342 WORKMEN AND HEROES rising; the peril of the expedition was its charm to Fremont. "St. Louis was then on the border of an immense and almost unexplored Indian country. The caravans of merchandise going through it to Santa Fe ran all the risks you can read of among Bedouins in the desert ; the hunters and trappers, as well as the merchants, started off into the unknown with only one certainty, that danger was there ; and when they came back if they ever did it was as from under- world." * About this time a distinguished French geographer, M. Nicollet, was sent to this country by France to explore the sources of the Mississippi, ' in the inter- ests of geography." The United States were also interested in the geography of the almost unknown Northwest. M. Nicollet was appointed to make explora- tions for the United States, and Fremont was honored with the position of prin- cipal assistant. It was high time that something should be done in the interests of a geography made up largely from travellers' tales. That there was a great river, the Buena Ventura, running from the base of the Rocky Mountains to the Bay of San Francisco, nobody doubted, for there it was upon the map. The exploration of M. Nicollet, assisted by Fremont, awakened great interest. They were absent two years ; their field, the territory between the Missouri and the upper rivers, as far north as the British line. Their report was awaited with im- patience. Fremont came home to find that he had been appointed second lieu- tenant of the United States Topographical Engineers. As a scientific explorer his fame was established. The year following his return he spent in Washington with M. Nicollet, preparing his report for publication. Among those most deeply interested was Senator Benton, of Missouri, "Tom Benton," as he was popularly called, and "Old Bullion." Benton's hobby was the opening of a road for immigrants to the Pacific coast, as a necessary step to the acquisition of the territory held by Mexico the California of to-day. Senator Benton's interest in the report of the young engineer, then about twenty-seven years of age, was sur- passed by the young engineer's interest in the senator's daughter, Jessie, then only fifteen, an interest which ended in a betrothal contrary to the wishes of older heads, owing to Miss Benton's youth and young Fremont's connection with the army. The young engineer received an unexpected and unwelcome order, send- ing him to the wild frontier of Iowa at once, where the Sacs and Foxes, it was thought by Senator Benton (who had a hand in his exile), might be made to help postpone the marriage, at least. But banishment and red-skins were of no avail in breaking the engagement. Fremont performed his duty to the letter, returned to Washington, and mar- ried Miss Benton, October 19, 1841 a " runaway match " which happily brought life-long happiness to both parties Mrs. Fre'mont becoming the connecting link, to use her own words, between her father's " fixed idea of the importance of the speedy acquisition of the Pacific coast, and its actualization through the man best fitted to be the pioneer of the undertaking." Less than a year after his marriage, in the summer of 1 842, Fremont was sent
- Souvenirs of my Time. Jessie Benton Fremont.
