Across America

In Short

Written by a Union Army inspector sent to review Quartermaster Department operations in 1866, this travel narrative captures the vast American West during a pivotal era of reconstruction and expansion. Traveling by stagecoach, wagon, and mule, the author journeys from Fort Leavenworth through the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, Utah, and the Pacific Northwest, eventually winding down through California and Arizona. Along the way, he assesses military posts while observing the region’s diverse populations, booming mining towns, and dramatic landscapes. The book stands as a valuable historic snapshot of the frontier just before the transcontinental railroad permanently altered its remote character, blending official military duty with keen observational social history.

The Story

The narrative opens in July 1866, when Union Brevet Brigadier-General James F. Rusling receives orders from Quartermaster-General M. C. Meigs to conduct a comprehensive tour of inspection across the Western territories. Backed by endorsements from General Ulysses S. Grant, Rusling sets out with a clerk from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Moving west along the Platte Valley, the tour encounters indigenous leaders, sparse settlements, and isolated stage stations that dot the plains. Upon reaching Denver, Rusling inspects local military depots before pushing south along the Rocky Mountains through Colorado’s San Luis Park, crossing rugged mountain passes toward New Mexico and Wyoming.

As the journey continues across the Continental Divide at Bridger’s Pass, the conditions turn harsh. Exhausting rides, bitter weather, and meager rations at alkali-dusted stations characterize the push into Utah Territory. In Salt Lake City, the inspection takes on a sharp political edge. Rusling closely scrutinizes the Mormon community, interviewing local officials and military figures. He examines the territorial militia, concluding that its allegiance lies entirely with Brigham Young and the Mormon hierarchy rather than the federal government, while observing the tense dynamic between local church leaders and federal judges.

Leaving Utah behind, the expedition travels through the Idaho Territory, navigating rough roads and snowy divides toward Boise and the Pacific Northwest. Rusling travels through Oregon and Washington Territory, taking note of the political leanings of the populace, the influence of post-war migration, and the region's burgeoning trade. Upon reaching Portland, he boards a steamer bound for San Francisco. In California, Rusling observes a vibrant, rapidly growing society captivated by economic expansion, urban growth, and the recent purchase of Alaska. He also analyzes the region's complex labor economy, offering detailed commentary on the massive influx of Chinese immigrants working in mines, agriculture, and railroad construction across the Pacific slope.

The tour's final leg turns south through California to Arizona Territory. Outfitted with a specialized ambulance wagon from Drum Barracks, Rusling traverses the arid Sonoran Desert, following the tortuous course of the Gila River. Navigating unmapped trails, quicksands, and mesquite thickets, the party reaches remote outposts like Fort Yuma, Tucson, Prescott, and Fort Mojave. Rusling documents the harsh, volcanic terrain, local Native American tribes, and the boom-and-bust cycle of frontier mining operations such as Nevada’s Comstock Lode. After exploring the natural wonders of the Yosemite Valley and examining the extensive cattle ranges of the plains, Rusling completes his multi-thousand-mile inspection and embarks on a steamer voyage home via the Isthmus of Panama, offering a final reflection on the nation's continental destiny.

How It Unfolds

The journey commissioned Orders arrive from Quartermaster-General Meigs directing a full military inspection from Kansas to the Pacific. Endorsed by General Grant, the expedition departs Fort Leavenworth, meeting local Delaware guides before setting out across the sparsely populated Platte Valley.

Crossing the Rockies Traveling past sod ranches and rough stage stations, the party reaches Denver and journeys south along the Rocky Mountains. They navigate rain, hail, and rugged cañons before turning northwest toward the Continental Divide at Bridger’s Pass.

Into Mormon territory Crossing the divide in freezing weather, the party descends into Salt Lake City. Rusling inspects military supplies and meets with territorial authorities, probing the political power of the Mormon Church and its semi-independent militia.

Through the Northwest wilderness The tour pushes through Idaho and Oregon, enduring bad weather, muddy roads, and poor rations. They cross the Cascade range and arrive in Portland, noting the political climate created by recent waves of Midwestern settlers.

