Exploration
Fremont had his orders. Cross the Missouri River in Kansas and proceed west to the Rocky Mountains. He was to record observations and map the territory with special attention to South Pass as the most practical way west through that region. Unofficially he would paint Senator Benton’s vision of the west in vivid colors so as to appeal to prospective eastern settlers.
For all his flair and style Fremont lacked substance. He would need help to fulfill the letter of his orders. In what turned out to be the young man’s best career move, he hired mountain man Kit Carson for a guide. Carson and Fremont made a strong partnership of their complimentary talents. Carson, level headed and experienced, balanced Fremont’s penchant for the flamboyant. Fremont in turn lionized Carson as a heroic frontiersman.
While Fremont was nominally a cartographer, he was not suited to the exacting detail of the science. For that he hired German cartographer Charles Preuss. Fremont thought Preuss a fine fellow and admired his work. The German thought Fremont shallow and unpredictable. The partnership worked only because Preuss kept his opinions to himself.
The first expedition reached South Pass mid-summer 1842. The pass disappointed Fremont’s sense of adventure for the gentle passage it provided through otherwise rugged terrain. He found greater excitement in mountainous challenges. He selected a peak in the Wind River Range he declared the highest in the Rockies, which it was not, and directed it should be climbed. The peak was eventually scaled to Fremont-style celebratory planting of a flag, cheers, pistol shots and a brandy toast.
The expedition returned to Washington in late fall. The return trip was marred by an unnecessarily risky river passage in which two rafts were lost along with valuable notations and charts gathered in the course of the exploration. Fremont, with his wife’s help, immediately set to work drafting his report in the most glowing of terms. It included enticement and encouragement to the would-be settler along with practical advice on preparation.
Next Week: Oregon Territory
RETURN TO FACEBOOK TO COMMENT
Ride easy,
Paul
For all his flair and style Fremont lacked substance. He would need help to fulfill the letter of his orders. In what turned out to be the young man’s best career move, he hired mountain man Kit Carson for a guide. Carson and Fremont made a strong partnership of their complimentary talents. Carson, level headed and experienced, balanced Fremont’s penchant for the flamboyant. Fremont in turn lionized Carson as a heroic frontiersman.
While Fremont was nominally a cartographer, he was not suited to the exacting detail of the science. For that he hired German cartographer Charles Preuss. Fremont thought Preuss a fine fellow and admired his work. The German thought Fremont shallow and unpredictable. The partnership worked only because Preuss kept his opinions to himself.
The first expedition reached South Pass mid-summer 1842. The pass disappointed Fremont’s sense of adventure for the gentle passage it provided through otherwise rugged terrain. He found greater excitement in mountainous challenges. He selected a peak in the Wind River Range he declared the highest in the Rockies, which it was not, and directed it should be climbed. The peak was eventually scaled to Fremont-style celebratory planting of a flag, cheers, pistol shots and a brandy toast.
The expedition returned to Washington in late fall. The return trip was marred by an unnecessarily risky river passage in which two rafts were lost along with valuable notations and charts gathered in the course of the exploration. Fremont, with his wife’s help, immediately set to work drafting his report in the most glowing of terms. It included enticement and encouragement to the would-be settler along with practical advice on preparation.
Next Week: Oregon Territory
RETURN TO FACEBOOK TO COMMENT
Ride easy,
Paul
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