of emigrants back to
Oregon, 1843; killed by Indians at Wauelatpu, Oregon, November 29, 1847.

SUTTER, JOHN AUGUSTUS. Born in Kandern, Baden, February 15, 1803;
graduated at military college at Berne, Switzerland, 1823; served in
Swiss Guard through Spanish campaign, 1823-24; emigrated to America and
settled at St. Louis, 1834; crossed Rocky Mountains, 1838; settled in
California, 1839; built fort on present site of Sacramento, 1841; gold
discovered on his ranch, January 18, 1848; homestead burned, 1864;
removed to Litiz, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1873; died at
Washington, D.C., June 17, 1880.

FREMONT, JOHN CHARLES. Born at Savannah, Georgia, January 21, 1813;
explored South Pass, Rocky Mountains, 1842; Pacific Slope, 1843-45;
took part in conquest of California, 1846-47; United States senator from
California, 1850-51; Republican candidate for presidency, 1856; Federal
Commander of Department of the West, 1861; governor of Arizona, 1878-82;
died at New York City, July 13, 1890.

* * * * *

CHAPTER VII

GREAT SOLDIERS

We have seen how the great crises in our country's history have produced
great men to deal with them. We shall see now how great wars produce
great soldiers. The Revolution produced them; the Civil War produced
them. The second war with England, and the war with Spain failed to
produce them because they were too quickly ended, and without desperate
need. They served, however, to pierce certain gold-laced bubbles which
had been strutting about the stage pretending to be great and impressing
many people with their greatness; but which were, in reality, great only
in self-conceit, and in that colossal! So did the Revolution and the
Civil War, at first, and costly work it was until the last of them had
vanished, to be replaced by men who knew how to fight; for it seems one
of the axioms of history that the fiercer your soldier is in peace, the
more useless he is on a battlefield. The war with Mexico, by a fortunate
chance, found a few good fighters ready at hand, and so was pushed
through in the most brilliant way. One trembles to think how the
Revolution might have begun--and ended!--but for the fact that
Washington, experienced in warfare and disdaining gold lace and empty
boasts, was, by a fortunate chance, chosen commander-in-chief. That
choice is our greatest debt to John and Samuel Adams.

* * * * *

Early in the ei