Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-23

! Irhe letter oi Captain Owens was fcaa, SD
taa, h. had received orders from Leu'ehd'' w.
lionel Flem, Mt 10 keep The cannon ana "ool1 "o'
disobey them, therefore he refused TO PERM. yep
lain Wilson 10 deliver the cannon " p"'!o'
Judse Advoca,e-Have You anything further
TO say, Sir2
Answpr-No Sir.
Que.,ion.-What Department order DO you re-
Answer-lO:h military Department order, No.
2. dated, think, March u. a., :.
Ones inn r cad this le,icr--(lc ;ter handed 10
wiIness)-is il The one Capt. Ovens showed you,
as his reason for refusing 10 give you Inc howi'-
zers7 ,ao. r.,
was read. II is the order from 1t. Col. F 10
Owens. Ia retain The cannon, against The orders
nj Gen. Kesrny, and The one on which The speci-
6ra,ion of melting Owens 10 unite with him IN
the muliny is based
onesnoa Was The mission of San Gabriel
within the Limits oil The southern military depart
menl. 10 the command OF which you had been as
signed by The 10Th M. Division Order, No.21
| Answer.-Yes.
cross examination was commenced. question
was handed in BY L. Col. Fremont, accompa-
! MED py leller, Ihe latter OF which was handed
the witness for inspeclIon)
Major Morcan.-Mr President, asa that the
cour, may be cleared. And il was cleared.
In ten minutes il was opened.
The Judge Advocate stated the purpoii OF the
Letter 10 the court, and then the question put
Quesiion.-Did vou write the letter OF which
this is COPY. and if So is this true copyi
Acknowledgements be copy; wrote sucn
ieller.
('rhe letter was read as follows. | send you
The whole, because II is interesting as narrative
and as letter, and because the cross-examina-
ton will turn upon lis coaenls)
HEApQcsRrERs S. M. DEPARTMENT,
Ciulad re los Angeles, March %, is47.
Sit: arrived here with company &, Isl ORA
| soons and tour companies OF my battalion, early
lie 23d inst. occupied house belonging 10
government, BY company c, and encamped he
battalion on The edge oil the town. Yesterday
morning | sent Lieu, Smith, with his mounted
men, aeains; Indians, who were complained OF
as having attacked and occupied rancho about
35 miles distant then, with Lieut.. Davidson
and DR. Sanderson, rode Out TO San Gabriel Mis-
sion, 10 examine The quarters, and see the Cali
foruia battalion. Capt Owens was in command.
and they numbered, was informed, TWO hundred
and six, without the staff. " hist examining
the ordnance, which is all there, remarked that
| had ordered mules 10 be brought ont that day
| Tor The TWO dragonn howiizers.
| Capt. Ovens Immediately said he had recev-
ed positive orders not 10 lei any Of il go from his
charge, and lhaI he could moi lei me have il. He
said he had never seen The printed "circular" or
10Th N. D o No. 3 showed them and read
them 10 him, and asked him ilhe did not acknow-
ledge the authority Of The United STATES Govern.
ment. He said he considered Col. Fremont as
chef military authority in the country. With
| D; ffect temper, exhausted every resource OF in
formation and argument. touched every motive
! for obedience and union in his distant land,
among enemies; Appealed 10 his patriotism, and
painted he disastrous consequences likely 10 re-
su TO public interests and 10 persons from this
lrea. enable course-in vain.
| He showed me Lieut.. Col. Fremon,'s orders TO
him on his departure 10 Monterey. he declined
permitting me TO take copy. | read il, as did
| Dr. SaBderson. Ii contained paragraph TO This
| eficc That he captain 0wens) was TO obey
the orders al no officer not coming expressly from
him, (Coi. F,emcni.) and another paragraph Tor
ciddng him 10 deire: The artillery or ordnance
10 any coips Without express o:dcTs irnm Lieut.
