, 1861-10-28
AFFAIRS In MISSOURI.
Letter from Frank BInlf4 Jr.

GI. LOUIE OEtoptt 1os t6o1-
EDITOR ST. LOUIS REPUB11cAE-Sm: You
do me The honor this morning to connect my
nr1ne With tie title Of Major General" It Il
7e1y true, this is done with sneer, but as
am not very tenacious about my military re-
putasiop, I can atford to submit to yonr sar-
casm with good temper. Il Is very evident to
me, from the want Of knowledge shown in the
article, that 1t could not have been written or
any Of its points suggested by the Aids o. Sec
r1ta1ies at Headquarters. It Is clear that it is
merely some Of your own blu1de1ing, excusa-
BILE perhaps from the novelty Of your position,
and the sudden change which has come over
the Republican, since The days Of Camp Jack
possible IT. is that any suggestion, that de-
sired to be Msjor General, could hare come
firm shy well informed quarter, I take the lib
erty Of t1arec1ibbg paragraph from private
letter from Major General John C.. Fremont
to TO- Postmastsr S asss Gsreral BlaiE dassd seRtet
will be q brigade, and fit command for a Gen.
eral Of artillery. I urged him several times to
accept high Iabk and 60 into the Wet, but he
does not Ike to lose his position IN Congress.
I think he is wroDg, but We au set different
values On the same thing"
The testimony you haTe borne to the "won
derful energy" Of Major General Fremont in
1aiaing aH army Of ninety thousand men in few
MONTHS and in the same moments holding
such line as that which you describe as ex-
tending from Cairo to Kansas City, Is very
honorable to the General and to you. AID
ir bali the time Gen. Scott required to raise
eimilez. force, and the 1iIe held by Fremont is
Euch lonGer ttan that held BY Scott, It seems
to NE that nothing can be added to the eulo-
81. But It appears to me tha. your enthusl-
sem for Gen. Fremont should not induce you
to do Injustice to another. Gep. Lyon held
every post Row held By Gen. Fremont, except
Padncab, and he held many others, including
Springfield, not now held By Gen. Fremont,
end never had more than fifteen thousand men
under his command. In fact, Gen. Lyon drous
the tsatn'y entirely out Of tie State Of Missouri
rived and took command, Gen. Lyon never
met with reverse or disaster. I trust that it
will not be regarded as reflection upon
Cen Fremont to say the truth in regard to
Gen. Lyod, and especially as under cover Of
an attack or The q Blair family" yen have de-
famed the dead Lyon by saying, that +" the
Blair policy brought ds to tho verge Of ruin,
even before Gen. Fremont came hsre-" Let
me say that if could properly sud honorably
assume the credit Of the conduct Of affairs In
eral Fremont arrived here, it would be
my pride and glory to do so, but I know
too well what is due to the fame of
| that brave, patriotic and self.sacriacing
soldier, General Lyon, to plume myself up
| longs to his inpe1ishable renown. While,
therefore, I can take 1t in very good temper
that you should laugh at the Idea Of my being
Msjor Ct neral, and when, indeed, If It were
at ali necessary, I could point you to some ex
amplee, not . great Wsy of, which would
serve to illustrate how absurd and ridiculous
snch an appointment would be; at the same
time, I cannot permit you to say that affair
here "were brought to the verBe & Of ruip :. bs :,
universally known that Lyons career wa7, W
to the time Of Gen. Fremont's assuming com
mapd; al uninterrupted series Of brilliant
su cesses, without q reverse or disaster, ant
that even at this instant, it is proposed to ex
change the prisoners he took for Au1ligan an'
thoss We hs7e lost since. I do not intend t.
derceate fri N the high praise you bestow npo'
G.n- Fremont for organizing such laIg
a1my, and holding such 3 Ion s line. I readit
admit that Gen Fremont has more nen tina
Lyon had, but If Lyon hod not the sam
ab!}ity to raise men, jet he had the knack {
Winning victories and taking prisoners, which
afer al, If not 60 glorious, Is not altogeths
without merit. Respectfully,
FRANK 2. BLAIR, Jr,
! Col First Missouri Light ARTILLERY.