Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-17

as my arrest and release, without any charge pre-
ferred against me- has given rise to inputation nm
L on my character as an officer, l demand a cour
e | OF inquiry to afford me opportunity of clear
ing myself from all stain in q matter which con
slider vital 20 the honor of soldier aad in which
believe have acted for the good of the service
|, alone
Respectfully, your obedient servant
FRANK p BLAIR Jr
Col: First Regiment No. Light Artillery.
, Upon this letter being made known to Gen. Ere
ment, the following order was issued for the COLI
HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT
st Louis, Mo-, Sept. &c, 1861. {
Especial Orders No 2GS
Col F. p. Blair, Jr., First Missouri Light Artlle
ry, IS hereby placed in arrest lie will proeeef
without delay TO Jefferson Barracks and reDor
himself in arrest to Lieut.. Col S. Burbank. Thir
teenth Infantry. comnan ling.
His limits will be those Of the post of Jefferson
Barracks.
By order of Major General Fremont.
CHAUNCEY MCKEEYER
| Assistant Adj utant General
Immediately upon his re arrest, Col Blair pre
pared the following charges and specifications
against Gen. Fremont, and forwarded the same to
| Washington:
COlsBlair's Charges against Gen.Fremont,
CHARGE Neglect of duty, and unOficer-like
conduct
Specification DIN failing and neglecting from
the Sd day of July 1861 to repair to the city of St
Louis In the State of Missouri the headquarters of
the Western Department and there enter upon the
duties belonging to him the military chief of said
department to the serious injury of the public ser
vice therein and the loyal people thereof
Specification (2)-In failing and negecting to in
form himself of the wants and necessities of the said
Western Department, from the Sd day of July, 1861
to the 10th day of July 1861 to the great detriment
of the public service and the injury Of the said de-
| partment
Specification (3) In failing and negectinR to take
proper measures to reinforce and succor Brigadier
| General Nathaniel Lyon, commanding part of the
| army of the United States, at Springfield in the
State of Missouri from the 81 day of July 1861 to
the 10th day of August, 1861, the said post of
Springfield being all the while in immediate peril
from the enemy, whereby the forces of the United
| States at or near Springfield were many of them
sacrificed and the residue compelled TO abandon
said post, to the serious detriment of the govern
ment of the United States and State of Missouri and
the people thereof
Specification DIN failing and neglect1ug to take
proper measures to reinforce or succor Major -
Beckett, commanding a part of the army of the
United States at Lexington in the State of Missouri
from the 18th day of August 1861, TO the lst day
of September, 1861, the said post at Lexington be-
ing all the while in imminent peril from the enemy
whereby said post left to the power of an over
whelming foe, and was assailed by said foe and |
preserved from destruction only by the heroic vaor
Of the officers and men of the post after Lkey had
been so grossly abandoned by the said Major Gen. |
eral John G. Fremont.
proper measures to reinforce and succor Colonel /
James A. Muligsn, commanding post of the army
Of the United States, at Lexington, in Lafayette
county in the State of Missouri from the 10th day
of September, 1861, to the 10th day of September
1861. the said post at Lexington being all the while
IN Imminent peril from the enemy, whereby the
enemy were suffered to assault the said post and !
conquer and take the same to the great disgrace of
the national arms and the detriment of the ser
vice.
Specification (6)-In suffering enc Martin Green
and other guerilla chiefs of the enemy to recruit
an army in Northeastern Missouri of from 5000 to
1000 men, and to overrun and ravage Northern
Missouri - day of August, 1861. to about the
10th day of September 1861, without taking proper
measures to suppress the bands of said Martin
Green aud other guerillas whereby a vast amount
OF the property of the loyal inhabitants of said sec
ton of the State of Missouri was wasted and de-
stroyed; many of said inhabitants were driven out
OF said Northeastern Missouri by the enemy and
many were compelled by the enemy to take oath Of
an allegiance to the pretended tratorous and insur
rectonary government, called the Confederate
States of America.
Specii;Gtio (7)-In suffering and permitting one q
Stephen A. HUrlbut, a BFigader General In the | .
army of the United States, and his authority to be
and remain in command of the forces of said Gov
ernmant IN Northern Missouri, from the 10th of
August, 1861, to about the 10Th day of September
1861, knowing him, the said Stephen A. Hurlbut l
from the ofcia report of his superior officer Briga
der General Pope, to be a common drunkard, and 5
1uuG Ill VI Salu TIME 10 command, TO the great q
1etrment of the service and q the loyal people of
Missouri.
Specification (8)-In neglectirg or refusing, on or b
lbout the lst day of September, 1861 when post Il
IT the army of the United States at Lexington IN s.
hekcounty Of Lafayette, State OF Missouri was in
imminent peril from the enemy and in need of i'm 4
nediate succor and reinforcements, TO receive or
rear one Richard Vaughn, Esq, who had come .
rom said Lexington to his headquarters, in the city II
# st Louis, TO lay before him. the said Msior-Gen
j u, Fremont Distressed Of !
ost, and to solicit succor and renfsrcements for e
he same, be, the said Major General ]. G. Fremont b
pretending and insisting that he was too busy to u
eceiYe hear the message of said Vaughn: and pl
Though he, the said Major General J. &. Fremont
vas informed that the message of said Richard III
aughn related to matters of the most urgent necs
ity, and demanded immediate action he the said pl
Ia jor-General J. G.. Fremont would not receive pl
INA, the said Richard Vsughn, nor hear him; nor az
id he give any assistance to the said post in Lex n
lgton, IN so imminent peril. u
Specification ON appointing, on or about the ! "
tn day OF August, 1851, 10 high place of conf -
enee and trust under his authority, viz Master of N
ransportatiOns in the Western DEPARTMENT one | -!
r Edward II. Castle person of disrcputabe char
2ter; in keeping the said Castle in said office and ~
lace of trust after being fully informed of his ~
laTacter TO the great detrilent and Disgrace of ~
lie service.
Specification Q0)-In establishing about mis- head
larers in the city of St. Louis tarsicadc, where -
information absolutely indispensable to the pub NJ
service was repealed and shut out from his mind p
}, the said General Fremont refusing and prevent ~
g himself, By such means, from being informed of
alters of the most Importance for hours and even N
ys, to the great detriment of the public service en-
Spec fcGtiOn (ll)-In not taking proper measured NJ
hile in command Of said Department of the West a.
put down rebellion within the State of Missouri be
i've out and expel the invaders from said State th
ID reestaosh The authority of the United States hi:
erein. -
SPECIFICATION C2)-In this that Captain Willard, of
e steamboat Sunshine, q steamboat in the employ
the United States Government, was sent by Col
llllgan from Lexington on or about the 10th dsy NJ
September, 1861, to convey certain officers with
patches to Col Davis, commanding at Jefferson n
ty, IN the State of Missouri And when said
'am6oat Sunshine reached Glasgow, in the State
Missouri, on its way to Jefferson City it was der
ed into and upon blythe armed enemies of the United Or
ates Government, and compelled to land and tran
rt the forces of the enemy from the North to the zoe
uh side OF the Missouri ryer and that the said Rel
pit. Willard obtaining the dispatches from Col. v
llllgan to Col Davis from the officers having Il
I'm In charge, and making his escape came with Wits
delay to ths city of St. Louis and repaired i'm tn
diatey to headquarters, and then addressed q ZEN
y to the said Major General John c. Fremont at !
ting briefly heGiacts above rected and that he ga(