Evaluating the Pacific Coast A sea voyage brings the expedition to San Francisco, where Rusling assesses the thriving urban culture and industrial potential. He evaluates the growing Chinese labor force and examines major mining operations like Nevada's Comstock Lode.

Traversing the Southern Deserts Setting out in a specialized ambulance wagon from Wilmington, the party travels through the remote Arizona wilderness along the Gila and Colorado rivers. They navigate mesquite thickets, dry crossings, and isolated outposts before touring Yosemite and returning east by sea.

The People

• James F. Rusling: The narrator and Union brevet brigadier-general tasked with inspecting Quartermaster Department operations across the West. He wants to fulfill his military mandate and document the frontier's economic and political realities; standing in his way are extreme weather, illness, and difficult travel. He finishes the trip with an expansive vision of the nation's industrial potential.
• Fall-Leaf: War-chief of the Delawares who serves as a military guide. He wants to secure education and resources for his tribe on their reservation while navigating the encroachment of white settlers. He demonstrates the adaptation of Native Americans attempting to preserve their communities while working alongside federal authorities.
• Ooray: A Ute leader who speaks at a council with territorial authorities. He wants to protect his people from starvation and land loss as wild game disappears due to white migration. He forcefully articulates the tragic decline of his people's traditional way of life.
• Brigham Young: The head of the Mormon Church in Utah. He seeks to maintain absolute ecclesiastical and political control over the territory, using a local militia that answers directly to him. His resistance to federal authority creates ongoing tension with inspecting officers and civil judges.
• General Banning: A broad-shouldered officer at Drum Barracks in California. He assists the party by providing a custom-built ambulance wagon packed with supplies, enabling them to survive two months and fifteen hundred miles of desert travel across Arizona.

In Its Own Voice

"A Hercules of the Plains, we could well believe the stories told of his great strength and powers of endurance."

Rusling describes Fall-Leaf, the brawny war-chief of the Delawares met at Fort Leavenworth.

"A confused recollection of cold, and discomfort, and misery, is all that remains in my memory now of that wretched station at Sulphur Springs, and may I never see the like again!"

The author recalls the miserable conditions and bitter cold encountered upon reaching the Pacific slope at 3 A.M.

"This Chinese Problem, of course, has its embarrassments; but it is already looming into importance, and must be met."

Rusling reflects on the vital role Chinese immigrant labor plays in building the infrastructure of the Pacific Coast.

What It's Really About

Beneath its administrative surface, the narrative is an inquiry into how a re-unified nation establishes authority over its vast western territories following the Civil War. It contrasts the military's logistical reach with the reality of frontier life, highlighting the friction between federal power, native populations, and distinct regional cultures. The book deals directly with the displacement of Native American tribes, the delicate political state of Utah under Mormon leadership, and the post-war migration of Southern sympathizers and draft-evaders to distant territories. Furthermore, it examines the economic engines driving Western growth, from Nevada's silver lodes and California's agricultural fields to the critical labor supplied by Asian immigrants. Ultimately, it asks whether American institutions can successfully integrate diverse peoples, harsh geographies, and unmapped spaces into a cohesive national framework.

Why Read It Today

This account appeals to readers who enjoy vivid, primary-source travel literature and unvarnished mid-nineteenth-century history. It offers an authentic look at the American West at an exact historical turning point: after the Civil War ended, but just before the completion of the transcontinental railroad permanently altered overland travel. Rusling writes with an energetic, observational style that places the reader directly inside a swaying stagecoach, facing freezing mountain passes, or navigating unmapped desert thickets.

Readers should be prepared for period attitudes and racial terminology common to 1870s American commentary, particularly regarding Native Americans, Chinese immigrants, and religious minorities. Rusling writes from the viewpoint of a Reconstruction-era Union officer, meaning his political and social biases are visible throughout his assessments. The book's thoroughness—detailing everything from military accounts to local cattle yields—requires patience, but this depth provides a rich sense of place. What stays with you is the sheer scale of the undertaking: a journey across thousands of miles of wilderness powered only by mules, horses, and human endurance.