Personally he was an agreeable man, and to me he disclaimed responsibility in this matter.
** See Fremont and '49 by F.S.

Dellenbaugh.
By this time the relations between the United States and Mexico were at the point of rupture, and in 1846 Kearny's forces moved on New Mexico and California, the Mormon Battalion marking out a waggon-road down the Gila.

Fremont, being in California, took an active part (1846) in the capture of the region, but the story of that episode does not belong here, and may be found in any history of California.

The same year in which the formal treaty of peace was signed (1848) another event occurred which was destined to have a vast influence on the whole country and lead streams of emigrants to the new Dorado across the broad wastes of the Colorado Valley; gold in enormous quantities was discovered on Sutler's California ranch.

There were three chief routes from the "States" across the wilderness of the Colorado River basin: one down the Gila to the Yuma country, another by South Pass and so on around Salt Lake and down the Humboldt, and the third also by South Pass and Salt Lake and thence south, by Mountain Meadows and west by the Old Spanish Trail.