John Charles Fremont was known as the Pathfinder to his contemporaries due to his exploration of the Western frontier. Born in 1813 in Savannah, Georgia, Fremont grew up in Charleston, S.C. where he attended the College of Charleston. During the 1830s he was a surveyor for the U.S. government and during the 1840s he led several successful exploring expeditions, becoming a public figure after the publication of the expedition reports. Arriving in California during the Mexican War, he engaged in serveral controversial military expeditions underm the United States flag. He served as one of the first senators from California, thus beginning a passionate, if not particularly successful, political career.
Committed to the anti-slavery movement and yet desirous of preserving the Union, Fremont was the perfect candidate for the Republican Party when it was formed shortly before the 1856 presidential election. He lost the election to James Buchanan, however, and the country was soon involved in the Civil War. Fremont was appointed a major general by Abraham Lincoln and put in command of the Dept. of the West based in St. Louis. After issuing an "emancipation document" for the Missouri territory on his own initiative in 1861, Fremont was relieved of this command. Reassigned to the Mountain Dept. in West Virginia, Fremont lost several battles to Stonewall Jackson and was once again relieved of command. He resigned shortly thereafter.
During the prelude to the presidential election of 1864, Fremont challenged Lincoln for the nomination but he soon realized the futility of this attempt to stage a come-back. Giving up on politics, Fremont turned to the railroad industry to make money but met with little success. He served briefly as territorial governor of Arizona in the 1870s before moving to New York City where he died in 1890.
From the description of C. Moody letter on John C. Fremont stationary, 1856. (California State Library). WorldCat record id: 233001987
