John Fremont Quotes
I acted solely on my own responsibility.
Fremont had moved into Mexico and attacked. Realizing this, Admiral Sloat, technically Lt. Colonel Fremont’s superior, hoisted his battle flag and supported the action. When he came face to face with Fremont, Sloat wanted to know who had authorized the invasion of and attack upon Mexico? He was shocked at Fremont’s answer. He himself of much higher rank would never have fired upon the Mexicans without the authority of the heads of the government.
John Fremont, 1813-1890, Explorer, General, and Republican Candidate for President, Response to his superior’s question of who authorized the American attack on Mexico, July 1846
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John Charles Frémont or Fremont was an explorer of the Western United States, military officer, and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from California, and in 1856 was the first Republican nominee for President of the United States. A native of Georgia, he was an opponent of slavery but also a contributor to Native American genocide.
