The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-29

what setter title to Immortality could any man
show?
rhe wail or Lexangeon--Yvhy lullIgen
WAS not Observation-Disclosures vindi-
Gated.
We make the following extract from the
speech Of Hon. Schuyler Collar, in defense OF
Gen. Fremont, delivered on Friday last II Is
but an extract. but sufficient to justify the Gen.
eral with the honest and patriotic people. The
speech Was made in reply to the attack Of +. Z.
Blair:
come now to the fall Of Lexington. hap.
pened TO be in st. Louis on the 14th OF Septem.
Der, and found the whole city excited with the
news that had just reached there, that Price was
marching upon the gallant defender Of the town
OF Lexington, and when my friend speaks about
the Home Guard, t appears to me that Colonel
Mulligsn didn't bearv very high testimony 70 their
gallantry then. But saw Lieutenant Governor
Hall, and he told me that Price was marching
toward Lexington with fifteen thousand men,
and that Fremont ought to send out a column
to intercept him. asked him how many men
Fremont had, and be said he thought he had
twenty thousand. thought If he bad that num-
Der he certainly could send out some, and went
to Gen. Fremont, full Of zeal for the REINFORCE
nent of Mulligan, and told him what Lieutenant
Governor Hall had said, and that IL he had TWEEN
ty thousand men some ought to be sent out
He eaid: II will tell you, con6dentially, what
would not have known in the streets OF st. Louis
for my life. They have got the opinion that
have twenty thousand men here. will show
you what really have got" He rang his bell,
and his secretary came and brought the muster
roll for thatday and by that muster roll he had in
st. Lonis and within seven miles round about, less
than eight thousand men, and only two of them
full regiments. 1t was beggsry array OF an
army, and il was all needed to defend that city
at that time But asked him il he could not
spare some of these? Sir, the tears stood in his
eyes, as he handed me two Geographic dispatches
he had that day received from Washington. I
will read them, that you may see how little was
at his command to re. enforce Mulligan. Mr.. Col.
fax then read the dispatches, ordering him to
send five thousand armed infantry to Washing
ton, and continued: have shown you that he
had the men, but no guns: and when be bought
guns, the necessity for which was imperious, he
was denounced from one end of this country to
the other because they we're not Springfield RI
fes of the best quality. Yet he must send five
thousand well armed infantry to Washington at
once, and this draft on him was to be replaced
by troops from Kansas, or wherever he could
best gather them. l asked him, "what can you
do (and my heart sank within me as asked the
HoSosohJ hVtC Will iOTCc, ana YOUR
best forces sent away to Washingtonf" Said
he, Washington must be in danger, and they
must have my troops, though Missouri fall, and
fall myself" After heard that, would have
been traitor to my convictions if did not
stand up to defend this man, who was willing to
sacrifice himself to defend the imperiled capital
of the country.
He telegraphed to Washington that he was
preparing to obey the order received, and doubt
not it made bis heart bleed knowing the strait
Muligan was in. Then he telegraphed to Gov
Morton and Gov. Denison for more troops, and
the answer he received was that they had receiv-
ed orders 10 send all their loops East So there
his reliance failed. Ny friend says that it can
not be shown that he moved any of his men un-
til after Lexington had fallen. Lexington fell on
Friday, the 22d of September. Iwell remember
the day. Here are dispatches to Gen. Pope on
the 10th OF SEPTEMBER, and dispatches from Gen
Sturgis to Col. Davis hurrying the men, The
wires were hot with orders hurrying the men to
re-enforce Mullgan Pope telegraphed on the
i7th OF September that his troops would be there
day after Tomorrow, which would have been two
days before Lexington surrendered, and Sturgis
thought he should be there on Thursday. Col.
Mulligan told me himself that if Sturgs had ap-
peared on the opposite side of the river he
thought Price would have retired Thus from
three sources Fremont sent on troops to re.en-
force Mulligan, but he failed to do it because
the elements seemed to be against him, and not
because he did not seek to do 80 in every possi.
BILE way that he could send succor to him, At
this very time there were all the different posts
in Missouri to be held his three months men |
were rapidly retiring, and his best men sent to |
Washington Price, with fifteen thousand men. |
marching to Lexington Mccullough threatening |
Rolla, Hardee threatening Ironton, and Polk and |
Pillow at Columbus; and all over the State we're
bands of rebels-about eighty thous.
aud men.-threatening him, and he with an mad.
eqnate force to meet them. And while thus
struggling from every side were launched against
him the poisoned arrows of hate and partisan en-
nifty; and while Frem.nt was out hunting the
enemies Of his country, somebody was in St
Louis hunting up witnesses against him, and
giving &c pdrte testimony taken there and while
ne was facing the foe, endeayoring to secure
victory, a synopsis of the testimony was sent
ipon the wires all over the country, so that the
public mind should be poisoned against him, and
lis overthrow might be the easier l think, in
he name of humanity--if there is no such word
IS Justre-they should at least have sent him
his evidence after he came back to his post
tut to this very hour the committee have not
ent him this testimony at ALL