Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-09-19


The Cattle Story Explained.
Another base Slander against Col. FREE
| mont put at rest!
The Buchaniers have been exceedingly
unfortunate in the stories they have hatch
ed up against Col. Fremont The one
they have dwelt on most of late, is con-
cerning some cattle transactions in Californ-
ia, in which they allege that he purchased
cattle for the government, and then appro-
priated them to himself The same thing
was trumped up against him when he first
ran as candidate for the U. s. Senate, in
that State, and in letter to a friend he
thus explained it:
"In reply to your inquiry for information
regarding the 'real nature of the transaction
with D. Enlogio de Cells" l have to
state that, at time when the troops under
my command were destitute of provisions,
and we were able to procure them only in
small and desultory supplies, on precari-
Gus credit Major Samuel Hensley, then com
miSsary for the battalion, called upon me
with an offer from Mr.. Cells, which 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; and 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, ($8 being the cash price then)
being a bonus for the lone and for the relief
offorded by the provisions. D. Andres Pi-
co was charged to bring the cattle from San
Louis Obispo to Los Angeles. In the in
terval of his absence, General Kearney issu-
ed his proclamation, taking out of my
hands the partial direction of affairs which
l had retained, and destroying the conf
dence which the people of the South had
been disposed to place in me.-Desiring to
know for the satisfaction of those to whom
l was indebted, how far General Kearney
designed to fulfil my contracts previously
made, l Immediately visited him for that
purpose at Monterey. AS have already
asserted, on my trial before the court-mar-
tial at Washington, he refused to assume
any responsibility or to fulfil any contract.
| Immediately returned to Los Angeles, and
made known his reply to Mr.. Cells, Mr.. Cot
D. Andres Pico, and 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 Fernando, near Los
Angeles, where they were waiting to be de-
livered-what disposition should be made
of the cattle was for some days a subject of
discussion between Mr.. Cells, D. Andres Pi-
co, Major Hensely, and myself. 1t was at
first proposed to leave the cattle with D.
Andres; but agreeably to the suggestion of
Major Hensely, it was decided TO place
them with Stearns, as a sueurity both to
Cells and to the government, until we
should be able to know what course would
be persued by the govemment.-They
were to be kept by Mr.. Stearns on the terms
usually allowed for keeping cattle, viz: one
half the increase, and they were not placed
in his hands for any fixed time, but only to
await the action of the government.
at has been a matter of charge against
me, that l gave Mr. Cells full receipt for
the delivery of all the cattle, when l had
received only part l had the right to do
so. had the right to complete my own
contracts, when others, whose duty it was
to assume them, endeavoured rather to in
validate them. As Mr.. Cells had had con-
fidence in me to advance me money, and I
was under order to leave the country imme-
diatelv, l chose to have sufficient confidence
in him to give him receipt for all the
cattle and to bind the Government to him
so far as I possibly could. These cattle
were all delivered as soon as they could be
brought to Los Angeles.
"Since my return TO this country have
received number of afidavits 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 arc now at Monterey,
but they shall be published as soon as l
can conveniently so. Mr.. Cells is now in
this city. have thus, my dear sir, briefly
and hurriedly answered your several inquir-
les. J. G. FREMONT.
JoHN R. SNYDER, Esq"
This letter when published in California,
was so satisfactory that its author was imme-
diately after chosen to the U. S. Senate by
the legislature.