Would you believe John Russell Young wrote eight letters about the construction of the Beale Wagon Road in Indian Territory in 1859 and published them in the Philadelphia Press?? I have collected a lot of info that strongly suggests that he did.
John Russell Young (November 20, 1840 – January 17, 1899), an American journalist, author, diplomat, and the
seventh Librarian of the United States Congress from 1897 to 1899. He was invited by Ulysses S. Grant to accompany him on a
world tour for purposes of recording the two-year journey, which Young published in a large book, entitled “Around the World with General Grant.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Russell_Young
https://www.loc.gov/item/n83202815/john-russell-young-1840-1899
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433000403794;page=root;view=image;size=100;seq=15;num=iii