For Col.  Fremont, Kit Carson has the greatest admiration.  He knows, as well as any man living, his bravery, his talents and the many splendid qualities of his mind and heart.  The question will naturally arise, does Kit Carson indorse the political creed upon which Col.  Fremont accepted the nomination for the Presidency of the United States?  The best answer and the one which is true, will be:  Kit Carson considers it one of the highest honors and greatest blessings to be a citizen of the United States.  He is willing to incur any danger for his country’s good, even if the sacrifice of his life is the alternative.  He has spent all his life in the wilds of America where news is always as scarce an article as luxuries of the table and fire-side, and, where the political strifes of factions and parties are not known.  The inference will therefore be plainly apparent, that his curiosity does not lead him to examine very attentively the minute workings of political machinery.  He is not a man to be swayed by friendship from performing any act which the interests of his country seem to require at his hands.  His political bias will, therefore, remain a matter of conjecture until such time, if his life is spared to see it, when New Mexico shall be admitted into the Union as a State.  So far, he has never lived where he could exercise the right of franchise.  The time must come which shall entitle him to a Presidential vote before he decides what political party shall count him as its supporter.

Soon after Kit Carson was again enrolled under the command of Col.  Fremont, he received orders to return to Bent’s Fort and purchase some mules of which the party stood in need.  Mules are valuable animals in new and mountainous countries.  They are often the only beasts of burden which can be successfully used in crossing the wild mountains.  Being more sure footed and more able to endure great fatigue than the horse, in such expeditions, they become absolutely necessary.  While he was absent on this duty, the expedition journeyed first to Soda Springs and thence on to St. Vrain’s Fort, which was located on the South Fork of the Platte.  At this point, the expedition was joined by Major Fitzpatrick with a command of forty men which he had enrolled, under orders, to assist in the exploration.  When Kit Carson had rejoined the party, the arrangements for the arduous task in view were nearly complete.

Colonel Fremont divided his forces, sending one division, with most of the camp equipage, on the more direct route.  This division was placed under the command of Major Fitzpatrick.  The other division under the command of Colonel Fremont, consisting of a squad of fifteen men and his guide Kit Carson, struck out up Thompson’s Fork.  The object of this expedition had in view by the government was, to have Colonel Fremont connect his explorations of the preceding year with the coast surveys of Commander Wilkes on the Pacific.  This would give the data for making