The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-03-14
General FremOnt's Defence.
REPLY TO CHARGES-THE ADMINISTRATION
OF THE WESTERN DEPARTMENT.


OF THE WESTERN DEPARTMENT
The statement of General John G. Fres
mont, in reply to the charges against him,
has just been published, accompanied by
voluminous documentary evidence. 1t is
addressed to the Joint Committee of the
Senate and House of Representatives Tn
the conduct of the War, and covers the
whole period from Fremont's assumption
of command in the Western Department
until his removal.
The General states that when be was as.
signed to the command of the Western De-
partment, in July last, no special object was
indicated, nor was be furnished with any
particular plan of campaign. There was
simply general understanding that the de-
scent of the Mississippi river was to be un.
dertaken, and for this purpose be was to
raise and organize an army, informing the
President OF the completion of the arrange
ment. After the departure of this expedi-
tion Fremont's authority was to have ex-
tended over Kentucky and down the left
bank of the Mississippi; at the beginning
his command was restricted to Illinois and
the states and territories west OF the Missis.
sippi to the Rocky Mountains, including
New Mexico. On assuming his command,
he was invested with full discretionary pow.
ers; no written instructions having been
furnished him.
Having given this general statement,
Fremont proceeds to show that at the time
of bis arrival in st. Louis the rebellion in
the west was daily assuming more threat
ening aspect, Missouri was thoroughly de-
moralized, and the federal forces were nei-
ther armed nor adequately equipped. Seven
thousand of the Illinois contingent were
Destitute of arms; the cavalry was with
out horses or sabres the artillery had
hardly any guns. TO remedy these defc-
fences, in part, Fremont ordered seven
thousand stand of arms. but afterwards
found that the order had been counter.
manded. He made complaint at Washing.
ton, and finally succeeded in procuring and
forwarding to ST. LOUIS arms and equip.
ments sufficient for an army corps of twen-
ty-tbree thousand men. "Want of arms
and want of money" says the Gen.
eral, "were the chief difficulties to be met,
while the necessity to meet the enemy on
three sides at once was urgent and imm.-
nent. There was no lack of men. The
loyal population of the west, and among
them the Germans, with noble unanimity,
were willing to come in mass to the stan.
dard of the Union"
In order to retain the services of the
Home Guard regiments and the three
mouths volunteers, whose terms of service
were just expiring, Fremont, on the Both
of July, addressed letter to the President
to announce that he had appropriated
100000 of the public moneys which were
in possession of the Sub>Treasurer at st.
Louis. To this letter the General directs
the special attention of the Investigating
Committee, Tor the reason that the act has
been made the basis of serious charge
against him for the exercise of arbitrary
and illegal" authority. The concluding
part of the letter is as follows:
Sour troops have not been paid, and
some regiments are in state of mutipy, and
the men whose term of service is expired
generally refuse te enlist. lost fine reg
iment last night from inability to pay them
a portion of the money due, This reg'
ment had been intended to move Oh a criti
cal post last night. The Treasurer of the
United States has here 100000 entirely
unappropriated. 1 applied to him yester-
day for 100000 for my Pay-master Gen.
eral Andrews, but was refused. We have
not an hour for delay. There are three
courses open to me. One, to let the enemy
possess himself of some of the strongest
points in the State, and threaten st. Louis,
which is insurrectionary. Second to
force loan from secession ranks here.
Tuird to use the money belonging to the
government, which is in the treasury here
Of course will neither lose the State nor
permit the enemy a foot of advantage. l
have Infused energy and activity into the
department, and there is thorough good
spirit in officers and men. This morning
/ will order the Treasurer to deliver the
money in his possession to General An
drews, and will send force to the Treasu.
ry to take the money, and will direct such
payments as the exigency requires. l will
hazard everything for the defense of the
department you have conided to me, and 1
trust to you for support"
General Fremont states that although no
reply was made to this letter, no objection
to the act was offered. He then goes into
an elaborate discussion of the military sit
uation in Missouri (; shows that Cairo was
the point which first demanded attention,
and that his dispatch of reinforcement Of
$500 men to that place, five days after his
arrival in st. Louis, was q precautionary
measure absolutely essential to the safety
of st. Louis itself and the entire northwest
and contends that the defeat of Lyon, at
Springfield, was not disaster belonging to