oux , ▁Luci en ▁Max well , ▁William ▁Thomas ▁Hamilton , ▁Dick ▁O w ens , ▁Kit ▁Car son , ▁and , ▁inf am ously , ▁with ▁John ▁C . ▁Fr ém ont ▁on ▁his ▁fourth ▁expedition . ▁ ▁As ▁an ▁Indian ▁f ighter , ▁he ▁had ▁noted ▁enc oun ters ▁with ▁Black fe et , ▁Apache , ▁Com anche , ▁and ▁Mod oc ▁Indians . ▁ ▁Williams ▁tra ve led ▁through ▁a ▁wide ▁territory , ▁including ▁Texas , ▁California , ▁the ▁Rock y ▁Mountains , ▁Y ellow stone , ▁the ▁Santa ▁Fe ▁Tra il , ▁Arizona , ▁and ▁the ▁Colorado ▁and ▁Little ▁Colorado ▁River ▁regions . ▁Williams ▁was ▁with ▁Joseph ▁Walker ' s ▁historic ▁expedition ▁which ▁found , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁enter , ▁the ▁Y os em ite ▁Valley . ▁ ▁Fr ém ont ' s ▁Four th ▁Ex ped ition ▁controvers y ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁Fr ém ont ▁sought ▁Williams ▁to ▁lead ▁a ▁trans cont inental ▁rail road ▁survey ▁into ▁Sang re ▁de ▁Crist o ▁range ▁after ▁other ▁mountain ▁men ▁had ▁rejected ▁Fr ém ont ' s ▁proposition . ▁Once ▁the ▁team ▁entered ▁the ▁mountains , ▁Williams ▁changed ▁his ▁mind ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁heavy ▁early ▁snow fall . ▁He ▁war ned ▁the ▁party ▁against ▁continu ing ▁and ▁ins isted ▁on ▁a ▁southern ▁route . ▁ ▁Fr ém ont ▁continued , ▁and ▁the ▁expedition ▁was ▁defeated ▁within ▁the ▁San ▁Juan ▁Mountains , ▁where ▁ 1 0 ▁expedition ▁members ▁died ▁of ▁star v ation ▁and ▁expos ure .