GENERAL JOHN C. FREMONT

Known as “The Great Fremont proved to be far greater before the Civil War than during the conflict. Before the war, he led several expeditions west to explore and survey the regions for further expansion.  July, 1838, he was appointed a second lieutenant in Corps of Topographical Engineers and led 4 major expeditions west.    

During the Mexican-American War, he led the California Battalion in the capture of Santa Barbara, Presidio, and part of Los Angeles.  He also signed the Treaty of Cahuenga, which ended the war in most of California.   After the war, Frémont received the military governorship of California, but when he refused to give up the seat, was court-martialed and resigned from the military on March 15, 1848.  
  
He was a senator from California, 1850 to 1851, and ran unsuccessfully for president of the United States in 1856. 

On May 15, 1861, President Lincoln appointed Fremont a major general in command of the Department of the West. He tried at first to officially bring Missouri into the Union, but instead brought about the end of his appointment when Lincoln feared that his actions would actually push Missouri to join the Confederacy.