FREMONT, John Charles, American ex plorer and soldier: b. Savannah, Ga., 31 Jan. 1813; d. New York, 13 July 1890. His father was a Frenchman and his mother came of the distinguished Virginia family of the Whitings. He attended Charleston College, but was ex pelled from there for insubordination before completing his course. In 1833 he was appointed teacher of mathematics on board the United States sloop of war Notches, with which he proceeded on a cruise to South America. On his return he gave his attention to civil engineer ing and in 1836 was one of a company sent out to survey a railway route. He was still engaged in railway surveying in 1837, and at the end of that year was engaged in the survey of the Cherokee lands in Georgia, North Caro lina and Tennessee. In 1838-39 he undertook the exploration of the country between the Mis souri River and the British frontier in the present States of Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas and Nebraska. In 1838 he became a second lieutenant in the United States Topographical Corps. In 1841, in Washington, he eloped with Jessie Benton, daughter of Senator Benton. About this time Fremont proposed to the gov ernment to undertake the exploration of the Rocky Mountains — at that day a terra incognita. His plan being approved through the influence of his father-in-law, Senator Benton, he, in 1842, started with a handful of picked men on the first of a series of explorations of what is now the western part of continental United States. Great Britain at that time laid claim to Oregon, and the Southwest was under the domain of Mexico. Fremont reached and explored the South Pass. Not only did he fix the locality of that great defile, but he defined the astron omy, geography, botany, geology and meteorology of that region, described the route since fol lowed, and designated the points upon which a line of United States forts were subsequently erected. He proceeded on a second expedition in 1843 intending to extend his previous work to the westward and join it with the survey done on the Pacific Coast by Captain Wilkes, of the United States navy. He had just reached Westport (Kansas City), from Saint Louis, when an order commanding his return reached the latter city. The assigned reason for the
order was that he was taking with him a 12 pounder howitzer without authority. His wife received the order and, instead of forwarding it, sent him a message telling him to get away to the wilds as soon as possible and ask no ques tions. This time he reached South Pass by another route and from there journeyed to Great Salt Lake, reaching the island now known by his name. He pushed investigations right and left of his entire course, went up the Snake River and journeyed along the Columbia, finally reaching Fort Vancouver where he connected his survey with that of Wilkes' exploring expe dition. Later in the winter, without adequate supplies, or a guide, he traversed the wilder ness to the Rocky Mountains. In this daring expedition he crossed 3,500 miles of country in sight of eternal snows, discovering the grand features of Alta California, its great basin, the Sierra Nevada, the valleys of San Joaquin and Sacramento and determined the geographical position of the west portion of the North Amer ican continent. He came east via Utah Lake, the Uinta River and Brown's Park, reached the North Platte, turned south through Colo rado, reached the Arkansas River, which he followed eastward, and arrived in Saint Louis, 6 Aug. 1844. His report created a sensation and 10,000 copies were printed and distributed by Congress and many thousands of copies were issued and sold by private publishers. He was made captain in 1844. His third expedition was quickly organized in 1845 and directed to Cali fornia in the acquisition of which by the United States it played a prominent part. On this trip he had a force of 60 expert marksmen; he pro ceeded from Bent's Fort along the Arkansas, the Grand and the Uinta to the Wasatch Moun tains, across these to Utah and Salt Lake, thence down to the Sierra Nevada, crossed by the Donner Pass, to Sutter's Fort. The Mexican War was now looming up ; Fremont had secured permission of the Mexican officials at Monterey to explore California and New Mexico. This permission was withdrawn within a short time and he was ordered to leave Mexican territory.