42 ”
6.--From Alamo Mucho to Carissa creek 53 ”
7.--From Carissa creek to Lassator’s 36 ”
8.--From Lassator’s to San Diego 49 ”
-----
1,476 miles.

Making the trip personally from San Antonio to San Diego in thirty-eight days.

[From the San Antonio Herald.]

_A few notes and distances from San Antonio to San Diego._

The following information in relation to the distances from this place to San Diego, has been obtained from the superintendent of the S. A. & S. D. Mail Stage Company, who has passed over the route and back, and the statements as to distances and the nature of the route may be implicitly relied on:

1. The distance from San Antonio to El Paso is 652 miles, and the character of the route is so well known to most of our readers that we deem it unnecessary to enter into any description of it. Grass and water are considered sufficiently abundant. The road passes by a number of the military posts, and though Indians are occasionally met with, they have seldom made any hostile demonstrations, and have never, but once, made an attack upon the train.

2. From El Paso to Messilla Valley in the Gadsden Purchase, the route running up the east bank of the Rio Grande to Fort Fillmore, (N. M.) where it crosses the river into the Messilla Valley, the distance is 50 miles.

3. From Messilla Valley to Tucson the distance is 305 miles. This portion of the route is remarkably fine travelling, with good grass and water. The streams on this section are the Mimbres and San Pedro, both fordable, and usually crossed with but little trouble. The Apache Indians are met with occasionally on this route, yet the mail party which here consists of eight men, has never been attacked in making some thirty-two trips over the route.

4. From Tucson to Maricopa Wells, (Pimos Villages,) is 99 miles. On this portion of the route the mail is carried by two men. Very few Indians are seen, and they are harmless. The Maricopa Wells are at the further end of a beautiful and fertile valley, occupied by the Pimos Indians, who raise corn and other grain in considerable quantities.--(See Journal.) On this portion of the route, and indeed, throughout the entire distance from San Antonio to San Diego, the road is well defined, and is a finely beaten level track, with just enough gravel for the most part to make it pleasant travelling.

5. From Maricopa Wells down the river Gila to Fort Yuma is 190 miles. On this portion of the route the grass, though not abundant, is yet sufficient for the maintainance of trains and herds.--(See Journal.) Few Indians on the route, and they not dangerous. The mail train between these points consists of three men. Fort Yuma is situated on the west bank of the Great Colorado of the West, and just opposite the junction of the Gila with that stream. There is a splendid large ferry-boat on the Colorado here, sufficient to cross a six-horse stage. The river is about as large as the Ohio at Wheeling. This portion of the road is travelled considerably by Californians who carry on mining operations in the Gadsden Purchase. It is the opinion of all who have seen that region that it possesses the finest silver mines in the world, together with fine quantities of gold on the streams north of the Gila. These mines are now little known and but slightly valued, because of the proximity of the Indians, and their remoteness from mining facilities.

6. From Fort Yuma to Carissa creek is 95 miles. This section embraces the “great bugbear” known as the “Great Colorado Desert.” Between the two points there are three watering places on the direct route, whilst there are others that may be reached by a slight deflection. The mail party here consists of two men.

7. From Carissa creek to San Diego is 85 miles, its whole extent. This is by a new route, and at present not open to wagons its whole extent, but which, by a little work in the mountain passes, can be made an excellent road. The mail is now carried over this new route. The old route, over which the stages have to pass, is 125 miles. Over this section the mail is carried by a single person.

* * * * *

Transcriber’s note

Minor punctuation errors have been changed without notice. Inconsistencies in italics, spelling, and hyphenization have been standardized.

Spelling has been retained as originally published except for the changes below.

Page 14: “during the moring” “during the morning”
Page 14: “in charge of the coporal” “in charge of the corporal”
Page 17: “paying off the trooops” “paying off the troops”
Page 18: “made two arragements” “made two arrangements”
Page 30: “Department contemplate” “Department contemplates”
Page 35: “nature of the climate wit” “nature of the climate we”
Page 35: “go ee directly through” “going directly through”
Page 35: “hottest months gof hn” “hottest months of the”
Page 37: “drop of rain feel upon us” “drop of rain fell upon us”