The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-10-12
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS.
Gen. Fremont,s Charges aud Specilica.
lions Against Col. blair.

Gen. Fremoats charge. and speciaca.
lions Against Col. blair.
Charges aud Spsc;fcaions against Col. Frank p
| Blair, Of Ms First Regiment Of Missouri Ligh,
I Artillery, n,c IN TIE service Of the Army Of
Tie United States, and Ae Western Department
1 thereof
| Conduct unbecoming an officer and gentle.
man.
| Specification
| That 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 the
city of ST Louis, in the State Of Missouri, on d.
vers ccasions between the first and twentieth
days Of September, 1861, speak of and concern
ing Major General J. G. Fremont, who was then
| the commanding General of said Department., in
| terms unbecomiDg an officer and gentleman, as
sailing his personal and official character, charg
ing him with inability and nefficiency; that SAID
Blair used his position as member of the mill
tary household of the commanding General to
give weight to his assaults.
Second Specifction. "a
That said Col Blair made secret charges
against said commanding General in letter
which he wrote on the lst day of September, 1851,
to his brother, Montgomery Blair, Postmaster
General OF the United States, one of the Presi-
dents Cabinet officers, wherein he sought to et-
fectuate the removal of said commanding Gene
raj. SAID charges were made, not to the Secre-
tary of WsI. or COMMANDMENT Chief of the Arpy,
but to tic Postmaster General, his brother; thus
using his family relations with the Cabinet to
get secret, i,sidious, unsustaiaed and ungcntle-
manly charges against said commanding General
before the President of the United States, his
purpose being to have appointed, without con-
sultaton with the military authorities, q CON-
mission to investigate the aff,irs and manage
ment of the said Western Department, to be di-
rected by, and to consist in part of the brother
of said Col Blair, the accused; that said vexa.
tious and l.arrassing proceedings were calculated
to, and did, in part, disturb the Presidents con.
6dence in said commanding General and his ad-
ministration Of the affairs Of said Western De.
partment; that said Col Blair's course also i'm
paired and psralyzed the efficiency of said mill
tary department
q Third Specification.
That said Colonel Blair wrote said letter to his
brother, Montgomery Blair, for the purpose of
etfecting the removal OF the said commanding
General, without affording him an opportunity
of defense.
CHARGE SECOND.
That said Col. Frank P. 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 De
partment thereof, wrote and caused to be pub
lished over his own signature in the Missouri
Democrat an article on the subject of said Blair's
arrest to answer the charges herein preferred
against him, in which article occurs the follow.
ing language, VIZ ~ assure you," (meaning
the editors of said newspaper) "whether you
believe me or not that do not even shrink
from the pompous threats which appear in your
columns, but whose unfamiliar grb betrays ali.
other origin;' which said article was written and
published by said Blair for the purpose of con.
veying the Ii just and false impression that said
article was written, or caused to be written, by
said Major General.
Second Specification.
That said Blair, while acting as Colonel Of the
First Missouri Light Artillery, wrote and caused
to be publised ia the city of St. Louis and State
of Missouri, false and dcfamatory article over
his own signature, in which occurs the following
language, viz: Il reply that never asked
General Fremont personal favor that he did
not grant Immediately. \ never
recommended him to give contrae: to any
person, th4. he did not use his influence to Oh.
tain it."
The copies of the correspondence which pre-
ceded, and resulted in the final product of the
copy of the letters from Col. Blair to his brother
Montgomery Blair, are hereto appended and
made pal hereof. They consist of-lst, Mrs.
Fremont's note to the President; Cd, Mrs. FIe-
nont's note to the President; Sd, The Presidents
letter to Mrs. Fremont; 4th, Gen. Fremont's
telegram To the President; 9th, Montgomery
Blair's tel. gram to General Fremont.
[Siguedl john c. Fremont,
Major General Commanding.