The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-07-30

for the navy and marine corps alone, the
entire credit, if any is due, for the oon-
quest of California, saving and exeep.
ting the personal services ofthe late Gen,
KearneY and his handful of officers and
men, numbering in all not more than
dozen persons, and all that was left Of the
gallant band that met with fate SO dis
astrous at San Pasqual ! the particulars
of that affair are fresh in the memory of
many Of our citizens from the fact that
il this bioodiest action of the war, there
fell one of the most gallant and accom-.
rlished officers of the army, Gapt. A. r.
Johnson, Of dragons native Of Piqa.
Ohio, and the son Of our venerable and
distinguished fellow citizen, Colonel
John Johnston: l again repeat that
with this exception, all credit for the
conquest of California is due to the ns.
w and marina coyps. It is we'll known
that the late war with Mexico afforded
but little opportunity of distinction to
the navy, and it is hard If the little dis
tinction it did gain is to be wrested from
them to make capital for an aspirans to
the Presidency. I allude to the fact that
the friends of Fremont are claiming for
him the lions share of.the little glory
achieved by that conquest. Lam pre-.
parded to prove that SO far from his be-
ing entitled TO any credit for his par
ticipation in the conquest of California,
that his having failed TO cooperate hearl
-tily and efhoisntly with Commodore
Stockton, so far from assisting in the
conquest, embarrassed him tStockton) in
his operations, and rendered the victory
less complete than it would have been had
we received from Fremont that assis-
taneswe had right to expect, mounted,
armed, and equipped as he was. Lam
further prepared to prove that in every
engagements and every rout Of the
enemy which took place in California
Fremont was invariable too late to take
part; and, to sum up all, assert that
during the whole of his service In Cali
fornia he mover was within hearing dis.
tanoe Of the enemy's guns. The CAUSE
of bis inefioiency I will not here dis
ouas.
His other claims to the distinguished
honors which it is intended to confer up-
on him I know nothing about. I ammo
politician am neither for Fillmore
or Buchanan, for Stockton or Gerritt
Smith. and certainly not for Fremont,
knowing him as do. Since I have
stepped SO far out of my proper sphere
as to appear before the public in the
character of a newspaper paragraph
writer, 1 hope to be excused for telling
who am, and how I came in possession
of this informatio,s, and great deal
more upon the same subject yet nm:
told.
went to California in 1876 with
Commodore Stockton, and was at that
time lieutenant Of more than eleven
years standing; and during operations
there I was for some time his aid-dt'
camp and quartermaster of the forces.
was present and assisted with my own
hands in hosting our flag at Santa Bar
bara' at San Pedro, and at Pusbls los
Angeles and I was at this latter place
the next officer IN rank to Commodore
.Stocton, when First Lieutenant and
Brevote Captain Fremont arrived there
with his "hundred just about thirty-six
hours too late to take part in the Iout Of
Gen. Castro, whom we-the sailors and
marines on foot-had driven before us
for two days until his forces scatteredt
and he, together with the civil COVER
nor, Pho Pico,' and principal officers,
fed to Mexico, and was never heard OF
afterwards during the war.
1 am compelled in this manner to ut'
teriy annihilate that beautiful story
which appears in the Journal of yestsr-
dav. entitled Fremont, or the ride Of the
one hudnred,' copied from the n. Y
Post, which story pronounced to be
utterly and entirely false, unless the in
terview with Gen. Vallejo, as described,
took plsce, and Of that never heard es'
fore; but all the adventure and gallant
~ attributed to Fremont in the story
know to be untrue. I hope it will not
be considered indelioato IN s-s- -ao--uaslEs-
an appeal to tie people of Ohio, and espe-
cially to the people of Southern Ohio
where 1 am best known, claiming their
protection from party of mon who are
endeavoring to make political capital
for their candidate for the presidency
out of deeds performed by my oompaR7
ions and myself, and in which he took .
very unimportant part I 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 rsached the rank
of commander; and 1 trust that
State pride which you have . right 10
indulge in will extend itself to your sons
who have left your peaceful borders and
emaarkad in the military and naval ser
| vica of thaiy countyv