Unfortunately, Frémont did not prove himself equal to the task. He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fortifying the city. He sent his troops into combat without sufficiently equipping and supporting them. Because of his contributions to the Union defeats at Springfield and Lexington, Frémont lost many of his friends and political allies.  The President lost confidence in him when he ordered all slaves owned by Missouri secessionists free, without official authority to do so.  While Frémont had intended the proclamation as a war measure to help the Union, Lincoln saw it as an endangerment to the loyalty of the border states.  Three months after he had arrived in St. Louis, Frémont was removed from command. In March of 1862, he was made commander of the new Mountain Department, a position he also bungled. He asked to be relieved of his duties when Maj. Gen. John Pope was appointed his superior. Frémont tried to lead a third party in the 1864 Presidential elections.