Col.  Fauntleroy’s command, when completed, consisted of four companies of Mexican volunteers, two companies of dragoons, one company of artillery who were performing duty as a rifle corps, and one company of spies.  The two remaining companies of volunteers were dispatched to exposed towns on the remote frontiers in order to protect them.  The artillery company was the only one on foot; but the soldiers who then composed it were known from actual experiment to be more than a match for the horses in traveling when the party should reach and penetrate the mountains.  Col.  Fauntleroy engaged the services of Kit Carson as his chief guide, and, having arranged all of his plans necessary for a vigorous campaign, he set out upon its execution.

The command proceeded at first one hundred miles due north to Fort Massachusetts, which was to be their depot.  Without delay they left this post and proceeded, encountering snow-storms and severe cold weather.  The mercury of the thermometer, for most of the time, ranged several degrees below zero.  They marched to the Rio Grande del Norte, and thence, on up this river to where it makes its exit through a deep canon from the mountains.  It was, as will be remembered by the reader, on the head-waters of this last-mentioned stream, that Col.  Fremont, while engaged in his last great exploring expedition, met with severe reverses, in which several of his men lost their lives from exposure, hunger, etc., while he, and the remainder of his party, barely escaped the same fate.

While passing over this point of his journey, Col.  Fauntleroy sent out as an advance party the company of spies.  Their duty was to seek for fresh Indian trails.  On reaching the mouth of the canon of this river, the main portion of the soldiers halted for a short time while their trailers penetrated the mountains in search of the much desired Indian signs.  During this resting spell, an incident occurred which, for an hour or two, created some little stir and excitement among part of the men present.  A large Newfoundland dog belonging to an officer had, accidentally, been allowed to follow the soldiers.  By his pranks and his good disposition he had become a general favorite among them.  While attempting to drink, this animal lost his foot-hold on the ice and slipped into the swift current of the river, which was partially frozen over.  The dog at once attempted to extricate himself, but with all his efforts he could do no more than stem the flood, making no progress against it.  His situation was very precarious, for, should his strength begin to give out, he was certain to be carried under the ice and lost.  The sympathies of the men were soon well awakened in his behalf, and many plans were devised to rescue him, but they all proved abortive until, at last, a Mexican approached him with a lasso, and after making several vain attempts, succeeded finally in encircling the dog’s head with the slip noose.  On tightening the rope he found that he had the animal firm, and soon dragged him from his perilous position.