The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-03-31

No one can have read the journals of Fremont wit
messed his great abos and his services andead of the
ndomtable energy which he has displayed in his recent
trials and daring adventures, without taking sincere in
terest in the following explanation
Col FREMONT AND PARrY.-The disastrous accounts
from Col Fremont which have painfully excited the
public mind for days past have induced us 10 in
quire the most probable have the best niona
on the best opinions, in relation to his position The
result Of this inquiry authorizes the belief that some of the
most painful of these reports be unoundod. All that
relates pershng Of the party by hunger and
ton certainly Colonel Fremont wrote from the
Pusbos the head OF the Arkansas when about TO
the first range OF mountains the last of November
that his supplies were ample carry him through-hat
he had more -four than he wanted and left behind
plenty of meat, and OF sugar and Coffee and
caon for hard times, and for the sick disabled. Thus
had abundant provisions, besides the of above
one hundred horses and mules, which, dead or alive,
would be n long support to thuV-hve men. III frozen
death, these animals would remain in that state I'M
iii spring. and continue sound that there dan
ger death by starvation That they persisted of cod is
another of the painful This improbable, though
cold have been dreadful, and the iearfuy
deep All he approached the mountains irom
Indians and traders, represented the winter as premature
and unusually So much snow early in the
son. all agreed had been II in the last
days of November that he began climb the mountain
range (above the Spanish Peaks) which divides the valley
the Upper Arkansas from the head of the Rio del Nore
latitude about 36i, longitude about LOG The snow was
about deep the horses when the party last
seen, about five miles from the summit Up this point
the accounts authentic two men from the P"sbios
having followed to join Col Fremont, but whom he did
receveprobaby not knowing them, being his rule
to take but reliable men, whom he knew, in these
dangerous expeditions There is doubt but that Col
Fremont got this first range of mountains and thus
entered the valley of the Del Nore, the head of the
river and (abouD three degrees north OF Santa Fe.
greater obstacle still before hm-the great central
chain Of the Rocky mountains there called Sere Madre
Mother Mountain He knew the difficulty of crossing this
great barrier there reaching the region of perpetual
and, if unable to do it, expected winter in cove
valley where there might be forest, of evegreens cedar
especially, which would furnish shelter, and probably
game with dried grass and soft wood for their
horses to live The OF his coming Taos,
which is about degree north of st. Louis, is proof
that he did not the Sisrre Madre +; and he
in for horses he had probably lost all his by the cold
and deep which he encountered after getting into
the valley OF the Del Nore To judge of that degree of
cold, and depth of snow, is necessary refer what
they known be Santa Fe the 10Th of Deem
ber say weeks after Mr. Fremont had crossed into the
valley OF the Del Noue The Santa Fe Republican, re-
ceved up that day. says that the thermometer ahren
heiD twenty degrees below zero(fytwo degrees be-
low the freezing pont)tha the the backs
of the horses in the gorges of the mounaiEsha deach
men of troops with four guides which had gone in
pursuit Of marauding Indians had become involved
in these and with difficulty exrcaed themselves
that all travelling soppedthat persons had frozen to
deaand that such premaurity and intensity of cod and
depth of snow, had never been Witnessed THIS
Santa Fe, aboa north latitude IS deg 40 min longitude
LOG, aud elevation of thousand feet above
level Of the AT that time Mr. Fremont and his par
have been about three degrees further NORTH and
about half degree further west and elevation (up
posing the valley to continue rising gorge in the
Sre adre) OF near eight thousand feot The cold, there
FORE have been greater asd the DEEPER than
Santa Fegreater and deeper than the cold and
which killed the thirty thousand horses of the French army
in night in Russia. 1t probable, then, that Mr..
Fremonts animals all killed the head of Rio
Crande del Norte. But the probability does hold
with pect his They have which the
poor animals had Besides, they knew their danger,
and prepared for it, Mr.. Fremont from Bents
Fortin sight of the mountans-that he had his party in
the perfect ORDER and every precauon taken for their
safety. They knew what cold Part of them had
climbed the Sierra Nevada with him. when horses
persisted, but Part had crossed the Santa Bar
bara mountain with him, Christmas day. 1916, when above
hundred horses Californian horses) porsed in day,
but no Ii is probable then, that Of his
best authority the subject That he alone, il
was said, to Taos, is sign that his were
dead. 1t his CUSTOM when his party in dam
ger, and needed relief go himself and bring it, first
making them safe as possible. taking two three
with him, (of whom his faithful servant Jacob
foot only proves the loss of the horses that he made three
hundred and fifty miles, reported in nine days. proof
that his frozen that he back with Major
Beale who with relief proof that he expected
to relieve his men, and enable them in II is prob.
able that early in February he had Their fitted and
mounted in the settlements of New Mexico and renewed
his expedition, crossing the Sierra bIadre lower down.
This is the probable state of the partyhorses lost but
and the expedition baked and delayed two three
months
The supposition that the party lost their way wholly
unwarranted. MIR Fremont marked his whole route
before he out and he and his knew, every day
and every hour where they were. He knew how go
Taos thou gh he had been there be ioreNd Int.
En- Route for California;.