Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

GEN. THOMAS' LETTER.

331

hands of the disbursing officers, or be received by them, be applied to the current expenses of your army in Missouri, and these debts to remain unpaid until they can be properly examined and sent to Washington for settlement; the disbursing officers of the army to disburse the funds, and not transfer them to irresponsible agents-in other words, those who do not hold commissions from the President, and are not under bonds. All contracts necessary to be made, to be made by the disbursing officers. The senior Quarter Master here has been verbally instructed by the Secretary as above.

"It is deemed unnecessary to erect field-works around this city, and you will direct their discontinuance; also those, if any, in course of construction at Jefferson City. In this connection it is seen that a number of commissions have been given by you. No payments will be made to such officers, except to those whose appointments have been approved by the President. This, of course, does not apply to the officers with volunteer troops. Colonel Andrews has been verbally so instructed by the Secretary; also not to make transfers of funds except for the purpose of paying the troops.

"The erection of barracks near your quarters in this city, to be at once discontinued.

"The Secretary has been informed that the troops of General Lane's command, are committing depredations on our friends in Western Missouri. Your attention is directed to this, in the expectation that you will apply the corrective. "Major Allen desires the services of Captain Turnley for a short time, and the Secretary hopes you may find it proper to accede thereto. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General.

"Major-General J. C. FREMONT,

"Commanding Department of the West, Tipton, Mo."

Though this letter plainly indicated the disapprobation

332

FREMONT'S REMOVAL- HIS ADDRESS.

of the Government, and his speedy removal from command, yet he did not relax his efforts in the pursuit of the flying foe, until the order reached him at Springfield, on the 2d of November, to transfer the command of his department to Gen. Hunter, and to report at Washington. The order caused great excitement in the army, and many of the officers declared they would serve under no other commander. Gen. Fremont, however, issued a patriotic address, the effect of which was to check all insubordination, and to maintain the army in tact. It was complimentary to the brave and generous spirits of the soldiers. He anticipated for them a brilliant career, besought them to yield to his successor the same cordial and enthusiastic support which they had given to him, and hoped ever to remain proud of the army which, with much labor, he had brought together. He left them with regret, thanked them for their regard and confidence, desired the honor of leading them to the coming victory, claimed the right to share in their triumphs, and hoped to be remembered by his companions in arms.

The command was transferred to Gen. Hunter, and Gen. Fremont returned to St. Louis, where an enthusiastic welcome was extended to him, and to the cordial address presented to him on that occasion, he made a feeling reply.

It

Thus, after having raised and supplied, with prodigious labor, and under peculiar embarrassments, a large army, before which the public enemy was rapidly retreating, with every prospect of the complete success of the expedition, he is suddenly arrested in his career, and deprived of his command. is due to truth, and to the reputation of Gen. Fremont, to state, that the Government subsequently became convinced of the injustice of the principal charge, and restored him to the command of the Mountain Department.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small]

CHAPTER X.

NEUTRALITY OF KENTUCKY-CAMPAIGN IN

THAT STATE.

Gov. Magoffin a Secessionist-Loyalty of the Legislature - Neutrality an Artifice-Magoffin and Jackson-Gens. Buckner and McClellan - Magoffin and the President — Legislative Resolutions - Neutrality Ends—The War Begins -Kentucky Secession-Military Preparations - Battle of Camp Wild CatBattle of Ivy Mountain - Battle of Belmont-Battle of Munfordsville - Battle of Prestonburgh- Battle of Mill Spring.

Governor Magoffin, of Kentucky, was, from the first, a decided sympathizer with secession. Not even Governor Jackson, of Missouri, himself, exhibited such sympathy any more distinctly than he. All his public acts, speeches, letters and papers, which were numerous, long and able, proved this. He remained, with his State, in the Union, not from motives of patriotism, but that he might use his official position to aid the rebel cause, and to embarrass that of the Union, which he did in every possible way.

Such being his known sympathies, little surprise was therefore manifested, when the following reply was made to the first requisition of the President upon his State, for its quota of troops: "I say, emphatically, that Kentucky will furnish no troops for the wicked purpose of subduing her sister States," nor, when the congratulations of the rebel Secretary of War were sent to him, for "that patriotic response," and intimating that if Kentucky had aid to give, Virginia needed it, with the request to send at once a regiment to Harper's Ferry.

On the 24th of April, Governor Magoffin issued his Procla

GOV. MAGOFFIN A SECESSIONIST.

335

mnation, convening a special session of the Legislature, on the 6th day of May following, and urged, as a reason for it, that the Government was making vigorous efforts to prosecute a war against the seceded States. In that message, the rankest treason was avowed. He said of the Government of the United States:

"Powers, not conferred by the Constitution, have been usurped by the President of the United States; a standing army, of gigantic proportions, gathered exclusively from one section, and mad with sectional hate, is being rapidly organized, without authority of law; the Federal Capital is become a military camp, and martial law practically reigns in the District of Columbia; the Southern coast is blockaded by the armed vessels of the Federal Navy, and the commerce of the western rivers is arrested by military force; large bodies of armed men are collected in military posts along the line of our northern frontier, impeding the lawful trade, and menacing the safety of our peaceful citizens; in a word, the President of the United States has, without the advice or sanction of either branch of Congress, declared a war of subjugation or extermination against the people of ten or more sovereign States; and is, with extraordinary energy, gathering his strength for the unnatural conflict."

Of the Confederate States, he said:

"It is idle longer to refuse to recognize the fact that the late American Union is dissolved; that the slave-holding States are now politically united in a separate and independent government, and that war exists between those States, so combined, and the non-slave-holding States, acting under the United States Government. The avowed purpose of the United States Government is to compel the allegiance of the people of the seceded States, and enforce the supremacy of its jurisdiction throughout their limits. The achievement of this end involves the armed invasion of the seceded States,

« ZurückWeiter »