The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-03-18

Nv Zp,Voo, WHICH supotlueut cNontS euo"ou
was not exaggerated. Our force, greatly in.
creased to the enemy by rumos, drove him
to a hasty retreat and permanently secured
the position. To these facts the accompany
ing papers and the testimony of general Prem
tiss and other officers is offered to the Com
mittcc.
| returned to St. Louis on the 4th Of Au.
gust, having, in the meantime, ordered Col {.
Stephenson's regiment from Bonneville, and
Colonel Montgomery, from Kansas, to march
to tho relief of Gen. Lyon.
Immediately upon my eturn from Cairo, |
set myself at work, amid incessant demands
upon my time from every quarter, principally
to provide reinforcements for Gen Lyon.
do not accept Springfield as a disaster
belonging TO my administration. Causes
wholly out of my jurisdiction had already pre-
pared the defeat of Gen. Lyon before NV ar
rival at St. Louis. Ills letter to mo of the 9th
Of August, with other papers annexed, will
show that was already in communication
with him, and that he knew his wants were
being provided for. 1t will be seen that had
all reasonable expectations of being able 10 re'
lieve him in time, and had he been able to
adhere to the course indicated in his letter, a
very short time would have found him efli-
ciently sustained:
SrRrNGrIEp, No. Aug. .. 1861.
GENERAL: / have just received your note of the
9th inst, by special messenger,
! retired to this place, as | have before informed
you, reaching here on the 9Th. The enemy follow
ed to within ten miles of here. He has taken II
strong position and is recruiting his supplies Of
horses, mules, and provisions, by forages INTO the
surrounding country; his large force of mounted
men enabling him to do this without much annoy
ance from me
find my position extremely embarrassing and am
at present unable 10 determine whether | shall be
able to maintain my ground or forced TO retire.
resist any attack from the 'front.' but if the
my move TO surround ME must retire. shall hold
my ground as long "a possible, though may, with
out knowing how far, endanger the safety of my
tire force with its valuable material being induced
10y the important considerations involved, TO take
this step. The enemy yesterday made show of
force about five miles distant. and has doubtless
full purpose OF making an attack upon me-
Very respectfully, your ob't servt
Brig, Gen. Vols, Commanding.
Major Gen. j. C. Fremont, Commanding Western
Department, st. Louis, Missouri.
Upon the 10th of August General Lyon
was killed in battle.
The charge that Gen. Lyon had in any
way suffered from my neglect was a surprise
upon me. | heard nothing Of it at the time,
and believe it to have been an after thought.
Further to disprove it, in connection with
what has been said above refer to the state.
m"rts Of Adjutant General. Harding and
kelton, through whose hands the business Of
the Department at that time passed. Col
Harding was Gen. lyol's Aljutant General,
charged with the ma agement Of affair in
Missouri during his absence.
In the letter referred to, he says:
Gen. Fremont uds not inattentive TO the situation
Of Gen. Lyons column, and went so far as TO re
move the garrison of Bonneville, in order to send
him aid. During the first days of August, troops
arrived in the city in large numbers Nearly all of
them were unarned; all Were without transporta-
tion. Regiment after regiment laid for days in the
city, without any equipments, for the reason that the
Arsenal was exhausted, and arms and accoutre-
mcuts had to be brought from the East. From these
men Gen. Lyon would have had renforcemcnts, al
though they were wholly unVrac'icci in the use of
the muskct and knew nothing of movements in the
field, but in the meantime the battle Of the 10th of
August fought CHESTER HARD sc, Jr,
Lat Assistant Adjutant General upon the Staff of
Brsalicr General Lyon.
1t was under this great necessity, greater
than which is not likely to occur during this
war, and to provide am ng other demands -
relief for Gen Lyon-that OH the 9Th Of Au-
gust made the purchase OF Austrian guns,
for "hich am ceusurr! by "Commlttee
charged to investigate frauds"-(Page 4O)
Your Committee will be enabled TO Judge
whether the purchase Of these arms, at this
time, can be appropriately called "a manifest
improvIlcnce.'
abstain from pursuing this subject fur
ther than to say that although it WAS "a good
Il ,l "a,
as this telegram will show:
ST. LOUIS, July 90, 1861.
To MAJ Hagner, Fifth Avenue Hotel, n. York:
The Agent OF Adams Express Company here hr
offered to bring me- by passenger train, any arms
directed to me. Send everything you have for me
by passenger train, for which the Express Compa-
ny will provide. our letter OF 9th received
There were arms at the Arsenal here to meet the
order given for the 5000. We must have arms
any arms, no matter what j. G. Fremont,
Maj. Gen. Cong Western Department.
Twelve thousan! had been in service; thir-
teen thousand were new. They were percus
sion muskets-sod and strone-pronounccd
by Austrian officers to bo consiiere in that
service, good W apon; preferred by General
Asboth for his division, in thei unaltercd
condition, and We're in the hands OF some of
my best regiments at Springfield and scatter
ed over the country in various corps, although
the Committee say "they were not in uso.' -
think it due TO mpself TO say that this Com
mittee came to st. Louis during my absence
in the field, and no notice was at any time
given me th't my military acts were to be
brou ht under examination, nor has any copy
of the testimony, collected during their pro.
cecdings, been furnished me, of which might
avail myself in reply.
On the l3lh Of Ausrs' ini niellircnce of the
battle of Wilson's Creek reached me at St.
Louis. II expectation of an immediate ad-
vance by the enemy, informed the Presi
deut and Governors of the neighboriug States,
requesting that all the dsposable force that
could be spared should be sent at once to Mis-
souri, Fortunately, dissepsion iu the camp of
the enemy prevented them from using that
success, and gave time, which used to carry
on as rapidly as possible the plan had adopt.
ed for the defense Of the State. This was TO
fortty Girardeau, Ironton, ltola, and Jetfer
son City, with ST. Louis as a base, holding
these places with sufficient garrisons, and leav
ing the army free for operations in the field.
1t certainly seems superhuous to speak of the
importance Of St. Louis, but as the expedien-
cy of fortifyin0 n baa haan cuost;onad a ,nav