Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-10-03
THE N. N. HERALD ON AFFAIRS IN
VHUElnERH

BENNETT, Of the Herald, is severe upon FIRE.
MONT, and the manner in which be has conduct
ed the Missouri campaign. We make the fol-
lowing extraetfrom a dcnunciatory article in the
Herald of the 9th, which exposes FREMoNT's
plans. 1t viii be seen that Memphis was en-
braeed in his arranged field OF conquest:
The radical error Of Gen. Fremont appears to
have been that, instead Of securing Missouri
the State in which his headquarters were fixed
aud making il a safe base Of operations against
the rebel States ~ wing to the South, he planned
various wild expeditions prematurely some
down the Mississippi to Tennessee, and some
across the river to kentucky. Strange TO say,
these expeditions are set forward 10y the friends OF
Gen. Fremont a. a valid reason for his not send
ing Teinforcencuts to the little heroic bands Of
Union troops who We're struggling nobly against
superior strength in the interior of Missouri. For
instance, we are told that a short time since FIRE.
mont designed 10 take Hickman and Columbus.
andfOr this purpose ordered zen Indiana regiments
to Cairo. When a part of them were ON the cars,
and the rest embarking, all were stopped by o.
ders from Washington. Still later, be planned a
movement on Memphis, for Tuesday night last,
to be conducted by McKinsuy, when an order on
the previous Saturday for five thousand armed
and equipped men for Washington knocked the
whole arrangement on the head. Now, We ask,
what business had Fremont 10 plan a movement
on Memphis, Tenn, al the very time that Price
was advancing with an overwhelming force
against Lexington ! Had the men designed lor
the Memphis expedition been sent to Lexington
in proper Zine, the government could moi have
oriered them to Washington, and O different story
would be told to-day.
Had the troops at The disposal OF Ten. Fremont
been us,d vigorously in Missouri. that state
would have been long since reclaimed. and fhcgc
would have been troops to spare Tor Washington
and tor other points. The very first principal OF
grncralslIip is to secure the rear as Won advance.
lt Is contrary alike 10 common sense and military
science to proceed with an expedition down the
Mississippi into "a hostile country and leave q
hostile army in Missouri in the rear. The eNse-
ditiOns 10 Kentucky and Tennessee were prrIna-
lure. A. fOr Kentucky, there was no danger Of
her hostility, unless what arose from Gen. Ere
mOnt's own acts in prematuYely sending troops
10 her soil, and from his unlucky proclamation
These were Just the excuses the C0nfedeates
wanted to unfurl their flag. Gen. Fremont ought
to have first made Missouri safe, and then h.
could have advanced with security either against
Kentucky, if necessary, or Tennessee, or Arkan-
Sas, and then in succession the other disloval
States on the Mississippi. By Gen. Fremonts
plan OF operations, his army-after, perhaps.
achieving considerable success-Would have been
cut off from its base Of operations, and lost 10 the
| Union.
General Fremont ought to have aided the Pres
ident in Missouri. Instead Of that he became q
source of weakness and embarrassment to him.
When he entered upon his duties in that Stale
the rebels had been swept out as ehaff before
the wind But now more than half the State
has been Teconqucred by the Confederate arms.
Disaster after disaster has brfallrn our arms
there. The death OF Lyon, and the retreat from
! Springfield, caused from want of those reinforce
ments which Gen. Fremont ought 10 have sent,
are now followed mp by the still more disastrous
capture of Lexington from the same cause, in
GLIDING the loss of $500 Of the best troops, who
were sacrificed by neglect, the gain of all their
small arms, artillery. ammunition, and e~quipage,
together with three thousand horses to the cause
Of the rebels, to say nothing Of the moral effect
Of such 2 misfortune.
1t is very evident that there must have been
terrible mismauagemcnt at st. Louis otherwise
the brave Mulligau and his devoted little band
would not have been thus left to their fate.