The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-05-10
Col. John c. Fremont.

8.
eyentful and heroic life of this man who
| is still in the prime of his days:
FREMosT, JoHs CHARLES. the path
finder of the Rocky Mountains man
who has opened to America the gates of
| her Pacific Empire, was born in South
Carolina, January, 1913. His father
was an emigrant gentleman from France,
and his mother lady of Virginia. He
received good education, though left an
orphan at four years of age; and when,
at The age of seventeen. he graduated at
Charleston College, be still contributed
to The support of his mother and her
children From teaching mathematics
he turned his attention to civil engineer
ing. in which he made so great profic-
iency that he was recommended to the
government for employment in the Mis-
Sissippi Survey. He was afterwards
employed at Washington in constructing
maps of that region. Having received
the commission of Lieutenant of Engin-
eers, he proposed to the Secretary of War
to penetrate the Rocky Mountains. His
plan was approved, and in 1912, with
handful of men, he reached and explored
the South Pass. He not only fixed the
locality ofthat great pass, through which
imyriads now wend their way to Califor
MIA, but he defined the astronomy, geog
raphy, botony, geology, and meteorolo-
gy OF the country, and described the
route since followed, and the points from
which the flag of the Union is now fly
ing from chain of wilderness fortresses.
His report was printed by the Senate,
Translated into foreign languages. and
Fremont was looked on as one of the
benefactors of his country. Impatient
Eof other and broader fields, be planned
a new expedition to the distant territory
of Oregon. He approached the Rocky
| Mountains bya new line, scaled the
summit south of the South Pass, dehec-
ted to tie Great Salt Lake. and pushed
his examinations right and left along his
entire course. He connected his survey
with that Of Wilkes Exploring Expedi-
ton, and his orders were fulfilled. But
he had opened one route to Columbia
and he wished TO find another. There
was vast region south of this line in
vested with fabulous interest, to which
he longed to apply the test of exact sci
ence. 1t was the beginning of winter.
Without resources, adequate supplies,
and so much as guide. and with only
twenty-five companions, he turned his
face and made towards the Rocky Noun
tains. Then began that wonderful ex-
pedition, filled with romance, daring and
suffering, in which he was lost to the
world nine months, traversing $500 miles
in sight of eternal SHOWS, in which he
revealed the grand features of Alta Cal
iifornia, its great basin, the Sierra Nevada,
1.-THE valley of San joaquin and Sacra-
mento, revealed the real Ell Dorado, and
established the geography of the Wes-
tern portion of the continent. In Au-
gust, 1914, he was again in Washing
ton, and his fame was sealed. He was
Flanning third expedition while writing
the history of the second, and before its
publication in 1916, was again on his
way to the Pacific. collecting his noun
tain comrades, to examine in detail the
Asialic slope of the continent, which re-
suited in giving new volume of science
to the world. and California to the Uni
ted States. After the conquest of Cali
fornia to the U. s., in which he bore
part, lie was made the victim of quar-
rel between two American commanders,
and stripped of his commission by
court-martial. The President reinsta-
ted him, but Fremont would not accept
mercy, but demanded justice. His con-
hection with the government now ended.
He was private citizen and poor man.
He had been brought a prisoner from
California, where he had been explorer,
conquerer, peace maker, and governor.
He determined to retrieve his honor on
the field where he had been robbed of
it. One line more would complete his
survey, the route for great road from
; the Mississippi to San Francisco. Again
he appeared in the far west. His old
mountaineers focked about him, and
with thirtythree men and one hundred
and thirty y-three mules he started for the
Pacific. On the Sierra San Juan all his
mules and more than third of his
men perished in a more than Russian
cold; and Fremont arrived on foot at
Santa Fe, stripped of all but life. The
men of the wilderness knew Fremont;
they re6tted his expedition; he started
again; pierced the country of the fierce
and remorseless Apaches; met, awed OF
defeated savage tribes; and in hundred
days from Santa Fe. stood on the banks
of the Sacramento. The men of Cali
fornia reversed the. Judgment of the
court-martial, and Fremont was made
first Senator of the Golden State.
/ Voice of Benton Democrat.
The Missouri Democrat, in comment
The raaa-,R -, A., A.