Former presidential candidate and now Union commander in Missouri, Major General John C. Frémont, had declared martial law in the state on August 30, 1861. More contentiously, the proclamation also mandated the emancipation of all slaves held by those in rebellion. When President Lincoln later asked him to amend his order to comply with the First Confiscation Act, applying only to slaves forced into military labor, Frémont refused and Lincoln was obliged to give him direct orders to modify it. Frémont was relieved of his command six weeks later. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
Frank Moore, ed., The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events, with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, Etc. (New York: G.P.Putnam, 1862), III: 10.
Record Data
Date Certainty
Exact
Type
Lawmaking/Litigating
