The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-01
Bill Ar]p's Letter.

Abolitionists smothered it in its birth
The other day | had a social call from
some Northern gentlemen and as the
subject of war incidentally came up a
solid veteran happened to mention some
thing about Fremont. and said he knew
him very WELL for he was the first man
he ever voted for and that he served
under him during the war. Well said
|. do YOU know where he was born? No.
he did not-up North somewhere. mo, '
said /, "He was a Georgian-born in
Savannah educated in Charleston. His
father was Frenchman, his mother
Virginia lady. The boy was fine scholar,
but unruly and disobedient. Became
tutor in mathematics, was appointed
lieutenant of engineers and with Nicolas
Nicolet made a Typographical survey OF
Cherokee, Georgia. in 1885, the first that
ever was made"
Nv Northern friend was amazed. No,
we don't know very much until we get
too old to make our knowledge useful
Fremont was a very remarkable man.
AS an explorer he never had an equal on
this continent, not even Lewis and Clark,
nor Kearney compassed half the territory
nor endured half the periis that he did.
When his men died or deserted him he
cot more When his Indian guides re-
fused to go farther he went on without
them. He was called the Pathfinder be-
cause he found new paths He was too
restless to wait for orders, but, like
Andrew Jackson, just went ahead. He
assembled the highest peak of the Rocky
Mountains. 1t is named Fremonts peak
and is 800 feet high He quarrelcd
a1 him
arrested and sent to Washington, where
he was tried and found guilty, but Presl-
dent Polk pardoned him. Soon after TINS
numerous friends began to groom MN
as a candidate for President. He ac-
cepted on the Abolition platform ana was
beaten When our civil war came on ne
was made a brigadier general and put
in charge of the Missouri territory. que
of his first acts was to abolish slavery in
that State. This made General Grant
mad and everybody else who lived tnere
and owned slaves, so he was reported 10
Mr. Lincoln, who annulled his proclama-
ton and ordered him to Washington. he
was offered other commands, but refused
them and retired from active service.
After the war he concluded to build q
railroad from TeXarkana to Ell Paso and
got the State of Texas to give MIN
liberal grant of land along the entire route
of 500 miles. He went to Paris with this
grant and agreed to come back and issue
bonds on it and get the United States
government to indorse the bonds. He
got the money and built the road, but
failed to get the United States govern
ment to indorse the bonds. The French
bondholders never found this out until
their money was all spent. Then they
had him arrested and bound over to
court to be tried for the fraud. When
the court came on he did not appear,
but forfeited his bond. How it was fin
ally settled the record does not tell. He
was a wonderful man and never got tired
of the excitement that nourished him,
and his wife stuck all the closer to him
during his trials. She was a wonderful
woman, and was beloved and admired by
all who knew her. Chauncey Depew said
he knew of one school where twenty
seven girls were named for her.
On the whole l am obliged to admire
Fremont's character and he was Geor-
gian. BILL ARP.