348 ThrAlliii-nuln Geoh)fji><t. D.TfMnb.T, 18» 
civdit for what lliev had doiu'. lor at that time it had hipst'd 
from common acknowledgement. This was freely communicated 
to bishop Chanche and to Chouteau & Co. . as well as others, and 
it doidttless served to enlist all French citizens heartily in his aid. 
('<»!. Aliert. chief of the engineer corps of the U. S. army, had 
kept liimself accjuainted with the i>rogress of Nicollet's surveys, 
although there is no evidence of any official communications be- 
tween them. Hon. .1. 1{. Poinsett, of S. Carolina, at the head of 
the War |)epartment, was also informed of his self-instituted and 
self-sacrificing labors. At this time there was a general i)opular 
demand, for political reasons touching the controversy with Oreat 
liritian concerning the Oregon boundary, for knowledge of the 
nature of the country westwanl from the ui)per waters of the 
Mississippi, and when Nicollet, in 1S;>8. with broken health and 
exhauste<l means, repaired to Baltimore, where he again enjoyed 
the friendly hospitality of 1)ishop Chanche. at St. Clary's Col- 
lege, and of-l'rof. Ducatel. he was soon ofticially called to Wash- 
ington by Mr. Poinsett for the inspection of his maps and jour- 
nals. Mr. Poinsett and Col. Abert were gentlemen of kindred 
spirits, and they appreciated and esteemed the character of 
Nicollet. 'Phev also saw at once the importance to the country of 
securing for the government the materials collected by Nicollet in 
his excursions. The result was that the chief of engineers was 
authorized to make arrangements with him for the transfer of his 
maps and journals to the government, and to secui'e his further 
services. Thus Mr. Nicollet found himself designated to under- 
take, tiic next season, under government en)ploy. and with 
abundant means to carry out his projects, a final expedition to 
the Northwest for the purpose of completing his map. To tlii.s 
expedition was attached Lieut. J. C. Fremont, chief assistant in 
topographic and astronomic work, Mr. Charles (reyer. botanist. 
M. de Montmort. a French gentleman attached to the Legation at 
Washington, and Mr. Eugene Flandin. a young gentleman fnmi 
New York. The eventful career of Fremont may be said to have 
commenced with this exiK'dition. and y\x. Nicollet retained him as 
an assistant when afterwards he was engaged at Washington in 
reducing his astronomic observations and drafting his final map. 
Two years (1S:^S and lS8I»)were given to field examinations 
under these auspices. The second season Mr. Nicollet had. on 
]eavin<r Fort Pierre, in Hakota. a party of nineteen persons, in- 
