USA > Wyoming > The history of Wyoming from the earliest known discoveries > Part 25
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"We reached our deposit of provisions at nightfall. Here was not the inn which greets the tired traveler return- ing from Mont Blanc, or the orange groves of South America with their refreshing juice and soft fragrant air; but we found our little cache of dried meat and coffee undisturbed.
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Though the moon was bright, the road was full of precipices and the fatigue of the day had been great. We therefore abandoned the idea of rejoining our friends and lay down on the rock, and, in spite of the cold, slept soundly.
"August 16 .- We left our encampment with the day- light. We saw on our way large flocks of the mountain goat looking down on us from the cliffs. At the crack of a rifle they would bound off among the rocks, and in a few minutes make their appearance on some lofty peak, some hundred or a thousand feet above. It is needless to attempt any further description of the country; the portion over which we traveled this morning was rough as imagination could picture it, and to us seemed equally beautiful. A con- course of lakes and rushing waters, mountains of rocks, naked and destitute of vegetable earth, dells and ravines of the most exquisite beauty, all kept green and fresh by the great moisture in the air and sown with brilliant flowers, and everywhere, thrown around all, the glory of most mag- nificent scenes; these constitute the features of the place and impress themselves vividly on the mind of the traveler. It was not until 11 o'clock that we reached the place where our animals had been left when we first attempted the mountains on foot. Near one of the still burning fires we found a piece of meat, which our friends had thrown away, and which furnished us a mouthful-a very scanty break- fast. We continued directly on and reached our camp on the mountain lake at dusk. We found all well. Nothing had occurred to interrupt the quiet since our departure, and the fine grass and good, cool water had done much to re- establish our animals. All heard with great delight the order to turn our faces homeward; and towards sundown of the 17th we encamped again at Two Buttes."
Fremont's description of the Wind River Range and the climbing of the peak is one of the best literary efforts of any explorer. It is a word picture drawn with such accuracy as to enable the reader to gain a grand view of this, the most beautiful mountain in the whole Rocky range. I reproduce in connection with this report two views of the Wind River Range made by Mr. Preuss on this trip. They were pub- lished in Fremont's report and deserve, because of their excellence, a place in this volume. The return of the party across South Pass and down the Sweetwater to Indepen-
A
FREMONT'S PEAK. (From a drawing by Charles Preuss, Fremont's topographical engineer, Aug. 15, 1842.) [The broad peak to the left is Fremont's.]
WIND RIVER RANGE. (By Charles Preuss.)
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dence Rock was accomplished by the evening of the 22nd. On this great rock Fremont placed the emblem of Christi- anity. He says: "Here, not unmindful of the custom of early travelers and explorers in our country, I engraved on this rock of the far west the symbol of the Christian faith. Among the thickly inscribed names, I made on the hard granite the impression of a large cross, which I covered with a black preparation of India rubber, well calculated to resist the influence of wind and rain. It stands amidst the names of many who have long since found their way to the grave, and for whom the huge rock is a giant grave- stone."
I have met quite a number of people who claim to have seen this cross, but must confess that I never have been able to find it. On July 4, 1847, there was a grand celebration at this rock by more than a thousand people who were on their way to Oregon and California. During the day the enthusiastic American citizens loaded old wagon hubs with powder, to which they fastened a fuse, and exploded them in the crevices of the rock. By this means a large piece of the granite weighing many tons was detached and turned over on the ground, and I have been of the opinion that the Fre- mont cross is on this detached piece of rock and was thus covered from view.
After leaving Independence Rock the party proceeded across to the North Platte and carefully explored that stream, returning to Fort Laramie on August 31. The re- turn trip was made down the Platte to the Missouri, from which point they floated down that stream in a ten-oared boat and finally reached St. Louis on October 17. After this expedition of Fremont into Wyoming, things were never to be as they were before. The dark mountain barri- ers, broad valleys and noble rivers took their places upon the map of our country and became an open book for all men to read. The great Overland Trail, with its memories of Robert Stuart, General Ashley, the Sublette brothers, Cap- tain Bonneville, Marcus Whitman and others had become the broad highway used by those who were soon to build
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commonwealths. But Fremont is not through with Wyo- ming yet, for he is to mark out another public thorough- fare in our state. Of this I will speak in another chapter.
