The National tribune., 1906-02-08

many things, was Gen. Robert Allen
Y. >. A., whom / venture to call {
Great Quartermaster. In vindicatior
of the brainy staff, as against the fight.
ing line, let us see If we can arrive a
some estimate of his work and worth
and thus rescue at least one staff officer
from unmerited oblivion. A Wes
Pointer of the class of SO, he perform.
ed various duty until the war with Mex.
leo, when he was appointed Quarter.
master Of the Kentucky Cavalry in Tay.
lOf's column, that moved via Monterey
but subsequently was assigned tC
TWiggs's Division In Scotts column
that moved via Vera Cruz to the City
of MericO. This was q good position
for that war, and Allen must have
shown sterling qualities already, ol
Gen. Twiggs (himself an old Quarter.
for the place. AS it was. Allen-then
a Captain only-conducted affairs with
marked ability; and it was the common
remark of Twiggs that his division was
1.-The best supplied Of any in the army
there.
The secret of it was that his Quarter
master, though gifted with a whole
afraid to cut it, when the occasion de-
manded. With much native tact and
sagacity. he readily adapted himself to
the changed condition of men and
things in Mexico, and thus availed him
self of all the resources of the country
at Scott advanced. Securing the ha-
ciendas far and wide. he found no lack
officers reported little; and when one
method failed his fertile intellect soon
devised another. After the fall Of the
City Of Mexico he was placed in charge
of our main depot there, and continued
in charge of it until our final evacua-
ton Of the country.
At st. Louis.
That war left him a brevet Major "a
high rank in those days., "for gallant
and meritorious conduct" at Cerro
Gordo and elsewhere. Soon afterward
when Sumter fell, and our army jumped
suddenly from 1900 men to over half
million, with nearly quarter Of our
old officers gOne-"seceded'' to jeff Da-
Wis and the Confederacy-a Quarter
master of such character and efficiency
Pacific Coast. Accordingly, Allen, like
Sheridan (then also on the Pacific
Coast), was soon ordered East, and in
October, 1861, was assigned to duty at
st. Louis.
Fremont was still there, but his
Quartermaster (McKinstry) had al
ready been relieved, and he himself was
his coming collapse. He attempted to
combat his fate; and, regarding Allen
as probably hostile, sought his removal
But Allen was backed up too strongly
from Washington, and was himself too
fertile of expedients to be caught nap
ping. 1t was related at the time, and
doubtless truly that Fremont maintain
ed such absolute control and espionage
OF the malls and telegraphs that no
communication conflicting with his
wishes could leave st. Louis. His new
Quartermaster. however. thanked" this
arrangement, by dispatching his letters
and kilograms by special messengers to
Springfield, ILL.,, and Indianapolis. Ind,
to be forwarded from therei
In due time, however, Fremont
reached his level and was succeeded by
Halleck, "Old Brains" as he was then
called. With true military sagacity he
called in and concentrated the scattered
forces of Fremont's command. and soon
brought to bear upon the unshapely
masses his undoubted talent for organ-
ization and discipline. The mote of
resounded everywhere
his Department, but was
especially audible at st. Louis and Cairo,
which in the hands of Allen soon be-
came great beehives of industry and
energy. Into these two depots men and
material poured. from all quarters. and
they early took rank as the Washing
ington and Fortress Monroe Of the West.
Up tho Tennessee.
In February, 1862, Gen. Halleck au-
thorized Grants movements UP the Ten.