Expedition cartographer Charles Preuss
drew this picture of
Frémont's
"Long Camp"
near Carson Pass in February
of 1844.
Where is
this
place?
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Click
on
the picture
to see the
newly
discovered
actual site.
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February 11th, 1844, Frémont: "Taplin
was sent back with a few men to assist Mr. Fitzpatrick; and
continuing on with three sleighs carrying a part of the
baggage, we had the satisfaction to encamp within two and a
half miles of the head of the hollow, and at the foot of the
last mountain ridge. Here two large trees had been set on
fire, and in the holes, where the snow had melted away, we
found a comfortable camp. The elevation of the camp by the
boiling point, is 8,050 feet. We are now 1,000 feet above
the level of the South Pass in the Rocky Mountains; and
still we are not done ascending."
Charles Preuss: "We are now
completely snowed in. The snowstorm is on top of us. The
wind obliterates all tracks which, with incredible effort,
we make for our horses. The horses are about twenty miles
behind and are expected to arrive tonight, or rather, they
are now no longer expected. How could they get through? At
the moment no one can tell what will really happen. It is
certain we shall have to eat horse meat."
They were trying to get across the
10,000' Sierra Nevada to Sutter's Fort at New Helvetia
(Sacramento, California) for supplies.
March
6, 1844: "Capt. Frémont arrived at the
fort with Kit Carson, and told me he was an officer
of the U.S. and left a party behind in Distress and
on foot, the few surviving Mules was packed with
only the most necessary." Capitán Johann
August Sutter
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