Pathfinder and the President

John Bicknell

ISBN 10: 0811776654 / ISBN 13: 9780811776653

Published by Stackpole Books, 2025

About this Item

In 1856 the fledgling Republican party nominated as its first candidate for president John C. Frémont, the dashing explorer of the American West known as the Pathfinder and a radical opponent of slavery. He lost, but when the Civil War broke out, Lincoln tapped him for high command, setting the two on a collision course over how to deal with slavery during the conflict. The Pathfinder and the President explores their volatile relationship in all its political and military dimensions as well as its effects on the Civil War and the battle for emancipation.Lincoln had not supported Frémont?s nomination in 1856, favoring a more moderate Republican, but when the war came, the president recognized his importance ? his morale-boosting value as a national celebrity and his political value as an ally of Radical Republicans ? and gave Frémont command of the Department of the West, with the task of defending the vital border state of Missouri. There Frémont lived extravagantly, commanded like a tyrant, oversaw a fraud scandal, feuded with the state?s political leaders, and struggled with seesawing guerrilla warfare. Desperate to break the stalemate, Frémont in August 1861 proclaimed the emancipation of all rebel slaves. Lincoln reacted swiftly, fearing that such a move would drive Missouri and other border states to secede, and revoked the order, firing the recalcitrant Frémont shortly thereafter, at some political cost amongst Radical Republicans, who launched an investigation while continuing to lobby for Frémont and swift emancipation. Within four months, the Pathfinder was back, this time to command in the Appalachians, where he proved no match for Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. He never commanded again. Lincoln soon issued the Emancipation Proclamation, his thinking on the subject having been shaped by the Frémont affair. In the 1864 election, Frémont ran on the anti-Lincoln Radical Democracy Party, withdrawing before the election in a compromise that also removed a hated rival from Lincoln?s cabinet, ending his involvement in the Civil War.Frémont had lost two commands, every battle in which he fought, a presidential campaign, a good portion of his personal fortune, and much of his reputation, yet Lincoln still compared him to Moses and praised him as a pioneer?a pathfinder?for emancipation. Frémont?s is an important?and never dull?story, and in telling it, John Bicknell gives us a better understanding of not only Frémont, but also Lincoln, emancipation, and the Civil War.

Seller Inventory # 00104208936

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Pathfinder and the President
• Publisher: Stackpole Books
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0811776654
• ISBN 13: 9780811776653
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Two towering figures of American history collide in this riveting account of how the struggle between Lincoln and his defiant general John C. Frémont shaped the Civil War and emancipation.

"... a masterwork of history. . .Bicknell deftly interweaves Frémont's story with the grander narrative of the war and Abraham Lincoln's presidency." -Jon D. Schaff, author of Abraham Lincoln's Statesmanship and the Limits of Liberal Democracy.

In 1856, John C. Frémont—the famed "Pathfinder" of the American West—became the Republican Party's first presidential nominee on an anti-slavery platform. Five years later, now a Union general under President Lincoln, he sparked a national crisis by unilaterally declaring emancipation in Missouri. Drawing from extensive research, author John Bicknell masterfully chronicles the volatile relationship between these two leaders as they grappled with slavery, military strategy, and the future of the nation.

• Reveals how Frémont's radical actions in Missouri influenced Lincoln's own path to the Emancipation Proclamation
• Explores the complex political and military dimensions of Civil War leadership
• Illuminates the crucial role of border states in shaping Union strategy
• Provides fresh insights into the personal dynamics that affected wartime decision-making

 
From award-winning historian John Bicknell comes an essential new perspective on the Civil War era, acclaimed by scholars as "powerful," "engaging," and "distinctive." Perfect for readers of both Civil War history and political biography, this compelling narrative shows how the clash between Lincoln and Frémont helped determine the course of emancipation and the outcome of the war itself.

"Bicknell's flair for tightly rendered historical storytelling sits atop a foundation of sweeping research in this powerful tale. . .A colorful and distinctive narrative." -Robert W. Merry, author of Decade of Disunion

About the Author

John Bicknell is the author of Lincoln’s Pathfinder: John C. Frémont and the Violent Election of 1856 and America 1844: Religious Fervor, Westward Expansion, and the Presidential Election That Transformed the Nation. He was a journalist for more than thirty years, working as a reporter and editor for Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call. He lives in central Illinois.