The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-09
OPERATIONS OF CAPTAIN FREMONT IN
UPPER CALIFORNIA.
J.u,, 6,ou, se.aloy B,nlo,. % N. President

STA: la the absence OF official informauon y" .ie
subsei Of Lieutenant Colonel Chen Captain re
mont's operations in Upper California, ! aeein u
my duty 10 lay before you the private ls.'efs WHEN
have received from that officer, FOR me purpose
OF sho wing you his actual position nj tue latest
the unwilling manner Ia which ne became invoFeu
in hostiliiies with the Mexican authorizes OF
thai province. before he had heard of the war with
Mexico; and especially to disProve the accusation,
offeialIy against him by Governor Castro, OF hsy.
inc come into California with body OF United
States troops under the pretext OF a scientific eN'
petition, but in reality TO excite the Americans set
lied in that proyinco-to an insurrecuon against me
Mexican government This accusation Is OF the
sJayest character, most seriously duplicating the
good faith and honor OF our government ana
officially made by Governor Castro, IN despatch
10 the minister Of and marine, urder date OF the
first Of April last, and published IN Ea honiior re
pubeano in the city OF Mexico by me ordef OF VI.
Mexican government on the 10Th OF May last a
COPY of this paper was sent TO Mrs. Fremont, my
daughter, by the Hon. Mr. Sidell, and an Engiish
translation of Il is herewith presented.
When Capt. Fremont left the United States to
complies - seient6e iaboB beyond the Rocky
mountains \ was with full knowledge OF the podi-
eai as we as personal difficulties Of the enterprise
He knsw that the relations OF the United States were
critical ks6h with Mexico and Great Brtan-tha
he wa. gong through the territories Of the one, and
among the settlements of the other-that jealousy
would attach 10 his movements, and all his acts be
referred 10 his goyernment;-and he was perfectly
determined to use the utmost eircnmspecton IN all
his conduct. combining himself wholly to his scien-
tic pursuits, and carefully avoiding as well the APP
pearance as the reality Of either political or mill
larry mission. With this view, and after having
traversed the de sert, and crossed the Great Basin
which lies between the Rocky mountains and the
Sierra Nevada Of the fila California, he left his men
upon the frontier, an hundred miles from Monterey;
and went alone that city to explain his object and
wishes in person to Gov Castro He did this IN
the most formal and official manner, in company
with the United States consul, Mr.. O'Larkin, (ai
whose house he stoppedD and, conforming TO the
whole detail Of Spanish ceremonial, he not only cali
ed on the governor, but also the project and the
alealls. The interview was entirely satisfactory.
To the governors remark that he was
bringing considerable body Of United States troops
with him. Capt. +. answered that II was not So
that he had no troops at all-only few hired men
for security against Indians, and killing game-thal
he was not even an officer OF the line, but OF
Typographical Engineers-and that he was seeking
new route (among other objects OF science) to the
mouth of the Columbia, upon a line further south
than the present travelling route, and which had
brought him through the unsettled parts Of the Up
Der California; and that he wished TO winter IN
The valley Of the San Joaquin, where there was
game for his men, and grass for his horses. 10
this the governor agreed, and Captain Fremont len
Monterey to bring his men TO the beautiful valley
which he had explored IN his previous expedition,
nd to which both himself and his men looked for
ward as 70 paradise Of repose and refreshment, al
ter their toilsome and perious march ofthree thou
sand miles among savage tribes, and through will
derness and desert countries I'D
Scarcely had he arrived in this valley, when in
formation began to reach him from all quarters that
the governor was raising the province against him,
and coming upon him with troops OF all arms
cavalry artillery and infantry-and that his situa.
tion was most critical and dangerous. The consul
sent special messenger to warn him OF MS dan
ger; the American settlers below offered TO Join him;
but he utterly refused their assistance because he
would not compromise them. But he did wha,
honor and self-preservaton required, and what the
courage and fidelity of his men enthusiastically sec
onded; ne took position, and waited the approach
Of the assaiants; and that position was nearer 10
them, on the summit of the Sierra, overlooking
Monterey at thirty miles distance, and whence, with
their glasses they could plainly the troops, with
their artillery which had crossed the bay (of Mon
terey) to San Juan, on their way to attack him.
The governor, with these troops, and with all his
threats, after coming towards me camp on me
Sierra, did not co.iIe to it; and Captain Fremont,
faithful to his DIES! to avoid collision, II possible,
finding himself nu attacked, determined TO retire,
and to proceed to Oregon, on his Intended route OF
the valley of the Sacramento, the Klamath lake,
and the valley Of the Wahlahmath river. Accord
,n.ly, about the 10Th of March, he left his posi-
lion on the Sierra descended into the valley Of the
San Joaquin and commenced his march by slow
and easy stages, Of four and six miles day,
towards Oregon.
IL ia of this encampment on the Sierra that Gov
enor Castro makes particular complaint in his de-
snatch to the Minister Of War and Marine. as an
evidence of hostile Intentions and where the Amer
lean flag was raised, a fertilization built, and the
American settlers called in for its defence. Unhap'
pv we have no letter from Capt. Fremont detailing
the events of these days; but the want of such
letter is well supplied by the official communications
from the American consul at Monterey to our Secre-
tary of State, and by Capt. Fremont's brief note TO
the eonsul (writtea in pencil while Expecting the
attack Of Gov. Castro, and which has been hereto
fore published lin our papers. Mr.. Buchanan fur
nished us, as they were received, with cop
lee of these despatches which herewith laid be-
fore YOU and from which it will be seen that Gov
ernoi Castro's accusations against Captain Fremont
are entirely unfounded-that SO far from having ex,
cited the Americans TO revolt he absolutely refused
TO receive those who offered to join him! and more,
that when after leaving this position, and granting
discharges to FIVE or six Of his men, he refused to hi
their places from the men in the country! so deter
mined was he TO avoid well in appearance, as IN
fact, the smallest act offensive or injurious 10 the
Mexican authorities. The same correspondence
shows the entire alsehood Of all the superauve gas
.conade which Governor Castro put into his Off
cinl report about the spos Of the camp-the
dispersion Of Fremont and his men--their flight into
the bulrushes, and through the desert-hs suffoca-
ton IN Inc CfduIe vi eohePhoSy,S w.,
with all which imaginary exploits his official de-
spatch was filed, while Fremont, with sxty-two men
and two hundred horses, were slowly retiring in o
body, almost in his view, ind utterly abstainlng
from any act of offence to the province or its au-
thorities II was doubt this false report to his
government, and the ridicule he incurred by il in
California, that led to his subsequent operations in
May to exterminate Fremont's party, and all the
American settlers on the Sacramento.
Ca return from the evacuated camp on the Sierra,
the governor also put forth proclamation, in the
wien of his report, and even worse, styling Fremont
and his rnen band of highway robbers, plundering
the people, &c, which accusation of plunderng the
consul took the trouble to investigate, and found to
be very trivial offence Of manners (not Of law or
morals) which the injured party valued a Ave dol
lars, and for which Capt Fremont gave ten. For
the rest the consul, after all this, declares the in
habitants Of the country to be well pleased with
Capt Fremont, and that he might walk the streets
of Monterey the next day alone, if he chose. The
only truth in Governor Castro's despatch IS,
that Captain Fremont took military position,
entrenched it, and raised the American flag but
these events were the consequences, and not the
n tnof inn. and