M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-07-24
Honor 10 whom Honor Is Due. y

Honor 70 whom Honor is Due"
The following letter, addressed to The Day
ton (ohio) Journals Fremont pApet-
brings Col. Fremont's preiensions to militia
ry glory down to their proper level:
4" HONOR To WHOM HONOR is DUE"
To the EditOrs Of the Dayton Journal;
1t is with very great reluctance that / ap
pear before the public, ,buta sense OF that duty
which | owe to the profession Of which /
have been a member for nearly thirty two
years compels me to claim for the navy and
marine corps. and for the navy and marine
alone, tile entire credit, if any is dus, for the
conquest OF California. saving and excepting
the personal services Of the late Gen. Keamey
and his handful of officers and men, number
ing in all not more than dozen persons.
and ell that was LEFT Of the gallant band that
met with fate SO disastrous at San Pasqual;
the particulars Of that affair are fresh in the
memory of many Of our citizens from the
fact that, in this bloodiest action OF the war
there fell one Of the most gallant and accom-
pllsh officers of the army, Captain A. R.
Johnston. .of thedragoonsa native Of Piqua, o.
and the son OF our venerable and distinguish
fellow citizen, Colonel John Johnston. I
again repeat that with this exception, all
credit for the conquest ofCalifornia is due to
the navy and marine corps. 1t is we'll known
that the late war with Mexico afforded but
little opportunity Of distinction 10 the navy,
and 1t is hard II the little distinction it did
gain is to be wrested from them to make
capital for an aspirant to the Presidency. i al
lude to The fact that the friends Of Fremont
are ella aiming for him the lions share Of the
little glory achieved by that conquest.
am prepared to prove that so far from his
being entitled 10 any credit for his partcipa-
ton in the conquest OF California, that his
having failed to cooperate heartily and
efficiently with Commodore Stockton, so far
from assisting in the conquest, embarrassed
him (Stockton)in his opsrations,a and rendered
the victory less complete than it would have
been had we received from Fremont that
assistance We had right to expect, mounted
armed, and equipped as he was. am further
prepared to prove that in every engagement
and every rout Of the enemy which tooI
place in California Fremont was invariably
too late TO take part and, TO sum up all,
assert that during the whole of bis service in
California he never was within hearing dis
tance Of the enemy's guns. The cause of his
inef6ciency will not here discuss.
His Others claims to the distinguished hon.
or which tits intended to confer upon him
know nothing oiand care nothing about.-I
am no politician. anG neither for Eillmore or
Buchanan,for Stockton or GerTitt Smith, and
certainly not for Fremont, knowing him as
do. Since have stepped SO far out Of nv
proper sphere as to appear before the public
Ia the character OF a newspaper paragraph
writer, ! hope to be excused fot telling
who am, and how came in possession oil
this information. and great deal more upon
the same subject yet untold. -.
Invent to California in 1916 with Com.
modore Stockton,an was at that time leu
tenakt 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 our flag at
"Santa Barbara at "San Pedro" and al
'Puebla los Angeles and Twas at this latter
place tlIe next officer in rank to Commodore
stockton, when First Lieutenant and Brevel
: Captain Fremont arrived there with his
'hundred" just about thirty six hours too lal,
to take part in the Tout Of Gen. Castro whom
we-the sailors and marines on foot-haC
driven before us for two days until bis force.
scattered, and he, together with the civil gov
emor, "Pio Pico, and principal officers, Sec
to MexicU, and was never heard uf afterward.
during the war. ea'' ga %
~ am compelled in this manner TO utterly
annihilate that beautiful story which appears
in the Journal of yesterday, entitled ''Fre-
mont, or the ride of the one hundred, copi-
ed from the New York Post, which story !
pronounce to be utterly anil entirely false,
unless the interview with Gen. Vallejo, as
described, took place, and of that never
heard before; but all the adventure and gal
lantry attributed to Fremont in the story
know to be untrue.
hope it will not be considered iudelicate
in me to make an appeal to the people of 0.
and especially to the people of southern o.
where am known, Claiming their protection
from party of men who are endoavorng to
make political capital for their candidate for
the presidency out of deeds performed by my
companions and myself, and in which he
took very unimportant part. ground my
claim to your protection upon my having the
accidental distinction Of being the first native
of Ohio, that ever entered the naval service
Of the United States, and the first that ever
reached the rank of commander: and trust
that State pride which !vu have q light ~
indulge in will extend itself to your sons
who have left your peaceful borders and en-
barked in the military and naval service of
their country.
'--- JAMES FlNDLEY SCHENCK.
.gs Commander U. s. Navy