Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-10-07
FHR FRRsi6NP AND BLAIR TROUBLE.

1
The Specifications as ,inut Col BlaIr-CoF-
roaP0Ddenee be4weeu iirs. Fremont and
the President Letters OT Gonoral BrF-
mont and Col Rlair--BlaIF's oharGts
AgainEt FFemont, &c.
Duling the past month, the country has
been disturbed by the unfrieEdly relations
that have sprung up suddenly between Ma
jor-G General Fremont Commander of the
Western Division of the Army and Colonel |
Frank P. Blair, Jr,, Of the First Regiment |
Missouri Volunteers eight artillery The !
letter of Col. Blair to Judge Blair, bis broth
er, and Postmaster General, was Immediately
brought before the President and the Cabi-
net, and a vigorous discussion ensued for the
removal of General Fremont, but resulted in
the postponement Of such decision for the
present. the President and majority Of the
Cabinet being unquali6edly adverse to the
removal.
Mrs. Fremont who was in Washington at
the time, received information OF Ool. Blair's
attack on General Fremont and Immediately
wrote TO the President requesting a copy Of
Col. Blair's letter. The President declined to
furnish Col. Blair's letter. and in the same
letter disclaimed any hostility TO the General,
or that any impression had been made on his
mind against the honor or integrity OF Cen
eral Fremont. General Fremont then tele-
graphed the President requesting a copy of
| Col Blair's letter, and through Judge Mont
gomery Blair, the letter Of the Colonel was
| forwarded to General Fremont, accompanied
with request that the Colonel should be re-
/ leased from arrest The offer Of release was
extended to Col Blair, at the request of the
Postmaster General, but the Colonel declined
the offer, and is now at Jefferson Barracks
/ awaiting the examination before a Court
Martial. The charges and specifications by
General Fremont with all the correspondence
accompanying, we give beoW:
FIRST CHARGE.-Conduct unbecoming an
officer and gentleman.
FIRST Specification That said Col. Frank
P. Blair, while acting as Colonel Of the First
Regiment Missouri Light Artillery, then in
the service of the United States, and in the
Western Department thereof did, at the city
of st. Louis, in the State Of Missouri, on
/ QlNGLs olIa1A0AoT bCbNNIA NAAo Aoh ahAAA avn
days of September, 1861, speak OF and con-
cerning Major General J. q. Fremont, who
was thet. the Commanding General OF said
Department in terms Unbecoming an officer
and gentleman, assailing his personal and
official character, charging him with inabili-
ty aud ineficiency; that said Blair used bis
position as q member Of the military house
hold of the Commanding General, to give
weight to his assaults.
Second SpseifcdtOn-Ths said Col. Blair
made secret charges against his said Com
manding General in letter which be wrote
on the first day OF September, 1851, to his
brother, Montgomery Blair, Postmaster Gen
eral Of the United States, one OF the Presi-
dents Cabinet officers, wherein he sought to
efectuate the removal Of said Commanding
General. Ssid charges were made, not to
the Secretary of War or the Commander-in-
Chief of the Army, but to the Postmaster
General, his brother; thus using his family
/ relations with the Cabinet to get secret, in
sidious, unsustsined and ungenuemsnly
charges against said Commanding General
before the President of the United States, his
purpose being to have appointed, without
consultation with the military authorities, a
commissioner 10 investigate the affairs and
management of said Western Department,
to be directed by and to consist in part of
the brother Of said Colonel Blair, the ac-
cuser.
THAT said vexatious and hsrrassing pro-
csedings were cS,cul-.ed TO, and did in part,
disturb the Presidents confidence in sid
Commanding General and the administra-
ton Of the affairs of said Western Depart
ment
That said Col. Blair's course also impaired
and paralyzed the efficiency of said Military
Department.
Third Specific eIiion-That said Col Blair
wrote said letters to his brother, Montgom-
cry Blair, for the purpose of eaecting the
removal Of his said Commanding General,
without affording him an opportunity of de-
fense
CHARGE SECoND.-That said Col Frank P.
Blair, while acting as the Colonel of the
First Regiment Missouri Light Artillery,
while in the service of the Army of the Uni
ted States, and in the Western Department
thereof, wrote and caused to be published
over his own signature, in the Missouri Dem
ocrat an article on the subject of said Blair's
arrest, to answer the charges herein preferred
against him, in which article occurs the fol-
| lowing language, viz II assure you, (mean-
ing the editors of said newspaper whether
| you believe me or not, that I do not even
lrink from the pOmpous threats which ap-
pear in your columns but whose unfamiliar
/ garb betrays another origin" which said ar
ticle was written and published by said Blair
/ for the purpose of and with the intent to
| convey the unjust and false impression thai
said article was written, or caused tn be writ
ten, by said Major General.
Second Specifcahon.-That said Blair,
while acting as Colonel Of the First Regi-
ment Missouri Light Artillery, wrote and
caused to be published in a newspaper in the
city Of st. Louis, and in the State Of Missou-
ii, false and delamatory article over his
own signature, in which occurs the following
language, viz: 81 reply, that never asked
Gen. Fremont a personal favor thst he did
rot grant it immediately. Inever
recommended him to give contract to any
one that he did not use his influence to OBJ
tain it"
The copies of the correspondence whick
preceded, and resulted in the fnal production
of the copy of the letters from Col. Blair to
his brother, Montgomery Blair, are hereto
! appended and made part thereof They con-
sist Of, first, Mrs. Fremonts note to the Pre-
sident, marked A; secoad, Mrs. Fremonts
note to the President marked B. third, the
Presidents letter to Mrs. Fremont, (marked
C;) fourth, General Fremont's telegram to
the President (marked D. fifth, Montgom-
cry Blair's telegram to General Fremont
marked E. [signed]
J. @. FREMONT,
Msjor-General Commanding.
LETTER FROM MRS. FREMONT.