CHAPTER XXI.
FREMONT'S SECOND EXPEDITION THROUGH WYOMING.
THE START FROM THE MISSOURI-FOLLOW THE KANSAS RIVER-COMMAND DIVIDED-EXPLORATIONS IN COLORADO-TWO DIVISIONS MEET AT FORT ST. VRAIN-TWENTY-FIVE MEN WITH THE BAGGAGE GO BY WAY OF FORT LARAMIE TO FORT HALL-FREMONT AND THIRTEEN MEN EX- PLORE LARAMIE PLAINS AND PROCEED WESTWARD TO EASTERN RIM OF RED DESERT-PROCEED NORTH TO SWEETWATER-JOURNEY TO BEAR RIVER-EXPLORE GREAT SALT LAKE-JOIN BALANCE OF COM- MAND AT FORT HALL-EXPLORATIONS IN OREGON-WINTER CAM- PAIGN IN THE MOUNTAINS OF CALIFORNIA-THIRD EXPLORING EXPE- DITION AND EXPERIENCES IN CALIFORNIA-FOURTH EXPLORING EXPE- DITION-GREAT SUFFERING OF THE PARTY AND ELEVEN_ DEATHS- FREMONT'S PUBLIC SERVICES.
The second expedition of Fremont was undertaken early in the spring of 1843. The rendezvous was at the little town of Kansas, on the Missouri, now known as Kan- sas City. Experience had taught the chief of the expedition the necessity of a complete outfit, and consequently every- thing necessary was provided, Major Thomas Fitzpatrick be- ing selected as guide. Charles Preuss was again chosen as assistant topographical engineer. Lucien Maxwell was en- gaged as hunter. Theodore Talbot of Washington City was a member of the party. Frederick Dwight, of Springfield, Massachusetts, who was on his way to the Sandwich Islands, accompanied them. William Gilpin of Missouri, who after- wards became the first governor of Colorado, journeyed with Fremont to Oregon. The men who enlisted in the en- terprise were, as will be seen, largely chosen from the mem- bers of the first expedition. They were, Alexis Ayot, Fran-
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cois Badeau, Oliver Beaulieu, Baptiste Bernier, John A. Campbell, John G. Campbell, Manuel Chapman, Ransom Clark, Philibert Courteau, Michel Crelis, William Creuss, Clinton Deforest, Baptiste Derosier, Basil Lajeunesse, Fran- cois Lajeunesse, Henry Lee, Louis Menard, Louis Montreuil, Samuel Neal, Alexis Pera, Francois Pera, James Power, Raphael Proue, Oscar Sarphy, Baptiste Tabeau, Charles Taplin, Baptiste Tesson, Auguste Vasquez, Joseph Verrot, Patrick White, Tiery Wright, Louis Zindel and Jacob Dod- son, the latter a young colored man from Washington City. The party was armed with Hall's carbines and also a twelve pound brass howitzer. The camp equipage, provisions and instruments were carried in twelve carts, drawn by two mules each. They left Kansas City on the 29th of May and proceeded up the south side of the Kansas River. On the 8th of June they arrived at the mouth of the Smoky Hill Fork, where they crossed and proceeded up the Republican Fork. Arriving at a place called by the Indians Big Timber, the force was divided. Leaving twenty-five men in charge . of Mr. Fitzpatrick to follow on with the heavy baggage, Fremont took fifteen men, the mountain howitzer, the cart containing instruments, and pushed forward, reaching the South Fork of the Platte on June 30th, and followed up this stream to St. Vrain's Fort, which point was reached on the 4th of July.
