The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-01-25

-
1 25th Of October Ward n. Lamon, ESQ.,, arrived
in St. Louis. Captain NcKsevsr snderstood
4 that be was the same Gentleman Who held the
i ONCE Of United States marshal for the District
Of Columbia. (See NcKseyer's testimony. D.
lO6l.) About the same time Captain xcKeever
received = note from Colonel Eaton, military
/ secretary Of 0ensral Fremont, stating that the
/ general wished him (McKsever) to order the
thirty y.ninth Illinois regiment to proceed to
Virginia TO join General Lannon's brigade -
Mr. Lamon (who then had on the uniform Of .
he had four regiments in his brigade, and that
| be was to receive commission of brigadier-
general; that his mission 70 st. Louis vas 70 get
an order from General Fremont Tor the removal
Of this regimont, which McKeever understood
him TO say had been promised some time before
BY the President. The following is copy Of
the order:
Especial Order No. IL
HEADQUARTERS WEsrERH DEPARrnrxrl
Sr. LOUIS, No., Oct 20, 1851.
The thirty.ninth Illinois volunteers Colonel
Light, is relived from duty 10 this department,
to serve in General Lannon's brigade in Western
Virginia. The regiment will proceed to Will
Transport, Maryland. taking three days cooked
rations.
By order Of Major General Fremont
CHAUNCEY NcKEEvER,
Assistant Adjrtant-G General
Official: ADy'r-GENHkALa OFEIcE, Dec. s, SOL.
GEORGE D. RUGGLES,
Assistant Adjatant- General
s.The cost Of the transportation Of this regi-
ment from st. Louie to Williamsport, Captain
AcKeever said, would be some where about thir.
" thousand dollars, and that he knew no object
70 be accomplished by the transfer, except to
give General Lamon' an additional regiment to
| hrsr do Tn A. = -
OF tie committee, the Secretary Of War states
that there is no Law authorizing any commander
Of department to send troops to other depart.
ments without special orders from the Secretary
Of War or the Commander.in-Uhief, and that.
consequently, the removal Of the thirty-nntll
Illinois regiment was made without proper au
thority. The Secretary also states that his de-
partment is not informed OF the military or 9th.
er reasons that existed for the transfer of the
said regiment as aforesaid (See letters of the
Secretary Of War, Appendix ~
Edward Il. Castle, who at this time had
charge of the railroad transportation in the
western department. states that on Sunday eve-
ming, the 26th Of October. Mr.. Lamon was in.
troduced to him as brigader- general, from
Washington, and that he was wearing the dress
of sucl, q military officer His object was to
have Castle send him the next day Sunday by
special express train from st. Louis to Spring.
field, Illinois, at the expense Of the Government.
Castle was, apparently, very much Aattered in
being introduced to so high dignitary as a
brigadier.general, all the way from Washington
to st. Louis. He ordered an engine and car for
the express purpose of not only taking Mr.. La
mon to Springfield, but several of his friends
In going from st. Louis, west, to see General
Fremont, Castle provided that Mr. Lamon should
not only 20 free Of expense, but he directed his
express messenger to SHOW him attention and
contribute to his comfort 1t turns out, from
the letter Of the Secretary Of War, that this
gentlemen who proclaimed himself brigader.
general, and who was wearing the insignia he.
longing to that distinguished rank, had no such
appointment. All such pretenses were unfound-
ed, and, as your committee understand, was al.
80 the pretense that the President had told him
that be might take this regiment He seems to
have made use Of his official position as marshal
position % brigadier- to secure his OBJ
ject Of removing the regiment, and in travelling
in special trains ct public expense"
AZ he has made use OF his position now in
order to exclude the members Of the Senate and
tho House of Representatives from inspecting
the veyy institutions which the Constitution and
the laws put under their charge, and which their
sSscusiS; iS;sshisssi shs dsAw t iQsRssl him
or going to the presiding officer and getting .
permit from him:
"Your committee believe, with Capt. Mckee
yer, that the removal of the regiment had no
object except the qualification of Mr.. Lamon.
But at such time Us shis, when every dollar in
the Treasury is needed to crush out the rebel
lion, they submit that the sum Of CSC, 900 is too
large q sum to be expended for the purpose of
catering the vanity of any single individual
The removal Of the regiment was not only with
out authority of law, but was inexpedient and
without justification. Thirty thousand dollars
of the public money has been worse than squan.
dered in this transaction, which should receive
unqualified condemnation. Mr. Lamon had no
authority whatever to travel In special trains at
the public expense, and be should be called on
| to refund the amount paid for the special train
which took him and his friends from st. Louis
| to Springfield. If be shall not do 30, the pro.
per accounting officers of the Treasury should
| ascertain what that amount is, and deduct the
| same from his salary as Marshal Of the District
Of Columbia"
This is the Mr.. LamOn who is the Marshal of
the District of Columbia Instead OF devotiDg
his attention to the duties of his position, in
| stead Of watching and protecting the interests
Of the Government in the sphere of duty as
signed to him, instead of visiting the Jail as its
public legal guardian, aud attempting to amelio.
rate the condition of it's inmates, as it was mis-
duty to do, he has been engaged in the bust
ness described by the committee Of the House
Of representatives,
Until come time during the last Administra-
| ton, Christian men and women in the city were
in the habit Of visiting the a, ,aAd ministering to
the wants of the inmates. Among others, am
tol6 that good Samaritan of the city-Mr.
George Wood--was in the habit of visiting the
jail at least once week, when he distributed
tracts, papers, and books, among those who
could read, and to whom it was supposed that
they might be useful. Suddenly, an order came
forbiddi0g the admission Of Nr. Wood to the
jall, and that order stands unrevoked to this day
Shortly after reached the city on the lst o.
November last, supposing that might pos sibly
be continued as member of the Committee OF
the District of Columbia, I felt it to be my duty
TO inform myself, among other things, Of tn,
true condition and management OF the jail
Accordingly, have visited it often. have con
versed with its inmates, examined the records o
commitments, and l think may safely say tha
I have been instrumental in securing the dis
charge of several innocent persons. When thi
bill Was under consideration last Friday, l tool
occasion to state to the Senate some Of my oh
servatiOns in that jail. On the day following
, this foreign satrap, Mr.. LamOn, made peremp
| tory order that no person-n0t even member
, Of Congress, or members of the Committee o.
the District Of Columbia, who have the generl
charge Of all matters relating TO the District-
should be admitted to the jail IS visitor Witl
, out first supplicating and securing write
permission to do 30 from him. or unlsss he shoul
! be personally present. When intelligence q
! this order was brought TO me yesterday morI
q ing by member Of the House of Represent,
/. tives, large number Of Senators around m
profered to 60 with me 70 the President En
n demand tho instant dismisssl Of this Marshal
!. not because of his conduct a. detailed by Il
4 committee Of the House of Representatives
: not because he had been strutting through Il
!. States of Illinois and Missouri with stars on
: shoulders. representing himself ~ Brigadi
: ltenersl-not because he had purloined REF
a ment Of troops aad brought Il At great expen
= from St. Louis to the Potomac after it had be,
: transported from Chicago to st. Louis--not b
= cause he had been travelling In special railw
4 trains At the public expense, (althoug for the
!. reasons he ought to have been instantly d
4. misscd,) but because Of his manifest and I
!. knowlsdged deEeliction Of duty % Marshal
n the District, and because Of the insulting CHI
IA acter Of the order he had made in regard to Q
Il admission 70 the Jail.
Il VJnon reneotion concluded to dotermi