Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-05

lCoMMUNICATEDI
Army Purchases-"B guIaT'' and "IrreE.
ular.H

Adjutsnt- General Thomas, in his report,
lays much stress npon the fact that General
Fremont has made many Of his army pur-
chases in an irregular" manner; that the |
articles had not been regularly advertised |
for by the regular officer, whose duty it was
to make the purchases.
This, even if true, is a poor argument |
against the competency Of General Fremont
to command an army. 1t should be the duty
of a commanding General to supply his army
with those things necessary and indispensi-
BILE for its use, even though, in SO doing, he
should have in the nature Of circumstances
to resort TO some Irregularities.
Now, it is fact, apparent to the mind of
eve Iy clear. headed business man, that pur-
chases Of certain articles caa be made to bet
ter advantage in the manner which the Adju-
tant General charges as irregular, than
by his regular method. We will take
q case in point:
A few weeks since the Quartermaster-
General paid flying visit to st. Louis to
look into Fremont's affairs, and while there
we presume it occurred to him that he must
do something regular in order to show Free
monrs Irregularities, and forthwith there
appears an advertisement for, together with
other articles in like large quantities. ten
thousand mns of hay. At that time hay
was worth in this market, the cheapest in
the country, and at points of delivery on the
river between this city and Louisville, from
81 to So per tun. The cost of transportation
to st. Louis would be 81 per tun, making the
hay cost, delivered at st. Louis, from $ll to
$12 per tun.
Now this contract for ten thousand tuus
was awarded in the regular way to batch
of political contractors at $l7 95 per tun, or
at a cost of more than $50, 900 to the Govern
ment more than it need to have cost.
The effect of this regular advertisement
together with others which have since ap-
peared for the same article, was to advance
the price from So to So per tun upon the
very article the Government was desiring to
purchase cheap.
Complaint is also made of the construction
of pontoon bridge at Paducah, and that no
appeared.
Whether or not the bridge was necessary,
we shall not discuss, but we presume that
General Fremont thought it was. General
Fremont had just taken possession OF Pa
ducah, an important strategic point, by q
small body of troops-all he could spare for
that purpose. 1t was an advance into the
enemy's country, and a prudent commander
| must observe great prudence and caution.
| Pillow, with large force, variously esti-
mated at from thirty to sixty thousand, was
within thirty to fifty miles, and reported to
be advancing on Paducah. Fremont, having
an eye to the safety of his troops, saw that
should they be attacked and overpowered by
a superior force, they had no possible means
of escape and must be captured. Any one
having knowledge of the position of Pa
ducah will see this. Bounded as it is by the
Tennessee and Ohio Rivers, had superior
force come upon our little army there, with
out Notifications or intrenchments as they
were, they could not have escaped-even by
the aid of an old scow, or the ferry-boat,
which the Adjutant- General suggests would
have been much cheaper Fremont in order
to prevent any such possible calamity, con-
Cludes to construct a bridge, and to do it
spends 100000 irregularly and unnecessa-
rily, as the Adjutant- General thinks.
Now, the second count in this charge is
that the bridge was built without any adver-
tisement having been made for materials If
it can be shown that the materials cost no
more or less in this way than they would
have cost by advertising for them, we
presume the charge has no weight. We
are informed that the average cost of the
barges for the construction of the bridge
was about $3.50 each. Also that the aver
age cost of these barges when new was
about $3.50. That all the barges takeH
were good and sea worthy. New it would
seem that these purchases were fairly
made, and that the prices paid were not high
1t required for the bridge all the good bargeE
here-they were wanted at once; and had an
advertisement appeared calling for that num-
ber of barges, the owners, who knew how
many were here, might have asked much
more for them. A weightier reason, however
for the purchase of these bridge materials
was this: That it was not thought by thu
General desirable to inform the rebel com
mander, through the newspapers, which wer'
at that time going regularly into Kentuck!
and the South, that he intended constructing
a pontoon bridge, to save his army in cas-
they were attacked by superior forces.
The whole ofense of Fremont in this AM
all other matters seems to be that he dare
to think and act without a close consulta
ton with all the Departments, which woul,
only have been furnishing the enemy with hi
plans. His Adjutant General, however, con
cuded to dog Fremont through Missouri
ascertain his forces and their disposition, hi
plans and operations, in order that they ma
90 to Richmond through the columns of tn
Tribune and Herald. While our Secretar,
of War, Adjutant- General and Cabinet ar
reaping the indignation of our own peopl
for their contemplate course in relation :
Fremont, they are doubtless being thanke
and toasted in Richmond for the valuable in
formation they are constantly furnishin
! those in arms against us.
! The Manchester calico dyers and printer
have discovered that apple juices supply
! desideratum long wanted in making faE
colors for their printed cottons, and number
J Of them have been into DeVonshire and tn