Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-03-14
GENERAL FREMoNTs DEFENSE

- NbhON1 . IJEE ENOE.
The New York Tribune of Monday pub
fishes Gen. Fremont's statement, prcsente,
to the committee on the conduct of the war il
defense Of his course while administering tn
military affairs Of the Western Department
IL, with documents, occupies five closet
printed pages OF that journal, and Of cours
we can only make brief synopsis Of so volu
mnous a document. We will endeavor
however, to givea correct idea Of its tenor.
"Gen. Fremont was assigned 10 the command in Jnl
iast Inc Department then comprised with Illinois al
the states and territories Of the Mississippi rive
/ TO the Rocky Mountains, including New Mexico II
was furnished with no plan Of a campaign Full discre
tonary powers we're given him. 'Of the Illinois con
urgent OF troops seven thousand we're unarmed Thei
CaNary was without horses or sabtes, their artillery com
Panies hau hafdy any guns, and were wholly without
equipments He pfooomed an order for seven thoussn,
stand o. arms. The order was oouaicrnanded on hi,
arrival at New York On his representation Major HAR
ner was sent TO New York TO aid him in procuring whs
he deemed necessary. With this aid Gen Fremont ar
RANGED iot arms and equipments to be to St. Loui.
sgileh, inr inc complete equipment Of an army corp
OF twenty three thousand men
re receive ed permission from General Scott TO take IN,
held Immediately, and reached his cammand at ST Lou
on the 25ih Of July. Missouri throughout was then /
rebelious State OF the Federal troops few were then in
the heid me term Of the three months expiring
ana the rebels had hty thousand mon on the southern
frontier Of the State. Gen. Pope was Ia northern Mis-
sour, with nearly al the dsposabe Federal troops
Gen Lyon was al Springfield With seven thousand eieht
4uhdfed Gen Prcntss at Cairo with seven regiments.
Lyons and Prcnuss men nearly all three months
enlistment - about expiring. Arms aud money were
wanted, but men offered In abundance The three
months men had not been paid. The Home Guards
were willing TO remain in the service but their G,me,
were destitute General Fremont 10 the President
stating his difficulties and informing him that he should
peremptory order the United States Treasurer there 10
pay over to bis Paymaser General the money in his pos
session. sending force az the time to take the
money. ne received no reply, and assumed that his
purpose was approved.
Five days after he arrived at St. Louis, he went to
oaio, taking three thousand eight hundred for its
reinforcement. lie says that Springfield week =
march and before he could have reached it, Cairo would
nave bcen taken by the rebels and perhaps st Louis lie
returned TO st. Louis the Alb Of August having in
the meantime ordered regiments To- the relief Of Cen
Lyon ana set himself 70 work st Louis 20 provide
further rcinforcements for him, but he claims
delicate cannot be charged to his administration and
quotes ON letter from General Lyon dated on the
5h OF August expressing the belief that he would be
compelled 20 retire. Also, from letter written by
Lyon sadutangeneul in which he says, General Ere
mont was not nattenuye to the situation Of Gclcral
Lyons column
lie shows that the purchase Of the Austrian guns vas
necessity After the battle Of Wilson's Creek expect
ing the enemy would immedaty advance, he fortified Gil
rardeau, ronon, Rolla and Jefferson civ making St
LOUIS nus base and leaving the army free for operations
n the held and claims thar the necessity Of these for
icatons had Been coucurod in by officers u unmpeach
lbe loyalty and capacity. With respect to the aega-
i'm that the work on the ratification u S. Louis
lone under his own special direction. and the payments
made on his personal order he quotes from letter Of We
eheve suhscquen, date, sept 81 from Mr.. Blair tell
ng him that Gen Megs wishes him for GER
am guns personally telling the contractor that his ord
ance oheer would pay for them, as showing that his
owcr so TO act was recognized.
The cost Of the works Was about 100000 and con
ldeung the time and manner in which they built
ZEN Fremont thinks the money was well supplied lie
Npans his purchase q that had been sold BY the
ovcTnment and which was one Of the principal charges
gainst him, think satisfactorily
The turbulent condition Of the State at the end Of Au
nst induced him 10 proclaim martial law. Up TO the
Nh Of September he felt alarm about the safety of
ciierson City St Louis. Gen Price was still upon
Usage. vys.a sft'fr
rce 10 march against him 10 force him to retreat OF 10
AZ on his communications with Arkansas. Want Of
arms and money delayed the movement.
aducah Fort Holt and Western Kentucky where lodr.
ents had been effected, and Northern Missouri taskcd
resources to The utmost. On the llth Of September
heard that Price had arrived At Clinton On the 18Th
at Col Mulligan had reached Lexington and that
rice was near Warrensburg, with a force Of from live
ousand TO fifteen thousand men On the I3th two roo
lents were ordered TO the relief Of Lexington.
