Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1861-11-19
Those Blankets.

as charges against General Fremont
Captain Elward VI Davis, member Of
his staff, received a contract by the direct
order Of General Fremont for blankets
They were examined by a board Of army
officers, consisting of Capt Hendershotf
4th Artillery; Capt Harris, Commissarv
of subsistence, and Capt TURNKEY, Assist
ant Quartermaster The blankets were
found to be made mostly of cotton. and to
be rotten and worthless Notwithstand-
ing this decision, they were purchased and
given to the sick and wounded soldiers in
tn" hospital.
Mr. DAVIS has issued card in reply to
this charge in which he saws
lst That Gen. Fremont dia not give
him any contract for blankets, or anv
thing else
2nd. That he is not an officer in Gen
FREMoNTs body guard, but an Assistant
Quartermaster General, regularly appoint
ed by President Lincoln. "bv and with the
advice and consent Of the Senate" The
following is Mr Davis card
Philadelphia, Oct 3Ist '6l.
70 Brigadier- General L. Thomas, 4dju-
TINT GetcrW L. S Army
Il is important should correct. without
delay, some errors in reference to myself
which | find in your published report to
the Secretary Of War, under date of Oct.
2Sth, 1861
General Fremont did not give me any
contract for blankets, or for anything else.
As a regularly appointed Assistant Quar-
termaster. by the President nominated.
and, by and with the advice ana consenl
Of the Senate, appointed by him, (as my
commission states,) presume ! was LEGAL
" competent, and, by law, bound to make
such purchases as my commanding Gene
raj ordered me to do The blankets vou
refer to were a portion of my purchases.
The "Bo9rd that condemned them did re
port that they were rotten and worthless .
When the report reached General Ere
mont he sent for me, and, expressing great
displeasure, required that the blankets
should be returned | assured him that
there must be some mistake in the report.
and requested him TO suspend his approval
Of IT. | rc-cxamincd the SAMPLES by
which the goods were bought, found them
not to be rotten AMI worthless, but. com
mcrcially speaking sound As some of
the goods cost not much over a dollar Il
blanket, and the lot. on an acreage. about
Sl,40 each, as near as | can remember.
and were part cotton, they could not be
as strong or as scrviceable rs goods com
posed only Of wool and costing from three
to four dollars each
Although mortified by the report was
satisfied the purchase was a good one.
that the goods were sound, and that if
they would not suit for one purpose, they
would for some other. wher9 they were
equally needed by the Department. |
manifested my opinion with some earnest
ness to those with whom | came III con
tact, made Il written report to the General
Of nv view of the affair, and asked that q
committee Of merchants should be ap-
pointed to examine tao blankets Whist
the commanding General had nay request
under consideration, one Of the Board ="
who had condemned them, came to my
Office, and said to me, the Board of Survey
would like the General to allow them t.
re-eXamine the goods This was granted
BY the General, and new survey was or
dcfed by Assistant AdiutantGcneral kel-
tom. | was present and we found that
whilst some of the blankets, those wci@h-
inE from five to six and three quarters
pound per pair could not be torn by Us,
the lowest priced ones could One mem
ber of the Board who seemed to have The
most objection to receiving them, said that
what he meant hv the word "rott-n' in
the original report was, not fit for soldiers
in the field | was sure his motive was
good, for his anxiety was that each soldier
should have an all wool blanket, not to
weigh less than four pounds, and to be
army standard in size
The blankets were as well suited to the
use Of the army during the last three
months as standard blankets viii be for
the coming SIX | do not know what the
second report was, bat as was informed
some days after the second inspection, by
the Assistant Quartermastcr who was At
the head of the Clothing Department, that
could now have Il receipt for the blan-
kcts, and that they had been issued. con
sidered the affair satisfactorily settled.
do not LR0lc that they were not sent to the
hospital, but upon fuller cxamin ton,
think it will be found that they were not
But even if they were, do not see that
this should reflect di~credit upon those
engaged in the transaction
In Exhibit II, published by YOU / fad
my name in the list as one of the officers
in the boIy-guard From your report |
infer that Your information comes from
the P3vma>ters Office 1t Is entirely in
correct rs you may ascertain from Col
Andrews, if you think proper to inquire
OF him
l can only account for the miss statements
Won have made in reference to myself
from the fact that when YOU were IN It.
Louis was confined TO my bed, and that
You presumed from the reports YOU saw
and heard, that you had the whole truth
before YOU in reference 10 these affairs.
Very respectfully,
r NJ DAVIS.
Assistant Quartermaster