Jessie Benton Fremont was born in 1824, the second child of Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri; at age 17 she married army officer John C. Fremont against her father’s wishes. As Fremont explored the West, she helped edit best selling editions of her husband’s exploration reports. She was outspoken on political issues, a strong opponent of slavery and a political activist.
Following the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, the Reverend William Greenleaf Eliot, appalled by the inadequate facilities to treat the Federal wounded in St. Louis, approached Jessie Fremont with a plan to aid the sufferers. Jessie had already sent for Dorothea Dix, the superintendent of female army nurses, to inspect the city’s facilities, and together they agreed to Eliot’s plan to form the Western Sanitary Commission. The Commission performed invaluable work during the war, establishing hospitals, providing nurses, and soliciting funds and supplies for soldiers and refugees. Jessie also formed the Fremont Relief Society, which later merged with the Ladies Union Aid Society.
After the war the Jessie and John moved to California, where they had to declare bankruptcy during the Panic of 1873. Undaunted by their financial situation, Jessie began writing books to support the family.
Jessie died on December 29, 1902, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 78.
