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of the valiant Mexican General. We then started for the Sacramento river and went up it to Peter Lawson's where Fremont intended to get his outfit for the homeward trip. We remained here some ten days & during our stay at Lawson's, some Americans that were settled in the neighborhood came in stating that there were about 1000 Indians in the vicinity making preparations to attack the settlement. They requested Fremont to drive them back, whereupon he and party and some few? Americans that lived nearby started for the Indian encampment. They found the Indians in great force as reported but promptly attacked them. I cannot say how many were killed but the fight was a perfect butchery. Those who were not killed fled in all directions, and we returned to Lawson's having accomplished that which we went for and having given the Indians a chastisement that would prevent them from attacking the settlement for a long time to come. We remain some time at Lawson's, received the best of treatment and finished getting together our outfit. Then we started for the Columbia river, by going up the Sacramento river and passing over the Shasta butte; we travelled on without any molestation till we reached Klamath lake, at the upper?end of it. A few days after we left information was received in California that war was declared between the United States and Mexico. Lt. Gillespie of the US Marines and six men were sent after us to get us to come back as he had had to travel for about 200 miles, his animals were giving out and he had but poor hopes of overtaking us, he then concluded to mount two men on his best horses and send them on in advance. These men caught up to us at the lake & gave the communications to Fremont and he