BY THE UNITED STATES. 381 



meet them, and destroy them to a man. About the middle 

 of May, Captain Fremont arrived at the great Hamath Lake, 

 in the Oregon Territory. He intended to return to the 

 United States, by the Columbia and Missouri, through the 

 northern pass in the Rocky Mountains ; but he found his pro- 

 gress stopped by bands of hostile Indians, -who had been 

 stirred up against him, . particularly the Hamath tribe, who 

 killed and wounded several of his followers, in a night attack. 

 Two days after, he had another fight with the same Indians, 

 and destroyed one or two of their villages. It was in this 

 engagement that Fremont saved Carson's life, as an Indian 

 was about killing him. Captain Fremont now discovered that 

 if he persevered in his route, he would have to fight almost 

 every step of his way, besides marching over mountains on 

 which the snow was still falling, and though he and his men 

 were suffering from fatigue and famine, he remained for some 

 days deliberating upon the proper course to pursue. 



From various sources he received information that Governor 

 Castro was assembling troops, with the avowed object of at- 

 tacking his party and all the American settlers, because, he 

 alleged, the Captain had come for the purpose of inciting the 

 settlers to revolt. 



With these facts before him, he at length determined upon 

 the proper course to pursue, which was to turn back and act 

 the offensive. On the 11th of June, he struck the first blow. 

 At day-light on that day he surprised an officer and fourteen 

 men on the way to the Mexican camp, with two hundred 

 horses for Castro's army. The horses were retained, and the 

 officer and the men released. At early dawn on the 15th, the 

 military rendzevous and intended head-quarters was surprised 

 by the Americans, who captured there nine pieces of brass 

 cannon, two hundred and fifty muskets, and other arms and 



