The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-04-28
Col, Fremont and bis Party.
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AUTHENTIC PARTICULARS.

Letters have been, received from
Col. Fremont covering the two months
(from the last of November, to the Cd
q February that he was not heard Of,
and giving terrible events Of thai, time.
They are written, states the National
lntelligencer, from Taos and Santa Fe,
New Mexico, and addressed to Mrs.
Fremont, at Washing ton; and, in her
absence, 10 Senator Benton; and in his
hands, The lntelIigencer had seen the
originals, and proposes to give extracts
in the oder Of their dates. The first
is dated, ~ ''.'1" ,s'o' y.
: ) s,,'',. - t's@ "TAos, New MExIco,l
!; a..., January 81, 1849.
81 write to you from the house Of our
good friend Carson. This morning a
cup OF, chocolate was brought TO my
bed. Toan overworn, overwo.ked. ia.
tigaed and starving traveller, these little
luxuries OF the world offer an interest
which, in your comfortable home, il is
not possible fol you to conceive. Y =
81 have now the unpleasant task Of
telling you how | came here. | had
much rather speak of the future, with
plans for which l am already occupied
for the mind turns from the scenes |
have witnessed and the sufferings we
have endured; but as clear information
is due 10 you, and to your father still
more, will give you the story now,
instead Of waiting to tell j, TO you in
California; but write in great hope
that you will not receive this letter. -
When it reaches Washington you may
be on your way to California. .1
"Former letters will have made you
acquainted with our progress as far as
Bent's Fort, and, from report, you will
have heard the circumstance of our de-
parture from Upper Pueblo, near the
head Of the Arkansas. We left that
place on the 25th of November, with
upwards Of one hun dred good mules
and one hundred and thirty bushels Of
shelled corn, intended to support our
animals in the deep sno VS. OF the high
mountains and down TO the lower parts
Of the Grand rivers tributaries, where
usually the snow forms o obstacles 10
winter travelling. At Pueblo had en-.
gagged as a guide an old trapper, well
known as i'Bill' Williams and who had
spent some twenty years Of his life in
trapping in various parts Of the Rocky
Mountains. 4 r 'fAf tai9V ea sGse of'
"The error Of our expedition was
committed In engaging this man. He
proved never TO have known, or entire
ly to have forgotten, the whole country
through which we were to pass. We
occupied (after passing the mountain)
more than half a mo nth in making the
progress of fe W days, bIundering along
a tortuous course, through deep snow,
which already began to choke up the
passes, and wasting our time in search.
ing the way. The llth Of December
we found ourselves at the mouth OF the
Rio del Norte canon, where that river
issues from the Sierra San Juan, one Of
the highest, most rugged, and impracti.
cable ofall the Rocky Mountain ranges,
inaccessible 10 atrappers and hunters,
even in summer, Across the point Of
this elevated range our guide conducted
US; and, having still great confidence in
this mans kno Wedge, we pressed on.
wards with fatal resolution. Even
along the riverbottoms the snow was
already breast deepfor the mules, and
falling frequentIyin The valleys and al.
most constantyion the noun tains. -
The cold was extraordinary. At the
warmest hours oil the day between one
and two) the thermometer Fahrsnheit)
stood, in the shadesof a tree trunk, at
zero; and that was "a favorable day, the
sun shining and az moderate breeze. -
Judge ofthe nights and the storms!
"We pressed up towards the summit,
the snow dee pening as we arose, and
in four OF five days Of this struggling
and climbing, all on foot. we reached
the naked ridges'which lie above the
line Of the timbered region, and which
form the dividing heights between the
waters Of the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. Along these naked heights it
storms all winter; and the raging winds
sweep across tthem with remorseless
fury.i On our first attempt to cross
we encountered q pouderie--(dry snow
driven thick through the air BY violen,
wind, and in which objects are visible
onlyssat q short distance, land were
driven back, having some ten or twelve
variously lyefrozsn --facs, hands, or feet.
The guido came near. being frozen to
death here, sand dead mules were al
ready lying around the camp 6res.--
Meantime lit sno wed steadily.a The
next day (Dscembsr ~ we renewed
thesattsmpt to scale the summit, and