The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-08-15

near that city a message came from
General Castro. Mexican commander Of
California. ordering Fremont and his
party to leave the country Although
Fremont had only forty men, he re-
fused to obey. He established his force
in a strong defensive position and pre-
pared for battle. General Castro came
up with several hundred troops and
camped close to Fremont's quarters The
two forces watched each other for three
days. Then Fremont turned his at
tention to the north. He explored the
Columbia river district, and incidentally
had a battle with the klamath Indians.
1t was soon after this battle that Ere
mont learned that war between the
United States and Mexico had begun.
Immediately the exploring force was
turned into a miniature army and 1t
started back toward Monterey. Before
ii got to that city Commodore Sloat had
captured the Mexican fort so Fremont
and his party took ship to San Diego
and marched from there to attack Los
Angeles. From San Diego Fremont sent
Carson with dispatches TO Washington.
Pilot of an Army.
To go from California to Washington
today is not much of a task, but then it
meant that nearly 1900 miles of the trip
was through desert, mountains and
plain, every foot of the way one of dan
ger from hostile Indians. When Car
son reached New Mexico he met the
little army of General Kearny, which
was marching overland for the conquest
Of California. Kearny asked Carson to
guide the army over the Great Ameri-
can desert. Kearny relieved Carson
q 1r-H g IL =
FTemOnt's dispatches But before Car
son would pilot the army the army had
to fight a few battles for the control of
Mexico. Then the march across the
desert began The force was too for
midable for the Indians to give it much
trouble, but to provision it and to save
it from suffering required all CarsOn's
great knowledge and skill
When Kearny arrived in California
in December of 1916 all the advantage
the Americans had gained the previous
summer had been lost through neglect
to garrison the places captured. Los
Angeles and all of Lower California had
been recaptured by the Mexicans.
Kearny had no knowledge of this con-
dition of affairs when his little army,
worn out by its long march across the
desert, arrived within fifteen miles of
San Diego. This town was the only one
Of the southern posts held by the Amer
leans.
Suddenly Kearny found himself con-
frOnted by a far superior force of Mex
leans, and soon he was surrounded and
retreat cut off. Kearny intrenched him
self and repulsed several assaults made
by the combined force Of Mexicans and
Apaches, but the position was of such
extreme peril that he would have to sur
render unless reinforced. To get aid
he ordered Carson and Lieutenant Beale
to 60 to San Diego. Never did two men
have a more hazardous mission. They
had to make their way through three
lines of guards. Barefoot and on their
hands and knees they crawled inch by
inch for several hours. Once they were
within a few feet Of a sentry and the
sentry struck a match to light his ciga-
rette But they got through. Then
they had to race many miles over Jagged
rocks and through cactus beds for hour
after hour. They reached San Diego
at daylight, and Commodore Stockton
sent out a relief force, which arrived
just in time to save the army Of Kear-
ny from humiliation. Both of CarsOn's
feet and legs were so terribly torn and
lacerated by the rocks and cactus that
for a time it was thought they would
Beale did not recover for nearly two
years, and for several days after his
arrival in san Diego he was deranged.
Lieutenant in the Army.
In March Carson was sent east with
dispatches telling of the conquest of Cal
ifornia. Marked honOrs were shown to
him at various places. At Washington
he was presented to the president, and a
few days later he was nominated for ap-
pointment as lieutenant in the army.
Back to California he was sent again
with dispatches, and as soon as he
reached there he was put in charge Of a
company of dragons.
With the close of the war he expect
ed to enjoy some Of the pleasures Of
life. With a man named Maxwell he
purchased a great ranch near Taos, and
there Indians came to smoke the pipe
Of peace and enjoy his hospitality. But
before long he was called to the war
path again. The Apaches were on a
marauding and numbering expedition.
When they were subdued he went to
Taos once more.
In the summer Of 1850 he set out with
Maxwell and a large train of wagons for
st. Louis. After selling his stuff he
bought a stock Of goods and started or
the long return trip to Mexico. Just
before reaching the forks of the Arkan-
sas river a band of Cheyennes came
down upon the party The Indians pro-
fessed friendliness. They did not reeog-
nize Carson. who. shaver and shorn. had
discarded the garb Of the plains and
seated about the wagon train the Chey-