[William Clayton Journal] The morning pleasant. About 9 o'clock started over the river in company with the Twelve and others to view the Fort and also learn something in regard to our journey &c. Elder Pratt measured the distance across the River at this spot and found it to be 108 yards. The water is deep in the channel and the current runs about 4 miles an hour. After crossing we went up to the remains of an old Fort called "Fort Platte" which is near the banks of the river, and the outside walls still standing, but the inside is in ruins, having been burned up. The walls are built of "daubies" or spanish brick, being large pieces of tempered clay dried in the sun and apparently laid one on another without mortar or cement. The dimensions of this Fort outside is from East to West 144 feet and from North to South 103 feet. There is a large door fronting to the South which has led to the dwellings which have been 14 in number, built in the form of a parallelogram, leaving a large space in the center. The space occupied by the dwellings is not quite half of the whole Fort. Fronting to the east is another large door which enters to a large open space 98-3/4 feet by 47 feet where it is supposed they have used for keeping horses &c. At the N.W. corner is a tower projecting out from the line of the walls 6 feet each way or in other words it is twelve feet square with port holes for cannon. At the N.E. corner has been another projection extending eastward 29.6 feet and is 19-1/2 feet wide. The walls are 11 feet high and 30 inches thick.
We took the dimensions of this with a tape line and then proceeded to "Fort Laramie"57 about 2 miles further west. This latter fort was first built of wood about 13 years since and named Fort William, but being destroyed was afterwards built 7 years ago with "daubies" and named John. It stands on the bank of the Laramie Fork a stream 41 yards wide...We tarried a little while with the Mississipppi brethren who have camped close by the Fort, and then went inside...We went across the Square to the trading house which lays on the North Side of the Western entrance. The trader opened his store and President Young entered into conversation with him. They trade solely with the Sioux. The Crows come here for nothing but to steal. A few weeks ago a party came down and stole twenty-five horses, all that they had at the Fort, although they were within 300 yards of the Fort at the time and a guard round them. The Sioux will not steal on their own land. A pair of Moccasins worth a dollar, a lariette a dollar, a pound of tobacco a dollar and a half and a gallon of whiskey $32. They have no sugar, Coffee nor spices as their spring stores have not yet arrived. They have lately sent to Fort Pierre 600 bales of Robes with 10 robes in each bale. Their wagons have been gone 45 days &c. There are about [] souls at this fort, mostly French, half-breeds and a few Sioux Indians. Elder Pratt measured the river and found it 41 Yards. He also took the latitude which was 42 [degrees] 12'13" . . .
[source: George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://amzn.to/william-clayton]
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