GARRISON¹S EXPEDITION BEGINS By June 30th Garrison¹s preparations were complete and the party of five set out to accomplish the task of contacting the tribes. They traveled south on the Territorial Road, and by July 1st, arrived at the McKenzie fork of the Willamette River. Garrison recorded it in his journal: On arriving at this point I ascertained that the party that I had expected to accompany me to Fort Boise had not as yet been raised. I saw a public notice that the party would be raised on the fourth of July at Mr. Peaks where a dinner and ball was to be given on the occasion of the 4th. I thought it best that I should attend this meeting.... The meeting at ³Mr. Peaks,² with a ball in the evening was a gala occasion, customary on the frontier when the birthday of the country came around. Garrison continued in his journal: The celebration of the day seemed to absorb the attention of the people, so that but little time or attention could be given to the raising of a party to accompany me, .... Mr. Alexander and Mr. Cady seemed to think, ... and some others agreed, that in about three days a party of sixteen would be ready to accompany me. Garrison was anxious to be off, and having some assurance that the party of sixteen would ready in a few days, he determined that he would go as far as the Deschutes River and await their arrival. He also noted that: While at the celebration he was informed that R.M. Walker was one of the acting Commissioners of the Road ..., and that Mr. Walker would pilot a party through to Fort Boise, and that he, Mr. Walker, was not up in the mountains in company with five, marking the remainder of the road that had not as yet been marked out, and that Mr. Walker with with a portion of his party would accompany me. As Garrison communicated with Palmer it became obvious that he, Garrison, was reluctant to make this expedition at all, and the news that, instead of a party of 30 to 40 men to accompany his, there would only be ³a portion² of a crew dampened his spirit even more. He writes: I now came to the conclusion that it was very doubtful whether ... a party of even six persons could be raised to accompany me, but however as I am instructed to notice the Des Chutes country particularly, with a view to locate the [Willamette] Valley Indians there if it should be thought advisable. I have therefore thought it best to proceed on and endeavor this, and should a sufficient party arrive to proceed and if not to return. Having most likely read William Macy¹s account of the attack by the Harney Valley Indians the previous year, Garrison¹s unwillingness to have anything to do with them is perfectly understandable. In any case, Garrison decided to proceed with his charge from General Palmer. Garrison¹s party left their camp on the bank of the McKenzie River, on July 5th, ferried across the river, and set out along the road to Butte Disappointment. He noted that they traveled 10 miles until they came to a small creek that ran into the Middle Fork of the Willamette (most likely known today as Fall Creek). ³Here is the point,² said Garrison, ³where it is said the Emigrant Road commences.² They traveled four more miles over ³pretty good² road, and camped at Butte Disappointment. The exact spot unknown but most likely at the place that came to be known as Emigrant Springs. Named by members of the Lost Train of 1853, these springs are at the point where they came out of the foothills, near the present town of Lowell. On the road early the following day Garrison wrote that they traveled 12 miles along the east bank of the river ³occasionally crossing the spurs of the mountains, and then along the narrow bottom of the stream alternately crossing portions of the stream.² His description of the route of the Free Emigrant Road tells us that he was following the route marked by Alexander¹s crew in late May, and is the only account of the road to be found.