Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-11-06
ERENoyT asD THE BLAIRs.

The St Louis Republican has been pouring
hot shot into the Blair family, because OF tnelr
efforts to remove Gen. Fremont. In last Sat
urday's issue of that paper, Frank Blair re-
plies TO some of the attacks alluded TO; from
which we quote the following extracts;
The testimony you have borne to the ''won-
derful energy" of Major General Fremont IN
raising an army of ninety thousand men IN a
few months. aud IN the same moments holding
such line as at which you describe as ex-
tending from Cairo to Kansas City, Is very
honorable to the General aud to you. And
when YOU add, that this army was organized
in half the time General Scott required to
raise similar force, aud the line held by Ere
mont is much longer than that held by Scott
it seems to me that nothing can be added to
euIogy But it appears to me, that your en-
thusiasm for General Fremont should not IN
duce you to do injustice to another. General
Lyon held every post now held by Gen. Ere
mont, except Paducah, and he held many
others, including Springfield, not now held oy
Gen. Fremont. and never had more than ht-
teen thousand men under his command. In
fact. Gen. Lyon drove the enemy entirely out
of the State of Missouri, and into Arkansas,
and until Gen. Fremont arrived and took
command, Gen Lyon never met with re-
verse or disaster | trust thatrrit will not be
regarded as reflection upon Gen. Fremont
to say the truth iu regard to Gen. Lyon, and
especially as under cover of an attack on the
'sBlair family" you have DETAINED the dead
Lyon By saying, that -'the Blair policy
brought US to the verge ofruIn, even before
Gen. Fremont came here" Let me say If L
could properly and konorably assume the
credit for the affairs in Missouri, prior to the
upon which Gen Fremont arrived here, 1t
would be my pride aud glory to do so, but L
know to we'll what is due to the fame of that
brave, patriotic and self-sacrifclng soldier.
General Lyon, to plume myself upon his deeds
or seek to appropriate what belongs to his I'M
perishable renown. While therefore L can
not take it in good temper, that you should
laugh at the idee ofmy being Major Gen.
eral, and when indeed, If 1t were at all nee
essary, could point you to some examples,
not great way off, which would serve to i'll
ustrate how absurd such an appointment
would be at the same time, l cannot permit
you to say that affairs here "were brought to
the verge of ruin before Gen. Fremont came
here" when it is universally known that
LYONS career was, up to the time Gen. Ere
mont assumed command, an uninterrupted
series of brilliant successes, without a reverse
or disaster, and that even st this instant. 1t
is proposed to exchange the prisoners be took
for Muigan and those we have since lost. l
DO not intend to derogate from the high praise
you bestow on Gen. Fremont for organizing
such large army, and holding such long
line. 1 readily admit that Gen. Fremont has
more men than Lyon had, but if Lyon had
net the same ability to raise men, yet he had
the kuack of winning victories aud taking
prisoners, which after all, if not SO glorious,
is not altogether without merit
Respectfully,
FRAN6 P BLAIR, JR ,
Col. First Missouri Light Artillery