Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-07-12
rylhing may end peacesbly amongst US.
''I3eliose me to be, yours sincerely,
"THoMAs O. LAHkfs.

lHOMAS ". hAhhlNs
"To John Parrot, Esq, United States CON
snl, Mazatlan.'
Two couriers were sent 20 Fremonts camp
by Mr. Iarkin One, an American, failed 10
20, through the other native Californian,
succeeded in reaching his camp, after a narrow
escape from being shot by Fsemonl's men.
lie brought back note in pencil. from Cap
tain Fremont and reported that two thousand
Of his countrymen could noi compel him to
leave the country, although his party was so
small.
The following is Fremont's note to the con-
sul dated:
"MARcu 10. 1876.
NV dear Sir; this moment received your
letters, and without waiting to read them. ac-
knowledge the recent. which the courier re-
ouires. immediately.
am making myself as strong as possible, in
the intention that if we are unius,ly attacked,
we will fight to extremity, and refuse quarter,
trusting 10 our country 10 avenes our death.
No one has reached our camp. and from the
bicbts we are able TO see the ,roops with tho
CLASSY mastering At ST. Johns and preparing
cannon. | thank vvu for your kindness. and
good wishes. and would write more a, length
as 10 nv intentions. did I no, fear tina, nv let.
ter would be Intercepted. We have in no wise
done wrong 10 the people or the authorities Of
the country, and il we are hem,ned ia and a.
saul,ed here. we win die. every man Of Us.
under the fac Of our country.
VERY truly yours, j. G. FarNosr.
"Thomas o. Larkin. Esq., consul for the Unit
ed States. Monterey"
They remained in their eneampmeut several
davs in hourlv exoectation nj an attack The
men were s,ronplv disposed to SURPRISE Castro's
cam, in the n;eht I'm, Fremont vas unwilling
IN compromise his ooyernnen, and the saCetv Of
the se,,lers in the eouu,rv. bv any vioIeu, act
nm his na,t Toward. the close of the four,h
d.v while they "a, in council on the difficulties
of their position. the iae which had been hoist
ed on n ialI sapplinc which had been trimmed
into a aeg-s,af. suddeply fell. staff and all. to
the ground. wasominous. The men look.
ed AZ each other doab,iuely. and Fremont avail
ed himself Of This incident 10 decide their course
Men. - said he. "ihat means saddle up.'--
and before morning tbey we're MANY miles dis
tan, on the aauk Of the San Joanuin vallcv.
During the nicbt a messenrer from Castro
(Ciirov. Of the valley of San Juan, reached
The des,rted camp. where he found tie fires
still burning He brought with him letter
from Castro. Offering 10 Fremont a cessation Of
hos,ilities. and proposing they should ioin their
forces and declare the cnuntry independent OF
Mexico. and march against Governor Pico. who
was in the southern part Of tho territory.
Fremont now quietly and without moles,a-
,ion continued his Journey nor,hward, up the
valley Of the Sacramento, into Oregon For
what followed we avail ourselves Of the sue
cinct but thrilling account given by Col. Ben
ton in the second volume Of his "Thiry Years
View !"
Turning his back on the Mexican posses
sions, and looking To Oregon as the field Of his
future labors, Mr. Fremont determined to ex-
plore a new route to the wal-lah-maih settle.
meuls and the lide-wster region Of the Colum-
bia, through the wild and elevated region Of
the rlama,h lakes. A romantic interest at
r. :.