! Col Fremont. Ia obedience 10 these elders ne
would refuse Ia obey GIN. kearny, or the Pfesi-
dent OF The United States the same. On my re-
turn 10 Town, believing il my duty 10 use every
efnu 10 fulfil my orders sent 10 Midshipman J.
| h. Wilson, who has b:en acting captain OF ar'il-
| lery and ordnance, and who had told me be had
/ charge vi Z UiWduu u at 0iuuduSer SSty
pointed order 10 bring in the artillery, &c. which
had been entrusted 10 him, or attached 10 his par
licuar command aud deliver it 10 an officer
| should designate 10 receive il, and give receipts
| Tor il. After leaving il To be inferred that he
could and would comply, have received his re-
| fusal or excuse, as will be seen in his letter and
lis enclosure, Zone rom Captain Owens copies
al which are enclosed marked | and have
every reason To doubt that steps were taken 10 a!-
low The meu Ct that battalion 10 decide knowing
~ upon their being mustered 'n.o es'sice acco.n-
ins 10 law and orders. One of them, their adju-
tan,, lie told me- aid, he would have been wiling
Tor one, AID also that Lieut.. Col. Fremont had
nol gone ont 10 San Gabriel 10 aleDd 10 IL
lock uron them generally as good citizens: but
cruelty and siudiousy misguided and deceived.
would attempt TO undrceive them, bu! that
deem that The public good requires that the mat
Ter should be unknown. ! shall observe IL this
precau'ion is used b. others. II these Ameri-
cans arc taught not 10 obey the legal authority Of
The Government. what dangerous impressions
mus; have una yoijaby been impaired 10 The late
enemy who surrounded US, who gallon over the
county, aieied 10 The teeth, and many OF them with
wea pons taken in battle from our troops. ! ga
crifce all feeling and pride 10 duty, which think
plainly io!bids any attempt % crush h, resistance
OF misguided men. Ii would be signal Tor re-
volts The Generals orders are not obeyed.
NV God! In think Of howi;zer brought over
the desert with SO much faithful labor Ivy The dra-
goons; the howilzer with which they have four
times fought the enemy, and brought here 10 The
rescue OF Lieutenant Colonel Fremont and his
volunteers, To be refused 10 them by This Leulen.
ant Colonel Fremont, and in defiance OF The or
ders of his General. denonnce this treason or
this mu,ny which jsopardises the safely oil the
country. and defes me 10 my legal command and
duties, by men, too, who report and say that they
believe that the enemy approaches from without,
| and are about 10 rise in arms around Us.
! Mr. Russell leil here with an express party for
| The States lew hours before my arrival He was
sem, | presume by Il. Col Fremont, as Captain
Owens told me lie had taken public animals from
San Gabriel; il IS said here, he wen, TO take a
petition, which has been signed here by sumo Of
| the Calilnrnans, in favor Of Ii Col. Fremont
Lieut.. Gillespie is still here.
| | have dsened il my duty 10 send this informa-
;ion BY express. ! am, very respectfully, your
obedienl servant, +. ST. GEO. Cooke,
| Ii. Col. Comma nding.
Capt. Fl S. Turner, A. A. Adj General, Mon
!erey
P. S. was informed by Capt. Owens sha,
there were al least 100 horses al San Gahrie; The
| Adiutant said lie knew there were $50 few days
ago. T. ct. GEO. Co..
And then The cour, adjourned. B.
Reported for the Baltimore SUM-
THE FREMONT COURT MARTIAL.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10: l6i1.
T he court met this morning, all the members
present except Ii. Col. Craig, who was absent on
account OF ndsposilon.
In consequence Of Ii. Col. C.'s absence, the
court adjourned till tomorrow al 10 o'clock, A. ".
FoR THE ENQUIRER.
WiuiQm and .Mayv College Nor. 10, i647.
AT meeting of the Students of William and
Mary College in consequence of the election Of
MIR. Archibald c. Peachy to Professorship in
This Institution, al line late meeting OF the Board
Of Visois-hlr. Charles Dabney was called 10
the Chair and Il. L. Lee was appointed Sec'e.
taIv.
A commiaec three, consisting 0: MessIs. r.
L. KEN, J. E. N. Lewis and J. Edwards were