Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-05-23
Suppressed an Order to Her
Husband Issued by Govern
ment Authorities
HAVE SPOILED HIS CAREER
Meant to Stop His Great Work
Later Accomplished in The
Far West Because Of Fear.

st. Louis, Mo.-Seventy-one years
have elapsed since an eighteen-year
old bride in this city played a tre-
mendous part in the history of the
United States by intercepting and
Withholding important government
orders. The history of at least three
states on the Pacific Coast hinges
more or less directly upon this act of
INSTRUMENTATION, pronounced at the
time, far and wide, as high-handed,
but later justified by the exigencies
of the times. The bride was Mrs.
Jessie Benton Fremont, wife of
the explorer and statesman, and
daughter of Thomas H. Benton, for
many years a senator from Missouri.
Early in 1913 Fremont received
from the United States go eminent a
commission to undertake the second
of his noted expeditions of explora-
ton to the northwest, then a vast,
uninhabited region, the ultimate des-
tiny of which hung in the balance.
In obedience to it, he came to st.
Louis from Washington and imme-
diately set about Quitting his expe-
dition, with his young wife as his
secretary.
+ 1t is a matter of history that dur
ing the first third of the last century
there was a powerful sentiment,
both in and out of congress, against
extending the dominion of the Unit.
ed States to the Pacific Coast. Such
senators as Webster and Calhoun
were opposed to it and for the most
part were able to influence congress
to their beliefs. On the other hand,
Senator Benton, following his first
election in 1921, became a staunch
advocate of western expansion and
was able to command a large follow
ing, through whose efforts the vari
Gus expeditions of exploration were
authorized.
In Quitting his expedition, FIRE.
mont took the liberty of adding ~
pound brass howitzer, secured from
the government arsenal at st. Louis
upon the representation that he need
ed it as defense against possible
hostile Indians.
News of this acquisition, it appears,
was carried hastily to Washington,
where the announcement created
something of a sensation in govern
mental circles. The element not es.
pecially friendly to the expedition
declared that the taking of cannon
into foreign or neutral territory con-
stituted an act of hostility which
might involve the government in
grave eventualities. This view APP
pears to have been shared by the
head of the Topographic Bureau, I'M
der whose direction the explorations
were being made, for he straightway
dispatched sealed orders to Fremont
at st. Louis, directing him to halt
the expedition and report forthwith
to Washington for the purpose of
giving an explanation of his actions.
Fremont had left st. Louis for
the west in April, shortly before the
arrival of these orders. Mrs. FREE
mont. as his secretary, being in
structed to open his mail and for
ward by courier such documents as
appeared important. He was still
within easy recall, having proceeded
but a short distance into what now
constitutes Kansas upon the day of
the arrival of the important post.
The young Mrs. Fremont. who
was thoroughly inbued with the ardor
of her husband and father for west
ern expansion, thought she discern
ed in the peremptory orders a sub
terfuge to defeat the purpose of the
expedition. For her husband to pro-
coed to Washington. she we'll knew.
would require weeks and make i'm
possible any journey to the north
west during that season. Senator
Benton was absent; 1t was before the
days Of telegraph; she had no one