The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-11-08


Cavalry. Major Garrett will distribute It
through the country
Sept. %, 1861. ''n''"''
We left st. Louis October II for Gen.
Fremonts headquarters at Upton, one hun.
dred and sixty miles distant, passing the
night at Jefferson City, the Capital of Mis-
souri,, one hundred and twenty five miles
from st. Louis. General Price was in COM
mand of the place with force of twelve
hundred men. The Eighth Iowa were there,
on the way to Upton. At this place there
was accumulated large quantity of forage,
landed from steamboats,, and means of trans
portatlon also, the halt barrels for carry
ing the water, and number of mules, which
Captain Turnkey said he could not get for
ward, having no control over the transport
tation by railroad.
We arrived at Upton at 8 AM, of the
18th: The Secretary of War was called
on by General Fremont, and, upon his invi~
tatlon, accompanied him to Syracuse, five
miles distant, to review General McKinstryis
division, about 5000. This body of troops
IS said to be the best equipped and best
supplied OF the whole army. They certainly
are, 30 far as means of transportation are
concerned.
At Upton, beside General Fremont and
staff, his body guard, &C., found part of
General Hunters lst division and General
Asboth's 18th division.
The force designed to act against Price
consists of five divisions, as follows:
LIST Division. Hunters. at Upton. g $50
"a Division. Pope s..... at Georgetown9, 900
DIVISION. Sa1alIa
9TH Division. .Asboth's. lat Upton. g. Ash
9TH Division. .McKinstry. at Syracuse. %, 1888
TOTAL. ".......... .3S, 789
AS soon as obtained view of the sew
eral encampments at Upton, expressed
the opinion that the forces there assembled
could not be moved, as scarcely any means
of transportation were visible. / saw Gen.
Hunter, second ia command and cOnversed
freely with him. He stated that there was
great confusion, and that Gen. Fremont
was utterly in Ompetent; that his own d.
vision was greatly scattered, and the force
there present detective in many respects;
that he himself required one hundred wag-
ons, but that he was under orders to march
that day, and some of his troops were al
ready drawn out on the road. His cavalry
regiment (Ells's) had horses and indifferent
arms, but no equipments. The men had to
carry their cartridges 10 their vest pockets
consequently on their first days march
from Jefferson City, in heavy rain which
fell, the cartridges were destroyed. This
march to Upton (35 miles) was made on a
mud road, heavy and miry with rains, and
parallel to the railroad and but a little dis.
lance from it The troops were directed to
march without provisions or knapsacks and
without transportation. A violent rain
storm came up, and the troops were ex
posed to it all night; were without food for
twenty four hours; and when food was re-
ceived the beef was found to be spoiled.
Gen. Hunter stated to me that he had
just received written report from one of
his colonies, informing him that but twenty
out of hundred OF his guns would go off.
These were the guns procured by General
Fremont in Europe. | will here state that
Gen. Sherman at Louisville, made to me a
similar complaint of the great inferiority of
these European arms. He had given the
men orders to file down the nipples. In
conversation with Col. Swords, Assistant
Quartermaster General at Louisville, just
from California, be stated that Mr.. SelOver,
who was in Europe with Gen. Fremont,
wrote to some friend in San Francisco that
bis share of the profits of the purchase of
I. ese arms was $4,000.
When Gen. Hunter received, at Jefferson
City, orders to march to Upton, he was di.
rected to take Al wagons with him, when be
had only 40 mules, which fact had been duly
reported to headquarters. At this time
N0lA IS <kn
souri, Regiment was, without General Hun.
ter's knowledge, taken from him, leaving
him, when under marching orders, with
only one regiment at Jefferson City fit to
take the field.
General Hunter also showed me the
order for marching to Durock Ferry, dated
at Upton, October 10th, which be did not
receive until the 18th. Exhibit No. l0)
He also showed me his reply, proving that
it was impossible for him to comply with
the order to march. Exhibit No. 11.)
This order was changed to one requiring
him to make single days march. lex
hibit No l2)
When General Pope received his order
to march at Georgetown, twenty-five miles
distant, be wrote back to General Hunter
q iCtsOl, WuiSu L ACoGs ~ cSt luz III ZIG ustCE
impossibility Of his moving for the want Of
transportation and supplies, and asked
whether General Fremont could mean what
be had written.
All of the foregoing facts 60 to show the
want of military foresight on the part of
General Fremont in directing the necessary
means for putting into, and maintaining 10,
the field, the forces under his command.
General Hunter also stated that, although
the second in command, he never was con-
suited by General Fremont, and never
knew any thing of his intentions Such
parallel, l will venture to assert, cannot be
be found in the annals of military warfare.
have also been informed that there is not
Missourian on his staff-not man &C
quainted personally with the topography
and physical characteristics of the country
or its people.
The failure of General Fremont to REIN
force General Lyon demands notice. Gen.
Fremont arrived at st. Louis on the 26th of
July, called there from New York by tel
egraphic dispatch stating that Gen. Lyon
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