Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-09-18
From the Pittsburgh G.zet
The Cattle Story.

S"ccA0 0GVIy.
Inc Ducnaniers have been exceedingly
unfortunate N the stories they have hatc6ed
up against Col. Fremont The one thsv
have dwelt on most of late conco,n;nr
some cattle transactions in c.I;sa.u;a =
which they allege that he purchased cai,la
for the government. and then apnronr;ate5
them to himself. The same thinr wos
trumped up against him when he first ran
as candidate for the United States Senate
in that State and in letter to friend he
thus explained it:
ain reply to your inquiry for information
regarding the real nature ofthe transaction
with D. Eulogio de Cells" have to state
that, at time when the troops under nv
command were destitute of provisions, and
we were able to procure them only in small
and desultory supplies, ,on precarious credit,
Major Samuel Hensley, then commissary
for battalion, called upon me with an offer
from Mr.. Cells, which l was glad to accept
Immediately. The offer was to furnish me
600 head of cattle, at ten dollars per head
and loan of $4,000, payable all in six
months with the usual interest; if not paid
at that time, we were to return him the
hides as the cattle were killed, and the
difference in the price of the cattle, (ss be-
ing the cash price then) being a bonus for
the loan and for the relief afforded by the
provisions. C. Andres Pico was charged
to bring. the cattle from San Louis Obispo
Ia Los Angeles. In the interval of his ab-
sence, General Kearney issued his procla-
nation, taking out of my hands the partial
direction of affairs which | had retained,
and destroying the confidence which the
people of the South had been disposed to
place in me. Desiring to know for the sat
isfaction of those to whom was indebted,
how far General Kearney designed to full
fill my contracts previously made, iname-
diateiy visited him for that purpose Mt
Monterey. As have already asserted, on
nv arrival before the court martial at Wash
ingt6n, he refused TO assume any respons-
ibility or to fu,illl any contract. returned
to Los Angeles, and made known his reply
to Mr.. Cells, Mr.. Cot, L. Andres Pieo, ard
other gentlemen then at that place. d.
Andres Pico had, in the meantime, brought
portion of the cattle (between 400 and
500 believe) to the mission of San Fer
nando, near Los Angeles, where they were
waiting to be delivered; what disposition
should be made of the cattle was for some
days a subject of discussion between Mr..
Cells, d. Andres Pico, Major Hensley, and
myself. 1t was at first proposed to leave
the cattle with D. Andres; but agreeably
to the suggestion of Major Hensley, it was
decided to place them with Stearns, as
security to both Cells and the government,
until we should be able to know what
course would be pursued by government.
They were to be kept by Mr. Stearns on
the terms usually allowed for keeping cat
tie, viz: one half the increase, and thev
were not placed in his hands for any fixed
time, but only TO await the action of the
government. ~a
1T has been made matter of charge
against me, that | gave Mr.. Cells full re-
ceipt for the delivery of all the cattle, when
| had received only part l had the
right to do so. l had the right to com
plete my own contracts, when others, whose
duty it was to assume them, eudeavored
rather to invalidate them As for Mr..
Cells he had sufficient confidence in me to
advance me money and | was under order
to leave the country Immediately, | chose
to have sufficient confidence in him to bind
the government to him, so far as pos.
sibly could. These cattle were all deliver
ed as soon as they could be brought to Los
Angeles. sl'i
''Since my return TO this country I have
received number of affidavits to all the
occurrences of the foregoing transactions,
from Mr.. Wilson, Mr.. Temple, and other
gentlemen, citizens of Los Angeles These
with some other papers, were designed for
another occasion, and are now at Monterey,
but they shall be published as soon rs
can conveniently do so. MrCelis is now
in this city. l have thus, nv dear sir,
briefly and hurriedly answered your several
inquiries" J. C. FREMONT.
"JoHN R. SNYDER, Esq.,"
This letter, when published in California
was so satisfactory that its author was inn
mediately after chosen to the United States
Senate by the Legislature. If it satisfied
his constituents, who were on the ground
of the transaction, and knew all the parties
and circumstances, it certainly ought to be
satisfactory to us.