John C. Freemont's Expeditions of the American West

Freemont's Expeditions - Page 2

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They had been gradually and regularly ascending in their progress westward, and on the evening of the 14th were 265 miles by their traveling road from the mouth of the Kansas River. At this point the party was divided, and on the 16th, Fremont, with 15 men, proceeded in advance, bearing a little out from the river. That night he encamped on Solomon's Fork of the Smoky Hill River, along whose tributaries he continued to travel for several days. On the 19th he crossed the Pawnee Road to the Arkansas River, and on the afternoon of June 30th he found himself overlooking a valley, where, about 10 miles distant, "the south fork of the Platte River was rolling magnificently along, swollen with the waters of the melting snows."

Smoky Hill River today, April, 2009, Kathy Weiser.

Upon reaching St. Vrain's Fort, he concluded to remain a considerable length of time in order to explore the surrounding country. Boiling Spring River was traversed, and the pueblo at or near its mouth was visited. From Fort St. Vrain, the main party marched straight to Fort Laramie, Wyoming while the party under Fremont passed farther to the west, skirting the mountain, and carefully examining the country. The two detachments met on the Sweetwater River, and after marching through South Pass continued on to Fort Bridger, before moving west down the Bear River Valley. The expedition then marched to California and passed a considerable distance down the coast, when it returned, reaching Colorado at Brown's Hole. While in Colorado, Fremont explored the wonderful natural parks there. On his return he passed down the Arkansas River, visiting the "pueblo" and Bent's Fort, at which place he arrived on July 1, 1844. On the 5th he resumed his journey down the Arkansas River, traveling along a broad wagon road.

Desiring to complete the examination of the Kansas, he soon left the Arkansas River and took a northeasterly direction across the elevated dividing grounds which separate that river from the waters of the Platte River. On the 8th he arrived at the head of a stream which proved to be the Smoky Hill Fork of the Kansas River. After having traveled directly along its banks for 290 miles, the expedition left the river, where it bore suddenly off in a north westerly direction, toward its junction with the Republican Fork of the Kansas River, and continued its easterly course for about 20 miles when it entered the wagon road from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Independence, Missouri. On the last day of July Fremont again encamped at the site of Kansas City, Kansas, after an absence of fourteen months.

The third expedition under Fremont in 1845 comprised nearly 100 men, many of which included his old companions, such as Kit Carson, Alexis Godey, Dick Owens, and several experienced Delaware Indians. With him also was his favorite, Basil Lajeunesse, and Lieutenants James W. Abert and William G. Peck. With this larger force he felt he could deal with any emergency that might arise. The plains were crossed without noteworthy incident, except a scare from the Cheyenne, and on August 2^nd, Bent's Fort, Colorado was reached. On the 16th, a group of about 60 men, mostly picked for their known qualities of courage, hardihood and faithfulness, left Bent's Fort and started on its journey. On the 20th it encamped at the month of Boiling Springs River, and on the 26^th, at the month of the great canyon of the Arkansas River.

Kit Carson

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On the night of September 2nd, it reached the remote headwaters of the Arkansas River. Two days later Fremont passed across the divide into the valley of the Grand River, and camped on Piney River, where a goodly supply of fish was caught. The marvelous beauty of the surroundings were specially noted by the scientists accompanying the party. Continuing westward without noteworthy incident, the party reached Great Salt Lake early in October, and after great hardships, Sutter's Fort in California was reached in December. The following year Fremont assisted the Californians in gaining their independence.

A fourth expedition, commenced in 1848, was taken at Freemont’s own expense, and ended in finding a passage to California from the east along the headwaters of the Rio Grande River. This was later followed by the Southern Pacific Railroad. He also fitted out upon his account a fifth expedition (1853), designed to perfect the results of the fourth, by fixing upon the best route for a national highway from the valley of the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.

These expeditions involved great hardships, but every suffering was rewarded by marvelous disclosures of the geographical variety and wealth of the country through which they passed. Kansas and the regions to the west were almost unknown up to this time.

His report of the resources found attracted the attention of the people of the East, and from the time of these explorations may he dated the rapid influx of immigrants into Kansas and the speedy settlement of the territory. Traversing the state as he did, from its eastern to its western boundary, his complete reports turned the tide of home-seekers in that direction.

Compiled and edited by Kathy Weiser/Legends of Kansas, updated April, 2010.

About the Article: The majority of this historic text was published in Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume I; edited by Frank W. Blackmar, A.M. Ph. D.; Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1912. However, the text that appears on these page is not verbatim, as additions, updates, and editing have occurred.

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