Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-07-26
The Merits Of Fremont as an Explorer

The Merits Oh fremont as an Explorer
As an offset to the articles we see in the Black
| Republican press about the Pathfinder" as they
term Fremont, we will publish the opinion of his
friends in regard to bis merits as an explorer
before they thought of putting him on the Presi
dental course. In l849 the New York Tribune,
then as now edited by Horace Greeley, copied from
the, Quincy (Illinois) Wing journal of one of FIRE.
mont's men, an intelligent engineer, r. II. Kern,
of Philadelphia, well known to many citizens Of
Washington,) who was afterwards killed in the
Gunnson party by the Indians in the vicinity of
Salt Lake. The following are extracts from that
| journal, and we submit them to our readers with
out comment. They very seriously impair the lau-
rels of the Pathfinder :"
From the New York Tribune, of lS4e.l
JOURNAL OF ONE OF FREaoST's MEN.-We ar
range the following statement from the Quincy
| Qn.) Wing:
"Mr. stepper6eld, who is one Of Fremonts
| men, and who suffered with others of the CON-
| pany in the attempt to cross the mountains of
| New Mexico last winter, returned 10 his home in
this city on Tuesday last. From conversation
with Mr.. 8, we are led to believe that the suffer
ings of the party were not fully detailed even if
| known by Colonel Fremont and as the public
will probably never have an authentic account of
the disasters from his pen, 1t rests with the men
| who composed the party, and who shared the suf
ferng, to give the detail as events transpred from
day to day. A daily journal Of the transactions
| was kept by some of the men, which may be of
| some interest to the public.
ut win be seen that Colonel Fremont is much
/ censured IN these pages, and with considerable
justice II the testimony OF the men Of his party Is
to be relied on. The journal appears to have been
kept by Richard II. Kern"
- =. Al IL g
ing
december 9.--Moved In the valley of the
/ river on its eastern bank. Entered small canon
Of the river, but on account Of the deep snow
were forced to turn back and pass over the top of
| the hill crossed the river and camped The
| deep snow of to-day should have warned Colonel
| Fremont of his approaching destruction but with
the wifully blind eyes of rashness and selEconcet
and confidence he rushed on Course North and
| West. Elk skins abundant
| December IA party Of men went ahead TO
/ beat trail while those remaining in camp were
| TO bring the animals up. After hard labor reach
ed the top of the LII and the trail winding up
| the opposite HILL whose summit some grass
could be seen; the trail passed through Stow from
three to fifteen feet deep. We unpacked the
mules on little point, after which some were
driven TO the hill top, and those that were too
! weak left to perish. This was the last time we
packed them. Every animal should have been
butchered, and We would have had plenty in
| camp.
| Upon Col. Fremonts arrival at Taso Major
Beall commander at that post, ordered the com
mssary TO issue to the Colonel thirty days' full ra-
tons for twenty-five men then in the mountains
and expected in. These rations were never turn
! ed over to the men, and were probably taken TO
| California by Fremont. The men were obliged 70
buy their own provisions from the people Of the
country, who came to their relief
RICHARD II. KERN
| RIO HONDA, March 10, 1885"