Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-10-14
..IssrIe.n

Inc JEFFERSON Olig correspondent VI Nho
Cincinnati Gazsttr thus photographs Jessie
Benton Fremont, one Of the greatest women
Of America:
There Is one individual, however, In this
camp whom neither rain, nor mud, nor cold,
nor heat, can suppress, and that IS the ire
pressible JESSIE" The other morning
Waded ont 10 Camp Lille, in this ill-iavor-
ed state Of the weather. without expecting
any news, but by way Of escaping the dreary
mOnotony Of the town. Il was such day
as Arabella Sophia would have chosen 10 re-
cline dreamily upon the lounge before the /
cheerful FIRE, and pour over the dagger and |
pistol illustrated pages Of the "most thrilling |
novel of the age;" or as Flora Augusta
would have thought it terrible to 20 out in,
and certain 70 give her her death Of cold.
But Jessie Benton Fremont is not made of |
such stuff. In fact ''Old Bullion" didn't al
low such tender plants 10 grow up in his
house. he believed In women having con-
stitutions, and he made her practical illus
tratrion OF his doctrine.
II had been looking for her, ! should
have gone TO her quarters some distance up
on the hill expecting to find her comiorta-
bly, housed for the day. But as l stopped
before FIRE in front of the Generals tent
who should see but the inevitable Jessie
inside, seated at a table opposite her husband
and in earnest consultation over the affairs
of the "Western Department. while by her
side sat her daughter, Miss Lille F, patient
and attentive listener.
After little, the business in hand having
been disposed OF, they both came out, and
while the latter went into an adjoining tent
to warm herself by little army stove, the
former came up to our FIRE, and entered into
conversation with the company as freely and
iamiliarly as if she knew every one of US
Pretty soon she espied Frank Leslie's artist
sitting ON a stump a little way up, with pa
per and pencil in hand, taking q sketch Of
the camp. Forthwith she posted up there
and instituted an examination into his work.
and gossipped with him ss she peered over
his shoulders until another shower drove her
into the tent where Miss F. had taken refuge,
and where she invited us and proceeded to
, expatiate upon anything and everything her
. visitors had mind to talk about, winding
up with sending for some refreshments, in
cluding bottle of Missouri Catawba box
of which somebody had kindly presented to
: her.
) TITS incidental interview gave me an op.
pOrtunity of forming a more reliable and de-
fnate impression concerning her, which, al
the risk of being thought little Jenkinsish,
l shall endeavor 10 convey to the readers Of
the Gazette, to many of whom "Jessie" wa:
an object of special interest during the cam,
paign Of Sc, and in the changing fortunes o
p the day may turn out to be again. As I re-
J marked in my last she strikes one as rather
k-,Na 81 -
: impression is very soon and entirely dissipatei
: in conversation with her, There is not &
e classical feature about her, and yet her fact
e becomes interesting from the gentle, beneyo
g lent, and pleasing expression which it as
b sumes in conversation. WheC lighted up, i
g is full of sprightliness, vivacity, and intelli
gence. Her manner is soft, persuasive, anC
II insinuating, and her voice uncommonly Inu
b sicaL. But her chief outward attraction i
: her eyes, and she knows how to use them, al
e most women do. / said in my last though
i they were grey, but in this was mistaken
i They are brown. Eyes 50 expressive of every
y emotion are rarely met with. They lend
s warmth and fervor to, and adorn and illus
: trate whatever she says. Indeed the play 0
her eyes and features, the glow of her rudy
) complexion, and the melody Of her voice, givt
the same effect to her conversation that iva
riations" do to piece of music; and all thi
despite her being 'plain' looking woman
when her countenance is in repose. She hR
= "a eat tact and self-possession is ready, fluent
and unembarrassed in speech, and, withou
: the least sacrifice Of dignity, is perfectly frer
! from any sort of conventionality The ex
: tent of her knowledge upon political snC
: governmental affairs entities her to be con
sdered StdteSWomGn of no ordinary calibre
She would make pretty formidable antago
0 mist in a political discussion, and as q tenan
:. of the White House, could dispense politic
: aud hospitalities, and preside at State din
ners, to better advantage, imagine, than an!
{, lady who has figured therein during our day
She enters very freely, earnestly, and unre
servedly into an explanation Of and vindica
: ton of her husband against the numerou
= charges and allegations of which he is tn
subject. She is Virginian by birth, and ha
: the Southern brogue if may so express il
= in greater perfection, and renders it NOR
Il pleasingly, than have ever observed in an,
one before. She is probably about 40 year
of age, and her years sit very lightly upol
Il her, at least with her bonnet on, which ma,
le not be without its effect if my previOrs un
al gallant supposition was correct, that her hal
. is slightly silvered by the hand of time As
am not positively certain on this delicat
9 question, however, would prefer to have tn
/ reader give her the benefit of the doubt.
Miss Lille F., whom a strict regard 70
~ truth again makes me amenable to the charg
!, of ungallantry in stating that she is ninetee
r instead of seventeen may be described a
rather p. lie, of light complexion, "blue gray
o. eyes, and fair hair, and, in ordinary parlancC
70 as a ''very sweet CIR" but exhibiting, a
least to casual observers, none of those marke
and original traits and fascinations of min
and manner that characterize her mother.