Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-04-15

ness Of their horses II was in which no time was TO
be lost mistake to be made. Mr. Fremont determined TO
go himself and taking ten picked men, four Of them Della
Indians he took down the western shore Of the lake
the morning Of the 9th he direction the officer was to come
and made ride of sixty miles without halt But meet
men, and not miss them, the difficult point hattrack
less region not the case OF high road where all ira
vees in passing each ohtr; at intervals there
were pacesde6les camping groundswhere both parties
pass and watching for these, he TO in the
afternoon and decided in his mind that if the party
not killed. it must be there that night He halted and
camped and the going down. had The inexpres
sible satisfaction to the eur approaching The Off
proved to be Lieutenant Gillespie Of the United States
marines who had been dispatched from Washington the No
yember previous to make his way BY Vera Cruz Mexico and
Mazaan to Monterey Upper California deliver dispatches
TO the United States consul there and then find Mr. Fremont
wherever he should be- His dispatches for Mr. Fremont
only letter of introduction from the Secretary of State Mr
Buchanan and letters and slips of papers from Senator
Benton and his family and verbal communications from
the Secretary OF State The depositons taken by the
mee show the nature Of these verbal which
wee substance that he should watch and any
foreign schemes in California, and concate the good will of
the inhabitants towards the United States Upon this utma
ton Of the Governments wishes Mr. Fremont turned back
from Oregon the edge Of which he then was and returned
to California.
show it, and to read it, lest any should suppose be
of more importance than it is
"WAsHINGToS, NOVEMBER s. 1845.
~ mMr Dean SIN: The bearer hereof Mr.. archibald Il.
business and has requested to give him letter OF intro
ducon you. This do with pleasure because he is gem
teman of worth repecabty and is worthy of your
gard do deem it probable that he viii fall in with you;
but II he should, allow to bespea for him friendly
of the health of Mrs Fremont and Of Col Benton and his ia
'''' - '''' '''''' = JAMES BUCHANAN.
81. C. FREMoSr, Esq, Oregon"
This is the letter and of itself il signifed nothing But
it accredited the bearer and gave the stamp of authority to
what he communicated, and upon this Mr. Fremont acted
for il 10 be supposed that Lieut. Gillespie had been
far and through many Dangers merely to deliver
him that letter the shores Of the Klamath lake. Mr. Gil
espie, in his testimony, has explained all the Of the
mystery Of this letter, and of the verbal communications and
shown that they precautions avoid detection In his pc
rlous journey through Mexico in the fall Of lS45.
This is not the time the OCCASION Mr. President to show
amidst what dangers and hardships scientific discovery
pursued by Mr. Fremont in these remote and unexpored
gions. The time may for telling these things. But
the events OF week the shores of the great Klamath lake,
keched with The brevy which the occasion requires may
give glimpse of these harhips and dangers and of the
courage and fidelity with which he supported by his
The night he met Mr.. Gillespie presented one of these
to which he often exposed, and which nothing
but the highest dege of vigilance and courage could prevent
from being fatal. The camping ground the western
side of the lake. the horses pcketed with long haers its
shore to feed on the grass and the oueen in number
sleeping by threes OF different fires for though IN May the
elevation of the place and the proximity of snowcad
ains made the night intensely cold. His feelings oyuly
excited by hearing fom home-the first word of intelligence
he had received leaving the United States year be-
ore-Mr Fremont sat up by large fire, reading his letters
and papers, and ching the safety of his camp while
the men slept. Towards midnight he heard movement
among the horses indicative Of alarm and danger.
Horses, and especia mules become extremely sensitive to
danger under long veng and camping In the Wilderness
and manifest their am the approach Of any thing strange
Taking sixbauel pistol in his hand and, without waking
the camp, he went down among them. The moon shone
bghy-he could see nothing Encouraged by his presence
the horses became quetpoo dumb creatures that could not
tell what they had senand he returned TO the camp suppo
sing il only beast Of the fores-some wolf or bear
prowng for feod that had disturbed them. He returned
the campfire Lieut. Gillespie woke up, talked with him
awhile, and then laid down again. Finally had her
with Mr. Fremont himself Excited spirits gave way
to exhausted strength The days ride and the nights
cement demanded the eparaon Of repose He laid down
to sleep, and without waking up TO watch, relying
upon the loneliness of the place and the long ride of the day
as security against the proximity of danger. II the
second time twenty thousand miles Of wilderness expora
tons that his camp had slept without guard-the first was
in his second expedition, and island in the Great Salt
Lake. and when the surrounding of the lake itself
stuted guard. The whole camp then asleep. cry
from Carson reused it. In his sleep he heard groan-t
was the groan Of receiving the tomahawk in his brains
All sprung to their feet The savages in the camps the
hachet and the winged at work. Basil Lajeu-
nese, brave and faithful young Fenchman, the follower of
Fremont in all his expeditions dead Iowa dead
brave Delaware Indian Of those who had accompanied
Mr. Fremont from Missouri dying- his groan
which awoke Carson. Another Of the DeIawares
get for arrows from which rifle could him-could
only avenge him. The savsges had waited till the moon was
in the trees casting long shadows the camp then APP
preaching from the dark side, with their objects between
themselves and the light they used only the hachet and the
formidable bow, whose its mark without flash
or sound to show whence il came All advantages were
on the side Of the savages but the camp saved the
wounded protected from massacre and the dead from muta
ion In the morning Lieut. Gillespie recognised, in the
person OF one OF the slain assaan the Klamath chief who
The morning before had given him salmon in token Of
friendship and who had followed him all day TO kill and rob
his party at nghta design in which they would certainly
have been successful had been for the promptude and
precision OF Mr.. Fremonts movement Mr. Fremont him
self would have been killed when he the horses had
not been that they counted upon the destruction Of the
whole camp and feared to alarm by killing one before the
general massacre.
Il was on the 9th Of Msy-a day immortazed by Ameri-
can arms at kesaca de Ia Palmaha this fierce and bloody
work took place.
The morning of the 10th Of May was one of gloom in the
camp. The evening Of the 9th had set upon full
Of life and Joy at happy me=ting: the same
upon in the morning stained with blood, ghasy with the
dead and wounded. and imposing mounul duties the
vvors The wounded TO be carried, the dead to be
buried, and 80 buried 10 be hid and secured from dis
covery and violation They carried ten miles, and every
precauon taken to them from the wolf and the saysge
for men, in these remote and solitary DANGERS become
brothers, and defend each other living and dead.
The return route lay along the shore Of the lake. and dur
ing the day the distant Of the savages could be
upon IT. evidently watching the progress Of the party, and
diatng night attack All precautions at the night encamp
ment were taken for securityhoses and enclosed in
breaswok OF great trees cut down for the purpose and half
the camp constantly the watch AT leaving in the
ambuscade pantedfor the foe known TO be