Arizona republican., 1906-12-04

staff. General Lyon was a most gall lant officer and soldier. I knew him well. He was a devoted patriot. I was He started to lead one regiment into the fight. and I to lead another, but in a minute or two he fell. The country lost a most admirable officer in him.
 ''Fremont succeeded Lyon in com mand in Missouri. He was a most la mentable failure. He was almost wholly without military ability. mean by that. ability to command an army or to conduct a military cam paign. On my return to St. Louis with the troops from the southwestern part of the state Fremont had been install ed in command in St. Louis. Colonel Blair met me at the depot, and asked me to go at once with him to see Ere mont The Blairs had been instru- mental in getting the command for Fremont In fact it had been given to him on the demand of Montgomery Blair. hence the Blairs felt, in meas ure. that they were responsible for him. We reached his headquarters and found it surrounded by a perfect cor don of sentinels. and a hundred or more people waiting to see him. Blair had the entre through the basement and We passed into the building through tha: way. and then on up to the third floor, where we found Fremont occupying double parlors. There was d huge table in the center of the floor. No one was with him but his secretary. The table was covered with maps. was presented by Blair. who told the general l was just from the front, with much information about the condition of affairs in the southwest. Fremont did not listen but at once plunged into giving us in detail his plan of cam paign: of how he was to start almost immediately and march on to the Gulf, sweeping the enemy before him. At last I got an opportunity, and remarked that it would require very large army to make the campaign as mapped out This seemed to offend him. but he once more laid off how he would march here, and then go there; how he would meet the enemy at this point. defeat him, then crush him at that point. We re- mained with him about three hours, and with the exception of the one sug- gestion that I had made in regard to the size of the army. neither Blair nor myself spoke a word. Finally we took our departure, going away silently. We proceeded some distance without inter changing our thoughts, and then Blair turned to me and in a tone, little above a whisper. cautiously said: What do you think of him?' I replied. He is
 -fool' Blair responded that he had been thinking so himself for some time. but wanted my opinion.
 "Blair was a man of very great abil- ity, good judgment and high courage, and was a fine soldier. Logan was al- so brilliant soldier and really great They were without pre- vious military education, but they ri- pened very fast in the conflict of arms. Had they. at the opening of the war, possessed a military training nothing could have prevented them from forg- ing to the front. They were the two great volunteer officers of the war. Either of them could have successfully commanded an army.
 "I1 the fall of 1861 I was made a brigadier- general of volunteers and placed in command of the army on the frontier. and therefore never served with my regiment of which Blair was colonel. In 1862 I was ordered to Ten