The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-10-04
Who is to Blame?

Why was Colonel Mulligan obliged t.
surrenderi History will place his name
beside that Of General Anderson-as one
who did bis duty to bis country. Ar
eight days tight. during which the nation
turned their gaze alternately to Lexington
and It. Louis, proves that be only sue
cnmbed to dire necessity.
Will it be pretended that he could moi
be reinforced The answer is that Lex
ington is upon the Missouri River, and
therefore accessible to ST. Louis Blu,
ought he TO have been in need of rein
forsements! If his position was impor-
tart to the Fedsralists. it mus! have been
equally SO to the rebels, and should either
have been left unoccup;ed. or supplied
with force to hold all corners. A handful
of men, with large government stores, in
such position, was mere bait to tempt
the Confederate army to an attack. ar
There is record to be cleansed in Mis-
souri-a record made by John c. Ere.
mont-which displays to an astonished
people Lyon dead upon the battle field
Sigel Observation-Disclosures abandoned to a
superior force-the veteran General Hun
Ter sent TO Rola with mere handful OF
men-and the government contracts and
patronage in the hands Of adventures.
Why was this record made9
The nation are not used to defea: in
Missouri. At the beginning of the war
they had Lyon and Sigel in that State.
men of action, who dwelt in tents WITH
their soldiers -who fought with powder
and ball, instead of proclamations, and
who, so long as they commanded, held re
bellion in check, and approved their skill
and courage by deeds.
These days are past now. The feeling
of exultation and admiration with which
the people hailed the vigor and successes
of real Generals is now supplanted BY sor-
row for reverses-5y wonder that brave
and skillful officers are defeated for want
of plenty Of men needed only the action
of John @. Fremont to reach them. We
now miss the rugged heroes who fought in
earnest-Lyon forever, because he is dead
and Sigel, because his energetic old fash
toned cannon and bayonet method of
fighting is va'ueless in the eyes of the ma
ker of proclamations.
We repeat. there is record 20 be
cleansed. While Lyon was dying, and
Sigel by his skill and devotion was saving
the army abandoned by their superiors to
their fate. and while MulIigan was max
ing his glorious defence in hope that he,
too, would not not be deserted and left to
defeat, Major General John Charles FIRE.
mont, amid the Injuries of his "palatial
residence" at St. Louis, was pressing his
personal interests, quarrelling with this
man, caressing that, listening to the dull
Get accents of contractors, dreaming Of
political triumphs. and weighing the nice
ties of political fulminatiohs. While the
soldiers slept upon the cold ground-even
while the blood of IIlinoisans was poured
forth in expectation of succor which ne
yer came-while the whole nation, to its
m )st distant boundaries, watched the ap-
proach, and hung with breathless interest
upon the details of the battle at Lexlng~
ton, and hoped and demanded that relief
should be sent TO the devoted garrison,
Major General John Charles Fremont
gave audiences through his lackeys, had
his downy beds, his body guards. his ante
chambers, his dependents, his favorites-
everything except the vigor to save his
beleaguered.
This is the record as it appears upon
the face Victory followed Lyon until
Fremont came Do we or do we not need
General in the West > Chicago Times.