The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-03-30
INTEA.i.ISKNGk nv THE MsILs.
Our Washington COrrespOnden

| Our Washington Correspondence:
WASHINGTON, March %, 1919.
1he Latest Neus from. Lieut.. Col. Fr.n.9at-TS
| -., Facts, as Fla, as 6scertalnsd.
| In several OF this mornings papers we find the
following unwelcome intelligence, which, on ac-
count of the explanations we purpose to give. w,
introduce at length, though doubtless published
already IN the Herald. TINS intelligence relative
to the sufIerings OF Col Fremont and his party.
has been published in the Herald ]
Personally acquainted with Col. Ere rJnt, and
ANXIOUS to hear of the completion of THIS his last
tour of exploration to the Pacific, we were panied
thus to be informed OF the arrest of his enterprise
under the disastrous circumstances set forth in
the despatch. DESTROYS, also, to get at the truth
OF the story, as far as possible, and with the ex-
pectatlon that the facts have been exaggerated
we called on Colonel Benton this morning., and
we regret to say, that from the latest information
he possesses, he fears this intelligence 10 sub
santially true, though satisfied it is incorrect N
Colonel Fremont left the State of Missouri last
TALL with some thtrty odd men, for California first
Tor the head waters OF the Arkansas, ending
to cross the Rocky Mounsins at some point
among the head springs OF the BIO del NOrte TO
the most accessible tributary of the Colorado
thence ne proposed survey of the Colorado to
the southern margin oil the Great Basin thence
acrsss the Southern section of said Basin to
to complete his surveys of that vast country of
deserts and mountains lying between the Rocky
Mountains and the Pacific ocean, and within the
parallels OF 81 and AZ deg N. L. Another object
and primary one, was TO ascertain whether there
Is not from the head springs OF Del Norte a pass
over the mountains to the waters Of the Colorado,
and practicable route in that direction for a
great national highway to the Pacific.
On arriving in California, on the Pacific, it was
the intention OF Colonel Fremont and his party to
establish themselves In permanent settlement
somewhere on the Sacramento, Mrs. Fremont,
with her brother lnlaw, Mr.. Jacobs, left New
York IN the last steamer for Chagres en- route for
San Francisco, with the expectation OF meeting
Colonel Fremont at that point, In April. She is
destined to be disappointed; tor under the best
view OF the case, Fremont cannot resumehis journey
from Taos, In New Mexico, before April, unless
he abandous his original object of an exploration,
and takes the army route of the Gia, already sur
veyed;
With respect to the news in the foregoing des-
patch, II ID believed to be substantially true. On
the 10th December. when the thermometer was
sixteen degrees below zero, near Santa Fe, Ere.
mont was some four hundred miles higher up the
rlver, pushing into the mountains at an altitude of
200 or 5000 feet above the sea- and covered from
ten TO fifteen feet with snow. II is not supposed
that the party have persisted, because they were
well supplied with PROVISIONS. 1t altogether
probable that their horses and mules are lost, from
the cold and from want of grass. But IL Is not
probable, in any view of the case, that the mon
were reduced to cannbalIsm, because, even #
was to carry them through to the Pacific, their
ANIMALS would afford them abundant means OF sus-
tainiDg life.
Colonel Benton Is of the opinion that the ami
mails lost, that the men survive, and that the
expedition will be resumed with the melting Of the
enows in the mountains, for this plain reason, that
Ere mont Is not the man to abandon an enterprise
while he has lite to carry It on.
II was certainly rash undertaking to cross the
Rocky Mountains, among that high system, 5000
or III, 600 eet above the sea- OF RIDGES peaks and
ateaus, around which gather the head springs
OF the Arkansas, the Rio del Norte, and the
rivers emptylng into the the Colorado OF the
Cult OF California, at any time, and partlcu-
larly In the month Of December, when whole cara
vans often in danger of pershlng in the plalas,
at five or SIX thousand feet of lower altitude.
But, after having explored and crossed the still
loftier Sierra Nevada, in the winter of "A, Ere.
mont, perhaps considered that the Rocky Noun
talns might be surmounted, In spite of the ten or
fifteen feet of snow upon them In lS48 Instead,
therefore, OF pIofitting from his sufierngs in the
first instance, he has lived to suffer still more Sc
vereIy In the second.
There is still, however, chance that the case
Is not 30 bad reported though all the testimony
on hand goes TO strengthen the intelligence from
st. LOUIS. In any event, it is hoped that
Fremont and his men spared, and that tor the
axe of their families and tor The sake of science,
hey may be alb e to resume their explorations in
he spring. w.