The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-11-07

Gen. Ffekaont, Gen. Lyon, Col. MulIigan.
..Report Of Adjutant-GeneraI Thomas
to the Secretary OF War.
From the lengthy report of Adiutant-
General Thomas to the Secretary of
War, on the military management of
the Western Department, We make the
following extract relative to the loss of
the armies of Gen. Lyon and Col. Null
ligan:
The failure of Gen. Fremont to rein
force Gen. Lyon demands notice. Gen.
Fremont arrived at St. Louis on the
26th of July, called there from New
York by a telegraph dispatch stating
that Gen. Lyon was threatened with
destruction by 10000 rebels. AT this
time Gen. Pope had nine regiments in
North Missouri, where the rebels had
no embodied force. The Confederate
forces in the State were those under
Price and McCnlloch, near Springfield,
in Southwest Missouri, and those under
Pillow, jeff. Thompson, and Hardee, in
Southeast Missouri.
Two Regiments held Rolla, near the
terminus of the Southwestern branch
of the Pacific Railroad, while Jefferson
City, Boonvile, Lexington and Kansas
City had each garrison of 800 or 400
men behind entertainments. Cairo
and Birds Point were fortified, and de-
Tended by heavy artillery. pilot Knob
and Cape Girardeau were fortified af-
ter Gen. Fremont's arrival.) All these
places could be reinforced by railroad
and river from St. Louis and North
western States, and could hold out till
reinforced, even if attacked by superior
force.
On his arrival in ST. Louis, Gen. Ere.
mont was met by Capt. Lavender, LIST
Missouri, and Major Farrar, aid de-
camp to Gen. Lyon, with statements
from the latter, and requests for rein
forcements Major Phelps, M. G. from
Springfield, DIR. Miller of Omaha, and
many other citizens, having ample
means of Information, made the same
representations, and urged the sending
of reinforcements. To Gov. Gamble.
Gen. Fremont said, seen. Lyon is as
strong as any other officer in this line"
He failed to strengthen Lyon, and the
result, as is well known. was the defeat
of that most gallant officer. Two reg
iments at Rolla should have been
pushed forward, and the whole of
Pope's nine regiments brought by rail
to the St. Louis and Rolla, Railroad,
and thence sent to Lyons force. Any
other Genera! in such an emergency
would have pursued this obvious course.
The battle of Springfield Tor more
strictly Wilson's Creek lone of the
most desperate ever fought OH this con-
tinent-took place Ang. 10, when the
brave Lyon fell, and the troops bore
down by greatly superior numbers were
obliged to fall back, but were unpursued
by badly beaten foe.
Gen. Fremont called four regiments
from North Missouri, and went with
them to Cairo. It's evident that he
had no intention of reinforcing Lyon,
for two Regiments at Rolla, l35 miles
only from Springfield, received no or
ders to march, and were not supplied
with transportation, and thirty or forty
hired wagons, just returned from
Springfield, were discharged at Rolla,
Aug. 4, seven days before the battle,
and we returned to St Louis.
After the news of the battle had
reached St. Louis, four other regiments
were drawn from Pope in North Mis-
souri,, and sent to Rolla. Better to
| ballad IN, fhnc.. fpD. htf.,rn h..
battle, as after the battle the whole rev.
dictionary elements was let loose. The
six regiments accomplished nothing.
They were not ordered to advance and
cover the retreat of Lyons army, al
though it was supposed i'm St. Louis
that Price and McCulloch were follow
ing it, and that Hardee had moved mp
to cut off his retreat on the Gasconadc.
An advance of three regiments
would have enabled the army to retrace
its steps, and to beat the forces of Price
and McCulloch SO badly that they
would have been unable to follow our
forces i'm their retreat. 1t is said that
every officer in Lyons army expected
to meet reinforcements, and to return
with them, and drive Price and Me-
Culloch from the Southwest.
Gen. Hunter arrived at St. Louis
from Chicago, called thither on sug-
gestion from Washington, as an ad.
wiser. Gen. Fremont submitted to him
for consideration and advice paper
called Dispositions for Retaking
Springfield" 1t sets out with state
ment that Springfield is the strong
stragetical point of that wide elevation
which separates the waters of the
Usage from those of the Arkansas, the
key to the whole Southwestern Mis-
souri,, commanding the area of nearly
10000 miles. Why did not this ente,
the brain of the Major General before
the fall of Lyon, and he strain every
nerve to hold that important key in his
possession?
Gen. Hunter, in answer to the pa.
per, replied, "Why march on Spring
field, where there is no enemy, and
nothing to take? Let me rather take
the troops and proceed to Lexington,
in which direction Price was marching,
and where he expected to be Joined by
10000 rebels" Instead of this he
was sent to ROlla, without instructions,
o,d rop,o;nod there until ordarad IN