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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
Moving through Pueblo, they followed the trail to Bent's Fort, a sometime home base for Kit Carson and other Taos mountain men. Finally, the group made its way to St. Louis, where they arrived after their 14-month hiatus.
Jessie, ever the patient and loving wife, had no idea when her explorer-husband would be back, but each morning set the table for him should that be the day of his return. The joyous reunion of the two can only be imagined. Then came the work of publishing the findings of this most successful of Fremont's expeditions. Jessie worked on the notes for six hours a day, much of which was spent taking dictation from her husband. The report not only was factual, bat chock full of romanticism and adventure in its details of circling the great American West. Travelers, whether of the wall or armchair variety, were fascinated by it.
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Congress received the voluminous document on March 1, 1845, and showed its enthusiasm by prating 10,000 copies. Abbreviated versions also were published by private firms. Carson's exploits were included, and he became a legend, with dime novels about his feats written and embellished by the lurid press.
Fremont grew even more famous than before and was promoted to Brevet Captain. The timing of the report could not have been more serendipitous, for Pres. James Polk was an expansionist mad lustfully eyed Texas California, and the Oregonland. All of this set the scenario for Fremont's next trip west.
On Feb. 12, 1845, the Army instructed him to head out again, this time supposedly to check out the Red River and the headwaters of the Arkansas River, which proved to be near present-day Leadville, Colo. All in all, the instructions were vague enough for Fremont to interpret them liberally. This he did. As Fremont saw it, he was free to explore the Cascades and the Sierras, with much of California thrown in for, good measure. That was a liberal interpretation, but it demonstrates that Fremont was a man of initiative.
Among members of this new expedition were specially tested sharpshooters. Something must have been in the back of Fremont's mind for, to be certain that he had the best riflemen he could get, he held shooting contests and rewarded the winners. The expedition was conceived as a military one and hence subject to military regulations. An entourage of 500 horses, mules, and cattle accompanied it, additionally, two more mountain guides were obtained. The mountain men were the true "pathfinders" and Fremont never claimed otherwise.
Once past Bent's Fort, they headed for the Great Salt Lake and the vast desert wasteland that had to be crossed to get to California. With much travail, they eventually wound up at Sutter's Fort again. There, they learned that California was in a state of turmoil due to disagreements between the Mexican governor, Pio Pico, stationed in the south, and the military faction headed by Gen. Jose Castro, who ruled from Monterey.
Political restlessness was in the air as Fremont roamed around, got into some Indian skirmishes, and visited the American Vice-Consul at Yerba Buena (San Francisco). They talked politics, then Fremont headed north toward Klamath Lake on the Oregon/California border. Near there, the expedition received word that Marine Lt. Archibald Gillespie had been ordered to find Fremont so as to present him with some special dispatches from Washington. Fremont set out to meet the officer and took 10 men with him, the rest remaining in camp. Gillespie was located, and the secret orders contained information about the state of war between the U.S. and Mexico.
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