Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-08-02
a Good Word for Fremont.

A correspondent of the n. Y. Tri-
bu"e, writing from St. LOUIS, has The
following good word for Fren1ont's
military ability, which certainly cannot
be Saln>ayed So far as the facts are
concernei:
In military matters he has proved
equally the Palhin Ter. In E II, pp. at
THE outbreak of The rebellion, he opened
negotiations for arms for one hundred
tn ,u>and men but is was not ratified
al w ashlnStou. A few months later,
lii It's sure ueel the ,vernliellt bought
all 1t could obtain of those very guns,
at a largely advanced PRICE.
lie was rldiculed for the magnitude
Of the Mississippi Flotilla, but it is now
clear That the country is largely III
debted to. Fremont for its eff .iency
anu Successes. His plan, far from be-
ing too liberal, was too limited even
at TINS la day it is found necessary to
oulid Tour new gunbnats. After the
tau "f orts Henry ana: Donelson Com
lnodore Foot wro to Gen. Fremont to
thank hun for that provldent foresight
which had provided the means of sue.
cess. ... .....-..
lie was censnred for building rail-
way cars, but Halieck has had to con
tract many more than he ever ordered.
tie was reprimanded for fortifying
st. Louis but those works, now com
pleted and fully manned, have enabled
daIleck to pat the troops in the field,
which would otherwise have been re-
CURED to guard the city. g.. ...a@.
lie was denounced for giving Govern
ment orders to the ''Callfornia Gang"
The Calltornians were live men, who
had 'go' in them AMI carried out their
engagements. When Beard was or
dered to build the forts he put five
Thousand mensat work, pushed them
forward night and day, and completed
the labor before all ordinary man would
have fairly begun it. ...-.
Palmer was supplying the army with
forage. The quartermaster~G General
decided that the price was too high
and advertised COR new proposals. At
last, man appeared who undertook it
for II per cent less. Three weeks
proved that he could not do it: the
army wa suffering ana The Depart
ment was compelled to fall back upon
Palmer at his cid price. He set it
right within 24 hours. .s
Daring the winter, the beef contrac-
tors tor Curtis troops broke down, and
the army WAS in danger Of starving.
Haileck was compelled to call upon
Lawson q Co, who were supplying
the post of Cairo, to feed it. Next, the
contractors for Grants great army up
the Tennessee failed, and Lawson &
Co., were empl',yed t" supply that. 81
It went on. simply BECAUSE they per-
formed what they undertook, and 9th
ers dtd Mt. Lawson & Go. we're feed
ng almost every soldier in Haile:k' 5
Department. The firm consisted OF
Col. Lawson and Palmer, Beard, and
Haskell, the three men of the "C;.lifur-
MIA G,ng.''
Fremont was censurcd for his South.
Western campaign; and after his re-
mova the army was withdrawn. Tne
rebels im'nediatel, ostrran and devas-
tated Southern Missouri and finally,
three months later, Halleck was forced
to send Curtis and Slgel to do his ur
finished work. HIS long. hard marches
were repeated, AMI at Pa Ri lyp, in
March. they won the decisive battle
which Fremont would have fought in
November.
No man despiscs the cheap arts of
popularity more than Fremont but I
have seen no General who excite> such
enthusiasm among the troops. Hallruk,
Buell., and others ride along their lines
eliclting 10 demonstrations bnt whrr.
ever he went, his route was one path
way of cheers. AT his removal, his
touching Farewell Order drew tears
from eyes unused to the melting mood,
and the spontaneous demonstrations OF
affection which the troops made at
,artirg have no parallel in the history
of the war;
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