The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-07-05
SKRTCm - TME LIFE
OF
JOHN CHARLES FREMONT
From the New York Evening Post.

SIZE BENTON.
In 1888 the sloop Of war Nstchez entered
the port of Charleston to enforce General
Jackson's proclamation against the nuIi6ers.
Being thence ordered on q cruise to Soutb
America. Fremont, then just twenty wears
OF age, obtained through the Secretary Of the
navy, Mr.. Poinsett, the pos: of teache. Of
mathematics, and made in her, in that capac-
'ty.. cruise Of some two and half years du-
ration. Shortly after his return to Charles
ton be- received fran the college, which had
once expelled hinr-Dr. Adams being still
its president-the degrees Of Bachelor and
Master Of Arts.
law had " ths h,es n.;m. bee, enacted
creating professorships Of mathematics in the
navy, and Fremont was one ofa few amono
many candidates who successfully passed q
rigorous examination before q board con-
vened for this purpose in Baltimore, and was
appointed to the frigate Independence. But
he had in the meantime decided to labor in
profession which offered a larger field to en-
ersy and promised greater rewards, and for
which his stu1ies had particularly qualified
hun. lie made bis first essay as surveyor
an" railroad engineer in an examination for
an improvement of the railway line between
Charleston and Aucust.&
Abont this time corps Of engineers va.
organized under the direction of Captain G.
w. Williams. of the United States topo-
graphical engineers, (killsd in the battle Of
Monterrey and General W. &. McNeill, for
the purpose OF making preliminary survey
OF route for railway line from Charleston
to Cincinnati, snd Fremont was appointed
one OF the assistant engineers. charged with
the exploration Of the mountain passes be.
tween South Carolina and Tennessee, where
he remained until the work was suspende,l
in the fall of 1887.
The parties engaged in this work occasion
ally stopped at the farm houses scattered
through the mountains, but more frequently
lived IN camp, being provided with tent, and
al the necessary rqu'Page for a camp life.
OF which this was Fremont's first experience.
1t was rountry well calculated to make
such first impressions durable and attractive
-ronsh and wild. and aboun,iing in those
natural beauties which make the summer in
that region particularly delightful.
lie remained here until the suspension of
the work. Captain Williams being then or.
dered to make military reconnaissance of
the mountainous country comprehendins por-
tons Of the States Of Georgia, North Caroli-
ma and tennessee. occupied at this time bv
the Cherokee Indians. Fremont accompanied
him as one of his assistants.
This was . wintrv survev-made hurried.
", IN anticipation of hostil,ties which threat.
ened with the Tndians-and the surveyors At
times were occupied. with a guide only, in
making rapid reconnoisances on horseback.
T TFafffy" ";s1i q tigiAp giAp64 ie esla~n: snn PACK mule.
to carry their tents and provisions, it being a
forest country, sparseIv occupied BY Indian
farms. At night they feIIed trees. and made
large fires Of hickory logs. around which the
Pan'her's cry was occasionally heard, and
owls hooted from the bemlocks
This was the first experience ofa winters
campaign to one destined to 90 to the verge
of human endurance in similar scenes
From this work, in the spring. he went d.
recr'y to the Upper Mississippi. whence he
set out on an exploring expedition over the
north western prairies, under the command
of J. N. Nico'let.
Mr.. Nicollet was a French gentleman of
distinction. member OF the ara.lemy of sci
ences, eminen:ly distinguished for varied and
extraordinary ability and for his scientific
atta'nments. "whose early death," SAYS Hum
bol' in his aspects Of Nature, "deprived sci
ence OF one OF her brightest ornaments" As
a geographer, our north western country had
tor him peculiar interest. 1t had been the
field in which the earlier French dis'.overer.
and Catholic missionaries had labored. and It
had been one of his most cherished wishes to
visit the scenes Of their labors and to draw
together the scattered materials Of a history
which he thought rcdoun,lpd to the honor
Of his countrymen. With these views, and
in the interest Of geography, he had recent
! 'y made an extended journey around the
sources OF the mississippi, the map and ma
ter'als OF which had been adopted by our gov
ernment, and he had been commissioned to
mike an examination Of our almost urexplor.
ed northwestern region, in continuation of
his own labors
Mr.. Ponsett, then secretary of war, re-
membered Fremont as a suitable person to
cooperate in this work, and procured for
him the appointment Of principal assistant.
in which capacity he accompanied NJ Nicol-
let, during the years '38 and 80 in two spp-
arate explorations Of the greater part of the
region lying between the Missouri and the
upper rivers, and extending north to the
British line.
During his absence, in '3S, Fremont vas
appointed BY Van Buren q second lieuten.
ant in the corps Of typographical engineers
which bad been re-organized BY General
Jackson, who provided that half Of the corps
should be taken from the civil service. Fre-
mont was one of the first who proti,ed bv th;,
provision. After the return Of these exne.
ditions, more than year was occup;ed in
the reduction of their materials. with a man
and report in illustration Of them; and dur.
ing this time Fremont resided with NJ. N;col.
let, and Mr.. Hassler, then the head of the
coast survey. In the familiar society and
conversations Of these two remarkab mon
he enjoyed t6e rare opportunity Of a da;Iv
association With science in her most attr,c.
tive guise. They were not men who had
worked laboriousiy up, branch by branch. to
obtain an incomplete knowledge Of science
their genius had spread out its fields distinct.
ly before them, and they had surveyed them
from an eminence. They bad invented new
forms for the easier expression of scientific
results and new instruments to extend and
apply them.
The natural result Of such On intercour..
was to give him confidence in bis RESOURCES.
and to inspire him with those enlarged views
which have distinguished bis subseeuent CA
reer, and secured for him Aatterine stsen.
t'o"s from the most eminent philosophers Of
| his age.