Letters of Jessie Benton Fremont

This carefully edited collection of 271 letters offers insights into the heart and mind of Jessie Benton Fremont (1824-1902), a spirited and talented woman forced by society to channel her own ambitions into her husband's career. The daughter of Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton, she eloped at age 17 to marry famed explorer John Fremont. In the ensuing years she lent her extraordinary charm, intellect and abilities to advancing his efforts as an explorer, politician, Civil War general and financial speculator. She also helped write his memoirs and defended him from critics. In accompanying essays, Herr ( Jesse Benton Fremont: A Biography ) and Spence ( The Explorations of John Charles Fremont ) illuminate Fremont's eloquent and touching letters, in which she lays out her fierce abolitionist stance, her love for her difficult and unreliable husband, and her decision to write a book ( A Year of American Travel , 1878 ) in order to support her children when his fortunes declined. This is an outstanding contribution to women's studies. Photos not seen by PW. (Feb.)