The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-11-12
Fremout,s Pui chascs Of Arms.


Fremont, both by Thprlow Weed and Gen.
Thomas is, that he purchased large number
Of arms, DC, in Europe, which have prov ed
nearly worthless; though some one in Cali
fprna, it is .ai,l, who WAS in company with
him in the purchase, made $30,00O for hi'
share of The profits. A correspondent Of The
N. Y. Tribune, who claims to be acquainted
with all the facts, states that his whole pur-
chAses amounted to only between $4,000
and 100000. He says:
"The arms which Gen. Fremont bought IN
Europe were: 1900 rihe> 500 revolvers, 8
! lihpd cannon, with shot and shell, and 1000,
600 percussion cap. The rifles were new
and Of the precise pattern Of the best stan
dard rifle in use in the French army, and
were made at Liege, in Belgium. After Gen
Frtmon g return to the u. s the Secretary
Of War Mr.. Cameron, sent an order 10 Mr..
Adams and Mr.. Dayton 20 purchase 10000
more rifles, OF the same kind as those purchase
ed by GEE. Fremont. Sill later Mr.. Shcuy.
| Ter, sent TO Europe rs specia agent to pro-
cure arms. offered to buy rifles of the same
! pattern TO the number of 100000. And a
contract was made hy him for 10000 rifles,
/ absolutely, and for 2S,000 mole if they
could be furnished And the rifle is the
same in every respect as the 1000 purchased
/ by Gen. Fremont, save that Gen. Fremont's
were made in Belgium aud the other in
France.
The 500 revolvcrs purchased bv Gen. Fro
mont ere SO highly approved that Mr. Schuy-
Ter sought to buy 10000 more of the same
kind
The rifled cannon, eight in number, were
2,pounders and ware made to order, and
there is no better rltlcd cannon of It's size in
tho service.
These were all the arms purchased by Gen.
Fremont in Europe. He de,i'es to purchase
a large quantity, Al time when arms could
have heen had at peace prices; and II he had
been furnished the MEANS the very ar S
which Mr.. Schuyler is contract ng for now, to
be here at some future time, would have
been already in the hands Of our soldiers.
Gen. Fremont paid for these new rifles
SIC each. He could have had so 600 or
100, 900 at the same price. and one lot of
10000 French rtlcs was offered At Sl3 50,
which have since been sold by other par
ties TO the War Department in Washington
for Se7.
Gen. Fremont thought at the very first
that while the country would pour forth It's
soldiers for the war, there would be an abso
lutte impossihiltv to arm them,aud he thought
to send to the United States AT once l00, 900
small arms and 100 rIfrd cannon, together
with sabers and cavalry equipments for rs 600
men. But he was not allowed to do Sc, and
the result is that the Government is buying
fp Il IL fla ha a1 70 In "A
at higher prices, aud is giving Sc and 81 for
ssbers which he could have had for So, and Is
procuring neither the rifles nor sabres fast
enough. For this reason, in some parts OF
the country whole rcgirn nts OF cavalry and
infantry await arms and equipments. But
this Is not the worst of it. The very few
arms which Gen. Fremon, did buy, amount
ing OF Iy to $50, 900 OF 100000, though ap.
proved by the Government, and made the
samples for other purchases which special
agent is directed TO uake, are pronounced ut.
terlv worthless; and the impression is sought
to be created that he purchased and sent over
all sorts of good for nothing trash, in which
all sorts Of spectators made any amont Nf
money. And this, too, in face ot the fact
tha. the Administration expressed great sat.
isiaction with the few purchases General
Fremont did AXE, and wrote to Mr. Adams
and Mr. Dayton thai ii Was a matter Of re.
get that they had not furnished bin with
funds to have procured larger quantities,
which the Government then authorized
Mr.. Adams and Mr.. Dayton themselves to
procure, and which the Government are
bylng now through the agency of Mr. Schuy.
Ter.