Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-01-09
4 .s py respectfully, your obedient ser
Int, j. G. FREMONT,
"'Bret. Capt. Toph. Engineers >"

"The expedition spoken of by FIRE.
mont referred to his third, which com
pretended in its design an exploration
of the interior region known as the
Great Basin, and the maritime country
of Oregon aud California. In accord
ance with this command | started with
Capt. Fremont and accompanied him
until we reached Fort Bent. on tho Ar
kansas river about sixty miles below
Pueblo, near where La Junta now stands.
AS you know, railroads were then in
their infancy. We left Washington city
by rail that took US as far as Cumber.
land, Md. From here we went by stage
to Wheeling, West Virginia, and then
by steamboat to St. Louis, and on 10
Independence, Missouri, where We join
ed the expedition proper, and then pro-
ceedcd across the prairies by wagons to
Bent's Fort, where we separated August
2, Capt. Fremont continuing his jour-
ney westward, while my command turn
ed south into New Mexico, at that time
foreign territory | was to make sur
vey Of the Canadian river and vicinity
from its source TO its mouth and was as
sisted in the work by Lieut.. Peck, now
professor Of natural philosophy in Co.
iumbia College, New York city. We
were well supplied with instruments,
including compasses, sextants, chrc-
nom otcrs and olometers, many Of which
were broken in the rough journey across
the prairies
"Our train consisted OF four four
horse wagons, thirty. five men. seven
horses, ifty-six mules, six Delaware In
dans, three Cheyennes. two negroes and
eight head Of cattle. The wagons were
supplied with rice. macaroni. -four,
coffee aud sugar, for II two months trip.
No extra baggage was carried and each
man had only the clothes be wore. The
fact that We wore on foreign soil lent
zest to the trip and we were continually
on the outlook for Mexicans and ln-
dians, but were ready at any tiWe 10
hurry across the border. Thos Fitz-
patrick, noted Indian fighter, acted as
guide. He was an expert shot and had
seen much service with Fremont, and
knew the whole country Hatcher aud
Greenwood, two mountaineers, werc de-
tailed TO supply the camp with game,
which was found in abundance. The
two negroes acted as servants one Of
them, Raphael Harrison, belonged To
Senator Benton, the father.i in-law ol
Capt. Fremont The Delaware Indians
had accompanied the wagons from lnde.
pendence, No., while the Cheyennes
Joined the expedition at Fort Bent, Col.
The horses were for riding and hunting
the buffalo, while the mules did the
drawing Of the wagons. Those that
were not worked were driven along
loose and no attempt was made TO tic
them. The cattle were taken along as
precautionary measure, but We soor
disposed Of them as they got sore-footec
aud could not keep up. We had nc
scarcity of fresh meat, however, as buffa
loes were found in great abundance, al
we're also wild turkeys. black-tailec
deer, red deer, black and grizzly bears
and jack rabbits Our great fear wa
for water aud the length of day
march depended upon that supply. a
often we we're forced to go many mile
from the river VIC we're exploring. Gras
and wood were also needed in consider
able quantities. but these were NOR
easily found than water. Wild grape