The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-01-25

II
oil Representatives recently made and pub
lished by the order of that body:
During the sittings of the COMMITTEES
in St. Louis they learned that the 3yih
regiment of Illinois volunteers, better
known perhaps rs the Yates Phalanx,
had been ordered to be removed from Ben
ton Barracks in St. Louis to Williamsport
in the State Of Maryland. The regiment
had been mustered into the service at Chi
| cago, and was ordered West from Chicago
to join Gen. Fremont at st. Louis, ut an
expense of from $4,000 to $1,000. As
connected With the contract for the trans.
portation Of the regiment, your committee
deemed it duty to make some inquiry
in relation to lis trunsfer from ST. EeHis to
the East, when at the same time it was
understood that other regiments were 60
ing from East to West. 1t appears from
the testimony of Capt. McKeeyer. Asst
Adj't Gent on Gen'l Fremont's staff, that
on or about Oct. 18th, Ward IT, Lamon
arrived in st. Louis. Capt. McKeever
understood that he was the same gentle
srnan who held the Office Of U. S. Marshal
for the District Of Columbia. (See Nc
Keever's testimony, p. l051.) About the
same time McKeever received q note from
Col Eaton, military secretary of General
Fremont. stating that the General wished
him (McKeever) to order the 39th Ills.
regiment to proc eed to Virginia to join
General Lannon's brigade. Lamon (who
then had on the uniform Of brigadier
general) told Capt. McKeever that he had
| four regiments in his brigade. and that he
was to receive a commission Of brigadier
| general; that his mission to St. Louis was
to get an order from Gen. Fremont for
the removal Of this regiment, which Nc
Keeyer understood him to say had been
promised some time before by the Presi-
! dent.
"The cost of the transportation Of this
regiment from St. Louis to Williamsport,
Capt. McKeeversaid, would be somewhere
about $50, 900, and he knew no object to
be accomplished by the transfer except to
give Gen. Lamon' an additional regiment
to gil up his brigade. In answer to the
inquiries of the committee. the Sec'y Of
| War states that there is no law author
izing any commander of a department to
send troops TO other departments with
out special orders from the Secretary Of
War or the Commander-in-C Chief, and that
consequently the removal of the Both Iii
regiment was made without proper author
| ity. The Secretary also states that his de-
partment is not informed of the military
or other reasons that existed for the trans
fer of said regiment as aforesaid. (See
letters of the Secretary of War, Appendix
~
edward Ii Castle, who at this time
had charge of the railroad transportation
in the western department, states that on
Sunday evening, Oct. Goth, Mr.. Lamon
was introduced to him as brigadier gen
eral from Washington. and that he was
wearing the dress of such military of.
ficer His object was to have Castle send
him the next day Sunday by special cx-
press train from St. Louis to Springfield
HIS, at the expense of the Government
Castle was, apparently, very much fat
tered in being introduced to SO high .
dignitary as a brigadier- general, all thu
way from Washington to st. Louis. H.
ordered an engine and car for the express
purpose Of not only taking Mr.. Lamon Il
Springfield. but several of his friends
. In going from ST. Lo~is west to see Ere
mont, Castle provided that Lamon SHOULD
not only go free Of expense, but directed
, his express messenger to show him atten
ton and contribute to his comfort l
, turns out, from the letter of the Sec y 0
: War, that this gentleman who proclaimed
/ himself brgadier general, and who wa
9 wearing the insignia belonging to that dis
: tinguished rank, had no such appoint
J. ment. All such pretences were unbound
ed. and as your committee understand
9 was also the pretense that the Presiden
8 had told him that he might take this resi
I. ment. He seems to have made use of hi
3 official position as Marshal for the Distric
n Of Columbia, and his assumed position a
: brigadier general. to secure his object Z
/ removing the regiment, and in travelin
IS in special trains at public expense
e "Your committee believe, with Cap
is Mckeexer, that the removal of the reg
" ment had no object except the gratifcs
# ton Of Mr.. Lamon. But at such tim
" as this, when every dollar in the Treasur
is needed to crush out the rebellion, the
10 submit that the sum of 5000 is to
is large sum to be expended for the pu
te pose Of flattering the vanity Of any sing
/ individual The removal Of the regimeI
q was not only Without law, but was inc,
to pedient and without justification. Thirt
r. thousand dollars Of the public money b,
us been worse than squandered in this tran
Of action, which should receive unqualiie
condemnation Mr.. Lamon had no a
" thority whatever to travel in speci
to trains at the public expense, and he shout
r. be called on to refund the amount pal