Newspaper Article

BOOKS: The westward trail of a young explorer Emory professor uses Fremont's writings to chart expeditions

Carrigan, Henry L

2002

Overview

On his 1842 expedition, Fremont led a sturdy group of explorers, including Kit Carson, on a quest to find a pass through the Rockies leading to Oregon. Hired by the federal government to map out this territory, Fremont and his party reached the Continental Divide and jotted down numerous reports on the trip. Not completely satisfied with this task, he set off to ascend what he believed to be the highest peak in the Rockies ---Fremont's Peak. In spite of the dangers that his party encountered and his own high-altitude illnesses, Fremont's desire for glory and success overshadowed any other thought. [Tom Chaffin]'s biography has a workman-like character, but his use of Fremont's writings and his knack for telling a tale well brings to life an American explorer who has been largely forgotten. Photo An illustration from John Bigelow's 1856 John C. Fremont biography depicts Fremont trying out an experimental rubber raft along the Sweetwater River's confluence with the Platte. / From the collection of Tom Chaffin

• Publisher: Atlanta Journal Constitution, LLC
• Subject: Biographies / Books-titles / Chaffin, Tom / Fremont, John Charles (1813-90) / Nonfiction / Pathfinder: John Charles Fremont and the Course of American Empire