Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-06-27


but he could not speak plainly. lie simply
looked at me through his tears for a moment,
and then rushed to the fair prisoner lie
seemed to forget where he was, for he flung
his arms around her, and laid her head upon
his bosom and wcpt aloud.
will not attempt to describe the scene
that followed ; but ii Nancy Luther had not
been arrested for the theft she would have been
obliged to seek the protection of the officers {;
for the excited people would have surely
maimcd her, il they had done no more.
Next morning, received II note, handsome
ly written, in which ! was told that the with
in was but slight token Of gratitude due me
for my efforts in behalf of poor, deIenceless
but much loved, maiden. 1t was signed
Several Citizens. and contained one hundred
dollars. Shortly afterwards the youth came
to pay all the money he could raise. simp-
lv showed him the note | had received, and
asked him to keep his hard earnings for his
wife, when he got one. lie owned he in
tended to make Lizzy Madworth his wife very
soon.
Next day, | succeeded in clearing my other
client from conviction Of rObbing the mail
and made Il considerable handle of the fortu-
nate discovery Of the letter which had saved
an innocent girl on the day before, in my ap-
peal to the jury and if | made them feel that
the finger of Omnipotencc was in the work
it was because | sincerely believed that the
young man was innocent of all crime and |
am sure they thought go too.
Col FREMoNT Fremont. John Charles,
thc'' Pathfinder of the Rocky Mountains Il
man who has opened to America the gates OF
the Pacific empire, was born in South Caro-
lima, January, 1873 His father was an emi-
grant from France, and his mother a lady of
\rrginin. lie received good education,
though left an orphan at four years Of age
and when at the age Of seventeen he gradual
ted at Charleston College, he still contrbut-
ed to the support of his mother, and her chill
drcn. From teaching mathematics he turned
his attention to civil engineering, in which
he made SO great proficiency that he was re-
commended to the government for employ
mcnt in the Mississippi survey. lie was af-
tlrwards employed at Washington in con-
structinL maps of that region. Having re-
ceivcd the commission of lieutenant Of en-
ginccrs. he proposed to the Secretary of War
to penetrate the Rocky Mountains. His plan
was approved and in lS42, with handful
of men, he reached and explored the South
Pass. He not only fixed the locality of that
great pass through which myriads now press
their way to California, but he defined the
astronomy, geography, botany, geology, and
meteorology of the country, and described
the route since followed, and the points from
which the flag ofthc Union is now llyn. from
u chain of wilderness iortresSes. His report
was printed by the Senate, translated into
foreign languages, and Fremont was looked
on as one OF the heneiactors Of his country -
inpatient Of other and broader fields. he
planned new expedition to the distant ter
rltory of Oregon lie approached the Rocky
h,.n Il . al,
south of the South Pass, dcllectcd to the
Great Salt Lake, and pushed his cxamina-
tions right and left along his entire course.
lie connected his survey with that of Wilkes
Exploring Expedition, and his orders were full
filled. Bat h had opened one route to Col
umhia, and he wished to find another. There
was a. vast region south of this line, invested
with II fabulous interest, to which he longed
to apply the test Of exact science. 1t was
the beginning OF winter. Without rcsour-
ccs, adequate supplies, or even 50 much as Il
guide, and with only twenty-five companions,
he turned his face and made toward the Rocky
Mountains. Then began That wonderful OK
pcdi.ion. filled with romance, daring. and
suffering, in which he was lost to The world
nine months, trayersiug $500 miles in sight
OF eternal SHOWS, in which he revealed the
grand features Of Alta California, its great
basin, the sierra Nevada, the valleys Of San
Joaquin and Sacramento, revealed the real
FL Dorado, and established the geography Of
the Western portion of the continent. In
August, lS44 he was again in Washington,
and his fame was sealed. lie was planning
a third expedition while writing the history
of the second, and before its publication in
lN4j, was again on his way to the Pacific,
collecting his mountain comrades to exam
inc in detail the Asatic slope Of the conti-
nent which resulted in giving new volume
OF science to the world, and California to the
| United States. After the conquest Of Cali
! iornia, in which lie bore a part, he was made
victim of a quarrel between two American
commanders, and stripped of his commission
| by court martial. The President reinstated
him, but Fremont would not accept mercy
! but demanded Justice. His connection with
government now ended. lie was private
citizen and poor man. lie had been brought
| prisoner from California, where he had beer
| explorer. peace-maker, conquerOr. and gov
crnor lie determined to retrieve his honor
on the field where he had been robbed of it
| One line more would complete his survey, tn,
route for a great road from the Mississippi
to San Francisco. Again he appeared in tn,
far west. His old mountainecrs nJckcC
about him, and with thirty-three men an,
one hundred and thirty-thrce mules h
! started lot tnc racine. bn the sierra Sal
Juan all his mules and more than -thirC
of his men pershed in a more than Russian
cold and Fremont arrived on foot at Santj
Fe, stripped Of all but life. The men of tn
wilderness knew Fremont ; they rciitted hi
expedition he started again pierced tn
country Of the fierce and remorsecss Apachcs
met, awed or defeated savage tribes and i
Il hundred days from Santa fc, stood ON tn
banks Of the Sacramento. The men of Cali
iornia reversed the judgment Of the court
martial and Fremont was made first Senate
of the Golden State. His history since
well known.
Mrs. FREMONT This lady, it is not necc,
sary to inform our readers, is the daughter
Colonel Benton, Of Missouri, and Is one of tn
best educated and most accomplished
American women. The Boston Chronicl
relates the following anccdote concernin
her While Colonel Fremont was maxim
his arrangements on our western irontie
for that exploring tour in which he brok
his road into the valley of the Sacramento, h
young wife in Washington, according to h
request, opened all letters addressed 10 hin
there, and forwarded such as she deemed
important for him to see. Among the re.
she OUpuDl a rpyprumput 1p grot,L IA,