Frémont, John C.

21 Jan. 1813–13 July 1890. Instructor, explorer, military officer, politician. Born in Savannah, Chatham Co., Georgia. Son of Jean Charles Frémon and Anne Beverley Whiting Pryor. Moved to Charleston, Charleston Co., South Carolina, ca. 1818. Attended Charleston College, 1829–1831. Instructor of mathematics for U.S. Navy, 1833–1835. Commissioned as second lieutenant in U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, 1838. Explored territory between Missouri River and northern boundary of U.S. as civil engineer assistant, 1838–1839. Married Jessee Ann Benton, 19 Oct. 1841, in Washington DC. Headed expedition to Rocky Mountains, 1842. Headed expedition to Oregon territory and Upper California, 1843–1844. Major of battalion of U.S. Mounted Rifles who went to California, 1845–1846. Appointed lieutenant colonel of U.S. Mounted Rifles, 1846; provided military force for Bear Flag Revolt, June–July 1846. Appointed by U.S. Navy commodore to act as governor of California, 16 Jan. 1847. Court martialed and convicted for mutiny and disobeying orders; resigned, Mar. 1848. Headed expeditions to map route for a transcontinental railroad, 1848–1849, 1853–1854. Settled in California, 1849. Served as U.S. senator from California, 9 Sept. 1850–3 Mar. 1851. Moved to New York City, spring 1855. Ran as first Republican candidate for U.S. president, 1856. Returned to California, 1858. Resided in Mariposa Co., California, 1860. Served as major general in U.S. Army in command of western military district, May–Dec. 1861. Nominated as presidential candidate in 1864 but withdrew from race. Moved to Mount Pleasant, Westchester Co., New York, by 1870. Governor of Arizona Territory, 1878–1881. Resident of Prescott, Yavapai Co., Arizona Territory, 1880. Died in New York City.