Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-11-07

/ anG the troops were exposed to 1t all night
were without food for twenty-four hours
and when food was received the beef was
found to be spoiled.
Gen. Hunter stated to me that he had Just
received a written report from one of the
! Colonels, Informing him that but twenty out
of a hundred of his guns would 90 off.
These were the gums procured by Gen. FIRE.
mont in Europe / will here state that
! Gen. Sherman, at Louisville, made to me a
similar COMPLAINT of the great inferiority of
these European arms. He had given the
men orders to file down the nipples. In
conversation with Col. Swords, Assistant
| Quartermaster General at Louisville, Just
from California, he stated that Mr.. Selover,
| who was in Europe with Fremont. wrote to
some friend in San Frantisco that his share
of the profits Of the purchase of these arms
was $4,000.
! When Gen. Hunter received, at Jefferson
City, orders to march to Upton, he was d.
rected to take Al wagons with him, when
he had only 40 mules, which fact had been
! duly reported to headquarters. At this
time, Col. Stevenson. of the Seventh Nilsson.
ri regiment, was, without Gen. Hunters
knowledge. taken from him, leaving him,
4 WhCd uiiuOE OfNCios Will piilJ
regiment at Jefferson City fit to take the
| field
Gen. Hunter also showed me the order for
marching to Durock Ferry, dated at Upton.
! October 10th, which he did not receive until
the 18th. He also showed Inc his reply,
proving that it was impossible for him to
comply with the order to march. This or
der was changed to one requiring him to
make single days march.
When Gen. Pope received his order to
march at Georgetown, twenty-five miles dis
tant, he wrote back to Gen. Hunter a let
ter, which read 1t set forth the utter inn
possibility of his moving for the want of
| transportation and supplies, and asked
whether Gen. Fremont could mean what he
had written.
All of the foregoing facts go to show the
want of military foresight on the part of
Gen. Fremont in directing the necessary
means for putting into. and maintaining in
the field, the forces under his command.
Gen. Hunter also stated that although
the second in command, he never was con-
suited by Gen. Fremont, and never knew
anything of his intentions. Such parallel
| will venture to assert, cannot be found in
the annals of military warfare. / have also
been informed that there is not Missourian
on his staf-not man acquainted person.
ally with the topography and physical char
acteFistics of the country or its people.
The failure of Gen. Fremont to reinforce
Gen. Lyon demands notice. Gen. Fremout
arrived at St. Louis on the 26th of July,
called there from New York by telegraphic
despatch stating that Gen. Lvon was threat
ened with destruction by 80 900 rebels. AT
this time Gen. Pope bad nine regiments in
North Missouri, waere the rebels bad en-
bodied force, The Confederate forces in
the State were those under Price and Nc
Culloch, near Springfield in Southwest Mis-
souri,, and those under Pillow, jeff Thcmp-
son, and Hardee, in Southeast Missouri-
Two regiments held Rolla, near the terminus
of the Southwestern branch of the Pacific
Railroad, while Jefferson City. Bonneville.
Lexington and Kansas City had each a gar
ison of 300 or 4C0;men behind intrepchments.
Cairo and Birds Point, were fortified. and
defended with heavy artillery. Pilot Knob
and Cape Girsrdeau were fortified, after
Gen. Fremolt's arrival All these places
could be reinforced by railroad and river
from st. Louis and the Northwestern Ststes.
and could mold out until reinforced, even if
atthCkeu Dy SupeTlcF IOTCeS.
On his arrival in St. Louis, Gen. Fremont
was met by Capt Cavender, First Missouri,
aud Major Farror, aid-de-camp to Gen. Lyon
with statements from the latter. and requests
for reinforcemsnts Major Phelps. NJ, c..
from Springfield. Or. Miller, of Omaha. and
many other cit.zens. having ample means OF
information. made the same representations,
and urged the seiding Of reinforeements.
To Gov. Gamble, General Fremont said.
Gen. Lyon is as strong as any other oe6cer
in this line" He failed to strengthen Lyon,
and the result, as is we'll known, was the
defeat of that gallant officer. The two regi-
me1ts at Rplla should have been pushed for :
ward, and the. whole of Pope's nine regi-
ments brought by rail to St. Louis and Rolla,
and thence sent to Lyons force. Any other
General in such an emergency would have
pursued the same obvious course.
The battle Of fSpfingfeld Tor more strictly
Wilson Greek )-on of the most desperate
ever fought OF this continent took Ilace
August 10Th, when the brave Lyon fell, and
the troops borne ,wn by great superior
numbers were obliged to fall back, but were
unpursued by badly beaten foe;
Gen. Fremont called four regiments from
North Missouri aud went with them to Cal.
70, 1t is evident that he had no intenti IA
of reseniorceing Gen. Lyon, for tbe two reg
iments az RolIa. l25 only from Springfield.
received 60 orders to march, and were not
supplied with transportation, and thirty or
forty hired wagons just returned frDm Spring
field, were discharged at Rolla, August 4th,
seven days before the battle. and were re.
turned to ST. Louis.
After the news of the battle reached St.
Louis four other regiments were drawn frQm
Pope in North Missouri, and sent TO Rolla
Better 10 have called on these troops before
the battle, as after the battle the whole rev.
olutionary elements were let loose. The six
regiments accomplished nothing They were
not ordered to advance and cover the retreat
of Lyons army. although it was supposed in
st. Louis that Price and McCulloch were
following it, and that Hardee had moved up
to cut off his retreat on the Gasconade.
An advance of three regiments would have
enabled the army TO retrace its steps. and to
beat the forces of Price and MeJullosh so
badly that they would have been unable 60
follow our force on .her retreat. 1t is said
that every officer in Lyons army expected to
meet reinforcements, and TO return with
them. and drive Price and McDulloch from
the Southwest.
General Hunter arrived at ST. Louis from
Chicago, called thither on suggestion from
Washington as an adviser. Gen. Fremont
submitted to him for consideration and ad-
vice. paper called g Dispositions for retak-
ing Springfield" It sets out with q stra-
getleal point of that wide elevation which
separates the waters of the Usage from those
\. Al. L