remain, as I am, proud
of the noble army which I had thus far labored to bring
together.

Soldiers, I regret to leave you. Most sincerely I thank you
for the regard and confidence you have invariably shown me.
I deeply regret that I shall not have the honor to lead you
to the victory which you are just about to win, but I shall
claim to share with you in the joy of every triumph, and
trust always to be fraternally remembered by my companions
in arms.

J. C. FREMONT,

Major-General, U. S. Army.

285

He left at once for St Louis, with his Body Guard for an escort. Though
these men had been enlisted for three years, they were ordered by
Gen. McClellan to be mustered out, and Maj. Zagonyi was offered the
Colonelcy of a new regiment.

The time and manner of the removal enabled Gen. Fremont's ardent
partisans to complain loudly that he was relieved on the eve of a battle
in which he would have accomplished great things, and was thus denied an
opportunity to achieve lasting fame and render essential service to the
country. The evidence, however, is conclusive that at that time Price
was at Pineville, fully 50 miles away, and in the midst of a very rough
country, instead of being in Fremont's immediate front, as Fremont
certainly supposed.

Whether he would have accepted battle after Fremont had reached him at
Pineville, is a matter of conjecture. The pressure in favor of Fremont
continued strong enough, however, to bring about the offer of a new
command to him the following year, but it was grotesquely shrunken from
the proud proportions of that from which he had been relieved. It was
styled the Mountain Department, and embraced a large portion of
West Virginia. Even in this restricted area he again failed to give
satisfaction.

June 8, 1862, he fought an indecisive battle against Stonewall Jackson
at Cross Keys, took umbrage at being placed under the command of
Gen. John Pope, whom he had once commanded, asked to be relieved
from command, and joined the ranks of the bitter critics of President
Lincoln's Administration, though still retaining his commission and pay
as a Major-General.

He still thought his was a name to conjure with, and May 31,1864,
accepted the nomination for President from a convention of dissatisfied
Republicans assembled at Cleveland, resigning his commission at last,
June 4, 1864.

286

The chill reception with which the count