Jessie Ann Benton Frémont was born May 31, 1824 in Rockbridge County, Virginia to Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton and his wife, Elizabeth Preston McDowell. Jessie was raised in Washington, D.C., more in the manner of a 19th century son than daughter, with her father, who was renowned as the "Great Expansionist," seeing to her early education and introducing her to the leading politicians of the day, an unusual thing for the period. He shared with her the many books and maps in the valise that always accompanied him on their trips to and from Missouri and Virginia. She began, too, to share his dream of a nation stretching from ocean to ocean. In this manner, she became well educated in the ways of social structure and the disciplines of politics, history, literature, and languages. After attaining fluency in French and Spanish, Jessie helped in the translation of government documents.

In 1840 at the age of 16, while studying and living at Georgetown Seminary, Jessie met Lieutenant John C. Frémont who was in Washington preparing a report on explorations he had made between the Missouri River and the northern frontier of the United States. They became engaged, but her parents objected to a marriage at that time because of her age. Probably through the influence of Col. Benton, Frémont then received an order from the War Department to make an examination of the Des Moines River on the western frontier. Shortly after their return they eloped in marriage on October 19, 1841.

At the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, Jessie’s husband, John C. Frémont, was given command of the Department of the West by President Abraham Lincoln. Frémont had successes during his brief tenure there, though he ran his department autocratically and made hasty decisions without consulting President Lincoln or Army headquarters. Although John was born in Georgia, he opposed slavery. He issued an unauthorized emancipation edict declaring martial law and freeing all of the slaves in Missouri, and was relieved of his command for insubordination by Lincoln.

Biography above courtesy of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessie_Benton_Fr%C3%A9mont

Jessie Benton Frémont was quite the interesting and controversial historical figure. By involving herself in her husband’s political career, she pursued her own political ambitions, shocking some, impressing others, but ultimately creating a reputation as a stateswoman. However, it was not until her husband’s 1856 Republican presidential campaign that Jessie came into her own. Founded in 1854 on an anti-slavery platform, the Republican Party grew quickly, gaining enough support by 1856 that its members felt confident enough to put up a candidate in the presidential election. Despite Jessie’s father being a Democrat, John Frémont accepted the Republican Party’s offer to be its presidential candidate. Jessie’s involvement in her husband’s campaign demonstrated her abilities as a stateswoman and led supporters to call for her placement in the White House. 

Jessie’s career in politics continued after her husband’s defeat in the presidential election by Democrat James Buchanan. When John Frémont became head of the Western Department at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the Frémonts moved into the headquarters of the Western Department in St. Louis. As inhabitants of a slave state that stayed in the Union, Missourians’ loyalties were split. Plagued by guerilla warfare, open recruitment by the Confederates, mismanagement, and limited supplies and troops, Frémont got to work pushing the rebels back while Jessie ran headquarters and tried to get Frémont the supplies he needed.

After the controversial and unauthorized emancipation edict set forth by her husband, Abraham Lincoln asked John Frémont to change the paragraph in the proclamation related to emancipation. When Frémont refused, he sent Jessie to Washington to defend his case in front of the president. It was here that Jessie’s abilities as a stateswoman shined. Even President Lincoln commented that she was “quite a female politician.” Newspapers described her as “envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary.” However, Frémont was still relieved from duty.

For the rest of the Civil War, Jessie’s involvement in politics took on a different form. She attempted to salvage her husband’s reputation by publishing The Story of the Guard. The book described the exploits of Frémont’s personal bodyguard who served him during his command of the Western Department. The book allowed Frémont to tell his version of his days as commander of the Western Department.

Furthermore, Jessie became increasingly involved in the Sanitary Commission. Jessie took a particularly active role in the organization of the Sanitary Commission’s Fair in 1864. Despite opposing political views, Jessie worked alongside Mary Ellen McClellan, wife of the general and Democratic presidential candidate, on the Arms and Trophies committee. Jessie also headed a committee to collect and publish the memoirs of sanitary commission workers.

Throughout Jessie’s life, she remained in contact with influential abolitionists, women’s rights advocates, and influential politicians. Jessie spent the rest of her life traveling with her husband and writing about her experiences. She passed away in 1902 at her home in Los Angeles, California.

Biography above courtesy of: https://civilwar.vt.edu/jessie-benton-fremont-the-civil-war-stateswoman/