On the l4th Gen Smrgis ordered 20 move with all
ICED upon Lexington and the same day, In the
DIST Of all this demand for troops he ID ordered
the Secretary Of War and Gen Scott TO send five
ousand wcll-anncd infantry to Washington without
oments delay He sent them. He had at that time
total force of nearly sixty thousand men Here follows
remonstrance against expecting any general TO be all
iys successful and that general and great
eeess had resulted from his administration, and that
we'd Of his command
The documents that accompany Gen Fremont's de-
nse are very numerous They throw considerable light
ION the internal working Of the administration Of the
partment On the 10 b Of June Gen Mcclellan ele-
aphed Gen. Lyon follows II YOU wish more troops
lm Illinois, inform at Cincinnati. Don't telegram
rect to any Of my sub rdinatcs unless danger is mm
mt Then follow number Of dispatches between va
nus officers detailing their wants, and in
nuons All Gen McClelan's dispatches are fine speci-
ems OF compression and decision. In dispatch from
oonele, dated July 2d, Gen Lyon urges the suppress
IN Of the State journal, and says that the Union
suffering fom too much indulgence.
On the 9th Of Jolly Cen Harding teegraphs to the Sec
tary Of war urging the necessity OF cavalry regiments
prairie service and saying that much has been lost
want Of them, a bout the 18Th ID Iuly the
neras inquire Of each other about the truth Of the
port that Gen fremouts appointed 10 command them.
hey nll appear 70 be working together tremendously,
leeriuly and vigorously On the 26A # July NJ Blair
leRraphs Fremont from Washington that he get .
attention to Missouri or Western matters from the
lhoiues, ana adding You will have 10 do the b. 81
"a can and take an ueedfl responsibility defend and
rotect The people over whom you specially set
Gen Lyon complains frequently that his men have not
Re becoming dispired on account Of the neglect On .
le OH Of August the Presidents private secretary tce-
raphs 10 Gen Fremont The President desires 10 know
nelly the situation u affairs in the region Of Cairo
lease answer We do not find that this inquiry was T.
answered by the General
Some remarkable communications from the Hon I
montgomery Blair TO Gen. Fremont appear in this publ
alton Ii is very clear that dstrs IT these com
iunicauons Mr.. Blair was FTemonts warm friend and
Vashngton that we feel uufair aud certainly
re not ereditabe to the writer. In letter dated Au
Chase has horror Of seeing Treasury notes be-
w par than of seeing soldiers killed and therefore has
'u BACK TOO muchs think. ] don't believe all in /
hat style OF managing the treasury IL depends on the
a and 1t Is better to get ready and beat the enemy by
cling stocks at fifty per cent. discount than wait and
egotate and lose a battle. have got you splendid
iheer for your Navy Department, and guns. lie will
e en- route Tor you in day two when he will be post
up and call for what you want. You will have credit
t the Navy Department, when you get him under you.
You must not expect too much Of nc in the Cabinet
have as you know, very little influence and even now
hcn the pc icy have advocated from the first is being
laugurated 1t does not bring any great pow
over the Administration This, can see partly my
wn fault have BEEN too obstrepercus perhaps in my
ppositon and men do not like those have exposed
heir mistakes beforehand aud taun them with them a
eIward. The main difficulty however, is with Lincoln
imseL Heis Of the Wing school, and that brings him
aturay not only to incline the feeble policy OF the
Wigs, but 10 give his confidence to such advisers 1t
osts great deal Of labor to get anything done be-
ause of the inclination Of the mind on the part of the
resident or leading members Of the Cabinet, including
base, who never voted Democratic ticket in his life
iu you have the people at your back, and l am doing
II can TO cut d.tape and get things done will be
iore civil and patient than heretofore, and II that
'on't work
The Southern people have a small opinion |
( their generals. special correspondent of
be Cincinnati Gazette at Clarksyille says:
"Pillow, they seem to unite in considering |
vain, ignorant pretender, whose only claim |
0 generalship is in his epaulettes. Floyd's |