Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-08-23
EIajor-C General John @. Fremont,

The Sprinfield (Tll.) Journal has the fol-
lowing review of the life of Gen Fremont:
Major General John G. Fremont, who has
been placed in command of the Department
OF the West, is man in every way qualified
for the discharge Of the duties Of his respon-
sible office. He is just such a person as
Western men will idolize and follow through
every danger to death or victory. He is up
right, brave. generous, cnterprising, learned,
and eminently practical. He is dsshing
soldier, and yet withal cool and prudent
commander; and before he has been
month at the head of his Division, both
officers and men will learn to place implicit
confidence in him, and will promptly execute
his orders, animated with the belief that they
will lead to the best result. General FIRE.
mont has had much military experience, and
has led just such men as now compose his
comnand--brave, hardy. Western volunteers.
He is self-made man, but we have not time
or space now to allude to the difficulties
through which he struggled up from proverty
and obscurity to wealth and worldwide
fame. From a poor unnoticed boy in Charles
ton, S. c., he has worked his way to his
present position, unaided, save by his own
genius, patient diligence, and indomitable
energy. Passing over his early struggles to
acquire an education, we find him at the
age Of nineteen years combating with great
power the fatal heresy of secession, when it
was first preached in South Carolina. At
the age of twenty, through his struggles for
the cause of the Union, he had a political
character at Washington, and the then Secre-
tary Of the Navy, Mr.. Poinsett, appointed
him as teacher of mathematics on the sloop-
ofwar Natchez. He remained on that vessel
nearly three years. After his return, he was
appointed by Gen. Jackson as an assistant to
Capt. G. W. Williams afterwards killed at
the battle of Monterrey to make prelimi-
nary survey for railway line from Charles
ton to Cincinnati. He left this work cnly
when it suspended in 1887 He next Joined
the exploring expedition of M. Ncoictt, to
explore the Minnesota country, between the
Mississippi and Missouri rivers. While on
this expedition he received a commission as
second lieutenant in the Typographical En-
gineers. Hewas next employed more than
year in the Coast Survey Office. 1t was
while thus engaged that he became acquain.
ted with the since famous Jessie" daugh-
ter Of Col. Thomas Ii. Benton, to whom he
was afterwards married, in defiance of the
wishes of her parents. Colonel Benton and
his wife soon became reconciled, and he of.
ten confessed that his daughter was better
judge ofmen than he was. just prior to his
marriage he made by the order of the Gov
ernment, an exploration Of Des Moincs river
IN Iowa. But we cannot follow him step by
step in his career of usefulness. AT the age
OF twenty-eight years we find him ready to
enter upon career that has astonished whilst
it challenged the admiration of the civilized
world-ready to grapple with the geography,
topography, geology and botany of the major
half OF the continent--ready to penetrate the
darkest recesscs of the western wilderness
to encounter its wild beasts, savages, and
miasmas; to stem the widest currents and
wade It's deepest SHOWS; to descend INTO the
deepest CULTS and ravncs, and to scale it's
highest mountains; to bring to the view of
statesmen principalities of which they were
before ignorant; to conquer and subdue by
the power OF arms an Eldorado in the West
10 become Governor and Senator, and to
grappie with the slave power and rescue
from It's grasp sovereign State. We see
MN endowed with compass of intellect, a
iortltude, courage and inflexibility of purpose
that lifted him far above ordinary men. He
pursued science along every path of danger,
and whether struggling with Indian foes,
with swollen streams, with driving storms,
with steep and almost scaleless mountains,
with deep SHOWS, with hunger and disease,
ne everywhere gave exhibition of dashing
bravery, lofty courage and dauntless energy.
In 1S46 we find him in the valley of the
Sacramento and California. He found there
going on three great operations fatal to the
American interest, If not at once arrested. =
These were the massacres of Americans and
the destruction of their settlements the sub
Jugatlon OF California to British protection
and the transfer of public domain to British
subjects. And all with a view to anticipate
the events Of Mexican war, and to shelter
California from the arms Of the United States.
The settlers laid their dangers before Mr.
Fremont, and implorcd him to place himself
at their head and save them from destruc
ton. AT this time war had been declared
against Mexico, bat the news had not reached
California. Col. Fremont felt the RESPONSE
bility of his position, but he determined to
put himselfa at the head of the people and trv
and save the country. He did so, and the
American settlers rushed to his camp. bring
ing with them their horses, arms. ammuni.
ton, etc, and obeyed with zeal and alacrity
e,AS V'oSAo shCy AeCciVeu. AS an evidence
that he possesses skill, courage, and all the
other requisites Of great commander, stands
the fact that in thirty days from the time he
took the command California was freed from
Mexican authority, independence proclaimed,
the flag OF independence raised, the enemy
flying from the country, the American set
tiers saved from destruction, and the British
party in California counteracted and broken
up in all their schemes. He had done all
this without the authority of his government.
and Gen. Kearney, who had been sent out
to conquer California, found the work already
performed by The gallant Fremont He was
tried by court martial and convicted, but
the President rcmitted the penalty and re-
quested him to receive his sword. This Frc
mont, refused to do. He resigned his COM
mission as Lieutenant Colonel in the army.
and returned to California. The people were
attached to him, and soon, through their
legislature elected him to represent them in
the United States Senate.
Mr.. Fremont is devoted to the Union. He
was in Europe when the present war broke
out, and he resolved to return Immediately
and offer his services to the government in
any capacity that it might desire them. He
has been made Major General, and has
been placed in command of the Department