Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-01-02
"reminiscences Of Mrs. Jessie Benton
FremOnt.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS W NI8s JCSSsS oS"sSN
Fremont.
A resident Of Los Angeles. residing
in the same neighborhood of the late
Mrs. Fremont. but who has been temp
orarily in Rocky Ford. furnishes the fol-
lowing:l
The death Of Mrs. Jessie Benton Free
mont in Los Angeles on Saturday night
closes an eventful life that has beer
prominent for more than six decades. a
favorite in Washington society. when IL
years old. she married Lieutenant Johr
Charles Fremont without the consent o.
her father. Thomas n. Benton. "Ole
Bullion" for short. Fremont became
known as the Pathfinder on account o.
surveying trip across the Rocky Mount,
aims. but o. P. Wiggins. oae Of the earl,
scouts with Kit Carson. but now Unitee
States marshal in the Denver postoffice
where he is a holy terror 70 that class o'
our useless fellow citizens known al
"mashers." declares that Fremont was q
path-loser; and that. upon one occasion
going contrary TO the advice OF Kit Car
son. he became involved when all his ef-
forts were hopeless. and il was only b,
the greatest difficulty that Carson saved
the lives Of Fremont and his entire party
However. be that as 1t may. Il was the
reports OF Fremont that sent the Lattei
Day Saints TO the Grea, Salt Lake.
The friction between the Saints and
Gentiles had become SO great that a,
early as in l842 Joseph Smith and hi.
rA-unrkaVs dartAaA 30 ~aak MaHtr.n ~ Ia
ritory and build up kingdom Of theil
own. Two years later Smith was assas-
sinated by Sucker yigilant committee
which SO demoralized the Mormons thai
three years more elapsed before the,
were able to emigrate. While. in a gen
erai way. they determined to seek Mex
lean territory at some point wher'
they would not be molested. Brigham
Young told Fremont that il was reading
tho Fremont report that decided them OF
the Great Salt Lake valley. This is giver
on tho personal authority Of Mrs. Fre'
mont and her daughter. There is an in.
teresting history connected with that in
volving tho revelation concerning plura
wives received in ie45. the year thai
the Millerites expected the world to b,
destroyed by fire.
To Fremont is due the credit Of first
raising tho American flag in California al
Sonora five days before Il was raised b,
Commodore Stockton at Monterey. ane
seven days before |; was raised In Sar
Francisco. There Is also an interesting
history leading up TO that event which
appears to be unknown. but too long u
DO given here.
At ono time Fremont owned tho Mari.
posa mine. supposed To be riches, goid
mine in tho world. but not having tho fac
ul,y Of Russell Sage or He,,y Green o
hanging on to his wealth. Il foil into III,
hands OF Senator Jones Of Nevada. bu'
who lives in Santa Monica. Calf.
At tho dorth Of General Fremont 4
dozen years ago practically no assets
were loft At length Congress granted
tho widow pension Of $4,000 year
Tho ladies' Of tho G. A. r: raised fund
sufficient TO purchase a nca, cottage ir
tho southwestern portion OF Los Angeles
where. with house girl and daughter
who devoted her life to tho care Of tn,
mother. her days passed quietly. BY firei
and other misfortunes all family relic,
had boon lost, except small painting o
Mr.. Benton by Philip Barton Key. which
alone was rescued from burning build.
ing. Mrs. Fremon, was received with
honors by Queen Victoria, and Franc,
was not backward. Sho was also AT
authoress and hor writings were Of un.
usual merit.
During tho Fremont campaign for tht
presidency Jessie" was his equal in pop.
ularity. and few years later. at 70.
eeption. twenty eight young ladies wcr,
on the stage who had bcon named in heI
honor. Brough, up in Washington. where
official and the weslthiest society wa.
eager for her presence. she loved III,
city with all her intense southern nature
but as the wife Of the defeated Repub.
lican candidate for the presidency. sh,
could not and did not go back to the cole
greetings Of her southern friends. Dur.
ing the later years Of life her health con.
fined her to the seelusion OF her home
but her mind was bright and she main.
tanned an interest and knowledge Of wha
was going on in the world until the las
summons came. A. j.