Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-03-27
THE REPUBLICAN.
PLYMOUTH, IND,
Thursday, March 81, 1862
I. MATTINGLY. Editor.
rREmoNrs HUNDRED DAYS IN MISSOURI.
SPEECH OF HON. s. COLFAx

OF indiana. $50 fs'ii
In reply TO Mr.. Blair of Missouri.
In THE House OF REPRESENTATIVES,
March 7, 1862.
l. coNcLUDED FROM LAST WEEK.
THE FALL OF LEXINGTON.
come now to the seige and fall of Lex
inton. / think / have shown. by General
Lyons own statement. that he did not ar
raign Fremont for being strengthened and
succored; and I should have added then
that Fremont arrived in St. Louis only
fourteen days before Lyons death have
shown where Gen. Lyon thought the res
possibility rested. / have shown the dis
patch from Gen. Mcclellan. only six days
before Fremont arrived in ST. Louis. say
ing that there were only enough troops and
arms to reinforce Cairo. and that the troops
he could spare. and but two regiments at
thst, must only be used to defend St.
Louis. and only then ''in case Of absolute
necessity" will now leave that part OF
the subject and come to the surrender of
Mnlligan at Lexington. think | can
make oui as strong vindication for Gen.
Fremont there. am glad to see that my
friend from Missouri is paying so much at.
tention. The attachment between him and
me has been such that it is the most pain
ful duty of my life to have to differ from
him to-day on such a subject. Iwonld far
rather meet any one else here in the collis-
ion of conflicting views; but we can differ.
I know, as friends should differ when their
roads separate.
| Ny friend said that troops could be got
in every direction to defend Cairo. Now
here is dispatch from Governor Morton.
of Indiana, in response 10 Fremont's press
ing appeal. dated the 4th Of August. three
days after Fremont went to Cairo, and six
days before Lyon was killed:
'.Can send FIVE regiments II leave is
granted by the Department. as 1 am or
dered 10 send them East as fast as ready" !"
Now. to show also how Cen Fremont
was "atled" at that time. here is q dis
patch from Washington. eight days before
Lyon del. and when Cairo. from Gen.
Prentiss' dispatches, was so bare of ar
tillery:
"WAsmxGroN. August 2. 1861.
To Major Gen. j. G.. FREMoNT. Cairo:
This dispatch was sent yesterday to COM
manding officer department, Ohio, Cincin-
natl. Order two (2) companies fourth ar
tiliery. with their batteries. under Howard
and Kingsbury. to St. Louis without de-
lay. WINFIELD SCOTT
Nj. BLAIR, p. NJ. G."
\
| I doubt not Fremont's heart bounded as
he read of this timely aid coming to his re-
lief.
But here is another dispatch from Gen.
Scott If the same day:
"WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON,
August 2. 1861.
To Genera! FnENoxT:
Since ordering the two batteries for you
yesterday. it appears one company has no
guns and the other is in western Virginia
neither can lie withdrawn. The order Is
countermanded.
WINFIELD SCOTT"
Twill not comment on the disappoint-
ment the general must have felt; but he
to,led on with almost daily drawbacks like
these.
Icome now to Lexington. happened
on the 14th Of September to be in the city
of st. Louis, when the whole city was ex-
cited at the news which had just reached
it that Price was marching on that gallant
and devoted band at Lexington: and when
my friend spoke about the home guards
which Gen. Fremont had under him, it re-
mirded me that Col. Mulligan did not
bear testimony to the efficiency of the home
guards at Lexington.
Mr.. BLAIR. of Missouri If Col. Null
gan made such stamen.. he is not as
magnanimous as he is brave. l will un-
dertake to prove that the home guards in
the trenches at Lexington bore themselves
as gallantly as did Col. Mulligan. OF any
l other man who wss there. Col. Grover
was wounded, and died of his wounds:
Colonel Peabody was badly wounded +;
Colonel White is still disabled by wounds
received in that fight; and hegallant major
OF the Kansas City home guards. whose
name at this moment. / am ashamed TO
say. has slipped my memory. also received
honorable wounds. Thus it will be seen
that the commanding officer of every bat
talon of home guards was wounded; and
as large proportion Of men were killed and
wounded as among the Illinois regiments.
No man should disparage those who have
she'd their blood for the country.
Mr.. CoLFAx. Col. Mulligan's testimony
| is the reverse of that. ] was not there.
and therefore do not know,
Mr.. BLAlR. of Missouri. These are the
facts of the case. t't fzs.r ro4<f
Mr.. CoLFAx- l wish my friend to under
stand that / 10 not arraign the home
| guards at all. / do not arraign anybody.
am simply on the defense. aud am sta
ting the facts from history, and from off,
! cial documents. which can be read BY the
whole country. ! only made the passing
remark that Mulliean d;d not regard the
home guards ~ valuable auxiliaries in his
defense. though my friend cites their mum.
Der in various towns IS part of Fremont's
effective force -as aIis
When arrived It ST. Louis on the 14th
of September, | saw Lieut.. Gov. Hail.
He told me that Price was marching thro'
the center Of Missouri. up toward Lexing-
ton, with fifteen thous,nd men. and that
Frersont ought 10 send out column for
the purpose of intercepting and capturing
them. / asked him how many men Fre-