The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-03-18

as that now adopted, and under the advice OF
the same officer by whom the present sites
we,o selected, but which ho was unable 10
carry out.
The necessity Of these Notifications was con-
cured in by officers of unimpeachable loyalty
and capacity And such also was the judg-
ment of the loyal inhabitants. to whom they
gave, for the first time, n sense of protection
and security. They were ail out with a view
to command the city itself, as we'll as the ap
proaches to it. The defenses which rest upon
st. Louis constitute the dyke which separates
tho South from tho Northwest. 1t is easy,
after q precaution has been successful, % say
that it was not needed. did not choose to
expose myself to the chances of negect-ei
ther at St. Louis or Paducah-for both Of
which / have been censured, and with equal
! ignorance in either case. The unfairness Of
this attack consists in Judging what was nee
essary for st. Louis then, by It's condition
when left the Department.
! ask the Committee to bear in mind that
the plan for the defense Of the State, and my
operations generally, were all conducted in
reference TO the descent of the Mississippi, 10
which all preparations tended. To complete
the defense of St. Louis, after the withdrawal
Of the army, five regiments of infantry, with
one battalion of cavalry, and two batteries Of
artillery were considered amply sufficient.
1t has been objected that l did not en-
ploy the troops under my command, instead
of hircd labor, for this work. did this in tho
exercise of my Judgment. | did not consider
1t expedient to employ the volunteer troops in
work OF this magnitude, involving SO much
labor and exposure. The hot suns aud heavy
night dews of the unhealthy mouths Of Au,
gust ard September need to be avoided in
that climate. The troops were SO lttlo nc.
quainlcd with arms that all their time was
needed to fit them for the field, while, on the
other hand, the employment Of hired labor
was Of great service in tranquilizing the city,
and relieving the wide spread distress the war
had entailed upon it and which private chari-
ty had exhausted itself in cndcavoring to re-
lieye
Concerning the contract f.r this work, the
Committee of Investigation say it was made
under the Especial order and direction of Gen.
Fremont and concerning the payments, that
they were made upon his ''porsonal order.
The following extract will show that not only
| recognized to have this power, but that
| was, so late as the Sd of September, coun
seled to exercise it by the Quarternaster
General Meigs:
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 1861.
Extract from Letter of the Hon. NJ Blair. j. NJ. G. J
"Mcigs begged me this afternoon TO get you to or
der ljinch guns from Pittsburgh for your gunboats.
He SAYS that the boats empty any battery the Ell
envy can make with such guns. lie advises that
you Gonmct for them directly yourself, telling the
contractor you will direct your ordnance officer to
pay for them
Concerning the contractor the Committee
say that he i, "a Californian who followed
Fremont to st. Louis"
| left California for Europe on tho lst Of
January, On the lst Of August, think, Mr..
Beard left there, coming overland to st. Louis
never wrote him, or in any way commu-
nicaea with him, or knew of his intended
coming. His arrival WAS equally a surprise
and peasur, to me.
knew him to be a man Of unusual energy
and capactv, accustomed to the management
of men on large works, and Immediately APP
piled t. him to undertake the building OF the
tortiIcations. | sent an officer with him to
mako his examinations, and he began his
work, think, on tho second day after his ar
rival, | assigned him one of my ablest Off
Gers 10 Law ont aud supcrintcnd the work, an!
TO remain constantly with him, gave him eve.
~ facility he asked, and drove him to the cx
tent Of his capacity. Six thousand men were
employed upon it, working night and day,
and it was finished rapidly in workmanIlk'
and durable manner. Extra pay was allowed
D the laborcrs, 40 cents per day, | think, and
extra expenses incurred under the pressure au
thorzad. | was satisfied with him and the
I 1 I
him, because he was n stranger and coud
give none. He hcgan his work before ;he
contract was made; an accident delayed its
execution by Gen. McKinstry. When the pri-
cos for his work were under discussion and
were referred to me by Gen. McKiustr:, di-
rected this officer to reduce them to what was
just and reasonable to both parties, having ref
erence 10 tho circumstances under which the
work was done, and the extra prices that had
been paid, S as to leave the contractor what
might be strictly a fair profit on his labor, and
his decision, whatever it was, was approved
by me. For cost Of construction and other
details with which am not acquainted, | re-
specliully refer the Committee to the testimo
ny Of the Quartermaster and the contractor,
whom have asked TO have summoned.
and testimony of the engineers, who planned
and were experimenting the work, will be fur
nished the Committee. The object aimed at
was the completion o. the city defenses in the
shortest possible time. The works are thor.
oughly and well built, covering and compre.
h nIng the city itself and the surrounding
country on length Of about ten miles, and
the total cost is, Il ink, less than 100000.
In my Judgment, having in view the time
aud manner in which they were built, the
money was wcIl applied, aud as a measure Of
,"rodii"v, ~"A po'icv, il was fullv worth to
the Government what 1t cost.
An while examining into the conduct and
events Of the war, | think it right to call the
attention of our Committee to the fact that a
Committee charged to "investgate frauds
came into a Department which was under
martial law, in the midst Of civil disscnsions
encouraging iusubordiua,on, discrediting aud
weakening the authority Of the Commanding
General then absent ia the field, and | offer
testimony to show that their conduct while at
st. Louis created a public opinion that their