Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-05-19
VOL. Who. AZ.
A DESPERATE ADVENTURE
FROM CAPTAIN FREMoNT's EXPEDITION TO
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

i While encamped, on the Gath of April, at
spring. near the Spanish trail, we were
surprised by the sudden appearance among
US OF two MeNlcans-a man and boy; the
\ name of the man was Andreas Fuentas, and
that OF the boy "a handsome lad, eleven
years old) Palby Hernandez. With cav
acade of about thirty horses, they came out
from Peubla de los Angelas, near the Pacif-
ic; had lost half Of their animals, -s;olen
by lndians,-and now sought my camp for
aid. Carson and Cooley, two Of my men
volunteered TO pursue them, with the Mex
lean; and we'll mounted, the three set off on
the trail. In the evening Fucntas returned.
his horse having failed, but Carson and Co
dey had continued the pursuit.
In the afternoon of the next day a war
whoop was heard such as Indians make when
returning from victorious enterprises; and
soon Carson and Cooley appeared driving be-
fore them band of horses, recognised by
Fuentas to be part of those they had lost
Two bloody scalps dangling from the end o
Godey's gun announced that they had over
taken the Indians as well as the horses. They
had continued the pursuit alone, after Fuen-
taS had left them, and toward nightfall enter
ed the mountains into which the trail fed.
Alter sunset, the moon gave light, and they
followed the trail by moonlight, until late in
the night, when it entered narrow delie,
and was difficult to follow Here they lay
from midnight till morning. AT day lightthey
resumed the pursuit, land al sun rise discover
ed the horses; and immediately dismountng
and tying up their own, they crept cautiously
10 rising ground which interviewed, from
the crest of which they perceived the en-
campment of four lodges close by. They
proceeded quietly. and had got within thirty
or forty yards of their object, when move
ment among the horses discovered them to
the Indians. Giving the war shout they
instantly charged INTO the camp, regardless
Of the number which the four lodges mi CHIT
contain.
The Indians received them with flight
of arrows, shot from their long bows, one Of
which passed through Godeys shirt collar,
barely missing the neck. Oar men fired
| their hes upon steady aim, and rushed in.
Two Indians were stretched upon the ground
fatally pierced with bullets: the rest fed
except lad who was captured. The scalps
Of the fallen were instantly stripped off; but
in the process, one of them who had two
balls through his body, sprang to his feet,
the blood streaming fromi his skinned head,
and uttering hideous howl. The fright
full spectacle appalled, the stout hearts OF our
men; but they did what humanity required,
and quickly terminated the agonies of the
CORY savage. They were now masters of
the camp, which was pretty little recess
| in the mountains, with a fine spring and
apparently safe from all invasion. Great
preparations had been made for feasting
large party, for it was very proper place
for rendezvous, and for the celebration of
such orgies as robbers of the forest would
delight in. Several of the best horses had
been killed, cut up and skinned; for the In
dams living in the mountains and only CO.
ming into the plains to rob and murder,
make no other use Of horses than to eat
them. Large earthen vessels were on the
fire, boiling and stewing the horse beef; and
several baskets containing fifty or sixty pairs
Of moccasns indicated the presence or ex-
pectatlon of large party. They released
the boy, who had given strong evidence Of
the stoicism, or something else, Of the saw
age character, by commencing his breakfast
upon horses head, as soon as he found he |
was not to be killed. but only tied as "a pr-
soncr.
Their object accomplished, our men ga
thered up all the surviving horses, fifteen in
number, returned upon their trail, and re-
Joined us at our camp in the afternoon Of
the same day. They had rode about one
hundred miles in the pursuit and return,
and in all Thirty hours. The time. place,
object, and numbers cons :dered, this expe-
diton of Carson and Cooley may be cons-
dered among the boldest and most disinler-
esed which the annals Of western adventure
so full Of daring deeds can present. Two
men, in savage wilderness, pursue day and
night, an unknown body of Indians into the
defiles of an unknown mouutain-attack
them at night without counting numbers,
and defea: them in an instant, and for whatl
To punish the robbers of the desert, and re-
renge the wrongs Of Mexicans whom they
did not know. repeat, it was Carson and
Cooley did ths-the former a natye of
Boonsick county, Missouri, the latter (of
French parenlage) born in St. Louis, in tie
same state, both Of them trained to western
enterprise from early life.
"lfI had my religion to choose" says
Sam slick, " and warn't able TO Judge for /
myself, III tell you what I'd do; I'd list ask |