United States or American Samoa ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


Benton and Mrs. Fremont Hospitality offered to him at Washington Kit Carson receives the Appointment of Lieutenant in the Rifle Corps of the U.S. Army from President Polk He is ordered to carry Dispatches to California The Journey A Brush with the Camanche Indians Arrival at Santa More trouble with hostile Indians Arrival at Los Angelos Dispatches delivered Kit Carson is assigned to do Duty with the Dragoons Is ordered to Guard Tajon Pass The Winter spent there Is ordered again to carry Dispatches to Washington The Journey and its Adventures The return to New Mexico.

Our cannon at length forced a peace upon them, which had not been long concluded, before there was reason to apprehend a breach of its conditions on their part, and an ambassador was sent to their Tajon, or chief, to discover their intentions.

Louis Visits Washington Appointed Lieutenant by President Polk Ordered Back Across the Continent His Journey Assigned to Duty at Tajon Pass Again Ordered to Washington His Appointment not Confirmed by the United States Senate Visit to Washington Return to New Mexico. The chief force of the Mexicans was at Los Angeles over a hundred miles to the north of San Diego.

Carson now pressed on to Monterey, and delivered his dispatches to Colonel Mason. As acting lieutenant in the U.S. army he was placed at the head of a company of dragoons, to guard Tajon Pass, the main outlet through which robber Indian bands conveyed their booty from California to the plains.

The chief drew a long knife from a sheath at his side, presented it to the ambassador, making him observe that it had a broken point, and addressed him as follows: "When my father died he gave me this knife, saying, 'My son, I received this broken knife from my uncle, whom I succeeded in the dignity of Tajon, and I promised him never to sharpen it against the Russians, because we never prosper in our combats with them; I therefore enjoin thee also to enter into no strife with them till this knife shall of itself renew its point. You see that the knife is still edgeless, and my father's last will is sacred to me."

With a command of twenty-five dragoons, he was ordered to proceed to Tajon Pass, the main outlet through which hostile Indians went out of California, bearing the proceeds of their incursions, such as cattle, horses, sheep and captives. Kit Carson's duty in this place was to intercept the Indians and examine their papers and cargoes. He spent the winter in doing much good in this service.

He was given command of twenty-five dragoons and directed to proceed to Tajon Pass, through which marauding Indians were accustomed to pass when returning from their raids in California. It was an important point, and the winter of 1847-48 was spent in the performance of the duties thus placed upon him.