Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-04-02
Selefted mis,e ellanp.
THE FALL OF LEXINGTON.
WHY MULLIGAN WAS NOT RE
INFORCED.
FREMONT VIADICATED.

We make the following extract from the
speech of Hon. SCHUYLER CoLFAx. in de-
ferse of Gen FREMONT, delivered in the
House. 1t is but an extract yet sufficient
to justify the General with the honest and
patriotic people The speech was made
in reply TO the attack of F. p BLAIR:
come now to the fall of Lexington
happened to he IN st Louis on the l4th
OF September, aud found the whole city
excited with the news that had just
reached there-that Price was marching
upon the gallant defender of the town of
Lexington, and when my FREUD speaks
about the Home Guard, it appears TO me
that Col Mulligan didn't bear very high
testimony TO their gallantrv then. But |
saw Lieutenant Governor Hall, and he
told me that Price was marching toward
Lexington with fifteen thousand men and
thar Fremont ought to send out a column
TO intercept him. | asked him how many
men Fremont had, aud he said he thought
he had twenty thousand | thought if he
had that number he certainly could send
out some, and | went to General Fremont,
full Of zeal for tho reinforcement of Mui-
li.an aId told him what Lieutenant Gov
ernor Hall had said, and that Il he had
twenty thousand men some ought tn
be sent out He said g" will now
tell YOU, confdentially, what | would not
have known in the streets of St Louis for
my life They have got the opinion that
| have got twenty thousand men here. l
viii show YOU what | really have got, -
lie rang his bell, and his Secretary came
and brought the muster roll for that day,
and bv that muster roll he had IN st
Louis and within seven miles around, less
than eight thousand men. and only two
of them full regiments 1t was a beggarl'-
array Of an army, and it was all needed
TO defend that city ut that time. But |
asked him if he could not spare some of
rhcsc2 Sir, the tears stood in his eyes as
he handed me two telegraphic dispatches
he had that day received from Washing
ton. ! viii read them, that YOU may see
how little was at his command to reinforce
Mulligan.
MIR. Collax then read the dispatches.
ordering him to send FIVE thousand armed
infantry to Washington, and continued =
/" | have shown YOU that he had the men,
but no guns; and when he bought guns,
the necessity of which was imperious, be
was denounced from one end Of this coun-
try 10 the other because they were not
Springfield rifles Of the best quality \ ct
he must send five thousand well armed
infantry 10 Washington at once, and this
draft on him was 10 be replaced by troops
from Kansas, or wherever he could best
gather them asked him, What can
you DO (and my heart sank within me as
| asked the question: here with an inie-
rior force. and your best forces sentaw
to Washington ? Said he " Washing on
must be in danger. and they must have
my troops, though Missouri fall, ana fall
myself After | heard that | would
have been 4 traitor 10 nv convictions if
did not stand up TO defend this man, who
was vii ing 10 sacrifice himself to defend
the imperiled Capital of the country.
He telegraphed to Washington that he
was preparing to obey the order received,
and doubt not II made his heart bleed
knowing the straight Mulligan was in
Then he telegraphed 10 Gov Morton and
Gov. DennISon Tor more troops, and the
answer he received was that they had re
ceIyed orders to send their troops East -
There his reliance fail ID Ny friend SAYS il
cannot be shown that he moved any troops
until after Lexington had fallen Lexi e
ton fell on Friday the 22d of September
| well remember the day Here are dis
patches to Gen, Pope on the 10th of Sep
tember. and dispatches from Gen Sturgis
10 Col Davis, hurryin. the men. The
wires were hot with orders hurrving the
men to reinforce Mullican- Pope tele-
graphcd on the lIth OF September that
his troops would be here day after to-
morrow, which woul,. have been two DAYS
before Lexington surrendered, and Stur-
sis thought he should be there on Thurs
day Col Muiligan told me himself that
if Sturgis had appeared on the opposite
side of the RIVER be thought Price would
have retired Thus from three sources
Fremon; sent on troops to reinforce Null
hgan but he failed to do it because the
elements seemed TO be against him. and
not because he did not seek to do so in
every possible way that he could send
succor 10 him. At this very time there
were all the posts in Missouri TO be held !;
ms three month : men were rapidly reti-