I discharged the barrels and laid the weapon away, only too
glad to have it out of sight. Some years after the war, the Adjutant-
General's department was investigated, and a shortage of arms was
discovered. I received a letter asking me if I had a pistol belonging
to the State. I returned the weapon which I neither wanted nor needed,
and to that extent I relieved General Stone.]
XXVI
THE MILITARY COMMISSION OF 1862 AND GENERAL FREMONT
In the month of May, or early in June 1862, I received a message from
Mr. Stanton asking me to report in Washington, prepared to serve upon
a commission at Cairo, Illinois. Upon arriving at Washington, I was
informed that it would be the duty of the commission to examine claims
that might be preferred against the Government, from the States of
Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. These claims had
arisen from the operations of General Fremont and they were of great
variety. At the end the commission were of the opinion that he was
an expensive commander. Charles A. Dana was chairman of the
commission, and Judge Logan, of Springfield, Illinois, an old friend
of President Lincoln, was my associate. The health of Judge Logan
soon failed, and he was succeeded by Mr. Cullom, afterwards Governor
of Illinois, and a member of the United States Senate.
Our life at Cairo was disagreeable to an extent that cannot be
realized easily.
Pages:
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403