, 1861-11-02

:ottaNR. ;TfdEbo1Y Yof u6up6z ID md 70 Be t6s
bet equftped nj best supplied Of Ae whole
amy. They certainly arc, 20 fa< ~ means oI
transportation are concemed.
At Upton, beside Gen. Fremont and stat,
bis body guard, ,&c., ]. found part Of Gen
H1nters 1st Dl7iston md Gen. Asboths ~
= he foree designed to aet against Ptics eon-
s1sts Of five divisions, ~ follows:
lit Division -. .Hnnter's at Tipton ........9,Bo
I'd Division. .Pope's.. ..at Georgetown. 20
g D.is1on- sigsrs st sdt sdtoa u
81 Division. st syfaeuse --..5.sss
Total l..................,........ 769
As soon IS obtained view Of the several
eucampments at Upton, expressed The opin.
ion that tho forces there assembled could not
be moved, as scarcely a1y 1neans Of transpor-
tation Tere visible. I saw Gen. Hunter, sec
ond in command, aud couTersed freely with
him. He stated that there vas great c3nfu.
SIGN, and that Gen, Fremont was utterly fn-
competent; that his own division WAS greatly
scstte1ed, and the force thera present defect
i've IN many respects thathe himself required
100 wagons, but that ke was under orders to
march Ihat day, and some Of his troops were
already drawn ont On the road. BIS cavalry
regiment (Eilis's) had horses and Indifferent
arms, but no equipments. TAe men had to
carry their cartridges in their vest pockets
consequently on their first Days march from
Jefferson City, In . heayy rain which fell, the
Upton {35 m1es) WAS made On mud rohd,
heavy and miry with ra1p8, and parallel to the
railroad and but little distance from It. .Tne
troops were directed by Gen. Freznont to
march without prpViAIDn8 or knapsacks, and
without traneportion. a violent .rain.atorm
came up, and the troops we're EXPOSED to It all
night; were without food for 24 hours and
when food was received, the beef Was found
to be spoiled.
Gen. Hunter stated to me th,t be had just
cneie, Informing him thst but twenty out Of a
hundred Of his guns would 60 Oft These
were the guns procured BY Gen. Fremont in
Europe. I will hera state that Gen Sherman,
at Louisville, made to me similar complaint
Of the great infeTiority Of these European
aIms- He had given the mea orders to fl.
down the nipples. In conversation with Col.
Swords, Assistant Qusrtermaster General at
LouieVil1e, just from California, he stated that
Mr. Believer, who was In Europe with Gen.
Fremont, wrote to Rome friend in San FEar-
cisco that his share Of the profits Of the pur-
cEaEe Of these arms Was $3000O
When Gen. Hunter received, at Jefferson
City, orders to msrch to Upton, he was di-
rected to take Il wagons with him, when he
had only 10 mules, which fact had been du1F
reported to headquarters. At this time, Col.
stevenEon, Of the 7ih Missouri 3 Regiment, was,
without Gen. Hunters knowledge, taken from
him, leaving him, when under marching Or
dere, with only one regiment at Jefferson City
ft to take the field.
GEE. Hunter also showed me the order for
marching to Durock Ferry, dated at Tipson,
Oct 10, which he did not receive until the 12th.
exhibit No. 1o) He also showed me his re-
/ ply, proving that if vas Impossible for him to
[ comply with the order to march. exhibit
No. Il. This order Wss changed to one re-
| quifiDg bin to make single days march,
! exhibit No. 12} =
| When Gen. Pope received his order to ms1ch
to Georgetown, Is miles distant, he wrote
back to Gen. Hunter letter, which read. It
! set tforth the utter imposaibility of bis moving
I for the rant Of transportation aud supplies,
and asked whether Gen. Fremont could mean
| Whist he had Written
Al Of the foregoing facts 60 to show the
xant Of military foresight on the part Of Gen.
pnttirg into, and maintaining in, the field, the
| toTces nEder his command.
Gen. Hunter aleo stated that although the
second IN command, he never Was consulted
b. Gen. Fremont, and never knew anything Of
his Intentions. Such parallel, I will venture
| to assert, cannot be found in the annals OF
military Wa1fsEe. have also been informed
that there is not Missourian On his staff
not man acquainted personally with the
topography and pbyzica1 characteristics Of The
country or ite people.
The fsilnre Of Gen. Fremont to reinforce
Gen. Lyon demauds notice. Gen. Fremont
arrived at st: Louis on the 26th Of July, called
there fIcm New York BY 3 telegraphic dis
E4tch stating that Gen Lyon was Threatened
with DESTRUCTION by 5000 rebels. 1t this
time Gen. Pope bad nine regiments in Nortt
Missouri, where the rebels had no embodied
force. The Confederate forces In the Stat.
we're these under Price and McCulloch, nea
Springfield, in Southwest Missouri, aud thoe,
uncer Pillow, peff Thompson, and ,Hardee
| in Southeast Missouri.
