Scope and Content Note
The papers of John Charles Frémont (1813-1890) and Jessie Benton Frémont (1824-1902) span the years 1828-1980 with the bulk of the material dating from 1835 to 1890. The collection includes correspondence, presidential campaign material from 1856, Civil War items, writings, prints, photographs, printed matter, and books. Throughout the collection are typed transcripts of letters, lists of items, and occasional typed descriptions of items. These were not created by the Library of Congress but came with the collection and have been retained as supplemental information.
The Civil War file contains no items written by John Charles Frémont. Some letters are addressed to Frémont as commander in charge of the Western Department and the Mountain Department. Other items are related to his command during the war or are addressed to Major George E. Waring who took over his command in Missouri. Before and after the war, Waring was a prominent sanitary engineer and civic reformer, leading projects such as the engineering of the drainage system for New York's Central Park.
The correspondence consists mainly of letters sent by Jessie Benton Frémont and John Charles Frémont. All but five letters are written by the Frémonts. The Jessie Benton Frémont correspondence includes many letters to Robert Underwood Johnson and Edward William Bok. A lengthy run of letters to T. W. (Trenor William) Park in the John Charles Frémont correspondence primarily concerns the Frémont's California property. Other notable correspondents include Henry Ward Beecher and Joel Roberts Poinsett.
The presidential campaign of 1856 material includes pamphlets supporting and opposing Frémont, songbooks, and graphic material. The printed matter contains both items written by the Frémonts and items written about them. The book collection, part of the printed matter file, includes items authored by the Frémonts. The books remain unorganized in four record center cartons. A list of contents is in each box. Other items in the collection include engravings, prints, photographs, legal papers, printed matter, and a dispatch box.