Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-10-21
From the California Chronicle.
Col Fremont and the Pathhnders.

DaritpliS expeditions. IL from the pen oI s
one Of his companions, u well known cit +
zen resident al San jose. whose candor
and trHhfuines5 is unquestioned. We /
prefer not 10 ameud or correct any IInper- |
fections tia, may appear III the forms OF .
G xpression used, believing It's own simple /
viii convey lis truthful intent.
EpiroRs CuRoSIcLE:-I understand .
that the enemies OF Col. Fremont are Try /
lug to make people believe that the great +
er part of the men who composed his Cal /
itornia Battalion, and also those who were /
with him In his exploring expeditions are /
ii gainst him. " IL, ilccrtainly was news i
10 me when | heard of it, and am sure /
il VIII be news 10 all the men who were |
wIh him in those expeditions, and who |
are nov scattered Throughout, the State
Why, sir, there is not u word of truth IN
it. Ii is no such a thing. 1t is the very
reverse. They are all for him, except
about a dozen, who either hold office un-
der the present administration, or who
seek Office. There never was a co:nman-
der who possessed the affection of his
men to the same extent that Col. Fremont
did; and | say 1t now, without fear of con-
tradiction, that of five hundred men who
composed his California Battalion there
is not more than ten or twelve against
him. All the rest are for him, and all
the men who were with him in his explo-
ring expeditions are for him to a man,
and all OF them who are alive will show
the opponents ofthe Colonel next Novem-
Der exactly how they are, by helping to
elect HIM to be our next President. They
have confidence in him, and know him TO
be able to do anything he undertakes to
do. for be never has failed, and he knows
no such word as fail.
! will give You some Of the reasons
why Col. i'remont's men are so unani-
mously for HIM. They know him to have
i well balanced mind. He is always the
same under all circumstances, and they
know him TO be a gooI man. / had an
opportunity OF knowing him well. Iioiil-
ed his party in the Rocky Mountains in
1913. and was with him until he arrived
in California the following spring. was
also with him lii his campaign in this State,
during the Mexican war. [ have seen
him III many trying situation, where, if
he faltered, we would be lost, but he al
ways met every difficulty bravely. | re-
collect very we'll when we were travelling
on the East side of the Sierra Nevada in
the winter OF lS13-44, when our animals
gave out, and we had 10 walk; he set the
example by walking himself. 1t was nee
essary to walk i'll order TO enable US 10
pack our provisions, for many of our ami
mails had died. Afterwards, when he de-
sired 10 cross over the mountains to Cali
fornia, Kit Carson observed to me that
now would see who would fail, for, said
he " there IS no situation that will make
mans heart fail SO quick as going through
deep snow. In about two days after, we
got fairly i.,.J he snow, and what made
il worse, W. had nothing to eat tut poor
horses and mules.
Colonel Fremont divided the provisions,
as long as there was any, and he Jared
just the same as we did. We lived that
way for thirty-fre days-eating horse
and mule meat, and laundering our way
through the snow, some days Only making
bat about three miles. | noticed sure
enough. some OF our stUu:est men seemed
70 lose all hope, and nearly all got care
less of cur persons; that is, we would neg
lett 10 wash our faces and comb our hair,
&c. and some would be sulien and cross
bu, | noticed CyL Fremont that wonder
fui man, slender built, and apparently not
used 10 hardshlps, was Just the same as
when we had everything plenty. | WON
dered a. him, and 50 did the oldest noun
taineers in camp. hut his mind seemed
equal TO any emergency. lie brought US
through safe, and we all had such conf
dence III him that we obeyed hum implicit
", and did what he commanded cheerful
~; and 1t was the only thing saved us from
perIshing.
Afterwards in another expedition he
had ms courage severely tested, for if ev-
er there was time 10 try a mans cour-
age and ccolness, it Is to have an Indian /
War-whoop raised over Your head at the /.
hour ofmidnight. This happened TO Col. /.
Fremont; two of the guard were toma-
hawbed while asleep, and the Indians 90, .
fairly into camp. /, was then that Col. !
Fremont showed his bravery and pres
ence OF mlnd; he gave the necessary or
ders IS cool as though there was no dan
ger, and by MS efforts lie camp was saved. /
Again, daring the war in California, and
soon after the battle of the Natiyida. orr
battalion swore vengeance against the /
SpaiiaFdS. because they had killed sever .
al OF our men. We went South THROUGH +.
the coast range OF mountains, and surroun (
deu the Mission Of San Louis Obispo.-
In spite OF all the Spanish spies, we sur I
prised them. Col. Fremont knew how to
do II; the S?aniards wondered how we got
there without their knowledge. Among
the prisoners taken was a Californian by /
the name of Don Jose de Jesus Pico, a /
nue. looking man Of great influence among
the Spaniards, and who broke his parole +.
by leading company of Spaniards against
u.s. lie was trled by court martial aud .
sentenced to be shot. We were much in /
censcd against the Spaniards at that time, /
and had no sympathy for Mr.. Pico, but
some of the Spaniards and few of our
Interceded for Mr.. Pico, and beg
ged OF our Colonel to pardon him, but the
Colonel was firm and would not give way.
Finally, after Pico's friends gave up all