Great Americans and their noble deeds; containing the lives of almost fifty of our nation's heroes and heroines .. . ared him if he had taken pains to get evidence uponhis innocence; but as he did not, he was pronounced guilty of mutiny anddisobedience and ordered to leave the Government service. But the court requested President Polk not to confirm their verdict;he did not, and granted Fremont a pardon, with permission to keep hisposition in the army. This he would not accept; he refused to receive asa favor that to which he had a right, or to go about as an officer pardonedof offenses he had
Great Americans and their noble deeds; containing the lives of almost fifty of our nation's heroes and heroines .. . ared him if he had taken pains to get evidence uponhis innocence; but as he did not, he was pronounced guilty of mutiny anddisobedience and ordered to leave the Government service. But the court requested President Polk not to confirm their verdict;he did not, and granted Fremont a pardon, with permission to keep hisposition in the army. This he would not accept; he refused to receive asa favor that to which he had a right, or to go about as an officer pardonedof offenses he had never committed. So he resigned his commission, andat the age of thirty-five became a private citizen. 228 GENERAL JOHN C. FREMONT. AlthougH lie was still a young man, it seemed to him, for a time, thathe had nothing to look forward to in life; but he soon made up his mindto undertake another exploring expedition. This had to be on his ownresponsibility and at his own expense; but he soon succeeded in getting aparty together and fitting it out. He was doubly anxious now to find some good routes from the States. THE LAVA BEDS IN THE NORTH-WEST. to the new possessions on the Pacific, for in February of this year—1848—gold had been found on the Sacramento River, and many people werealready starting out to dig for the precious ore. So far there was nodirect route to California. A long and dangerous journey across Kansas,Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, and through the Rockies and Sierras couldbe made by land, or a voyage by way of the Isthmus of Panama could bemade by water. These were the best possible ways of getting there. Fremonts desire was to find a route which could be made into a safe GENERAI, JOHN C. FREMONT. 229 and direct public line of travel, and it was witH tliis object in view tbat hesoon started out with his little band. This time he went to the South,crossing the northern part of Mexico, and following the Rio Grande delNorte toward California. The beginning of the
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