Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1861-10-10
Gen. Fremont.

y, zen. Fremont.
Rev. Matthew Hale Smith, writing
from New York to the Boston Jour-
nal, says
The Western Division of the United
States army at the present time at
tracts great attention. 1t is the sub.
ject Of hope and despair-of censure
and defence. The position Of General
Fremont Is one Of great anxiety to
his trends and Of peril to himself. l
have the means of allowing him to be
heard and the friends to say how
much blame they really think belongs
to him. 1t does not matter how /
have obtained my information. 1t is
enough that / have accurate intelli-
gence to give. Consider me by the
side of Gen, Fremont on the 9th of
Sept. as he 'bade goodbye to his devoA
ted wife, with firm resolve, as he led
his Column or 10000 men out TO meet
the foe, to win = battle or never re-
turn. 1 1fl1ntiEfEHte 5fE
When Gen. Fremant was in Europe
he knew his destination. He cndeav-
ored to meet the wants of that divis-
ion by the purchase of arms. He
could have purchased l00, 900 rifles at
peace prices. He cndeavored to in
terest aur ministers there in the pur.
chase, but without success. f
On his return to this country, Gen.
Fremont first looked for means to
arm his men. The President told him
that 1000 stand Of arms were with
the Illinois regiments and he could
have them. But an order from Gen.
Ripley removed these, and Fremont
was disappointed the second time. ?
He went to New York with an Off
Ger of the army to cooperate with
him in obtaining arms. He had the
promise of $4,000 muskcts. On his
return to Washington he was met
with the terrible news of the Bull Run
disaster. He at once, photographed to
New York to send West by the carli-
est express the arms he had contracted
for. But another telegram from Wash
ington ordered them there, and third
time he was disappointed. He was
then ordered to take 5000 guns from
the st. Louis arsenal, and on proceed
ing to do so not gun was to be found
there. ~ -s
Unable to do without arms-baving
exhausted all his means to obtain
them from the Government, Gen. FIRE.
mont had to go into the market in the
time of war, and make the best pur-
chases he could, and while the high
prices he paid for carbines are told by
telegraph all over the land, his ccono.
my in altering twenty thousand Austri.
an arms into rifles, SO that each mus
ket cost only Sill, is not noticed at all
by the public journals, And now men
without arms, cavalry with no saddles,
with ropes for brides, men armed with
old guns, quite as dangerous to the
holder as to the enemy, with one gun.
boat, and that old, Indicate the de.
plorable condition of this important
branch of service at this time.
The condition of the army in regard
to men was equally to be dcplored.
To obtain soldiers enough was an i'm.
possibility. The field of operations
was immense. The Mississippi river
to Cairo, the Ohio river, Green river.
with an enemy whose warfare was of
the guerilla mode, of whose where
abouts no one could certainly know,
nor is it known now where Pillow,
Price or McCulloch are at this moment
The idea of General F. was that he
was not to take care of st. Louis alone
nor yet Missouri. But the idea has
been always felt that the division was
to command the great river of the
West, divide the enemy's country and
cooperate with the feet at New
Orleans. And he made his plans to
meet the position committed to him
| Most of the men in his command were
volunteers, and these of the grcenesl
sort. Men ought to have poured into
him as the waters into the Gulf. Blu,
most of the men raised were sent tt
Washington, and the others were moi
| allowed to come on A brigade o.
2200 cavalry were sent for by him
but telegram from Washington KEEP,
them at Jacksonville. Whether tho
Government had not confidence il
General Fremont or not cannot be
stated but the facts are that he was
not allowed to have the men he need
ed. He did not reinforce Mulligan
He had every reason to believe that
Lane and others would be with him in
season 1t is allowed to be a grave
error that as he had not men enough
10 do all that he wanted to, he shonld
have taken his little army and done
what he could Mulligan should have
been reinforced ut all hazards. That
he has made some grave mistakes is
not denied but these will be rectilied
if he ever lives to come back--and
come back he will not if he gain not
o victory. B 81
The enemy are said to be 10000
strong, and Fremont's force when he
moved did not exceed 10000 men.
But Fremont, Sigel, Price, Lane and
Sturgcss have resolved to lead the
column and carry it on to triumph or
fall in the attempt. And if this cxpe-
dition fails it will carry sadness,
gloom and dependency to 10000
hearts. OILS N-
Another great source of trouble to
Gen. Fremont is that he has no organ
lied Bureau or Department. He has
an immense staff. He has been i'm
posed upon, and has men on his staff
that do him immense mischief. One
half are Americans, onc-half foreign
crs. But few men on it are capable,
practical men. The General has there
fore been compelled to do his own
business. His dwelling IL a complete
curiosity shop. 1t is full of blankets,
hosiery, old guns, sword-blades, cutie
ry, and all the articles needfnl for a
campaign. He has been compelled to
make his own contracts. AS he knew
the men Of California, they have OBJ
tanned an undue preponderance on
his staff and on his contracts, and the
manner that some Of his staff have
filed their pockets with contracts, and
thu vaoppor coua havo orona into Tho