Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-06-27
JOHN CHARLES FREMONT.

adelphia have selected to head the grand
exploring expedition in the search of the lost
and almost forgotten landmarks of the Con
stitution, is still young mar. His father,
who died when he was child, was a
Frenchman, his mother Virginian. He
was born at Savannah on the 2lst of Janu-
ary, 1913, and educated at Charleston,
South Carolina, where his mother, left a
widow with three children, had taken up
her residence. The circumstances of the
family were exceedingly narrow, and the
childhood of Fremont was surrouded by pri-
yations and difficulties which, with power
ful nature like his naturally tended to de-
velop the heroic elements of his character.
At Charleston, Fremont enjoyed the in
structions of DR.. John Robertson, who, in the
preface to translation of Zenophen's Re
treat of the Ten Thousand, which he pub
lished in 1850, records with pride the re-
markable proficiency of his pupil In 1928
he entered the junior class of Charleston
College. After leaving, which he employed
himself for some time as a teacher Of
mathematics. In 1888 he obtained that
post on board the sloop-ofwar Natchez,
which had been sent to Charleston to put
down the nullifers Ia purpose similar to
that for which he is now nominated for
President and on board of her be made a
cruise of two years and half On his re-
turn he adopted the profession Of survey
or and railroad engineer, and was employed
in that capacity under Captain Williams Of
the Typographical Engineers in the survey
of route from Charleston to Cincinnati
When this survey was suspended, he ac-
acompnied Capt. Williams in a reconnois-
ance of the country then occupied by the
Cherokees, after which he Joined NJ. Nico-
let, distinguished French savan in the
employ of the United States, in an explor-
ing expedition over the North Western pra-
iries. He was employed in this survey, in
which he acted as principal assistant, during
the years 1888 and 1889, and while absent
upon it was appointnd Second Lieuten-
ant in the Corps of Typographical Engin-
eers. While reducing the materials of this
survey, and preparing maps and a report,
he resided for some time at Washington,
where he formed the acquaintance of the
family of Mr.. Benton, resulting in his mar
riage, in 1841, to one of Mr.. Benton's
daughters.
Shortly after-ln May, l842-he started
on the first of his three great exploring ex-
peditions. This expedition, which occupied
about five months, resulted in the expIora-
ton of the famous South Pass across the
Rocky Mountains, and in the ascent by
Fremont and four of his men of the Wind
River peak, the highest summit ofthe Rocky
Mountain chain. The report of this explo-
ration attracted great attention, both at
home and abroad, ,as we'll for its unpretending
modesty as for the Importance of the in
formation contained in it This report was
scarcely published when its author started
on a second expedition designed to connect
the discoveries of the first one with the sur
veys to be made by Commodore Wilkes Of
the Exploring Expedition of the Pacific
Coast, and thus to embrace a connected sur
vey of the almost unknown regions on both
sides of the Rocky Mountains. The party,
including thirty-nine persons, started from
the village of Kansas on the 29th of May,
I843, and were employed in the exploration
till August of the next year. 1t was this
exploration that first furnished any accurate
information as to the Great Salt Lake, the
great interior basin of Utah, and the Noun
tain Range of the Sierra Nevada, and first
brought to light, as it were, the region now
constituting the Territory of Utah and the
State of California.
After preparing the report of this expe-
dition in the Spring of 1845, Fremont now
a Captain, set out on third expedition de-
signed to make a more particular survey Of
the regions which he had previously visited.
1t was while engaged in this expedition,
and before he had received any intimation
of the commencement of the war with Mex
leo, that, after having himself been once
ordered off by the authorities, he was induc-
ed by the entreaties of the American set
tiers in the valley of the Sacramento, whom
the Mexicans threatened to drive out of the
country, to put himselfat their head. Thus
led they defeated the Mexicans. Fremont
put himself into communication with the
naval commanders on the coast, and soon,
in conjunction with Commodore Stockton,
obtained complete possession of California,
of which, on the oath of August, he was ap-
pointed Military Commander. The fight
ing, however, was not yet over. The Cali
fornians rose in insurrection; but the arriv-
al of Gen. Kearney with his dragons from
New Mexico, enabled the Americans, after
some hard-fought battles, to maintain them
selves in possession. Pending these opera
tions, a commission arrived for Fremont as
Lieut.. Colonel-a promotion which neither
he nor his friends had solicited, but which
he gladly received as ratification on the
part of the Government of his intervention,
-oe,o,cib;Itr - {ba offoirS Of