Two Regiments held Ro1la, near the termi
nue Of the Southwestern brsnch Of the Pacif
Rsflroad, while Jefferson City, Boonville, Lex
irRten and Kaneas City had each garrison O
SO or 400 men behind entrsnchments. Cair
and Birds Poiut we're fortified, and defender
with heavy artillery {Pl1ot Kaoh aud Cap
Girs7deeu were terrified after Ger. Fremont
arriVal) ALL these places could be re fnforcei
By railroad and river from St Louis aud North
! western States, and could hold out till rein
J forced, even II attacked BY superior force.
On his arrival in St Louis, Gen Frsmon
,, Tas met BY Capt CaVender, 1st Missouri. an
statements frem the 1atter, aud requests 70
| re-fnforcements; Major Phelps, N IC., froC
Springfield, Dr.. Miller Of Omaha, and man
. .. olher citizens, having ample means Of infol
: nation, made the same Representations, an
.. 1rged the sending Of Is-intoreements. T
> Governor Gamble, Gen. Fremont said, "Ger
: Ene.n He faIled to strengthen Lyon, aud Ii
y 1eenlt. IS il well known, Waa the defeat t
= that most gallant officer. The two regiment
= at Rolla ehould have been rushed iorwas<
!, brought by rail to St. Louis and Rella, an
= thence sent to Lyons foree- Any other &c,
!, eIal in such al emergency would hare pursue
y this Obvious course
7 The battle Of Springfield for more strict
u Wilson's Greek )-ore Of the most despeza,
. ! I'll
Aug. ~, when the brave Lyon fell, and Il
troops bore down BY greatly superior uur
r bers wera obliged to fall back, but were u
y pursued b. badly beaten foe.
= Gen. Fremont called four regiments fro
North Missouri, and went with them to Casr
It Is evident that he had no Intention Of I
inforclrg Gen. Lyon, for the two regiments
,r Rolls, lS5 miles only from Springfield, I
= ceiFed no orders to march, and we're not Eu
,e plled with transportation, and thirty or for
- nlred wagons, just returded rom Springfield
+. we're discharged st Rol'a, Lug. 4. eeTen da
N before the battle, and were returned to i
ts Louis:
ce Alter the news OF the battIe had reached {
10 | Louis, four other regiments were drawn fro
ia | Pope IL North Missouri, and sent to Ral
or Better to have called in these troops befo
= the battle, as after the b2ttla the whole rsy
), lutiousry elements were let loose. The {
q | regiments accomplished rotAfng. They We
"a | rot ordered to advance and cover the retire
~ efLJ on's army, although 1t WAS supposed
" St. loElB that Price and M"Culloch Wero t,
3, loving 1t, and that Hardee Ead moved up
r cut cf his retreat en- the Gascouade,
d. An advaBce Of three regiments would ha
h. eDabl6d the army to retrace Its steps, and
ID bsat the forces Of Price aud McCulloch so ba
r. y that they would have been unable to follt
il our force In their retreat 4 Ia said that {
cry officer IN Lyons army expected to me
tx rtintcrcemente, and to return with them, q,
ia dElve Price ard McCu1loch from the Soat
Il west.
4 Gen. Hunter arrived at st. Louis ffom CT
~ eaEo, called thither oD 8 suggestion fro
3E Washington, ms an adviser. Gen. Fremont So
|e- mitted to MIN for consideration and advice
- spIlpefe1d~' Ii seta ont With etateme
- that Springfield is the strong stragetje
D. point Of that vide elevation which separat
1ee~ Tie waters Of the O6age from those of t
hs Arkansas, the key to the whole 6onthweste
er Missouri, commanding an area Of near4y 60O
milts. Why did not this enter the brain
liz the Major General before the fall Of Lyon, q
Of Ee st1a!n every nerve to hold that Imports
x key in his possession?
lg Gen Hunter, in answer to the paper,
b, Piled. Why march on Springfield, wha
5t. there Is no enemy, and nothing 70 takes {
K. me rather take the troops and proceed to Ii
"a, irgton, in which direction Price wss 1sre
ii. Ing, and where he expected to be Joined
ed ! 5000 rebe1s." Instead Of this he was sent
In / Rolla, without Instructions, aud remain
there untl ordered to Jefferson City, 81
mt Without 1nstf1ctlons, asd thence to Tiptt
r. rhe1e nc Hound him {doe exhibit, No. Is,
ID. No Eteps having been taken by Gan. f
ward bis line Of march, plainly indicating |
~. Intention Ct proceeding to Lexington. Wh
-, Fnhiu some IS miles n7 the xIaf.e he remain