The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-03

Immediately put him in at least tit place
in the leaves of large book, among the
flowers we had collected on our way.
" Having made what observations our
means afforded we proceeded to descend.
We had climbed the loitiest peak OF the
Rocky Mountains and looked down upon
the snow 1000 feet below, and, standing
where never human foot had stood before.
felt the exultation OF flrsteXplorers. 1t was
about O'Clock when we left the summit.
We reached our deposit of provisions at
nightfal!."
MRS. FREMoNr's GOODNESS.
"The Government deserves credit for the
zeal with which it has pursued geographic
cal discovery" This was the triumphant
commonplace uttered bya leading paper"
whose identity is now, of course, utterly
forgotten, which on Fremonps return from
his second expedition so stirred the ire of
the young explorers father-ln-law that he
made it text for his comment on the eX-
plorer and his work in that Thirty
Benton concluded his public life. In
fact, as Benton was not slow to
say, the Government deserved for the
first expedition merely the credit of permit
ting its originator to undertake it, and for
the second no credit at all, but, instead the
reproach of having tried to stop it, Fremont
was already at the frontier when the war
Department discovered in the TACT that he
had armed his party an important reason
for recalling him, and nothing but the cool
decision of Mrs Fremont, then girl not
yet 20. saved it from carrying out its lnten-
ton. she had been requested, says her
father, ito examine the letters that came
after him and forward those when he
ought to receive" and on this authority
the Government dispatches cOuntermanding
his orders passing through her hands she
calmly laid them aside and lie was not in
formed of their existence until his return.
Benton was at st. Louis and when he
heard Of this remarkable Instance OF girl
iSh pluck he had not only patted his daugh-
ter on the back for defying the United
States, but wrote off stern letter to the
War Der artment reprimanding il in turn
for having reprimanded his son-in-law, and
demanding court-martial for the young
man on his return. But in 1874 there was
another Secretary of War-William Wiki
iEs Of PennsylVana-and Fremont was not
court-martialed, but breveted Captain.
The romance of Fremont's marriage as
sisted not a little in later years to endear
him to his political supporters, who found
in his secret union with pretty Jessie
Benton, her long separation from him and
the happiness of their domestic life when
united, the final touch of human nature
that rounded off their hero.
THE CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA.
Gillespie's message to Fremont, delivered
by word of mouth, and certified to by the
Ghanan, then Secretary of State, was to
purport that suited Fremont we'll In view
of a pro bable war with Mexico he was to
watch t he state Of things in California. con-
eiliate its people, encourage friendship
for the u nited States aud do what he could
to prevent the country falling into the
hands of Great Britain. Fremont immedi-
a tely began to retrace his steps into Cali
forna.
Two sharp skirmishes with the Indians
81 HI f.,4n
MIA. When the expedition descended into
the Sacramento Valley the inhabitants
we're in a state of great alarm, and the
American settlers tlOcked to Fremont for
protection, acQualntlng him with CaStro'S
order for them to leave the country and
with the conspiracy to eXterminate them,
burn their houses and crops and transfer
the country to the protection and control of
England.
When Fremont arrived the Indians were
already burning crops, and were assembled
about GOO strong near what was known as
Redding's rancho, about forty miles from his
encampment The question as to how far
his authority carried him was to be decided
at once. Fremont decided II and went
through the form of calling his men to-
gether and offering to release such as were
unwilling to make war upon the subjects of
O government with which his country was
at peace. This formally finished, Fremont
instantly marched against the Indians, leav-
ing ao0ut half dozen men to defend the
camp. In one day he broke up five villages
in such rnpid succession that notice Of his
approach could not be sent forward reached
their assembled force before shutdown,
found them engaged in their war dance, in
black paint and white feathers, preparatory
to their meditated blow upon the settlers,
attacked them on sight, aud at the first
charge drove them, routed, into the river
and the woods.
But this was war only against Indians.
Next hearing that Castro had assembled
about 400 men at Santa Clara, and had sent
a detachment to Sonoma to procure horses,
Fremont sent out detachment OF his own,
which took the Mexican convoy prisoners.
CAsTRo's RETREAT.
By rapid and vigorous movements Cas-
tro'S forces were all driven from the cOun-
try north of San Francisco, aEI Fremont
having established the Independence of
California, sent message to Castro, beg
ging him to wait for him at Santa Clara
and settle the matter by fight there. On
July 9th, at SOnOma, the flag of the free
State of CalifOrnia-a grizzly bear on a
white feld-was unfurled, and Oh the 10th
of July, while making haste for Santa
Clara, he received message from Commo-
dore SlOat announcing the capture of Mon
terey. The next morning at sunrise the
American flag was hOlSted at Suffers Fort,
and thus ended what was called the Bear
War"
Fremont, riding rapidly down the bay
with 100 men, and driving Castro before
him, reached Monterey on the 10Th of July.
Thus was the conquest of California eff
fected, for Commodore Sloat would never
have taken possession of Monterey had he
not supposed Fremont to be acting under
explicit instructions. Monterey was taken
on the 7Lh, and Mr.. George Seymour in the
Collingwood arrived on the 10Th, and by
that time Mexico and the United States
were at war and the English must keep
their hands off as nputrals.