The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-10-08
The Rrcmnnt mud nInir ninlcullx.

i"u 'iuSh VI Opls blalr 10 accapt his foleaN
iiom arrest by order Of Gen. Fremont, at The
request Of tho Postmaster General, obligos Gen.
Fremont TO prefer ch,rges against him for trial
by Court Martial, which arc as follows
FtKsr CHARGE. Conduct unbccoming an
officer and gentleman.
SPECIFICATION That taid Col Frank T.. Blair
| while acting sS Colonel of tho 1st Regimen
Missouri Light Artillery. thcn in tho service OF
| the United states, and In the Western DEPART
| ment thereof, did, at the City Of 81. Louis, in
| tho State Of Missouri, Tn divers occasions he
tween the lst and 2Oth day Of September, 1861,
| speak Of and concerning Major Con J. &. Fra
| mont, who was then the Commanding General
ol said Department. in terms unbccoming an
| ohc"r ana gentleman, assailing his pcrs,nal
and official character, charging him with ina.
biiity and inefiiciency; that said Blair used his
position as member Of the military housahold
| ~ the Commanding General, TO give weight TO
| his assaults.
Second SPECIFICATION That said Col. Blair
made secret charges against his said Command
ing General in u letter which he wrote on the
first day d september, 1861 10 his brother,
Montgomery Blair, Postmaster General Of the
mt,d States, one of the Presidents Cabinet
| officers, wherein he sought 10 eflcctuato tho 70
| mtNal OF said Commanding General Said
| charges were made, not Ia tho Secretary of War
| ~ to the Commander In Chief Ot tho army, but
10 tho PoStniasi icr iencril his brother, thus
using his family relations with tho Cabinet TO
set secret, insidiOu-, unsustsined and ungen.
ucmarly charges against said Cumman ndinR
leiun before the President of the United
states his purpose being 10 have appointed,
without consultation with the mlitar, author
| nies, a Commission 10 investigate tho afrains
ard management Of said Western Department,
| to be directed by and 10 consist In part of tho
brother Of said Col. Blair tho accuser.
ings were calculated to, and did III birt 1isedfu
the Presidents confidence in said Commanding
| General and tho administration of the affairs Of
said Western Department.
| That said Col Blair's course also impaired
and paralyzed the efficiency Of said military do
| partment.
Third lSpceiGr ItiDn.-That said Col. Blair
| wrote said letters TO his brother, Montgomery
| Blair, for the purpose Of cfTecting the removal
OF his said commanding general, without aE-
iordng him an opportunity of defersc.
CHARGE SEC ND That said Col. Frank p.
Blair, whilo acting a. the Colonel of tho 1st
Regiment Missouri Light Artillery, while in the
service oi the Army Of the United States and
in the Western Department thereof, wrote and
carried TO bs Published, over his own signature,
In the Missouri Democrat, an article on the sub
ect Of said lBlar's arros', 10 answer tho charges
herein preferred against him, In which article &C
ours the following language, viz; "Iassure you
Cmeantng the editors OF said nowspapeT) whether
you believe mo or not, that do not even shrink
from tho pomp)us threats which appear in
your columns, but whose unfamiliar garb be-
trays another origin - which said article was
written AMI plblishel by said Blair for tho pur-
pose Of and with the intent to convey the un-
just and false impression that said article was
written or caused to be written by said Major |
General.
S'com Spec fcdfioq-Thlt said Blair, while
acting as Colonel Of the 1st i, giment Missouri
ight Artillery, wrote and caus vi 10 be pub
lshed in the City Of s.. Louis, in the State Of
Mssouri, "A fa'so and delamatofy article yer
his own signature in which occurs the follow
ing language, viz. : 81 reply that never
asked Gen. Fremont person Al favor that he
did not grant II Immediately. | never
recommended him to give contract to any ono
that no did not use his influence to obtain It,"
The copies Of the cCrrespondence which pre-
cedsd and resulted in tho final production of
the copy Of the letters from Col. Blair to his
brother, Montgomery Blair, are hereto append
ed and made part hereof j. @. FREMoNT,
Major General Commanding.
The letters between Mrs. Frem ont and the
President relate to the demand by the former of
a copy of letter sent by Col. Blair to his bro
ther, the Postmaster General, and which had
been laid before tho President, who declined to
| icecde 10 hor request without authority from
| the writer. Finaliy, in response to a demand
| from Cen Fremont, the Postmaster General sent
| him Col. Bllirs letter whch forms the basis of
the charges for which be is to be tried by Court
Martial and from which we extract the follow
ingi
ST. LOUIS, Sept. I, 1861.
Affairs are becoming quite alarming in the
northern part Of the state as we'll as in the South.
Men coming here TO give information are not
| allowed to approach Fremont, and go away in
disgust.
| ihayo felt it my duty to tell him what they
say, and be throws himself behind the reports
4 80 -.
shield themselves for neglect Of duty, and he
still clngs 10 them and refuses TO Fec Tor him
self. IL Is very certain that II he had sent the
| regiments 10 Lyon that he took to CaIo, when
| it was supposed that place was threatened,
| Lyon would have driven McCulloch from the
| state.
cannot say whether the attack was seriously
con emplated on Cairo that time or Lot but l
am di posed to believe thai the movements by
| McCulloch and Pillow were intended TO lie
| simultaneous and coop 'raie, but Lyon should
have had some part Of tls reinior ;enents at any
| rate, and If he had received two regiments, his
victory would have been complete. undertake
| 20 say, II Fremont acted on them as he does
| now Il was away and cannot speak on that
head, he could not bave lutomed himfelf very
accurately Of the necessities OF bis position
| The event shows that no attack was made upon
Cairo aud it was probably ayerted by the rein
forcements sent. If the same or one half OF the
| regiments had been tent 70 Lyon, we should
have had equally satisfactory results.
There is one point which did rot refer TO In
nv letter, and which intended to remark on,
aLd that Is the utter wait q discipline In the
camps round and about St Louis. It Is q 10
hearssl of the state Of affairs in Washington be-
fore tho fight at Manassas, and win, am ap
pTeht nsive, conduco 10 similar results.
brought these matters TO Fremonts attention,
but he put Il aside by saying Il would not do 70
! be too exacting At onco. Our enemies At ths
door, and yet too early TO impAr discipline b
our uoops and keep them out og the Whisks