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..~ XXI ~.. Prelude to Ordeal MORE THAN TWO LONG YEARS HAD PASSJID, and Jessie yearned to see John Charles. During that lonely time, she had the sadness of seeing her mother suffer another stroke and became increasingly feeble. Her only joy had been the growth of Lily. When John Charles had left, Lily was still a baby. Now, he would be amazed at how quickly she had grown. Even with Lily and her father for company, it wasn't the same for Jessie as having John Charles beside her. She wondered how he looked, how much he had aged since she had seen him last. In one of his letters he had mentioned that his whiskers and hair were showing a touch of gray. Then when all the excitement broke, when it was learned he had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel-and she knew it before he did-she had written a long letter to him. She told him how proud she was of him, and of how such a famous man as Senator Daniel Webster had mentioned his name in Congress and honored his deeds. But even that letter had been sent to him over a year ago; and now, she remembered how she tried to make it light and lilled with fun. She even teased him about his age by writing, "How old are you'? You might tell me now I am a colonel's wife-won't you, old papa'? Poor papa, it made tears come to lind you had begun to tum gray."l But even in teasing him, the note of sadness was there, the obvious concern and love she had for him. Now, in August 1847, Jessie knew he might be on his way home, or he might have decided to join his regiment of Mounted RiBemen in Mexico for the last campaigns of the war. Good and disturbing information had been brought all the way from California to Washington in June by Kit Carson, dear old Kit, and young Ned Beale. She had been excited to hear about John Charles's leadership in the conquest of California, and that Commodore Stockton had appointed him governor. But Carson and Beale also had brought more than a hint of trouble. The couriers-a party of ten that included Carson, Beale, Talbot, Stepp the gunsmith, and others-left California on February 25, 1847. They PRELUDE TO ORDEAL 433 reached St. Louis the latter part of May. From there word had been sent on to Senator Benton of their arrival, and though the senator wanted Carson to come on to Washington, he had to meet him in St. Louis and talk him into coming to Washington and staying at the Benton home. At that, Kit didn't fancy the idea. As he told the senator, even St. Louis had grown too large and had too many people. The senator convinced him everything would be all right, and at last Kit had agreed. It was upon his arrival that Jessie learned from both Kit and Beale that things were not right between Fremont and Kearny. When she asked why, Kit had told her there was a struggle for power between General Kearny and Commodore Stockton, and Colonel Fremont was caught in the middle. At least that was the way Kit saw it, and Ned Beale agreed with him. One thing made it clear to Jessie and her father that there had to be more than just a feeling of ill will that Kit and Ned sensed. As the two men told Jessie and the senator when they left Ciudad de los Angeles, Colonel Fremont had looked upon their mission as one of public service. They were carrying messages to the Secretary of War, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Navy, Senator Benton, and Jessie. Fremont had offered their services to Commodore Shubrick and Commodore Stockton, but he had not offered such services to General Kearny. Jessie had been deeply concerned about all this, and Senator Benton had become furious. All of it began to fit together. There had been earlier newspaper accounts-unsigned or signed with a pen name-that painted a poor picture of Fremont and Stockton, one which showed them as men willing to do anything for power. The first of these stories had appeared in the New Orleans Picayune of April 22, 1847; a day later the story was printed in the New York Courier and Enquirer. Then, even before the...

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