Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1855-1861, 1856-08-30
IFremont,s Nnme Is Pryor.

Pryor, as that was the name Of his moth
er The contest among localities, for the
honor Of his nativity, is growing fierce
The Washington Organ has the following
on this subject;
! avn RE WAS Fremont BoRN "A
Vermont correspondent Of the New York
Express states that John c. Fremont was
born in Lower Canada. Ii so, he is OF
course, ineligible to the Presidency.
"fromonts biogrnphes do not agree
as to his birthplace. by one It is stated
to be Savannah, by another Charleston, By
another Virginia, One Of these writers
informs us that Fremont's father led a
wandering Life among the aborgines OF
the South But the Vernon, csrrcspoa
dent Of the Express states that his wan.
derings were in the French settlements OF
Lower Canada This is probable, as the
/ elder Fremont was Frenchman and a
fiddler, and more likely to find support
among Frenchmeu than among the Greeks
or Cherokees
"1'his doubt as to the birth place of
Fremont must seriously impair his
strength. If he cannot prove that he was
born in the United States, thousands and
hundred, of thousands will refuse to vote
for him, who might otherwise have been
inclined to do SO.
" 1t is worthy Of remark that John c,
Fremont is the first candidate for the
Presidency concerning whose origin and
religious faith the least doubt existed lie
was nominated apparently in pursuance Of
the old Roman maxim: omRe igHoicm, pro
nlirifco--"al that is obscure is regarded
as wonderful"
More recently the Organ gives us the
following additional items
Mr. Bigclow, of the New York Evening
Post, has written life of Fremont, which
is full Of fabulous statements, Mr. Bige.
low, among other fabrications, states that
Mrs Pryor. the mother Of Fremont, be-
ing i'll treated by her husband, Mr. Pry-
or, obtained a divorce from the Virginia
Legislature.
The Richmond Despatch on the other
hand, states that the Legislature of Nir.
ginia never sanctioned the separation Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Pryor, by passing an act of
divorce We have examined the acts of
Assembly, from lsl0 to 1917 (Fremont
was boru, according to his biographer, 2 LIST
January, 1913, and in all that time there
were but two divorces granted, neither of
which was Mr.. and Mrs. Pryor
1t appears therefore, that Mrs. Pryor
was never divorced from Mr.. Pryor. This
being the case, We may well inquire if she
WIS ever married to Mr.. Fremont If
she was, where is the proof of it When
was she married to him. BY whom was
she marriedy And if married without
having obtained divorce from Pryor, was
the second marriage legal I
viii Mr.. Bigelow of the Evening Post
favor the public with reply to these
questionsy
And with a view to cast further light
upon the mysterious origin of Fremont
an old resident Of the city of Richmond,
publishes in the Wing of that city, the
following:
RICHMOND, 18th Aug, 1856.
Sr:--The political position of Colonel
Fremont, and the "Memoir of the Life
and Adventures of John Charles Fremont,
by John Bgelow," make it my painful,
but boundcn duty, to publish the follow
ing statement:
John Pryor, a Captain of artillery in
the continental army, owned and kept
livery stable and public garden in this
city, called Hay Market. Maj. Pryor, in
his old age, married Miss Ann Whiting,
Of Gloucester county About the year
1907, W. $. aud W, F. p, pupils, and
Francis Fremont, q teacher in Hallcr's
Academy, boarded with Maj. Pryor. Pry,
or discovered that his wife was "enciente,' y
and charged her with infdelity. She
eloped with Fremont, and was not heard
of for many years. Pryor died in the
year 1928.
His will, recorded in the Office Of the
Hastings Court, commences thus: 81 John
Pryor, of the city Of Richmond, do make
and ordain this writing as, and for my
last will and testament, hereby expressly
rcvoking all other wills and testamcnts
heretofore made by me.-Whcrcas, under
a well founded impression and confident
belief that my late wife, Ann Pryor, had
departed this life, have intermarried
with Elizabeth Graves, who alone is re.
cognised by me as my wife, none other
having any just claim upon me, or my es-
tate, in that character, do will and dl.
rect as follows" lpresent this statement
without comment. II. r.
To hc Editor ofhe Wing.
If this Black Republican Candidate for
the Presidency is the boy with which this
Pryor was enciente when she took French
leave Of Richmond, and Of old John Pry-
or, the said candidate is going uudor
mimomer. According to the laws of go
cieiy, aud the usages Of every Christian
country, his name is not Fremont, but
PRYOR.