The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-10-08
The Fremont ImbrogIIo.
The following letters are published, as
affording the key to the present difficulty
- Trar,orfIg Daoarfcoart.-

~. hOO1S1 OSplOtHbtT lSly lou l.
DEAR JUDGE:-I wrote you quite fully
about our affair here by Judge Gamble, and |
l am more and more convinced of the views
stated to you in that letter. Affairs are |
becoming quite alarming in the northern |
part of the State as well as in the south.
Men coming here to give information are
not allowed to approach Fremont, and go !
away in disgust.
have felt it my duty to tell him what
they say, and he throws himself behind the
reports of his officers, who are trying to
prevaricate and shield themselves for neglect
of duty, and he still clings to them, and re-
fuses to see for himself | told him he would
not escape responsibility in that way, and
he would very soon find an army of 10000
strong on his hands in North Missouri,
threatening st. Louis and diverting his at
tention and occupying the forces he desired
to use against Mccullough and Pillow. He
talks of the vigor he is going to use, but |
can see none of it, and fear it will turn
cut to be some rash and inconsiderate move
adopted in haste to make head against
formidable force which could not have ac-
cumilated except through gross and mex
cusable negligence. Oh for ons hour of
our dead Lyon. Many have been disposed
to blame Fremont for not sending rein
forcements to Lyon, and thus averting the
calamities brought on by his death, and the
abandonment of Springfield by his com
mand. Il is very certain that If he had
sent the regiments to Lyon that he took to
Cairo, when it was supposed that place was
threatened, Lyon would have driven McCul-
Tough from the State. cannot say whether
the attack was seriously contemplated on
Cairo that time or not; but | am disposed
to believe that the movements by Mccullough
and Pillow were intended to be simultaneous
and cooperate, but Lyon should have had
some part of the reinforcements at any rate,
and if he had received two regiments his
victory would have been complete. under
take to say if Fremont acted on them as he
does now Il was away and cannot speak on
that head) he could not have informed him.
| self very accurately of the necessities of his
position. The event shows that no attack
was made on Cairo, and it was probably
averted by the reinforcements sent. If the
4 same or one-half of the regiments had been
sent to Lyon, we should have had equally
satisfactory results.
The views l have 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 Fremont was to blame. If
so, the public here should know it also, in
| order that the confidence of the people
should rot be withheld from the Command
ing General l could not think, when |
first returned here, that any part of the
blame could rest with him, but my obserV-
ations since have shaken my faith to the
very foundation.
There is one point which did not refer
to in my letter, and which intended to re-
I III nd hat u 4 bo of
eipline in the camps round and about Saint
Louis. 1t is a rehearsal of the state of af-
fairs inWashington before the fight at Man
assas, and will, | am apprehensive, Conduce
to similar results. brought these. matters
to Fremont 5 attention, but he put it aside
by saying that it would not do to be too ex-
acting at once. Our enemies at the door,
and yet too early to impart discipline to our
troops and keep them out of the whisky
shops =! know that you and | are both
in some sort responsible for Fremont1s APP
| pointment, and for his being placed in COM
mand of this Department, and therefore
feel another and an additional motive to
speak out openly about these matters. My
decided opinion is that he should be relieved
of his command, and man OF ability put
in his place. The sooner it is done the bet
ter.
| have given you my opinion and the
ground for it, If the Government knows
more of his plans than ] know--if you are
satisfied with them-then you can burn this
paper and say that I am an alarnist; you
know, however, that | am not.
No man has been more hopeful than,
have been up to within few days past
felt satisfied on my return here that affairs
were critical, but that the success and ella
ton of the enemy could be turned to good
account, if the proper steps were promptly
taken. They have not been taken, and
either the Government has failed to support
Fremont as he should have been, or be has
failed to apply the means at his disposal.
Affairs are worse tEan they were two
weeks ago, and are getting worse every day.
Secession increases, Union men driven out,
and the General, | fear, incapable of COM
pretending his position. His recent procla-
nation is the best thing of the kind that
| has been issued, but should have been issued
| VIXEN he first came, when he had the power
to enforce it, and the enemy no power to
retaliate. Now they are substantially en-
forcing against US tie substance of his procla-
nation outside of st. Louis and our garrison.
| want You to lay these things to your heart,
and get ready TO apply the remedy before it
is too late.
will write yon again very soon. hope
1 may have better news to give you. l
shall be but to" happy if anything occurs
to restore my confidence in Fremont.
] am well-better than | have been for
eight months Yours, afectionately,
(Signed) FRANK P. BLAIR.
The preliminary correspondence between
JESSE BENTON FREMONT and the President,
and the letter from Judge BLAIR to General
FREMONT forwarding the letter of his broth
er are somewhat graphic and may possess
a historical interest For these reasons we
give them:
LETTER FROM MRS. FREMONT.
To the President Of the United States;
was told yesterday by Mr.. F. P Blair,
ST., that five days since letter was received,
from his son, Colonel Frank P. Blair, and
laid before you by his son, Postmaster
General Blair, containing certain statements
respecting General Fremont and his mill |
tary command in the Western Department,