The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-14


writes the following letter to the Albany
Evening Journal, under date of the 26th ult.:
Since 1t cannot b. concealed or deni.d that
General Fremonts conduct in Missouri has
been the subject of official inquiry, and is
now the occasion of Executive vituperatio
and of popular solicitude, have made 1T my
business to obtain, from various but reIi A.
bic sources, information from which the
dict.
On coming, az have, to u conclusion un.
favorable to General Fremont, it is scarcely
needfui to say that had, in doing SO, 70
" conquer many prejudices' My rela-
tions with General Fremont have been in :
mate and pleasant. believed him eminent
ly upright and patriotic. / thought him
we'll lifted FOR the high command with winch
he was IN invested; and he went forth with my
heartfelt aspirations that he would rem or
good service to our country and win gloSy
to himself.
Passing much that might be said, impu "a.
ing the sense and taste of General Fremont,
and cokfinlng myself to accusations undenta.
bly, true, submit to readers OF the Journal
some facts which will show them how lame n
taoiy favored General disappoints the poeu
lar expectation
When General fremont reached st. Ions
he took as his headquarters a house for which
the Government is paying IT, 600 year.
he surrounded himself Win numerous
stan, none OF whom were residents Of Mis-
souri,; organizing, simultaneously, a BODY
guard, consisting OF nearly three hundred
horsemen, through which access to the chief
is as difficult as the approach to Il monarch in
the darkest ages Of despotism. ~-~
He has appointed and commissioned, with
out the shadow OF authority, more than FIFTY
officers, with the rank Of Colonel. Major, Cap
tain, &c. Col. Andrews, the United States
Paymaster, was required to pay these Off.
GERS, and upon his refusal to do so was threat
ened with imprisonment. He was also di-
rected to make an illegal transfer of 100000.
Tue officers belonging to Gen. Fremont's
stall are Interested III army contracts Cant
Haskali, an aid, is partner of Col. Deg raj
IN mule, hay, and other contracts.
Captain Turnly, United States Commits
sary, was ordered to receive ana pay exorbi-
tant prices for inferior mules, from Captain
Haskall, and upon protesting against this
wrong was ordered away from the post by
Gen. Fremont.
Captain Il. NJ. Davis, of General Fremont's
staff, received a contract for blankets. which
on delivery proved rotten and worthless, and
though condemned, were paid for and sent to
the hospitals.
The muskets purchased by General Ere
mont in France are worthless.
After General Meigs limits the price to be
PAID TOR oats at Soc, corn AT Csc, and hay Al
Tl7oo, contract was made with BaIrd d
Palmer palmer, Cock Il Co., of California
notoriety) At 3Sc 1or oats, soc. for corn, aud
SO fHr nay, amounting in the aggregate to
a1co, 900.
General Fremont, on his arrival in Saint
Louis, was me. by the aid CT t}en. Lyon. ac-
com pasied by Maj. Phelps, M c., asking for
reinforce meuts, which We're not sent.
The indebtedness OF The Quartermastar,s
Department for Ien. Fremoul's command is
over four millions and a half
ne disastrous condition of things is attrf.
bnted to the '.lnalien influences'' of Calf r.
mans, with whom Gen. Fremont became mn
fortunately connecud in mining operations.
and who hurried from the Pacific on learn
ing that ne was entrusted with high mill
tary command These i'll -omened 1neu SIN.
or all Of whom left dark record in Caiifor
MIA, seem to nave obtained either voluntary
or constrained control of the Quar;ermas,er
and Commissary Departments of Gan FRI.
monts military district. The results and
consequences are fatal alike to the interes $ OF
the commanding General. They impaaeh
either his head or his heart, and, SO far as he
Is practically concerned, it is not matsria /
Which; Tor whether wicked or weak Gene.
raj. he is untitled for SO great a trust
Nor are these faults, grave as they are. the
only ones to which he is obnoxious The
war Is being prosecuted by the al my under
bis command IN way which recalls and
deepens the horrors of vandalism. Without
conquering traitors, he is converting Union
men into enemies. His line Of march Ia
marked and memorized by spo,iations and
ravages which disgrace the age of civiiiza-
ton.
Here Thurlow cites some OF the outragss
committed by Fremont's troops while on
their march from Upton to Warsaw, allu.
siops TO which have already been published
in the Dispatch The letter winds mp with the
following paragraph:
Such license adds horrors to the legitim a to
and unavoidable evils Of war An army thai
leaves sucn remembrances along it's line Of
march Will be forever execrated.
1t Is sad to record these things of q youth .
iui General from whose career the country
looked for hercism tempered wi tn humanity.
But high as our hopes were of Gen eral Ere
mont, we cannot afford when-whether from
IauIt or misfortune-so much depends on the
wisdom and integrity OF Generals TO be de-
ceived am, by the force of evidence which
cannot be resisted, constrained to admit that
ne has slgnally failed to discharge, wi tn use
Iulness 10 the country, or credit to himself
the duties or his station