The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-28

father, who always praised her after
ward when she was brave, and man
aged to have her rewarded at he time
by a. play in the nursery with the chill
dren of the Presidents niece, who lived
with him.
Mrs. Fremont made her social debut
at the White House at the age OF lh1r-
teen, when President Van Buren, gave
a. dinner for his son, and at fourteen
she attended a great state dinner given
by the President in honor of the Rus
sian minister, Bodisco the Splendid,
and his sixteen-ye ar-old bride. This
remarkable marriage of May and De-
cember (the bridegroom was siXty-hVe)
was the most gorgeous ceremony
Washington had ever seen. The bridal
party was composed of the most beau
tiful of the youthful girl friends of the
bride and men of about the age of the
groom. Jessie Benton, then fourteen,
was one of the bridesmaids, with Mr..
Buchanan, afterward President, as her
groomsman. The other groomsmen
were distinguished men in official life,
and the bride was given away by
Henry Clay.
In this way began a brilliant social
career which brought her in contact
with such women of the past as Mrs.
Alexander Hamilton and Mrs. Dolly
Madison, and all the prominent people
of her fathers day and generation.
Though Mrs. Fremont did not ac-
company her husband on any of his
exploring expeditions across the CONT
nent, she made the most important OF
them possible, and it happened in this
way: The government had given him
= fe EY-ct oY.of "a nd
equipped him for an expedition to the
Pacific coast, but there was much
jealousy and opposition in Washing
ton, and while Fremont was on the
frontier preparing to start an order
was sent to st. Louis recalling him to
the national capital Mrs. Fremont re-
ceived and read this order, but she had
no intention of allowing her husbands
expedition to be ruined, so instead of
forwarding it to him, she sent instead,
by the swiftest messenger she could
find, letter telling him to start west
without moments delay and not ask
why. He obeyed her instructions to
the letter The returning messenger
brought her the assurance that he had
seen her husband and the party off.
She then wrote the official in WASH
ington that she had neither forwarded
his order nor informed Fremont of it.
and that the expedition was well under
way.
To defy official orders was q. good
deal of responsibility for an 1S-year-
old girl, but she had inherited her
fathers courageous spirit, and did NOT
hesitate to act for what she thousht
were the best interests of her husband
and the country. Her father. when
later he Joined her in st. Louis and
she told him what she had done. an
proved her act. and every American
owes her debt of gratitude for per
uniting nothing to interfere with plans
when eventually not only explored
put developed the Pacific coast and led
10 the conquest OF California.
MRS. Fremont's influence was instru.
mental In bringing California INTO Inc
Union az free state. Her husband
was opposed 10 slavery. and her neo-
Pc though Virginians and large land.
"a proprietors. with hundreds OF ne
sEoss on their estates. were not slave
nglnefh having given freedom 10 their
people ~ the hope Of putting slavery "a
~ fhQ. We did not own o,,r ne.
stVth' theY owned US" recently sstd
-. Fremont who recalls many ~
H'hl WIN great affection. ana emties
ne remembrance ~ the prourieto,,,
e thfY assumed toward ths faof
"fs th'f ~ faithfully served
~ 4ft Fremont decided 10 tofn
49, NYspani iu california in "a she
l,'aes thf ilnlruN Journey - wsv I'll
e'eiaa sailing ffom Raw York TIE
~ ~ one ~ hardship ana eFtfsn,e
.fNh beginning 81 ma 49,.
49, 2 sstsbstit2 glsfgftuHs 0yeltook