The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1856-07-30
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s.es CADTz OHIO. WEDNESDAY JULY 80, 1856.
aIIonor to whom Honor is Due"


Honor to Whom Honor is Due"
The following letter, addressed to the Dayton
(OhiO) Jonn1,al-a Fremont papcr-bripgs Col.
Fremont's pretensions to military glory down
to their proper level; .r ,....s .ia.-sl 7s -.-
"HONOR TO WHOM HONOR ISDUE."
10 the Editors Of the Dayton Journal:
1t is with very great reluctance that appear
before the public, but a sense ofthat duty which
owe to the profession of which have been
member for nearly thirty-two years compels me
TO claim for the navy and marine corps and for
the navy and marine corps alone, the entire
credit if any is due, for the conquest of Calior-
MIA, saving and excepting the personal services
Of the late General Kearney and his handful of
officers and men, numbering in all not over a
dozen persons, and all that was left of the gal
liant band that met with fate so disastrous at
"San PasquaI;" The particulars Of that affair are
fresh in the memory of many of our citizens
from the fact that, in this bloodiest action ofthe
war there fell one Of the most gallant and ac.
complished officers of the army, Captain A. R.
johnson, Of dragons, native of Piqua Ohio,
and son of our venerable and distinguished fel-
low citizen, Col. John Johnson. again repeat
that with this exception all credit for the con-
quest of California is due to the navy and ma
rine corps. 1t is well known that the late war
with Mexico afforded but little opportunity of
distinction to the navy, and it is hard if the lit
tie distinction it did gain is to be wrested from
them OF make capital for an aspirant to the
Presidency. Iallude to the fact that the friends
ofFremont are claiming for him the lions share
of the little glory achieved by that conquest
am prepared to prove that so far from his be-
ing entitled to any credit for his participation in
the conquest Of California, that his having failed
to CO. operate heartily and efficiently with Con-
modore Stockton, 50 far from assisting in the
conquest, embarrassed him [Stockton) in his cp-
erations, and rendered the victory less complete
than it would have been had we received from
Fremont that assistance we had right to ex-
pect, mounted, armed, and equipped as he was.
am further prepared to prove that in every en-
gagement and every rout Of the enemy which
took place in California Fremont was invariably
too late to take part; and, to sum up all, I as
sert that during the whole of his service in Cali
fornia he never was within hearing distance Of
the enemy's guns. The cause Of this ineticien-
cy l will not here discuss.
His other claims to the distinguished honor
which it is intended to confer upon him know
nothing of and care nothing about, ! am no
politician. I am neither for Fillmore or Bu-
chanan, or Stockton or Gerrtt Smith; and GER
tainly not for Fremont, knowing him as do
Since have stepped so far out of my proper
sphere as to appear before the public in the
character Of newspaper paragraph writer, |
hope to be excused for telling who lam, and now
| l came in possession of this information, and a
great deal more upon the same subject get un-
told. NJ.
went to California in 1916 with Commodore
Stockton, and was at that time lieutenant Of
more than eleven years standing; and during
his operations there was for some time his aid
de-camp and quartermaster of the forces
was present and assisted with my own hands in
hosting cur flag at "Santa Barbara" at "San
Pedro" and at "Puebla los Angeles" and was
at this latter place the next officer in rank to
Commodore Stockton, when First Lieutenant
and Brevet Captain Fremont arrived there with
his hundred" just about thirty-six hours toe
late to take part in the rout of General Castro,
whom we--the sailors and marines on tocl--had
driven before us for two days until his forces
scattered, and he, together with the civil COVER
nor "Pio Pico," and principal officers, fed tc
Mexico, and was never heard of afterwards du-
the war.
l am compelled in this manner to utterly an.
initiate that beautiful story which appears ir
the Journal of yesterday, entitled Fremont, OF
the ride of the one hundred" copied from the
New York Post which story pronounce to b.
utterly and entirely false, unless the interview
with Gen Vallejo, as described, took place, anG
Of that never heard before; but all the adyen,
ture and gallantry attributed to Fremont in tn,
story know to be untrue
Ihope it will not be considered indicate il
me to mike an appeal to the people Of Ohio, ant
especially to the people ofSouthern Ohio, where
4 am best known, claiming their protection
from party of men who are endeayoring t,
make political capital for their candidate for TIL
presidency out of deeds performed by my com
paniohs and myself, and in which he took a very
unimportant part. / ground my claim to yon
protection upon my having the accidental dis
4 tinction of being the first native Of Ohio tha
.iever entered the naval service Of the Unite,
Estates, and the first that ever reached the ranl
!, of Commander; and 1 trust that State priid
which you have a right to indulge in will ex
tend itself to your sons who have left you
peaceful borders and embarked in the miitar
tand naval service Of their country. q 5sts
,laT JAMEsFINDLEY Y sCHENK,
4 3Y eh'f1 Commander q. S. Navy.
l.Aicsb Democrats Meetings.
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