Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-07-12


was then obliged to retire to Monterey and
Major Fremont, instead of being able to 60 San
Francisco on the Gath of October. as Commo-
dore Stockton ordered him to do, to be installed
governor, went into the valley of the Sacra-
mento to enlist an army to suppress the insur-
recton. At this moment General Kearney
arrived This officer, on the breaking out of
the Mexican war, had been ordered by the
government to leave Fort Leavenworth, where
he was stationed, and go and conquer New
Mexico ; then to proceed to California con-
qner 1t, organize government for it, and him.
self take the office of governor. He had brave
ly executed the first part of these instructions.
and was proceeding to California, when he met
the celebrated trapper, Kit Carson, with the
dispatches from Commodore Stockton to gov
ernment, announcing the Conquest of Califor.
MA. lie sent on his dispatches by another
person, and retained Carson as guide, Oh ac-
count OF his experience in the Indian country.
1t was not until after the insurrection had bro
ken out that he arrived in California, when he
encountered the enemy, flushed with their first
success of driving Lieut.. Gillespie from Los
Angeles to Monterey He had a battle with
them at San Pasqual, in which eighteen of his
men fell, and as many more were wounded
He then wrote Com. Stockton, that he was
entrenched on rocky eminence near San Pas
quail, surrounded by the enemy Stockton sent
Lieut.. Gray, with two hundred and fifty men,
to his relief (; and, on their approach, the be-
Siegers abandoned the field, and left the relief
party to return, unmolested, with Gen Kear-
ney and his dragons. Gen. Kearney then
communicated to Com. Stockton his instruc-
tons from the government but Com. Stock
ton did not feel himself compelled to give up
the chief command, especially as the spirit of
| the instructions seemed to be, that the con-
queror of California should be its governor.-
Gen. kearney did not insist, but placed him
self under Stockton's command, and his dra-
goons helped to make up his force of six hun
dred men, who joined Fremont and entered Los
Angeles, after the victory of San Gabriel and
still more remarkable one, ON the plains of
Meza, where the Americans, drawn up in a
small square, phalanx-lke, conquered the
Spanish Californians, whose onset. however.
with the finest cavalry in the world was very
brilliant
With small body of men, Major Fremont
afterward embarked, according to Com. Stock
tons orders, for Santa Barbara but on his
way, hearing that in all South California only
San Diego was left in the hands of the Ameri-
cans, and that no horses could be procured
there, he returned to Monterey, to mount his
men and march overland. Hcarriyed October
18th, and was agreeably surprised to learn that
the President had appointed him Lieutenant
Colonel in the United States Army 1t was
unsolicited by him, or by any of his friends
and it sanctioned all that he had done from
the first. He had done it with so little as
surance of being approved by government
though he hoped that his country would bear
him out-that he had sent to Col Benton,
with the account of what he had done, a re-
signation of his commission, TO be given in, if
the government had disapproved.)
In December, Col. Fremont, at the head of
four hundred mounted men, commenced his
march southwark and on his way surprised
and took possession of San Louis OyiSpo, where
be found Don Jesus Pico, who had been made |
prisoner on the plains of Salinas, but had bro
ken his parole, and was at the head of the in |
surrectiOn He was tried by court martial, |
and condemned to death but was pardoned |
BY Col. Fremont-a wise act, by which he was
attached to the latter for ever after, in faithful
service and the hearts of his friends, among
whom was the governor, Pico were won. Col |
Fremont being satisfied" as he wrote to Sen |
ator Benton, in another private letter, " that |
it was great national measure to unite Cali |
fornia to the Union, as a sister state, by vol |
untary expression Of the popular will, proceed |
cd with great wisdom and forbcarance and .
marched all the way to Los Angeles, four hun
dred miles, without spiIling drop of blood,
but conquering peace by clcmency and |
justice. At Coucnga he found the enemy in
large force, and sent word to them to lay down
their arms. They demanded conference In
company with his new friend, Don Jesus Pico,
he went to their camp alone, and found them
ready to capituatc Terms were agreed upon,
that were subsequently sanctioned by Commo-
dore Stockton : and later, by the United States
Ample testimony proves the popularity of Col.
Fremont among the native, as well as Ameri-
can Californians, from this moments
But the dispute concerning the chief com
mand, between General kearncy and Commo-
dOre Stockton, produced difficulties The day
after Col. Fremont was installed Governor,
Gen kearncv and Commodore Stockton gave
to him exactly contradictory orders respecting
the organization of California corps 1t was
an attempt on the part of General kearney,
to try the question of relative power with Com.
Stockton, and does not seem to have origina-
ted in any ill-wil to Col. Fremont Gen. kear-
ney expressing to Col Russell, ut the same
date that he should make Col. Fremont go
vernon, if he had the chief command
Col Fremont replied to his order in writing,
that if he and Com Stockton would agree be-
tween themselves which was the commander
in-chief, be would obey the superior officer
but until that matter was settled, which he
had no power to decide, he felt himself obliged
to continue to obey the commander under whom
the whole war had been conducted
Failing to obtain from Col. Fremont aid in
his plan of putting Com. Stockton in the
wrong, Kearney transferred his resentment to
Col. Fremont But this did not clearly ap-