New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-04

uie A
CHESTER HARDING JR,
Late h.Ss AdJ,Gen. upon the stah Of Brig Gen. Lyon
II was under this great necessity, greater than
which is not likely 70 occur during this war; and TO
provide among other demaDds-rehef for Gen. Lyon
that on the 9Th of August made the purchase OF
Austrian guns, for which am eensurcd by Com
mttee charged TO investigate frauds. "-lPage 40
| Your Committee will be enabled To Judge whether
the purchase Of theae arms at tbs time, can be ap-
propriately called :" II maniiest improvidence.
sbstan from pursuing this subject further than TO
say that although it good arm, the arm itself
WAS not matter of choice. as this telegram will
show:
! To MAO, HlGysR, Ftth atengr Hotsi Nsp-YO.k
The Agent OF Aeaus tHpos- Company here has oher,d
every tus you have o mo BY passsnge trains for which the
Erpr.. Company will provide Your letter of?Sh received
gwen the 5000 We have arms-any anna no mat
Ter shat J. C. FREMONT. Maj. Gen Cong W. d.
Twelve Thousand had been in service, thirteen
thousand were new They were percussion muskets-
solid and strong pronounced by Austrian officers TO
be considered, in that servce, good weapon; pre-
eed by Gen. Asboth for HE division, in their un.
altered condition. and were in the hands Of some OF
my best regiments at Springfield, and scattered
the country in various corps, although the Com
mittee say they were not in USE | think 1t due
20 INV self 10 say that this Committee came To 81.
Louis during my absence in the field and no notice
was at any time given that my military aets were
10 be brought under examination, nor has any copy
of the testimony, collected during their proceedings
been furnished me- of which might avail myself in
reply.
On the 18th Of August intelligence Of the battle Of
II, al Tn
tation of an immediate advance by the enemy, in
formed the President and Governors of the neghbor
inc States requesting that all the dsposable force
that could be spared should be cent at once TO Mis-
souri,. Fortunately, discussion in the camp Of the
enemy prevented them from using that success and
gave time which / used 10 carry on as rapidly as
possible the plan had adopted for the defense of the
State This was to forfy Girardeau lronton, Rolla,
and Jefferson City, with St. Louis base, holding
these places with sufficient gsrrsons and leaving the
army free for operations in the field. IL certainly
seems superluous to speak of the importance OF st.
Louis but the expedency Of certifying it has been
questioned it may be well TO remind the Committee
that IT the first military position in the Western
Department. Many Of the things | am required to
prove are as seeyiGent IA this. st. Louis then IA
situated ON the great highway Of the Mississippi
River at point where il is crossed by all the prnci-
pal roads from the east having itself seven different
lines Of communication TO the interior and opposite
ends Of the State that it il the great center of poll
ties and trade and the object TO which the efforts
Of the enemy were constantly directed and invited by
the powerful and wealthy Rebel portions OF the ciii-
,ens i, was certainly prudentto render permanent
ly secure, beyond the reach Of contingency, this
great depot for supplies and reserves aud safc retreat
for an army in the possible even OF II disaster
TIE Importance of certifying ST. Louis had early
occupied the attention Of Gen. Lyon, who had de-
cided upon a plan much the same az that now
adopted aud under tho advice Of the same officer by
whom the present alter selected, but which he
was unable 10 carry out.
The necessity Of these Notifications conouffcd
In by officers OF unmpeschahle loyalty aud capacity
And such also the judgment Of the byal ihhaDi
tsn,s to whom they gave, for the hrs, une' fen'e
Of protection and security. They we-e laid out viii
view TO command the city itself well the ap-
nroaehe. TO il. The defenses which rect upon ~.
Louis cons,itute the dyke which separate, the south
from the Northwest. 1t IL easy, after prooaulon
hs, been successful, 10 SAY that it Wa not needed.
did not cbooee 10 expose myself TO the chances OF
nerlect-eher at St. Louis or Paducnh-ior toh OF
which have been censured. and with equal igro-
rance in either case The unfairness Of this at'"k
consists in Judging what necessary for IT. Louis
tleu by H. condition when len the Department
1 ask the Committee 20 bear in mind tina, the plan
for the defense OF the State aud my operations gen
,,y were al conducted IN reference 20 the descent
Of the Mississippi, to which all preparations tended.
To complete the defense Of ST. Lons, after the with
drawa Of the army, Eve regiments OF Infantry with
one battalion Of cavalry, snd two batteries Of anil
lery were considered amply sufficient.
II has been objected that | Gid not employ the
troops under my command, Instead OF hs ed labor Tor
this work. did this in the eSercise Of my Judgment
did not consider II eXpedsnt 10 ennloy the yoldn-
teer troops in work of this magnitude, involving 80
much labor and exposure The hot SUNS and heavy
night deys of the unhealthy months OF August and
September need 10 DO avoided in that climate The
troops were 50 little acquainted with arms that all
their time wa needed TO t them FOR the field. while
on the other hand. the employment OF hired labor
was Of great serice In tr,nquiliziug tho city. and
relieving the wide-rpre dsiressthe war HAD enied
on il and which private charity he'd exhausted Itself
in enieavoring to relieve.
Concerning the contract for this work the Commit
utiee Of Investigation say tha. 1t wss made under
the special order AMI direction Of Gen. Fremont,
md concerning the payments that they wore made
mon h;s "per-onsl ORDER The following extract
will SHOW that not only was / recognized 10 have
this power, but that was late as the "a OF Sep
ternber counsoIed 10 exercise 4 by tho Qusrtermas
tei.Geucral Gen. Ncigsi
! WArrisoros sept .. 1851.
l. O..