Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-10-16
srne Bre,nont-Blair squabble.

Gen. Fremoafs Charges and Specifca-
tioas Aqaaast COL Blair.7-4frs, Ere
monfs Letter to President Liacota-
The Presidents Reply Gen. Pre-
naonfS Demand for Col. Blair's Let-
teys--l2ostmaster- General Bloir's an
s0er- I'VE Letter Of Col. Blair about
Gen. Fremont
FIRsT CHARGE-Conduct unbecoming
on officer and a gentleman.
Specifcation.- said Col Frank p.
Blair, while acting as Colonel Of the First
Regiment Missouri Light Artillery, then
in the service Of the United States, and
the Western Department thereof, did, at
thecit Of ST. Louis, in the State Of Mis-
sour, on divers occasions between the frst
and twentieth days Of September, 1861,
speak Of and concerning. Major-General j.
9. Fremont, who was then the command
ing General of said department, in terms
unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, as
sailing his personal and official character,
charging him with inability and inetficien-
cy; that said Blair used his position as a
member of the military household Of the
commanding General to give weight to his
assaults.
Second Speei5icdtion.-That the said
Col. Blair made secret charges against said
commanding General in letter which be
wrote on the first day Of Ssptember, 1861,
to lis brother, Montgomery Blair, Post
naster-General Of the United States, one
of the Presidents Cabinet officers, wherein
he sought to efectuate the removal of said
commanding General. Said charges were
made, not TO the Secretary of War, or
Commander-in-C Chief of the army, but to
the Postmaster General, his brother; thus
using his family relations with the Cabinet
to Get secret, insidious, unsustained and I'M
gentlemanly charges against said COM
manding General before the President Of
the United States, his purpose being to
have appointed, without consultation with
the mintary authorities, commission to
investigate the affairs and management Of
said Western Department, to be drected
by, and to consist in part of, the brother
Of said Col. Blair, the accused; that said
yexations and harassing proceedings we're
calculated to, and did, in part disturb the
Presidents confidence in said commanding
General, and his administration Of the af-
fairs of said Western Department; that
said Col Blair's course also impaired and
paralyz, ID the efficiency Of said military
department
Third Specification That said Col.
Blair wrote said letter to his brother.
Montgomery Blair, for the purpose of eff
fecting the removal of the said command
inc General. without afording him an OPP
portunity for defence.
CHARGE SEcoND.-That said Col.
Frank F. Blair, while acting as the Colonel
Of the First Missouri Regiment Of Light
Artillery, while in the service Of the army
of the United States, and in The Western
Department thereof, wrote and caused to
be published over bis own signature, in tho
Missouri Democrat, an article onthe sub
ject of said Blairs arrest TO answer the
charges herein preferred against him, IN
which article occurs the following language,
viz: ]" assure you (meaning the editors
Of said newspaper,) whether YOU believe
me or not, that | do not even shrink from
tue pompous threats which appear in your
columns, but whose unfamiliar gar6 be-
trays another origin which said article
was written and published by said Blair
for The purpose Of conveying the unjust
and false impression that said article was
written or caused to be written, by said
Major General.
First Specifcation.-That said Blair,
while acting as Colonel Of the First Mis-
souri, Light Artillery, wrote and caused to
be published in the city Of ST. Louis and
State of Missouri, false and cefamatory
article over his own signature, in which
occurs the following language, viz: 81 r.
ply that l never asked General Fremont q
favor that he did not grant it immedi-
aiely. ] never recommended
him to give contract to any person that
he did not use his influence to obtain IL"
The copies Of the correspondence which
preceded and resulted in the final product
Of the copy of the letter from Col Blair
to his brother, Montgomery Blair are
hereto appended and made part hereof
They consist of--lst, Slrs. Fremont's note
to the President marked [Al; %, MS.
Fremont's note to the President, marked
|fB1; 81, the Presidents letter to MIS-.
Fremont, marked [C]; 4th. Gen F.'enont's
telegram to the President, marked lDl;
5th, Montgomery Blair's telegram to Gen
Fremont. marked e..
(Signed) john Z. FREAoSr
Major Gen. Commanding
[Al
MRS. FREMoNTs NogE TO TIE PRESIDENT.