Jessie Benton Fremont

Jessie Benton Frémont , 1824-1902, American author, b. Lexington, Va.; daughter of Thomas H. Benton and wife of John Charles Frémont. Her elopement with the dashing Frémont caused a temporary break with her father. She was very helpful to her husband, aiding him in writing his able reports and encouraging his exploits. When their fortune was lost, she helped to support the household by her writing, turning out chiefly books recounting her own experiences— A Year of American Travel (1878), Souvenirs of My Time (1887), Far West Sketches (1890), and The Will and the Way Stories (1891). She also helped her husband write his memoirs.

Bibliography: See biography by P. Herr (1988).

Stone, Irving (1903–89),California author of widely popular fictionized biographies that include Lust for Life (1934), on van Gogh; Sailor on Horseback (1938), on Jack London; Immortal Wife (1944), on Jessie Benton Frémont; Adversary in the House (1947), on Debs; The President's Lady (1951), on Rachel Jackson; Love Is Eternal (1954), on Mary Todd Lincoln; The Agony and the Ecstasy (1961), on Michelangelo; Passions of the Mind (1971), on Freud; The Greek Treasure (1975), on Schliemann; The Origin (1980), on Darwin; and Depths of Glory (1985), on Pissarro.