The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-11-11
OPERATIONS OF CAPT. FREMONT
IN UPPER CALIFORNIA.
Letter from Senator Benton to the President,
From the washington Union. ,

uVsttA iiuAu DtuutUI IICSIuCut.
from the Washington Union.l
Sh In the absence Of official information on the sub.
Ject OF Lieutenant Colonel Chen Csptain) Fremont ope-
before you the private letters which have rec.ivsd
from that officer for the purpose Of showing you his
actual position at the latest dates the unwilling manner
in which he became involved in hostiltss with the
Mexican authorities Of that province before he had heard
accusation officially made against him by Gov Castro of
having come into California with body of United States
ssy tnaer ;ne Pretex. Of scientific expedition, bat in
to an insurrection against the Mexican government
ms accusation Is Of the gravest character Sc
eminent and officially made by Governor Castro in
despatch to the minister Of war and marine under dae
of the first of April last and published in Ell Monitor Re
pubcano in the city Of Mexico by the order of the
Mexican government on the 10th Of May last. copy
the Hon Mr. sde and an English translaton Of L Z
herewith presented.
When Capt Fremont left the United States to complot.
his scientific labors beyond the Rocky Mountains was
with afull knowledge Of the political well as
difficulties OF the enterprise He knew that the relation
Great Brtainthat he was going through the territories
Of the and among the settlement Of the other that
be referred to his governmant;and he was perfectly de-
termined use the utmost circumspecton in all his con-
duct combining himself wholly to his scientific pursuits,
and carefully avoiding az well the appearance as the
reality Of either political or military mission With
this view and after having traversed the desert, and
crossed the Great Basin which lies between the Rocky
Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Of the Alta Csforna
he left his men upon the frontier hundred miles from
oSses sas wsn. alone 70 that city to explain his
this in the most formal and of"al manner, in company
with the United States Consul Mr. O'Larkin (at
whose house he stopped y and conforming to the
whole detail of Spanish ceremonial he mot opiy called
on the governor but also the project and the scade
nors remark that he bringing considerable body
Of United States troops with him, Capt answered that
hired men for security against Indians, and killing game
that he was not even officer of the line but Of To-
biographical Engneers-and that he seeking new
route among other objects OF scence) the mouth of
the Columbia upon line further south than the present
travelling route and which had brought him through
the unsettled parts of the Upper CALIFORNIA; and that he
wished TO winter in the valley of the San JOAQUIN
where there was game Tor his men, and grass for his
horses TO this the governor agreed and Capt Fremont
which he had explored in his previous expedition and 10
which both himself and his men looked forward az to
and perilous march Of three thousand miles saw
age tribes and through wilderness desert countries
scarcely had he arrived in this ley when inorma
ton began to reach him from all that the COVER
nor was raising the province against him. and coming
infantry-and that his situation critical and
dangerous The consul sent special messenger to warn
him OF his danger; the American settlers below offered
to join him; but he utterly refused their assistance be-
cause he would not compromise them But he did what
honor and self preservation required and what the cou
rage and fidelity OF his men enthusiastically seconded
he took position, and waited the approach of the as
saiants; and that position to them on the
summit Of the sierra, overlooking Monterey thirty
miles distance. and whence, with their glasses they
could plainly see the troops, with their sriery which
had crossed the bay (of Monterrey juan on their
way to attack him. The governor with these troops and
with all his threats after coming towards the camp on
the Sierra did not come to it, and Captain Fremont latin
iul to his design to avoid collision, possible finding
himself not attacked determined to retire. and to pro-
coed to Oregon, his intended the valley of
the Sacramento the Klamath Lake and the valley the
Wahlahmath river Accordingly about the 10th Of
March, he left his position the SIERRA desc ended into
the valley Of the San Joaquin and his march
by slow and easy stages, Of four and six miles day
towards Oregon.
is OF this encampment on the Sierra that Governor
Castro makes particular complaint in his despatch to the
Minister of War and Marine as an evidence of hostile
Intentions and where the American flag was raised
iorticaon built and the American settlers called in for
It's defeLce Unhappily have letter from Captain
Fremont detailing the Of these days. but the want
of such letter is well supplied by the official commun
creary Of State and by Capt Femons brief note TO the
consul written in penc) while expecting the attack of
our papers MIR Buchanan furnished u.s. as soon as they
were received with copies Of these dispatches which
are herewith laid before you, snd from whichit will be
mont are entirely unounded-that far from having
excited the Americans to revolt he absolutely refused
that when after leaving this position and granting dis
charges to five or TX Of his men, he refused to II their
places from the men in the country determined
ne TO avoid as well in appearance in fact the smallest
act offensive injurious to the Mexican authorities
The same correspondence shows the entire alsehooi Of
into his official report about the spols of the camp-the
dispersion of and his men-heir fight into the
ana tnr0ugn the dese-hs suftocatOn in the
cradle Of dangerous conspiracy &c. with all which i'm
aginary exploits his official despatch filed while
Fremont with sixty-two men and two hundred horses,
were slowly retiring in body almost in his view, and
utterly abstanng from any act Of offence to the province
or its authorities It doubt this false report his
COVE rnmen and the ridcule he incurred by II in ali.
iona that led to his subsequent operations in May to
extermnate Fremonts party and all the American set
On return from the evacuated camp on the Sierra the
governor also put forth proclamation in the wen of his
report and even worse, styling Fremont and his
which plunderng the consul took the trou
BILE to investigate and found to be very trivial offence
Of manners, mot of law morals) which the injured
party valued at Ave dollars and for which Capt Fremont
ten For the rest the consul after all this declares
the inhabitants Of the country to be well pleased with
Monterey the next day alone, II he chose The only
truth in Gov Castros despatch il that Captain Fremont
Americas flag; but these events the consequence
and not the cause Of Gov Castros movement against
him and this fully shown in that brief heroic note
written in pencil in to the consus warning in
which Captain Fremont, after refusing the aid OF the
American settlers declared for himself and his sixty
two men that they had done nothing wrong to the
tackled they would defend themselves and die to the
their country to avenge their deaths All they did was
in self defence. The flag raised not a standard
OF instruction or as sign Of contempt to the Mexican
government but as the American symbol OF honor and
patriotism, which entitled to respect from others
to defence from themsnd which they had displayed
that hour OF danger as warning to the approaching as
sailants-as bond Of union and devotion among them
sclves-and appeal and invocation tf they should
be destroyed to the avenging spirit of their far distant
country: TO my mind, this entrenching the noun
tain and raising the national Gag was entirely justi6able
under the circumstances Of the and the noble
solution which they took refusing the aid of their coun
trymen) TO die attacked under the flag Of their coun
try Jour thousand miles distant from their homes,
act Of the highest herosm worthy to be recorded by
Xenophon, and rejecting equal honor upon the brave
young officer who commanded and the heroic sxtytwo
by whom he supported.
The first letter that received from Captain FIRE.
mont after bis withdrawal from the Sierra and from the
valley of the San Jnsn is dated the first day Of April in
latitude 40, the Sacramento rver and though written
merely inform Mrs Fremont Of his personal concerns
becomes important in public point Of view account
Of subsequent events in June and july by showing that
the LIST of April he his way to Oregonhat he
had abandoned all intention Of returning through any
part of California-woud cross the Rocky mountains
through the Northern Pass on the line the Up
per Kettle Falls OF the Columbis and the Great Falls
Of the Missouri be in the United States in Septem
ber that ha had nj that time OF