Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-03-13

j. G. FREMONT,
aaa-@ Maj, Gen. Com.
To the President of the u. 5.
Gen. Fremont says no reply was made
TO the above quoted letter-that no objee-
tion was made to the act--that on the 10Th
of July, four days previous to writing the
letter, he had received the following letter
from a Cabinet Minister in the confidence
of the Administration:
WASHINGTON, July 20, 1861.
DEAR GENERAL,-l have two kilograms
from you, but find it impossible now to get !
any attention to Missouri or Western mat
tiers, from the authorities here. You will
have to do the bes. you can, and take all
needfal responsibility to defend and protect
the people over whom you are specially set.
Yours, truly, and in haste,
Gen. Fremont continues his defence by
saying that Cairo was the point which
first demanded attention. Gen. Lyon
could retreat, but Cairo could not be
abandoned, as the holding of it involved
the safety of the whole Northwest
Having reinforced Cape Guardian and
Ironton, by the utmost exertions he sue
ceeded in getting together $500 men five
DAYS after his arrival in St. Louis, with
which he proceeded at once TO Cairo,
which was then held by Gen. Prentiss
with 1900 men, who promised to stay
until Fremont arrived. Cairo could be
reached in day; it would require a
week to reach Springfield, and before he
could have reached the latter place, FIRE.
mont says Cairo would have been taken
by Gen. Pillow, who had landed force
of 10000 men at Madrid, only few
miles below. Fremont's force at Cairo,
greatly increased to the enemy by ru'
mors, drove him to hasty retreat, and
permanently secured the position. FIRE.
mont returned to St. Louis on the 4tb OF
August, after two or three days absence
at Cairo, having, as he says, in the mean.
:, time sent two regiments to the support Of
!, Lyon at Springfield, and that after his re,
turn he was incessant in his endeavors tC
, send reinforcements to that gallant officer
Gen. +. insists that he is no way re-
sponsible for the disaster Of Springfield
: that causes wholly out of his jurisdiction
9 had already prepared the defeat of Gen
- Lyon before he arrived in Missouri; tina
!" had he been able to adhere to the course
} indicated in the following letter of hi
Is dated August 9th, few days longer, HI
'i would have been efficiently sustained
+ The following is the letter:
is SPRINGFIELD, Mo-, Aug 9, 1861.
ID Generol,-I have just received you
&c note of the 9th instant by special mes
~ senger. -.... .....
:, retired to this place, as / have betor
~ informed you, reaching here on the 9th
so The enemy followed to within ten mile
ID of here. He has taken strong position
70 and is recruiting his supplies of horses
= mules, and provisions, by forages into tn
o. surrounding country; his large force
u mounted men enabling him to do thl
he without much annoyance from me.
! l find my position extremely embarras
ing, and am at present unable to dete
I mine whether / shall be able to mainta
J my ground or forced to retire. / can r.
gh sist any attack from the front, but if Il
NY enemy move to surround me, | must r
- tire. l shall hold my ground as long
nv possible, though may, without KNOWN
roe how far, Ell danger the safety of my e.
er. tire force with its valuable material, b
ra! ing induced, by the important consider
on, tons involved, to take this step. II
mo enemy yesterday made a show of fore
' Ss about five miles distant, and has doubtle
law full purpose of making an attack up
on me.
ed Very respectfully,
/ Your obedent servant,
mt, LYON, Brighten. Vols, Coming.
1t. Mai. Gen. j. C. FREMONT, Commando
,hs Western Department., St. Louis, Mo.
ing As further corroborative Of the fact Ii
ms he did all he could to reinforce Lyon,
ial presents the following letter from Chest
hat Harding, Jr., who was Gen. Lyon's A
, ~ jutant General, through whose hands t
low business of the Department passed:
sr. "Gen. Fremont pas not inattentive
18th the situation Of Gen. Lyons column, a
lew went SO far as to remove the garrison
md Bonneville, in order to send him aid D
. md ring the first days Of August, troops l
-. .ea rived in the city in large numbers.
70 Nearly all of than xwore ,vifto,,f arm