Content provided in partnership with
John Charles Fremont and the exploration of the American West - USA Yesterday - Biography
USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Sept, 2003 by Gerald F. Kreyche
From there, the expedition set out to circle the Great Basin where water never ran out to the seas and where rivers became "sinks," simply disappearing into the ground. One such was the Humboldt River, named by Fremont to honor Alexander von Humboldt, the great European scientist.
Well-supplied again, the expedition returned to The Dalles, where Lee asked the explorer to take two Indian proteges with him to St. Louis. The group headed south along the east side of Northern California to the vicinity of Klamath Lake, traveled down to Pyramid Lake, and then to Walker Lake. The latter is directly east of San Francisco, with a mountain range, the terrible Sierras, standing menacingly in between. Nonetheless, Fremont was determined to cross them and go to John Sutter's fort.
- Most Popular Articles in News
- The Ten Best Laptop bags
- Tata plans cheapest-ever car for Indian market
- GLOBALIZATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT OF THE THIRD WORLD
- Corn is good for you; Corn is not only a tasty treat, but also a cereal that ...
- THE 50 BEST STYLISH HANDBAGS TO CARRY
- More »
Crossing the High Sierras
Most regarded it as folly for anyone to traverse those mountains in the dead of winter, but, with the help of Washoe Indian guides, the group decided to try. Their supplies were running low again and that, together with Fremont's desire to see California, was enough to attempt the ordeal. The howitzer that had been pulled across all sorts of terrain was abandoned as the group would need all their strength to cross those mighty barriers.
Snow and cold increased as they started up the mountains. Paths had to be beaten for the animals, and that was tiring work as the altitude increased each step of the way. They came to the Truckee River where, during the winter of 1846-47, the Donner party would meet disaster. Fremont and a few of his guides went ahead of the group and were rewarded with a view of the still-distant, sundrenched Sacramento Valley. Reporting back to the others, the cheering news motivated them to continue on at all costs. The advance party did make it to Sutter's Fort, and help was sent immediately to Fitzpatrick and his men bringing up the rear. The mountains took a great toll on the animals, only half of them surviving. The men had been reduced to eating ants, frogs, etc.
Sutter was sympathetic to Americanos, as they, too, had revolted from an absolutistic government, and gave them considerable help when they came out west. Indeed, from 1841 to 1848, the fort was a focal point for California immigrants. Sutter greeted Fremont and extended to him the fort's usual hospitality. Fremont learned much about the current political situation in California and knew Sutter would be a worthwhile contact to keep in mind. The explorer also marveled at the natural beauty, riches, and climate of California, never even dreaming of the integral role that he eventually was to play in that land.
The expedition intended to head home via the well-used Old Spanish Trail, but needed guides to get to it. Fortunately for the party, they found such guides when needed, whether a stray vaquero, Indian, or ex-trapper. Parts of the trail were not well-marked, however, and the group, even including the generally optimistic Fremont, was worried that they might get lost in the merciless desert that adjoined it. The expedition headed home, going by way of Pahrump Valley about 50 miles south of Death Valley and through the area now known as Las Vegas. Continuing east, they camped near Mountain Meadows, where a wagon train headed by Capt. Alexander Fancher was massacred in 1857, about 20 miles west of" Cedar City in present-day Utah. Indians and Mormons took part in the grisly affair that resulted in the deaths of 120 emigrants, mostly women and children. The incident proved to be a black mark on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The controversy continues today, as recent excavations have uncovered the bodies of more victims.
