He Had Been Put
Over General Lyon In The Western Command, And Directly After This
General Lyon Had Fallen In
Battle at Springfield, in the first
action in which the opposing armies were engaged in the West.
General Fremont at
Once proceeded to carry matters with a very high
hand, On the 30th of August, 1861, he issued a proclamation by
which he declared martial law at St. Louis, the city at which he
held his headquarters, and indeed throughout the State of Missouri
generally. In this proclamation he declared his intention of
exercising a severity beyond that ever threatened, as I believe, in
modern warfare. He defines the region presumed to be held by his
army of occupation, drawing his lines across the State, and then
declares "that all persons who shall be taken with arms in their
hands within those lines shall be tried by court-martial, and if
found guilty will be shot." He then goes on to say that he will
confiscate all the property of persons in the State who shall have
taken up arms against the Union, or shall have taken part with the
enemies of the Union, and that he will make free all slaves
belonging to such persons. This proclamation was not approved at
Washington, and was modified by the order of the President. It was
understood also that he issued orders for military expenditure
which were not recognized at Washington, and men began to
understand that the army in the West was gradually assuming that
irresponsible military position which, in disturbed countries and
in times of civil war, has so frequently resulted in a military
dictatorship.
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