The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-08-07
= = From The -CincInuau, EnquirerJ
.FremOnt's FinaEExpIoIts in. Cali
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
thing for rEvery EtectOr To Read.

1OFnia--lkiclfD DiSCIOSufes--SOme-
thing for Every EtectOr ORead.
The ObtaiDingof the ''Mariposa Grant,
was not the only rich financial exploit per.
formed by Fremont when he was in Calf
fornia. He resorted to other and less cred
liable means to. enrich himself, as will be
seen from the following letter Of Col. Ma
son, ofthe first Dragons, U, s. A., which
is recorded in the official archives, of the
Government at Washington. ga Cal
ifornian' has lately dug it up and published
it in the columns of the Washington Union,
and to it we invite the attention Of our read
ers:
HEADQUARTERS 10TH MILITARY DEp'r,l
Monterey, Cal, Oct. 9, I847.
SIR--I have the honor herewith to in
close to you the papers relating to certain
contract entered into On the Sd day of March,
lS47, by Lieutenant Colonel Fremont,
mounted rihemen, with Don Eulogio de
Cells, resident of Cudad de los Angeles,
California. The paper marked A. is
copy of this contract, Lieutenant Colonel
Fremont's certificate, bearing date April
90, lS47, that the contract had been compli-
ed with on the part of Don Euligio de.Celis,
and that he, Fremont had executed to him
in payment note for the sum Of $6.975.
"Lieutenant Colonel Frement left Cali
fornia in the month of June, lS47, giving
no notice to General Kearney or myself of
the existence Of such a contract, or that'he
had pledged the faith of his government for
the redemption of it by the payment Of the
sum Of $6,975. Nor had the least idea Of
this obligation until applied to by Col. Ste-
venson whether I would recognize the con-
tract and redeem the bond at maturity
This letter was accompanied by others,
which show that, in fact, Notwithstanding
the certificate of Lieutenant Colonel Fre-
mont, Mr.. Cells never delivered to the COM
missary of the California Battalion one
single head OF beef cattle under this con-
tract, and that not one of these six hundred
head of cattle was slaughtered for the use of
that battalion; but, on the contrary, that they
have been delivered to Mr. Searns, of
Los Angeles, in two parcels; one of four
hundred and eighty-one on the first of May,
and another OF one hundred and nineteen on
the sixth day of July, lS47, both of which
dates are subsequent to the discharge OF the
California Battalion, commanded by Lieu
tenant Col J. C. Fremont There is no
doubt that these cattle are the same 500 con
tracted for by Lieutenant Col. Fremont on
the Sd March, l647. Mr.. Cells stated it
positively in his letter marked D; and the
receipts for them by Stearns, marked B and
F specially state that he (Stearns) receipts
for them in the name and behalf of Lieu.
tenant Colonel Fremont.
"These deliveries occurred at time Uhen
garrison was stationed at Los Angeles,
with a commissioned agent of the commits
sary department of the army, Lieutenant
Davidson, to take charge of the subsistence
stores intended for public use; yet these cat
tie, furnished by formal contract, are deliU-
ed to private individual upon special d.
greement Gas he, Stearns, says) to breed on
shares for term Of three gears. have en-.
deavored to procure from Mr.. Stearns a
copy OF the agreement he has made with
1t. Col. Fremont, for taking care Of these
cattle, but his letters (marked and 10Y pos.
itively assert that he regards these cattle as
the private property of Lieutenant Colonel
Fremont, but that the agreement by which
he holds them is verbal one, witnessed by
a Mr.. Hensly and Lieutenant Gillespie, Of
the United States Navy. Thus stands the
facts, and am applied to to know whether
payment will be made upon the paper mark
ed 2, which is certificate that the sum OF
$6,975 is due TO Mr.. Cells, for supplies fur.
nished the California battalion, which sup.
plies are clearly and plainly the lot of six
hundred breeding cows now in the hands Of
a private individual, not one of which has
been used for public purposes. This note
becomes due on the eighteenth day of De.
cember, 1S47, and bears an interest OF %
per cent per annum after that date.
ain connection with this subject, call
your attention to the paper marked 8, where.
in Lieutenant Colonel Fremont has bound
himself and future Governors of California
to pay the sum of $4,000 at the expiration
of eight months from the date of March g.
lS47, or, in default thereof, that the note
shall bear an interest of "a per cent, per
annum; this, too, when the acting assail-
ant quartermaster at Monterey, had been
more than month in the country, with the
supply of money applicable to the proper
expenses of the army ip California.
"Mr Cells states that it was partly ia
secure this loan of money that Lieutenant
Colonel Fremont made with him the liberal
bargain for cattle, for which the price is a.
bout forty per cent higher than the market
price at the time. Both of these notes are
soon due, rnd Mr. Cells is going 10 make
application for payment, as he claims to
have fulfilled his part of a contract, for the
redemption of which the government of the
United States is pledged by an officer there.
Of; but the whole transaction, as shown by
the accompanying papers. appears to me oil
such character that shall not order pay