The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-10-31
ANOTHER LETTER FROM FRANK BLAIR.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 20 1901
EDroR ST.. LOUIS RxruMIcAN'--You DO mo the honor
this morning 10 connect my name with the title Of Major
General" 1t is very true this Is done with sneer; but
not very tenacious about my military reputation
can Afford 10 submit to your sarcasm with good temper
II Is very evident TO me, from the want OF knowledge
shown in the article that IL could not have been written
or any Of its points suggested by the aids secretaries
at headquarters. II IS clear that II is merely Some Of
laundering sxcnsable perhaps, frOm the novel
ty Of your position and tho sudden change which has
come over the R>pbcun since the days Of Camp Jack
son and Bonneville In order TO show how impossible
Is that any suggestion that desired to be Major General
could have from any well informed quarter, take
tho liberty Of transcribing paragraph from pri-
vate letter from Major General John G. Fremont 70
Der g. 1851. He says:--"rrank's regiment viii be-
brigade, aud at command for General Of artillery.
urged him several times to accept high rank and 60 into
the but he does not like TO lose his position in Con
gress think he wrong but all set different values
on the same thing The testimony you have borne 10
raising army OF ninety thousand in few months,
and in the same moments holding such line as that
which You describe as extending from Cairo to Kansas
city, very honorable 70 the General and to you And
when you add that this army organized in half the
time General Scott required TO raise similar force aud
tho line held by Fremont is much longer than that held
by Scott, il seems TO that nothing be added TO
the eeogy Bat IL appears 70 me that your enthusiasm
for General Fremont should not induce you to do pjns
tce 10 another. General Lyon held every post now
held by General Fremont, except Paducah, and hc
held many others, including Springfield not now held
by General Fremont, and never had more than 1T
teen thousand men under his command In fact,
General Lyon drove the enemy entirely out u the State
Of Missouri and into Arkansas and unit, General Fremont
arrived and took command General Lyon never met
disaster trust that II will not be regarded
reflection upon General Fremont 10 say the truth
in regard 70 General Lyon, and especially under
Of attack the "Blar family you have DETAINED the
dead Lyon by saying that "the Blair policy brought
to the verge OF ruin before General Fremont
here" let say, that could properly and honora
bly, the credit OF the conduct OF affairs In Mis-
souri, prior to the day upon which General Fremont
rived here, would DO my pride and glory 70 do but
full well what is due to the fame Of that brave,
patriotic and self sacrificing soldier, General Lyon,
to plume myself upon his deeds seek to ap-
proprate what belongs to his imperishatle
nown. While therefore I take 1t in very good
temper that you should laugh at the idea Of
my being = Major General, and when, indeed, II
it all necessary, could point you exam
PICS not great way or which would TO illustrate
how absurd and ridiculous such an appointment would
be- at the time cannot permit you TO say that af
fairs here were brought TO the verge OF ruin before
General Fremont came here,s when II is universally
known that Lyons career was TO the time OF General
Fremonts assuming command, an uninterrupted series
Of brilliant successes without disaster and
that at this instant 1t ID proposed 10 exchange the
prisoners he took for Mnligan and those have
lost do not intend to derogate from the high praise
bestow upon General Fremont for organizing such
large army and holding such long line. readily admit
that General Fremont has than Lyonhad, but
II Lyon had not the ability to raise men, yet he had
the knack Of winning victories aud taking prisoners
which, after ALL II not glorious is altogether with
out merit. FRANK p. BLAIR, JR.,
Colonel First Missouri Light Artillery