Title: Frémont, John C. Collection, 1828-1890
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in chronological order, with undated items placed at the end.
Administrative/Biographical History
John Charles Frémont (1813-1890) participated in surveying expeditions throughout the United States in the 1830s and 1840s, eventually earning a commission in the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers. After his assignment to California in 1846, he participated in the Bear Flag Revolt and commanded the California Battalion during the Mexican-American War. Following his dismissal, reinstatement, and resignation from the Army in 1847, he settled in present-day Mariposa County, California, before embarking on a further expedition.
Frémont served as a United States Senator from 1850-1851 and became the Republican Party's first presidential candidate during the election of 1856. After receiving a commission as major general, he commanded the Union Army's Department of the West (July-November 1861) and its forces in western Virginia (1862). After the war, he returned to his business interests and also served as the governor of the Arizona Territory (1878-1881). He and his wife, Jessie Benton Frémont (1824-1902) married in 1841 and had five children.
Source
Herr, Pamela. "Frémont, John C." American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press, 2000. doi: 05-00252