Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/205

 FREMONT

FREMONT

she found a beautiful home. Her eldest son, John Charles, was a graduate of the U.S. naval academy, 1873, and couiiiianded a torpedo boat in the war with Spain, IStty ; her second son, Francis Preston, was graduated' at the U.S. military academy in 1874, reached the rank of captain in the 3d U.S. infantry, April 36, 1898. and was assistant adjutant-general with the rank of cap- tain in the volunteer army, 1898. Jlrs. Frfimont wrote: Story of the Guard (18G3) ; .1 Year of Ame7-- ican Travel (1878); Souvenir.'i of My Time (1887); Far West Sketches (1888); The Will and the Way Stories (1889); and contributed to periodicals. She died in Los Angele.s, Cal., Dec. 27, 1903.

FREMONT, John Charles, soldier, was born in Savannah, Ga., Jan. 1, 1813; son of John Charles and Anne Beverley (Whiting) Fre- mont. His father was a native of France and a teacher of the French language, and his mother, who met and married her husband in Norfolk, was a Vir- ginian by birth and ancestry and had in- herited a considerable property. In 1818 Mr. Frfiniont died, leaving his widow with thi'ee infant children to care for. She removed to Chaideston, S.C, and John Charles en- tered the junior class of the College of Charleston m 1828, ■where he displayed an especial aptitude for mathematics, but because of disregard for a point of discipline he was expelled by the faculty before completing his course. He then engaged as teacher in a private familj' and also in con- ducting an evening school. He was a teacher of mathematics on board the U.S. sloop-of-war Natchez, 1833-35, dui-ing a cruise, and on return- ing to Charleston was given his A.B. degi'ee by the College of Charleston in 1836. He then passed examination as professor of mathematics by the U.S. navy and was appointed to the frigate Independence. He changed his plans, however, and became an assistant to Capt. W. G. Williams of the U.S. topographical engineers in surveying a railroad from Charleston to Cincin- nati, his chief work being through the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee Completing this work in 1837 he took part with Captain Williams in an expedition against the Cherokee Indians in the mountain region of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. In 1838 he as sisted Jean Nicliolas Nicollet in exploring, for the U.S. war department, the country north of

the Missouri river and while so engaged he was commissioned bj' President Van Buren 2d lieu- tenant in the topographical engineer corps, July 7, 1838. In 184U he made his report of the survey, personally visiting Washington for the purpose. At this time he met Jessie, daughter of Senator Thomas H. Benton of Missouri, and an attach- ment sprang up between the two that caused the senator to request that the yomig lieutenant be sent back to the northwest to survey the Des Moines river; and his daughter, at the time only fifteen j'ears old, was sent to school. Friimont rapidly completed his task and renewed his suit the next j'ear. Failing to obtain the consent of the senator, the young couple were married Oct. 19, 1841. A reconciliation was brought about and Colonel Benton obtained for his son-inlaw coimnand of an expedition to make a survey beyond the Rocky mountains by the south pass. He left Washington, May 3, 1843, and in four months had care- fully examined the south pass, explored the Wind River mountains and as- cended 13,.j70 feet above tide water, to the top of what became known as Fremont's peak. His report, submit- ted to the 27th con- gress, 1843—13, was a revelation to the world in the geogra- phy of the great west, recounting suffering from liard - ship in travel and dangers from the savages, into whose country he ventured; and won for the leader a reputation as an able, courageous and discriminating explorer. Tlie celebrated trapper and explorer, Kit Carson, accompanied this ex- pedition. In May, 1843, Fr6mont set out with thirty-nine men to ex]5lore the region beyond the Rocky mountains and to mark out a path to the Pacific. On Sept. 6, 1843, after travelling over 1700 miles, he cjime in view of the Great Salt Lake and after surveying it continued his journej', exploring the upper tributaries of the Columbia river and descending the valley of that river to Fort Vancouver. He then crossed from the Great Basin to the California valley in the depth of the winter, where no Indian guides would venture to pilot them. He accomplished the task in forty daj-s, but not without great suffering, and early in March, 1844, reached Sutter's fort in Sacramento, half the horses and mules having been left dead on the route. He turned liis face

FREMONT PLANTS THE AMERICAN FLAC ON THE HIOHEST PEAK OF THE ROCKY MOUAITAI/JS.