Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1862-03-14
GEN. FnEMONT,s DEFEvUE.


D. Bright
GEN. FREMOET's DEFENCE.
A supplement- of the New York Tribune
of the 4lh inst, CONTAINS long defence of
General John C. Fremont sgaiDst the charges
of the committee on tue conduct of the war.
1t fills five pages. The General states that ho
has only answered the leading points brought
forward, as hs did not desire to camber bis
defence with merely personal debates. The
document is 40 able aud entire defence and
entirely txcuipates him from the charges
brought against him. He says
HWhen, ia July last, was assigned to the
command of the Western Department, il COM
pretended, with Illinois, ell the States aud
Territories west of the Mississippi river to
! the Rocky Mountains, including New Mexico.
"No special object was given me il charge
to do, nor was furnished with any particular
plan of campaign. TIE general discussions
at w ashington resulted in the understanding
that the great object in view was a descent of
| the Mississippi, and for its accomplishment
was to raise and organize an army, and when
| was ready to descend the river | was to let
the President know. My command was then
te be extended over Kentucky and down she
left bank of the Mississippi. For military
reasons it was judged inexpsdiept to do 30 in
the beginning.
"Full discretionary powers of the amplest
kind were conferred on me. Not a line of
written Instructions was given me. The Lead
ing object of the campaign being settled, the
details Ct its accomplishment and the manage
ment of my department were left to my own
Judgment.
While at Washington informed myself
fully of the unprepared condition Of the West,
and it's want of arms, from the Governor Of
Illinois,"
The General then goes on to show that from
the utterly unprepsred condition of the West
eru loyal troops, from the threatening aspect
Of the rebellion, from the want of any
klud of artillery or forlifeatns, ana from
the raw condition of the Federal leyies,
he was forced to buy arms, to erect forIi6ea-
tlors, and 10 oversee the gigantic field of OPP
eratioLs from Cairo to the Rocky Mountains.
The emergency, General E. thinks iasGlif cd
him 10 taking 100000 from the q. s. AS
sislaut Treasurer at St. Louis, and dispatch
from Hon. NJ. Blair shows that he acted with
bis concurrence, for Mr.. Blair says: WYou
will have to do the best you can, and take all
needful responsibility. s'In reference to Cen
eral Lyon, General Frsnont says that bis de-
feat at Springfield does not lie at his door
Had General Lyon been able TO adhere 10 his
General Lyons, own programme before that
battle, the defeat would not have occurred -
About Colonel Mulligan's defeat at Lexington.
General 4. says that General Cameron was
calling on him for 5000 troops to 20 to Wash
ingtoD, and the danger of Cairo required other
thousands Of soldiers from his department, SO
that be could not do everything iu the world
at once. However, the General saws:
son the l4th, General Sturgis was directed
to move, With all practicable speed, upon Ley
lDgton.. General Polk's despatch of the 10Th
gave me every reason to believe, as he did.
that reinforcement of 1000 men, With arr
tlllery, would be there in abundant time, and.
if the committee will take the tins to read the
accompanying papers, it will be seen that, from
every dlsPosable quarter where there were
troops the promptest efforts were made to con-
centrate them on Lexington, but chance de-
featsd these efforts"
ln regard to the contracts for mortars, &c.,
General Fremont gives an extract from let
yer from non. M. Blair urging him to buy
mortsrs. SO far as the other contracts were
concerned, ne disclsims any 'jobbing," and
boldly jasIiics themsfrom the necessities of the
oase In closing his introduction 10 the .es-
timony, General Frsmoat says:
sit Ia not grateful to me to have bcea my
self compelled to set out the merits of INV ad-
miuistration but it was necessary in order to
call attention to points, which otherwise might
rot Aave been presented, and which are neces.
ssry to clear understanding of the subjects
inquired into. Many acts which have 0esu
censnred, we're, think, for the public good.
know they were with that inten,ion. | do
not feel that in any case | ovsrstspped the su-
1hority Intended TO be con6ded TO me.
"Mysslf, aud the officers and men acting
with me, wers actnated solely by desire %
asrSe the country, and feel assured that this
"a realized by the people Of the WsAa, among
whom we were acting"
The accompanying dispatches, letters, and
documents are very voluminoas, aud one would
have to sift them as length to ascertain their
precise value.
UNPUBLISHED INCIDENTS OF THE
FORT D0NELS0N RIGHT.
This Nam Vn~L