Washington telegraph., 1849-05-02
From the National Intelligencer, APrlt IA.
col. FREMONT AND Hts PARTY
Authentic Particulars.

Fremont Covering LHe IWo Nioh'iio \AiO'D
the last of November to the I'd Of Febru-
arvl that he was not heard OF, and giving
terrible events of that time. They are
written from Taos and Santa Fe, New
Mexico. and addressed to Mrs. Fremont,
at Washington; and, in her absence, for
It was deemed probable that she might
have set off for California by sea before
they could arrive,) to Senator BENTON,
and in his absence 10 WILLIAM CAREY
JoNEs, Esq. The letters came from St.
Louis last night, having been brought to
that place by Mr. ST. Vrain. Mrs. FIRE.
MONT; fortunately was gone: Senator
BENTON has delayed his departure tor
Missouri confident that letters were en-
the way; and in his hands we have seen
the originals, and we propose to give ex-
tracts in the order Of their dates. The
first is dated
Taos Neac Menico, Jan. 81, 1849:
i write to you from the house. OF our
GOOD friend Carson This morning cup
of chocolate was brought to me while IN
he'd. To an ovcrw orn, OverWorked, Ia
tjgued, and starving traveller, these little
Injuries of the world offer an interest
which. in your comfortable home, 1t Is
not possible for you to conceive.
Il have now the unpleasant task OF tel
limo YOU how | came here. | had much
rather speak of the future, with plans for
which [ am already occupied,) for the
mind turns from the scenes have wit
messed and the sufferings we have endu-
red; but as clear information is due to you,
and to your father still more, will give
YOU the story now, instead OF waiting TO
tell it to you in California; but write IN
the great hope that you will not receive
this letter. When it reaches Washing
ton you may be on your way to California.
Former letters will have made you ac-
,uuainted with onr progress as lar as
Bent's Fort, and, from report, you will
alave heard the circumstances OF our de-
parture from the Upper Pueblo, near the
head of the Arkansas. We left that
place on the 25th of November with up
wards of one hundred good mules and
one hundred and thirty bushels of shelled
corn, intended to support our animals III
the deep SHOWS of the high mountains
:and down to the lower parts OF the Grand
river* tributaries, where usually the snow
forms no obstacle to winter travelling.
At Pueblo l had engaged as guide an
old trapper, well known as 'BN Wt-
.IianaS, and who had spent some twenty
five years of his life in trapping in varl-
Gus parts of the Rocky Mountains.
The error of our expedition was COM
mitted in engaging this man. lie proved
never to have known, Or entirely to have
forgotten, the whole country through
which we were to pass. We occupied
(after passing the mountain) more than
half month in making the progress OF
few days, blundering along tortuous
course, through deep snow, which already
began to choke up the passes, and vast
ing our time in searching the way. The
1lth of December we found ourselves at
the mouth of the Rio del Norte canon,
whore that river issues from the Sierra
Scr Ju0N-One of the highest, most
rugged, and impracticabie of all the
Rocky Mountain ranges, inaccessible to
trappers and hunters even In summer
Across tt,e top of this elevated range ouI
guide conducted us; and, having still
great confidence in this man knowledge
we pressed onwards with fatal resolution
Even along the river bottoms the snow
was already breast deep for the mules
and falling frequently in the valley ano
almost constantly on the mountains. Ihe
cold was extraordinary. At the warmesl
of the day (between one and tWo) the
thermometer (tahrenheiD stood, III the
shade OF a tree trunk, at oerO,' and that
was favorable day, the sun shining and
a moderate breeze. Judge of the nights
and the storms,
I'VE pressed up towards the summit
the snow deepening as we rose, aud III
four or five days of this struggling and
climbing, all on foot, we reached the
naked ridges which lie above the line o
the timbered region, and which form the
dividing heights between the waters c1
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans Along
these naked heights it storms all winter,
and the raging winds sweep across them
with remorseless fury. On our first at
tempt to cross we encountered a pOuderle
-(dry snow driven thick through the
air by violent wind, and liz which objects
are visible only at a short distance land
were driven back, having some ten or
twelve men varlousl y frozen-face, hands,
or feet. The guide came near being
frozen to death here, and dead mules
were already lying about the camp fires
Meantime it showed steadily. The next
day December y we renewed the at
tempt to scale the summit, and were
more fortunate, as it then seemed. Max
ing maus, and beating down a road, OF
trench, through the deep snow, we forced
the ascent i'll defiance of the driving
pOuderle, crossed the crest, descended a
little, and encamped Immediately below
i'll the edge OF the timbered region. The
troll SlnNpd if dofoa tod h.,d