Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-04-20
COLONEL FREMONT AND HIS PARTY
AUTHENTIC PARTICULARS.

Letters have teen received from Colonel Ere
mont covering the Two months Qrom the last o
November to The 81 OF February that he wa
not heard OF, aud givinelcIriDle events Of tn
time They arc written ,staies the National In
teiIisencer, IRON Taos aa Santa Fe, New Mex
ico and addressed 10 Ms. Fremont, al Wash
inglon; and, in her absene, (lor il vas deenieC
probable that she nigh, Ave set of 10 Ca iiof
MIA BY sea before lhny cohi arrIve,) 10 Senate
Renlon; and in his atscne, 10 William Carey
Jon ESQ. The letters cane from ST. Louis OF
Friday night, having been brought 10 that pac,
by Mr.. s.. vfain. Mrs. Fremont, fortunately
VAS q 10; Senator B.nlon lad delayed nl, d,
parlure for Missouri, ronficEt thai lcaers wei'
On The way; and in hiIhand, he National Intel
lisencer had seen the originals, and proposes I,
give extracts 10 the rider Of thei dates Tn,
first is dated
"TAos, New Mexico, Jan. 81, IS49.
81 write TO you iIoa The house Of our eoct
friend Carson. This morning cup OF choco
late was brought to Ire while in bcd. To AZ
uverwoIn, ovcrworke fiigued and starving ira
weller, these little lnxuT.s II he world offer ~
interest which, in ynurcomiouabIe home, il !:
not possible ipr you 10 cHceive
81 have now the UNPLEASANT TASK OF telling you
how came here hal much rather speak q
The future, with plans Or which am already
occupied, :or the mind nrns from The scenes
have witnessed aad the offerings We have en-
dured; but as clear information ia dne to you
and 10 your father still hore, | will give you
the story now instead OF aailins To tell i, 10 YOU
in California; but | @riiein The great hope thai
you will not receive this later. When il reach.
IS Washington You may &C on your way 10 Ca
lifornia.
Former letters will have made you acquain-
ted with our progress as far As Bent's Forl, and
from report YOU will have hard The ciroumstan'
COS q our departure from lb Upper Pueblo, neal
the head OF the Arkansas. We lef, that place on
the 25ih Of November, with upwards OF one hun
dred good mules and one hundred and thirty
bushels oil shelled corn, intended 10 support oul
animals IN The deep SHOWS III the high mountains
AMI down Iothe lower paris OF the Grand river
tributaries, where uscally the snow forms no ob
stacle 10 winter travelling. Al Pueblo had en-
gagged as a guide an old lrapper, well known a,
Bill Williams and who had spenisome twenty
five years Of ms lite in trapping IN various part:
ci The Rocky Mountains.
1.-THE error OF our expedition was committed il
engaging this man. He proved never 10 hav
known or entirely 10 have forgotten, the whole
occupied cater passing the nountain) more thar
halt month in making The progress OF lev
days, bnndsrIae along icriuons conrs., ihrorsi
deep snow, which already began 10 choke up IN
passes, and wasting our Time in searching In
way. The llh OF December We found ourselve
al The mouth oil the Rio del NoTte canon, wher
tina! river issues from the Sierra San Juan, on,
OF The highest, mos, rugged, and impracicahe c
all the Rocky Mountain ranges, inaccessible II
lrappers and hunters, even in summer. Acros
The point of this elevated range our guide con
Quoted Us; and, having still grea, confidence il
this mans knowledge, we pressed EDWARDS will
fatal resolution. Even along the river bottom
the snow was aleady breast deep for the mule.
and falling frequently in the valley and almos
constantly on the mountains. The cold was er
traoriinary. At the warmest hours Of the da
between one and two] The thermometer Fahren
heitl stood, in the shade Of tree trunk, at zero
and that was favorable day, the sun shining
and moderate breeze. Judge Of the night
and the stormsl
"We pressed up towards the summit, ,h'
a fork Of the Colorado of the Gulf Of California