The Shasta courier., 1866-07-07
Incident of Oregon History

y In the month of May, 1915, Mr.. j. G.
Fremont, then Captain of Engineers, en-
tered upon his third expedition of explora-
ton to the great West. He passed through
the desert. and afterward the inhabited parts
of lower California, and leaving his COM
mand. proceeded alone to Monterey to pro-
cure from the Governor of the province per.
mission to pass the winter in the uninhabted
parts of the valley of the San joaquin
Permission was at first given. afterwards re.
voked, and troops were raised and marched
to attack hi in. Notified of their approach,
he took possession. raised the flag OF the
United States, and with his sixty men re-
solved to die rather than surrender. Wait
ing for five DAYS the threatened attack. and
no enemy appearing. he descended from his
mountain fort and set out for Oregon-his
special object being to explore new route to
the Willamette settlements.
In the first week in May. 1916, he was at
the northern extremity of Klamath Lake,
which is almost entirely in Oregon. On tho
9th of that month he was met by two of his
old uoyagers the advance guard a party #
six, conducting United States officer, with
dispatches from Washington to Mr.. Ere.
mont With ten picked men he immediate.
lv returned along his own trail to meet the
officer, and after riding sixty miles without a
halt, encamped where he supposed the party
must he that night, if thew had not been kill
ed. They came. The officer proved to be
Lieutenant Gillespie of the Marines. who had
been sent from Washington the November
previous with dispatches to the United
States Consul Mt Monterey, and was direct
ed then to find Mr. Fremont wherever he
should be- Ard he had found him here
To follow him further is not the object OF
this reference, but to sketch the events OF the
next few hours-a thrilling part Of the his
torv-of Oregon.
The night after these two parties met pre-
sented one of those scenes. nowhere dlscov-
cred but on the frontier and among brave
men. The encampment was n ear the shore
i of the lake. and the fourteen men slept by
,brees Mt different fires. Mr.. Fremont sat
nm bv large fire. hi. feelings jnyfuly elot-
| ed reading his letters and papers from home'
and watching himself over the safety OF me
c,mn Toward midnight the horses and
unles became restive, awakening the su>pl-
c,n of the watcher that all was not right
| Armed with a six shooting pistol. ne went
among the disturbed animals. Encour 'ged
| by his presence they became qnie'. ana aus
coverinG nothing, he soon returned to tho
camn FIRE. Without calling watch he lay
d,wn to sleep, to be speedily aroused by
cry from Carson. A groan from Basil LIE.
tennessee. a favorite of Mr.. Fremont IN all
his nreyinus expeditions, whose brain was
inst then cleft by the murderous tomahawk,
had aroused him. The treacherous kiamaths
we're in the camp. and depending only on
the hatcher and bow. had noselessly put to
their last slnmber four of the party already.
But the emp was saved. Bravery and skiil
saved the wounded from massacre and tho
dead from mutiliation. The assailing chief
and several of his wal riors were killed. 1t
was the 9th of May-the very day that
American valor won fadeless laurels on the
field of Res ica de la Palma, that this ferco
work was d me.
Mo nfnl duties awaited the morning
The ,unGed to be carred-the dead to he
buried so as to he secured from discovery
and ,io alton. This done, the party return.
ed % the camp at the north end of the lake;
and soon after. in conformity to instructions
received BIZ Lieutenant Gillespie. turned
back from Oregon. an entered on splendid
field Of operations in California