New release · Missouri Historical Society Press
John Frémont’s 100 Days
Clashes and Convictions in Civil War Missouri
The first book-length study of John Frémont’s tumultuous command in Missouri since the Civil War—revealing the story of the first enslaved person ever freed by military order of the United States.
Western Department · 1861
Missouri
1861
History
1861
History
St. Louis · 38° 37′ N / 90° 12′ W
Recognized in 2026
Award-winning Civil War history.
Independent Publisher Book Awards · IPPY
Bronze Medalist
Regional History · Great Plains
Foreword INDIES Book Awards
Finalist
War & Military
“Wolk’s meticulously researched narrative is a fascinating read, filled with the tortuous machinations of politics, personalities, and the military maelstrom of moral conflict and the fortunes of war.”
— Military Heritage Magazine
The history behind the book
A hundred days that changed the course of the war.
In the summer of 1861, John Frémont took command of the Union Army’s Western Department, a vast territory stretching from Illinois to the Rocky Mountains. In the months that followed, Missouri became a testing ground for military power, emancipation, and the future of the Union. Gregory Wolk brings this pivotal, complicated moment into focus.
July 1861
A new command
Frémont arrives at his St. Louis headquarters and takes charge of the Western Department.
August 1861
A bold proclamation
Martial law and emancipation collide with the politics of a divided border state.
October 1861
A legacy in motion
Campaigns at Lexington, Fredericktown, and Springfield reshape the story of Missouri’s war.
The book
The decisions. The conflict. The hundred days.
From Wilson’s Creek to the stunning cavalry charge at Springfield, John Frémont’s 100 Days traces the campaigns, moral questions, and political tensions that defined Frémont’s brief command—and helped bring Ulysses S. Grant into the story.
Publisher
Missouri Historical Society Press
Length
216 pages
Inside
3 maps · 18 drawings
Webster Groves · Missouri
About the author
History, close to home.
Gregory Wolk is a retired attorney and Civil War historian based in Webster Groves, Missouri. He has served as executive director of Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation, program coordinator for the Missouri Humanities Council, and is currently a board member of the National US Grant Trail Association.
Author · Historian · Civil War scholar
Praise for John Frémont’s 100 Days
What readers are saying.
“Wolk’s meticulously researched narrative is a fascinating read, filled with the tortuous machinations of politics, personalities, and the military maelstrom of moral conflict and the fortunes of war.”
Military Heritage Magazine
“Wolk employs a wide and familiar cast of characters—Jessie Benton Frémont, Montgomery and Frank Blair, Thomas Hart Benton, Nathaniel Lyon, Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and others—to offer a solid narrative of Frémont’s life and his brief yet tempestuous Civil War career.”
Author Christopher Phillips · H-CivWar
“Wolk is thorough on the military action in Missouri during Frémont’s service. His analysis of the role played by the Blairs in Frémont’s downfall also is first-rate.”
Author John Bicknell · Emerging Civil War
In person
Conversations about history.
Book talks, library events, and conversations across Missouri. Check back for Gregory’s next appearance.
17
November · 2026
Upcoming
10:00 AM · It was in Missouri that Ulysses Grant "cut his teeth" as a battlefield commander. Follow him from north Missouri to the state's southern border.
20
November · 2026
Upcoming
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM · Fulton MO
6
November · 2026
Recent appearance
Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Fremont’s 100 Days is the subject of an author’s forum at the 13th annual U S Grant Symposium in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. For more information about the Symposium, visit https://usgrantsymposium.org/ The symposium is produced by the Kellerman Foundation and hosted by the Century Casino & Hotel.
A personal copy
Order a signed book.
Interested in a personally signed copy of John Frémont’s 100 Days? Get in touch to ask about availability and ordering details.