On the 6th the journey up the Platte was continued; passing Lupton's trading post, and a day or two later camp was made on the ground where Denver now stands. Fre- mont finally reached Pueblo, where he encountered Kit Carson, who had been with him on his expedition the year before. This accomplished frontiersman was added to the command, after which explorations were pushed into South Park and across into North Park, then down again to St. Vrain's fort, reaching there on the 23rd of July, where was found the detachment under Fitzpatrick awaiting them. On the 26th the party was again divided, Fremont taking thirteen men for his own company, and Fitzpatrick the bal- ance, with instructions to proceed by way of Fort Laramie,
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North Platte, Sweetwater and South Pass to Fort Hall and there to await the detachment under the personal charge of the explorer. Before starting out from St. Vrain, Fremont makes the following note in regard to the country through which he expected to travel, and the object of his explora- tions from St. Vrain west. His report reads:
"I had been able to obtain no certain information in regard to the character of the passes in this portion of the Rocky Mountain range, which had always been represented as impracticable for carriages, but the exploration of which was incidentally contemplated by my instructions, with the view of finding some convenient point of passage for the road of emigration, which would enable it to reach, on a more direct line, the usual ford of the Great Colorado-a place considered as determined by the nature of the country beyond that river. It is singular that, immediately at the foot of the mountains, I could find no one sufficiently ac- quainted with them to guide us to the plains at their west- ern base; but the race of trappers who formerly lived in their recesses has almost entirely disappeared-dwindled to a few scattered individuals-some one or two of whom are regularly killed in the course of each year by the Indians. You will remember that in the previous year, I brought with me to their village near this post, and hospitably treated on the way, several Cheyenne Indians, whom I had met on the lower Platte. Shortly after their arrival here, these were out with a party of Indians (themselves the principal men), which discovered a few trappers in the neighboring mountains, whom they immediately murdered, although one of them had been nearly thirty years in the country, and was perfectly well known, as he had grown gray among them.
"Through this portion of the mountains, also, are the customary roads of the war parties going out against the Utah and Shoshone Indians, and occasionally parties from the Crow nation make their way down to the southward along this chain, in the expectation of surprising some straggling lodges of their enemies. Shortly before our ar- rival, one of their parties had attacked an Arapahoe village in the vicinity, which they had found unexpectedly strong, and their assault was turned into a rapid flight and a hot pursuit, in which they had been compelled to abandon the animals they had ridden, and escape on their war horses. Into this uncertain and dangerous region, small parties of
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three or four trappers who now could collect together, rarely ventured; and consequently it was seldom visited and little known. Having determined to try the passage by a pass through a spur of the mountains made by the Cache a la Poudre River, which rises in the high bed of moun- tains around Long's Peak, I thought it advisable to avoid any incumbrance which would occasion detention."
Fremont now pushed westward across the Laramie Plains, and his route lay from Cache la Poudre in Colo- rado, up Hale Creek, crossing over the head of Harvey Creek near Red Butte to the Big Laramie, when he camped four miles southwest of where Laramie City now stands; thence across to Little Laramie; thence to Seven Mile Creek, Dutton Creek and Cooper Creek, thence to a point on Rock Creek near where the old stage station was afterwards lo- cated. From this point he traveled in a northwesterly direc- tion, crossing Wagonhound Creek, Medicine Bow Creek, camping at the north foot of Elk Mountain. From that point he went in a westerly direction, reaching the North Platte River a short distance above where Fort Steele was afterwards located. Near the North Platte they made a camp, and while there had the following experience:
"A successful day's hunt had kept our hunters occupied until late, and they slept out, but rejoined us at daybreak, when finding ourselves only about a mile from the river, we followed the ravine down and camped in a cottonwood grove on a beautiful grassy bottom, where our animals in- demnified themselves for the scanty fare of the past night. It was quite a pretty and pleasant place; a narrow strip of prairie about five hundred yards long terminated at the ravine where we entered by high precipitous hills closing in upon the river, and at the upper end by a ridge of low rolling hills. In the precipitous bluffs were displayed a succession of strata containing fossil vegetable remains, and several beds of coal. In some of the beds the coal did not appear to be perfectly mineralized, and in some of the seams it was compact and remarkably lustrous. In these latter places there were, also, thin layers of very fine white salts, in powder. As we had a large supply of meat in the camp, which it was necessary to dry, and the surrounding country appeared to be well stocked with buffalo, which it was probable, after a day or two, we would not see again
