The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-07-30
Colonel Frexnont's Patent Nobil'
iEu

Colonel EreEnont's Patent Nobil-
ity.
The following is an authentic state
of Fremont's 194S and l949 eX-
ploration, after he had been court-mar-
tailed for characterization. We believe
this is the time when he showed his fit
ness for the Presidency by eating grass
hoppers:
In November, l848, he appeared at the
settlements of upper Arkansas, at the
base of the Rocky Mountains, with a
party ready to undertake an expedition
across the mountains to the Pacific his
object being to find a route for a rail
road as neal as might be to the thirty
eight or thirty-ninth parallel oflatitude.
At these settlements he met Major Fitz-
patrick, the well known Indian Agent
and a mountain man Mr.. Hatcher, al
so a famous hunter and guide, and Bill
Williams, not less known to fame as an
experienced guide and a reliable man.
All these men warned Fremont against
attempting, at that season of the year,
the passage of the Rocky Mountains at
the point at which he aimed but the
Colonel was not the man to listed to
the suggestions of reason and expert
ence.
Bill Williams was thereupon, nOlenS
rOlenS, pressed into his service as guide,
and on the 25th of November the party
set out from the Pueblo, upon the Ar
kansas, on their perilous journey. Well,
they toiled their way up and across the
most eastern range of the rocky Noun
tains, Fremont ever and anon putting
his own instructive knowledge of the
country in successful opposition to Will
liams '%surer, because experienced knowl-
edge. On the 9TH of December they
had assembled the last hills at the ives
entered the broad valley of the Rio Del
| Norte. Here commenced the serious
clashing between Fremont aud his guide,
which eventuated in the loss of all their
mules and the lives of nine Of the party ;
yes, of eleven, for the subsequent mas
sacre OF DIR. Kern and Bill Williams al
so grew out of the blunders. Williams
wished Fremont to take a more north
erly pass, pointing it out to'him. Ere
mont said it would not do; it was to
much out Of the way for his railroad.
His course was So, pointing to a moro
southeruly pass. Williams replied that
he was sure he could get through the
more northernly pass, and as for being
responsible for the consequences of at
tempting the more southern one, he
could do no such thing. Tae warning
of Williams was not needed. Fremont
persisted in following the dictates of his
own infatuated judgement.
We all know the result. Fremont,
as already stated, lost eleven OF his men
and all his mules by starvation and cold.
On the goth of December, finding him
self perfectly helpless and hemmcd in
from advancing any further, he sent Mr..
King, Bill Williams, Breckenridge and
Crutzfeldt to the settlements to procure
relief. Eight days were allowed th1m
to 20 and return. The whole distance
t. be travelled could not have been less
than two hundred aud fifty miles, and
the snow in the shallowest places two and
a half feet deep.
In the mean time the rest of then
party were wasting their strength, aud
the provisions were fast disappearing
The eight days elapsed ,and no singns ap.
peared of the return of the party. Ere.
mont, however, was not the man to be
moved by the perilous condition in which
he was placed. He had not yet receiv
ed the inspiration which eight days sub
sequently ION the 18th of january, SIC
teen after King and his party left NOV
ed him, as he says, to commence a ret
rograde movement: and without whiel
they all must have persisted. [See hi
letters from Taos, N. NJ, published ii
the National InteHigcncer under dat
of January 27, 1870.
No, he takes credit to himself for hi
GOODNESS, and as an evidence writes t
his wife that during this interval he wa.
RECALLING himself with a copy of Black
stone, which he had taken from his faith
er-in-law's library. The condition c
his commissariat was less q matter c
moment than the appearance of %coolnes
which, under such circumstances, h
could show the world he was capabl
af.
The party were 10 a starving eonI;
tion, and yet some forty mules had bee
left unbutchered. The baggage of tn
Colonel was of more value than the live
of his men; and instead of orderin
them to butcher the mules and dry tn
meat, he on the 18th of January, star
ted with lis mess for the settlements
and ordered the rest of his party to re
main behind and secure his baggage
Six days were consumed by this PORTO
of the party in the selfish work for tn
Colonel before they were at liberty t
move /; and By this time, January lG
they had become so mach erhaustc,
and there provisions had been acduce
to SO loaO an ebb, that eight Of the nam
Der died from starvation and coll
before Mey could reach any relief.
Colonel Beall, the commanding officer
at Taos, ordered a supply of provision
for the q0hoae party, and yet, accordin.
to Mr.. Kern, the only portion Of til
men qchich receiUed any acre thoS
that accompanied Fremont 10 Calyor
MA!
But this is not the whole of the Co
lonel's conduct in relation to this mat
ter. If it were it were of small moment
great as it is in comparison with wha
Immediately followed. In his selfglori
f~ication and efforts to save himself from
~censure, he throacS the achole blame G
hiS disasters upon has guide, e0hose "a
Vice he Spurned, upon account Of aohtc
/ gery error he brought upon himself til
icalamitieS sohich foA0med.