222 JOHN C. FREMONT. 



" Mr. St. Yrain dined with us to-day. Owens 



V 



goes to Missouri in April to get married, and thence 

 by water to California. Carson is very anxious to 

 go there with me now, and afterward remove his 

 family thither; but he cannot decide to break off 

 from Maxwell and family connections. 



" I am anxiously waiting to hear from my party, 

 in much uncertainty as to their fate. My presence 

 kept them together and quiet: my absence may have 

 had a bad effect. When we overtook King's starv- 

 ing party, Brackenridge said that he * would rather 

 have seen me than his father.' He felt himself safe." 



"TAOs, NEW MEXICO, February 6, 1849. 



"After a long delay, which had wearied me to a 

 point of resolving to set out again myself, tidings 

 have at last reached me from my ill-fated party. Mr. 

 Haler came in last night, having the night before 

 reached Red River settlement, with some three or 

 four others. Including Mr. King and Prone, we 

 have lost eleven of our party. Occurrences after I 

 left them are briefly these, so far as they are within 

 Haler's knowledge. I say briefly, my dear Jessie, 

 because now I am unwilling to force myself to dwell 

 upon particulars. I wish for a time to shut out 

 these things from, my mind, to leave this country, 

 and all thoughts and all things connected with 