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until our return to the Mississippi waters, I determined to make here a provision of dried meat, which would be neces- sary for our subsistence in the region we were about enter- ing, which was said to be nearly destitute of game. Scaf- folds were, accordingly, soon erected, fires made, and the meat cut up into thin slices to be dried; and all were busily occupied when the camp was thrown into a sudden tumult by a charge from about seventy mounted Indians, over the low hills at the upper end of the little bottom. Fortunately, the guard, who was between them and our animals, had caught a glimpse of an Indian's head as he raised himself in his stirrups to look over the hill, a moment before they made the charge, and succeeded in turning the band into the camp as the Indians charged into the bottom with the usual yell. Before they reached us, the grove on the verge of the little bottom was occupied by our people, and the Indians brought to a sudden halt, which they made in time to save themselves from a howitzer shot, which would, undoubtedly, have been very effective in such a compact body; and fur- ther proceedings were interrupted by their signs for peace. They proved to be a war party of Arapahoe and Cheyenne Indians and informed us that they had charged upon the camp under the belief that we were hostile Indians, and had discovered their mistake only at the moment of attack- an excuse which policy required us to receive as true, though under the full conviction that the display of our little howit- zer, and our favorable position in the grove, certainly saved our horses, and probably ourselves, from their ma- rauding intentions. They had been on a war party, and had been defeated, and were consequently in the state of mind which aggravates their innate thirst for plunder and blood. Their excuse, however, was taken in good part, and the usual evidences of friendship interchanged. The pipe went round, provisions were spread, and the tobacco and goods furnished the customary presents, which they look for even from traders, and much more from government authorities. They were returning from an expedition against the Shoshone Indians, one of whose villages they had surprised, at Bridger's Fort, on Ham's Fork of Green River (in the absence of the men, who were engaged in an antelope surround) and succeeded in carrying off their horses and taking several scalps. News of the attack reached the Snakes immediately, who pursued and over- took them and recovered their horses, and in the running fight which ensued the Arapahoes had lost several men
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killed and a number wounded, who were coming on more slowly with a party in the rear. Nearly all the horses they had brought off were the property of the whites at the fort. After remaining until nearly sunset they took their de- parture; and the excitement which their arrival had afforded subsided into our usual quiet, a little enlivened by the vigil- ance rendered necessary by the neighborhood of our un- certain visitors."
The coal spoken of was found about six miles from his camping place on the Platte. From there he went up Sage Creek to Pine Grove, where there was afterwards a stage station located. That camp was within a mile of the Con- tinental Divide. From that point his route lay northwest, approaching the east rim of Red Desert; thence north to the Sweetwater, striking that river twenty miles above Devil's Gate.
It will be observed that Fremont's route from Fort St. Vrain west over the Laramie Plains was a new exploration. A few trappers had been in that country before, it is true. Ezekiel Williams and his companions in 1807 had passed over these plains, but they were fleeing before hostile In- dians. Jacques Laramie had also been in that country ten or twelve years later, but he had paid for his daring with his life. As Fremont observes, nothing was known of the coun- try up to the time of his expedition in 1843. His explora- tions proved it to be a practicable route from Fort St. Vrain west, and before the end of that decade hundreds of emi- grants, who came up the Arkansas, followed that course, and later on the Overland stage was established substan- tially on the line of Fremont's survey .*
Their route then led up the Sweetwater to the South Pass, going over at a point some miles south of the place crossed the preceding year. After leaving South Pass the emigrant road to Oregon was followed. Fremont in his re- port makes some interesting observations about Green River. He says :
"This is the emigrant road to Oregon, which bears much
*I am indebted to the well known civil engineer, M. N. Grant, for his assistance in tracing Fremont's route from Fort St. Vrain to the Devil's Gate.
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to the southward, to avoid the mountains about the western heads of Green River-the Rio Verde of the Spaniards. Crossing the river, here about 400 feet wide, by a very good ford, we continued to descend for seven or eight miles on a pleasant road on the right bank of the stream, of which the island and shores are handsomely timbered with cotton- wood. The refreshing appearance of the broad river, with its timbered shores and green wooded islands, in contrast to its dry, sandy plains, probably obtained for it the name of Green River, which was bestowed upon it by the Span- iards, who first came into this country to trade some twenty- five years ago. It was then familiarly known as Seeds-ke- dee-agie, or Prairie Hen River, a name which it received from the Crows, to whom its upper waters belong, and on which this bird is still very abundant. By the Shoshone and Utah Indians, to whom belongs, for a considerable distance below, the country where we were now traveling, it was called the Bitter Root River, from the great abundance in its valley of a plant which affords them one of their favorite roots. Lower down, from Brown's Hole to the southward, the river runs through lofty chasms, walled in by precipices of red rock; and even among the wilder tribes who inhabit that portion of its course. I have heard it called by Indian refugees from the Californian settlements the Rio Colo- rado."
