XXVI.—From Nebraska City, on the Missouri, to Fort Kearney..
Nebraska City, on the Missouri River, is a point from whence a large amount of the supplies for the army in Utah are sent, and one f the contractors, Mr. Alexander Majors, speaks of this route in the following terms: “The military road from Fort Leavenworth crosses very many tributaries of the Kansas River, the Soldier, the Grasshopper, etc., etc., which are at all times difficult of passage. There are no gridges, or but a few, and those of but little service. From Nebraska City to Fort Kearney, which is a fixed point for the junction of all roads passing up the Platte, we have but one stream of any moment to cross. That one is Salt Creek, a stream which is now paved at a shallow ford with solid rock.
“There is no other stream which, even in a high freshet, would stop a train a single day. Again, upon this route we have an abundance of good grazing every foot of the way to Fort Kearney. The route from Nebraska City is about 100 iles shorter to Fort Kearney than that from Forth Leavenworth, the former being less than 200 miles and the latter about 300 miles.”
| From | Miles |
| Nebraska City to Salt Creek | 40 |
| Salt Creek to Elm Creek | 60 |
| Elm Creek to Fort Kearney | 100 |
Upon the entire route there is an abundance of wood, water, and grass, and camping-places frequent.
