421 
CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. 
permission to spend the winter in the valley of San Joa¬ 
quin, where was grass for his horses and game for his 
men. He came back to them and led them to the place 
designated, but he had hardly reached it, before he was 
ordered out of the country by the governor, who threat¬ 
ened him with forcible ejection if he disobeyed the com¬ 
mand. He determined to rely upon the permission given 
him in person to remain there; and the governor made 
great preparations to drive him away. Of these he was 
informed by the United States Consul, whom he answered 
by a note, stating that his men had hoisted the American 
flag, and that they would stand by it, if unjustly attacked, 
so long as a man remained. The Mexican authorities 
requested and received a translation of Colonel Fre¬ 
mont’s note, from the consul, and though they continued 
their preparations for an attack within sight of the hill 
on which the colonel was encamped, they took especial 
care not to crowd him too closely. 
Well versed in international law, however, and desirous 
not to embroil his nation in difficulties, Colonel Fremont 
determined to abandon his mission and return to the 
United States, rather than continue it against the oppo¬ 
sition of the Californian authorities. On the 10th of 
March, he moved quietly out of his encampment, and 
retired towards Oregon slowly and growlingly, followed 
some distance by General Castro with four hundred men, 
and three cannons. The valiant governor, having escorted 
him to a safe distance, came back to Monterey, bringing 
with him some old clothes and two pack saddles, all 
thrown away as useless when Fremont struck his tents. 
These were paraded as trophies, and the governor an¬ 
nounced in a flaming placard, that a band of highway¬ 
men, under Captain Fremont, of the United States Army, 
had come into his Department, but that he had chased 
them out with two hundred patriots, and sent them into 
the back country. Colonel Fremont found that his 
