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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
The hearing was a cause celebre, for it reeked of bureaucratic politics of both the government and the Army against a highly popular hero. The press made the most of the controversy, favoring Fremont, but this probably only made the military court more determined to convict him. Besides, there always was resentment by West Pointers, including Kearney, who envied young non West Pointers, such as Fremont, who rose in rank too quickly. The three charges against Fremont were mutiny, disobedience, and conduct prejudicial to military discipline. Found guilty on each account, he was dismissed from the Army.
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To the well-known explorer and others, the verdict was incomprehensible. (There seemed a parallel in later years when Pres. Ulysses S. Grant first refused George Armstrong Custer permission to rejoin his Seventh Cavalry on their campaign to Little Big Horn. The vociferous press was instrumental in having Grant acquiesce.)
Such was partly the case with the scientist-explorer who had won the heart of a nation. In light of Fremont's many public and famous accomplishments, the court recommended clemency and, taking this cue, Polk reinstated him. Nonetheless, Fremont's pride forced him to resign from the Army. Public sympathies were with Fremont, though, and Congress not only bailed out his debts as California "governor," but ordered 20,000 copies of his third report, the truncated Geographical Memoir upon Upper California, in Illustration of His Map of Oregon and California. The map by Preuss that accompanied the report was recognized as the best to date, and Fremont's reputation soared again. The full report was completed on June 8, 1848. The Royal Geographical Society, virtually rebuffing and flaunting the count marcial, presented Fremont with a medal. Moreover, he won praise from von Humbolt.
Almost in a spirit of "I'll show them," Fremont mounted a fourth expedition to see if he could find a suitable railroad route froth St. Louis to California that would go more southerly over the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. With Benton's help, private funding financed the venture. The explorer had his usual coterie of experienced men, including Godey. Others seeking the way to California gold joined as well. So it was off to Bent's Fort again, which they reached in the middle of November, 1848. From there, they intended to trek over the mighty San Juan Mountains in the dead of winter.
The advice of the most knowledgeable trappers was decidedly against the venture, as portents suggested it was to be a stormy winter. Even the normally fearless Fremont felt considerable trepidation, but, taking comfort in his recollection of making it through the snowy Sierras, he decided to push forward. The explorer's luck ran out on him, though, and the expedition turned into a disaster, sullying Fremont's reputation.
Bitter cold and terrible snows stopped the expedition in its tracks at 11,000 feet. Men and animals were starving, so Fremont sprit his group to get help, leaving behind those too weak to travel. He reached Tans where a rescue team was sent out. The rescue effort was nothing short of pure heroism. Godey was one of the rescuers and appeared almost superhuman in his strength and endurance. Here he was, back in the wilderness, after having just escaped the jaws of death. The searchers covered 300 miles in 20 days, saving some of those left behind. However, 10 men died. So desperate were those adventurers that they engaged in cannibalism. A recent tracing of that route revealed tree stumps 10 feet tall, an indication of how deep the snow was when the trees were cut for fires.
