Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/492

 480 FREMONT FRENCH BROAD RIVER state constitution, was defeated. As Fremont was one of the leaders of this party, he failed of reelection to the senate, after 142 ballotings. The next two years he devoted to his private affairs, and visited Europe in 1852, where he spent a year, and was received with distinc- tion by many eminent men of letters and of science. While in Europe he learned that congress had made an appropriation for the survey of three routes from the Mississippi valley to the Pacific. He immediately returned to the United States for the purpose of fitting out a fifth expedition on his own account to complete the survey of the route he had taken on his fourth expedition. He left Paris in June, 1853, and in September was on his march across the continent. He found passes through the mountains on the line of lat. 38 and 39, and reached California in safety, after endu- ring great hardships. For 50 days his party lived on horse flesh, and for 48 hours at a time were without food of any kind. In the spring of 1855 Fremont with his family took up his residence in New York, for the purpose of preparing for publication the narrative of his last expedition. His name now began to be mentioned in connection with the presidency by those who were combining to act against the democratic party on the basis of opposition to the extension of slavery. The republican national convention, which met at Philadel- phia, June 17, 1856, nominated him for the presidency by a vote of 359 to 196 for John McLean, on an informal ballot. On the first formal ballot Fremont was unanimously nom- inated. He accepted the nomination in a letter dated July 8, 1856, in which he ex- pressed himself strongly against the exten- sion of slavery and in favor of free labor. A few days after the Philadelphia conven- tion adjourned, a national American conven- tion at New York also nominated him for the presidency. He accepted their support in a letter dated June 30, in which he referred them for an exposition of his views to his forthcoming letter accepting the republican nomination. After a most spirited and exci- ting contest, the presidential election resulted in the choice of Mr. Buchanan by 174 elec- toral votes from 19 states, while Fremont re- ceived 114 votes from 11 states, including the six New England states, New York, Ohio, Michi- gan, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Maryland gave her eight electoral votes for Mr. Fillmore. The popular vote for Fremont was 1,341,000 ; for Buchanan, 1,838,000; for Fillmore, 874,000. In 1858 Fremont went to California, where he resided for some time. In 1860 he visited Europe. Soon after the breaking out of the civil war he was made a major general and assigned to the command of the western dis- trict. On Aug. 31, 1861, he issued an order emancipating the slaves of those in his dis- trict who were in arms against the United States, which was annulled by the president as unauthorized and premature, and he was relieved from his command, Nov. 2. Three months later he was appointed commander of the mountain district of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. He fought on June 8, 1862, an indecisive battle against Gen. Jackson at Cross Keys; and shortly afterward, on Pope being appointed to the command of the army of Vir- ginia, Fremont declined to serve under an offi- cer whom he ranked, and sent in his resigna- tion, which was accepted by the president. He took no further part in the war. On May 31, 1864, a convention of republicans dissatisfied with Mr. Lincoln met at Cleveland and nomi- nated Gen. Fremont for president. He accept- ed the nomination, but in September, finding that he had few followers, withdrew from the field. He has since taken no part in public af- fairs, but has been active in promoting a pro- jected southern transcontinental railway. In connection with this he was accused of fraud in France, and in 1873 was found guilty in a trial in Paris, and in his absence was sentenced to fine and imprisonment. He resides in New York in winter and at Mount Desert, Me., in summer. FREMY, Edmond, a French chemist, born at Versailles in 1814. His father, a professor of chemistry, instructed him in that science, and he perfected his knowledge as assistant of T. J. Pelouze and of Gay-Lussac in various institu- tions; and he succeeded the former in 1843 in the chair of the museum of natural history, and the latter in 1850 at the polytechnic school, and became a member of the academy of sci- ences in 1857. He has made chemical discov- eries and published many works. His joint productions with Pelouze include Abrege de chimie (1848 ; 6th ed., 1869), and Cours de chimie generale (1849), which subsequently ap- peared under the title of Traite de chimie ge- nerale, analytique, industrielle et agricole (3d revised and illustrated edition, 7 vols., 1862- '5). His brother AENOULD (born in 1809) is a well known journalist and prolific novelist. FRENCH, a N. E. county of Dakota territory, recently formed and not included in the census of 1870 ; area about 1,450 sq. m. It is drained by the Sheyenne river, and contains a portion of Minnewakan or Devil's lake. FRENCH BROAD RIVER, a river of North Carolina and Tennessee, rising in Transylvania co. of the former state, near the foot of the Blue Ridge, flowing N. W. into Tennessee, bending toward the S. W., and discharging into Holston river 4 m. above Knoxville. It is about 200 m. long, and is navigable by steam- boats as far as Dandridge, Jefferson co., Tenn. For about 40 m. from Asheville to the Tennes- see line, it is remarkable for its beautiful scene- ry, flowing through deep mountain gorges, or overhung by cliffs. Nearly opposite the Warm Springs, in Madison co., N. C., are precipices known as the Chimneys and the Painted Rocks. The latter, which are between 200 and 300 ft. high, derive their name from some In- dian pictures still to be seen on them.