An account (24 typewritten leaves) of a St. Paul man's participation in an expedition that attempted to establish townsites along the Red River in western Minnesota (Dec. 1856-June 1857). Topics include the expedition's winter journey from St. Cloud to the Red River Valley under the direction of two guides, Pierre and Charlie Bottineau (Dec. 31, 1856-Jan. 30, 1857); buffalo hunting; the surveying of the Breckenridge, Graham's Point, and Sheyenne townsites; the hardships faced by the men during their first winter; Johnston's return to St. Paul; and the subsequent abandonment of the Graham's Point and Sheyenne townsites.