From Green River, the expedition headed for Bear River, and followed down the course of that stream to Great Salt Lake, which, with the aid of an India-rubber boat eighteen feet long, carried for the purpose, the lake was partially explored. Fremont visited an island in the lake and ascended a peak which upon measurement proved to be 800 feet above the surface of the water. On this peak he ac- cidentally left the brass cover to the object end of his spy- glass. I mention this fact to put at rest the prevailing opinion among the old-timers in Wyoming that this acci- dent happened on Fremont's Peak.
On September 19th the expedition arrived at Fort Hall, and on the 22nd left for Oregon and joined the survey to that
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Fremont's Explorations in Wyoming.
of Captain Wilkes, thus connecting explorations from the Mississippi to the Pacific. The winter was spent in explor- ing the mountains of California, and finally in May, Fremont passed around the southern rim of the Great Salt Lake, to the point visited the previous September, having made a cir- cuit of 3,500 miles exploring the streams and mountains of Oregon and northern California from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. On the return journey from Salt Lake, Fremont explored the Colorado River, the headwaters of the Arkansas and the great parks of Colorado, returning to St. Louis on August 6th, 1844. He had many adventures during the trip and in all traveled 7,000 miles.
Fremont headed another expedition in 1845, going west by the northern waters of the Arkansas to Great Salt Lake, thence directly across the central basin towards California over a route of which he was the first explorer. Arriving in California, he instructed the main body to go on to San Jose and there remain until he should join them. Wishing to avoid all occasion of ill-will or suspicion on the part of the Mexican authorities in California, he went alone to Monterey, and made himself known to Mr. Larkin, the con- sul of the United States in that city, and, accompanied by him, waited upon Alvarado, the Alcalde, Manuel Castro, the Perfecto, and Carlos Castro, the commanding general, who constituted the leading authorities of the country. He communicated his object in coming into California, stating that he had not a single soldier of the United States army in his party, and that his sole purpose was a scientific explora- tion of the continent, with a view of ascertaining the best mode of establishing a commercial intercourse between the Atlantic and Pacific regions. He requested permission to winter in the country, recruit his company, and continue his explorations. His request was granted. He then re- paired to his party at San Jose, where they remained several weeks.
Shortly after this interview with General Castro, or- ders were received by that officer to drive Fremont out of the country, or send him prisoner to the City of Mexico.
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Of these orders Fremont had no knowledge until a long time afterwards. The first intimation he had of any unfriendly feeling towards him, was in certain movements, at various points, which seemed to have a threatening aspect, as if aimed at him. But the interview with Castro and the other high officers at headquarters was so recent and had been so friendly and cordial that he would hardly believe that the appearances that had attracted his attention were meant against him. At length, however, on the 3rd of March, when within about twenty-five miles of Monterey, he was met by an officer who had a detachment of eighty dragoons in his rear to enforce his message, with a letter from Castro, order- ing him without any explanation, peremptorily, out of the country. The communication was in such a tone, so entirely in violation of the arrangement made at Monterey on his visit to the authorities of the country, in that place, and the demonstrations were, all around, of such a belligerent look and character, that Captain Fremont felt no disposition to pay a hurried obedience to the order. He marched with his party directly to a lofty hill, called Hawk's Peak. It com- manded a view, to a great extent, all around the country. In that pure atmosphere distant objects were clearly seen, and brought minutely to view by the aid of spy-glasses. It was evident that preparations were going on to attack him. The enemy was seen scaling his guns, and gathering Cali- fornians and Indians into his ranks. Captain Fremont at once proceeded to fortify his position, and erected a staff on its highest point, forty feet in length, and unfurled from it the flag of his country. His own spirit pervaded his whole party. Although few in number, and far away from aid, in the heart of a foreign country, thus suddenly assuming a hostile attitude towards them, they were determined to defend themselves against any assault, by however great a force it might be made, and were thoroughly prepared to meet the last extremity.
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