Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-10-18
THE FRFuONT FEUp.
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN Jessie"
coin AND TIE BLAIRS.

| COLIN AND THE BLAIRS.
In the northern press we find the Fremont
Correspondence at length. 1t will be seen that
Mrs. f. was the principal actor on the part Of
the general The following is the letter of Col
Blair to his brother, the Postmaster-General
which occasioncd the arrest of the former by
Gen. Fremont for conduct unbecoming an
officer and a gentleman: -
ST. LOUIS, September /, 1861.
DEAR JUDGE: wrote you quite fully about
our affair here by Judge Gamble, and / am
more and more convinced of the views | stated
to you in that letter Affairs are becoming
quite alarming in the northern hart Of the State
as well as in the south. Men coming here to
! give information are not allowed 20 approach
! Fremont, and go away in disgust.
| have felt it my duty to tel him what they
say, and he throws himself behind the reports
Of his officers who are trying to prevsTicste and
| shield themselves for neglect Of duty, and he
still clings TO them, and refuses to see for him
self I told him be would not escape RESPONSE
| bility Ia that way, and he would very sOon find
/ an army Of 10000 strong on his hands in North
/ Missouri, threatening 81. Louis and diverting
! his attention, and occupying the forces he de-
! sired 70 use against McCuloch and Pillow. He
talks Of the vig0r he is going 10 use, but can
/ Sc none Of il, and fear Il viii turn out 10 be
| some rash and incOnsiderate move adopted IN
| haste TO make head against formidable force
! which could not have accumulated except
I through rross and iuexcusable negligence. Oh
! fJf one heaa Of our dead LYON. Many haze
| been disposed TO blame Fremont for not sending
reinforcements TO Lyon, and thus aveTting the
| calanlities brought on by his death, and the
| abandonment Of Springfield by his command.
! II very certain that If be had sent the regi-
ments TO Lyon that he took 10 Cairo, when il
was supposed thar place was threatened, Lyon
would have driven AcCulloch from the State.
| cannot say whether the attack was seriously con-
/ templated on Cairo that time or not; but / am
! disposed 10 believe that the movements by Nc
| CuiIoch and Pillow Were intended to be simulta-
ueous and cooperate, but Lyon should have had
some part of the reinorcemente st any rate and if
he had received two regiments his victory would
have been complete. / undertake to say if Ere
| mont acted on them as he does now / was away
| and cannot speak on that head) he could not
! have informed himself very accurately of the ne
cessities ofhis position. The event shows that
no attack was made on Cairo, and il was proba-
| bly 6verted by the reinfOrcements sent. If the
same OF one-hslf Of the regiments had been sent
to Lyon, we should have had equally satistsc-
| tory results.
The views hsve given Of this matter are
! facts becoming public opinion here, and think
! the government should know it. Probably you
! have information that will satisfy you that Ere
mont was to blame. If go the public here should
know It also, in order that the confidence Of the
people should not be withheld from the com
| nandins general. could not think, when first
returned here that any part Of the blame could
rest with him, but my observations since have
shaken my faith to the very foundation.
There is one point which did not refer to in
nv letter, and which intended TO remark on,
and that is the utter wsnt OF discipline in the
camps round and about St. Louis. Il is a re-
hearsal Of the state Of affairs at Washington
before the FIGHT of Manassas, and will, am ap-
| prehensive, Conduce 10 similar results. !
! brought these matters 10 Frem0nts attention,
but be put il aside by saying that it would not
| do to be too exacting a. once. Our enemies at
the door, and vet too early 10 iupart discipline
/ to our troops, and keep them out Of the whisky
| shOps!t know that you and l are both in
some sort responsible Tor Fremont's appoint
ment, and for his being placed in command of
! this department, and therefore | feel another and
an additional motive 70 speak out openly about
these matters. Ny decided opinion Is that he
/ should be relieved OF his command and man
of ability put in his place. The sooner it is
I done the better.
/ have given you my opinion and the ground
! for i. If the government knows more Of his
plans than I know--ii you are satisfied with
them-then you can bum this paper and say
| that I am an alarmist; yOu know, however,
that l am not.
No man has been more hopeful than / have
been up 10 within a few days past / felt salts
frd OI Ey TalaTIs here that atfars were critical,
but that the-success and elation of the enemy
could be TUNED to good account, If the proper
steps were promptly taken. They have not
been taken, and either the government has failed
70 support Fremont as be should have been, or
he has failed to apply the means at his disposal
Affairs are worse than they were two weeks |
ago, and are getting worse every day. Seces- !
sion increasing, and the Union men driven out, !
and the general, fear, incapable of comprehend
ING his position. His recent proclamation is the |
best thing Of The kind that has been issued, but
should have been issued when he first CANE, |
when he had the power to enforce L, and the en-
eIny no power TO Trtaliate. Now they are sub
stantially enforcing against Us the substance Of
his proclamation outside Of St. Louis and our
garrison. want you 10 lay these things to
your heart, and get ready 70 apply the remedy
before il is too late.
/ win write you again very soon. l hope !
may have better news TO give you. l shall be
but too happy if anything occurs to restore my
confidence in Fremont.
] am well-betteT thaH ] have been for eight
months Yours afeetionately,
TSgnedl FRANK BLAIR.
The preliminary correspondence between Jesse
Benton Fremont and the President, and the let
ter from Judge Blair to Gen. Fremont, forward
ing the letter Of his brother, are somewhat graph
ic and NAV possess historical interest. For
these reasons we give them:
LETTER FROM MRS. FREMONT.
To the President Of the United States
l was told yesterday by Mr.. +. p. Blair, ST.,
that five days since a letter was received from
his son, Col. Frank 2. Blair, and laid before you
by his son, Postnaster-General Blair, containing
certain statements respecting Gen Fremont and
his military command in the Western Depart
ment, which letter was submitted to you as
/ President.
l was further told by Mr. Blair that in that
letter you sent Postmaster-General Blair to St
Louis 10 examine into that department and
report
On behalf of, and as representing, General
Fremont have te=squest that l be furnished
with copies Of that letter and any other commu-
nication, if any, which IN your judgment, have
made that investigation necessary.
I have the honor TO be,
Very respectfully,
LSignsdl JESSIE BENTON Fremont.
MRS. FREMoNT's SECOND LETTER TO THE
PRESIDENT.
Mrs Fremont begs 10 know Of the President
I II the answer 10 bcu. Il IE6nOnt 4tLttI t6u Dt
given 20 her without much further delay. Mrs
Fremont is anxious 70 return to her family, and
| takes the liberty Of asking reply by the mes
| senger
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY.
WASHINGTON. D. C. September y, 1861.
Mrs. General Fremont;
MY DEAR MADAM; Your two letters OF to-day
are before me. / answered the letter You bore
me from Gen. Fremont on yesterday, and, not
hearing from you during the day, sent the an
swer 10 him by mail.
It is not exactly correct, as yog say you were
told by the elder Mr.. Blair, to say that sent
Postmaster General Blair to St Louis to examine
into that department and report. Postmaster
General Blair did 60, with my appreciation, to see
and converse with Gen. Fremont as a friend |
do not feel authorized to furnish you with copies
of letters in my possession, without tho consent
Of the writers
No immersion has been made on my mind
against the honor OF integrity of General Ere
mont, and l now enter my protest against being
understood as ecting in any hostility toward
him Your obsdient servant,
rSi0ued1 a LINCOLN.
GEN. FREMONT TO THE PRESIDENT.
September IL, 1861.
To She President Of the United States, Washington
d. c.
II r Il.