True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-08-06

Nv JSe e-AsAh etdb ONt Bioos OuiOt VIII
let his soldiers die, and forget to cover
their gravesl Before the SHOWS melt
again. his warriors will sweep away your
villages as the FIRE does the prairie in the
autumn. See | I have pulled down my
white houses, and my people are ready (;
when the sun is ten PAGES higher, we
shall be on the march. II you have any.
thing to tell Us. you will say itsoon."
The Indians were cowed and furnish.
ed guide. Fremont marched, and was
not molested. 1t was the resolve of that
hour which decided his career, and made
him the adopted child Of Fortune. Mr..
Upham says: ~
I" If he had yielded TO the fears that
had overcome all other minds. failure
would have been stamped upon him fore
YER. But as it was. he won the glory Of
inhexible resolution in the hearts Of his
admiring followers. and gave to the sava
ges and all other who dealt with him an
impression they ever after retained, that
he was indeed brave, and that nothing
could prevent his accomplishing whatever
he undertook" 20. ...
II were easy to gil the page with other
illustrations Of the same quality. We
have space only for glance at bis daring
decision al an important crisis in Califor-
MIA, which gave US, at length, the posses
sion Of that country. When Col. Ere.
mont reached California, after a long jour
ney through wild regions. he was not
aware that war had been declared be.
tween Mexico and the United States ;
nor had the news been received BY Gen.
Castro the governor of the province, who
received him with great cordially. In a
few days, however, orders reached Castro
to'expel Col. Fremont and bis party from
The territory.
"On the third of March," writes our
biograpber, "when within about twenty
i've miles of Monterey y, Fremont was met
bv an officer, who had detat hmenl of
eighty dragons in his rear 10 enforce
his message, with a letter from Cast
ro, ordering him. without any expla
nation, peremptoriIy, out of the country
The communication was in such tone,
so entirely in violation Of the arrange
ment made at Monterey, on his visit 10
the authorities of the country, in that
place, and the demonstration were, all
around, such a belligerenl look and
character, that Captain Fremont felt no
disposition to pay hurried obedience to
order. He marched, with his party, dl
rectly to a lofty hill, called Hawks Peak.
\ " Captain Fremont at once
proceeded to fortify his position, and
erected staff on its highest point, for y
feet in length, and unfurled from it the
flag Of his country. His own spirit pre-
vaded his whole party, Although few
in number. and far away from aid, in the
heart of foreign country. thus suddenly
assuming hostile alti ude toward them,
they were determined to defend them
selves agains' any assault by however
great force it,might be made, and were
thoroughly prepared to meet the last ex.
lremity."
And he held his ground. Castro, with
, all the resources of the. country at hi:
; command could not dislodge The little
band Of sixty Americans. :" Il was wei
and nobly done," said Col Benton in tht
Senate "Sixly Of our country men
three thousand miles from home. in sigh
!, Of the Pacific Ocean, appealing to the hal
Of their country, unfurling it on the mo un
tain top. and determined 10 die under i
before they would submit to Unjust aggres
sion."
This was far from being the last u
Col. Fremonts decisive deeds in Califor
mia. TO him we directly owe the pos
session Of that Sale. but space woul
fail US to give the mere outline of hi
. achievements there.
' 1t is plain from The Story Of Col. FIRE.
D mont's adventures, that he is a nature
. commander. He knows how to Cover
/. men. Note the following passage:
e "Fremont's expeditions were conduc
g ted on temperance principles. This ems
e bled him 10 maintain the perfection {
8 discipline which won the admiration {
all who Witnessed the conduct of his ba,
n talon. Wilhou, any military badge
n without even drum to tap, there wa
n the most exact regularity and orde
|. Without severely there was obedienc,
n Combined with that precision and tho
g. oughness Of discipline, there ,0as a Si'
gular equality Of Condition, a peruadint
n fraternal feeling, that knit them togeth,
a as one, family. Service under Fremol
:, ,oas school Of personal good conduc
:. and good feeling, and Of euery man
a Uirtue.
l. He seems to have been as much Il
,. comrade as the captain Of his me
is There never apPpeared;" adds M
h Upham, i" TO be the least jealousy or u
lie worthy rivalry among them. ibis is
IS self the highest evidence ofthe justice al
ID wisdom OF their leader. Col. Fremo
J.; could the more easily maintain this uni
s, and harmony among his men, because
~ ..,..vL siiUni siI,s alike. yrniiuus losl
re hIs dignity, he held the most affections
~ relations with even The humblest Of
e. band. Delaware Indians were his boz
ly guard, and followed him to the We
It, last The free colored man, Dodsc