In large part because Lane was a senator at the start of the war, he is the one who organized a "bodyguard" to camp in the white house, he ingratiated himself to Lincoln and became his pet, afterwards when he returned to Kansas to Jayhawk and the Union authorities complained about the snake Lane was, Lincoln seemed to protect him, and not want to accept the truth about him.
I defer to your knowledge of this arena of the war of which I have very little but it seems to me if anyone is responsible for General Lane's continued misconduct that it would be generals McClellan and Hunter who Lane was assigned under. I would think that either General could have brought charges against him but then, I may be wrong.
Hdqrs. of the Army, Adjutant-General's Office,
Washington, January 24, 1862.
Major-General Hunter, U. S. A.,
Commanding Department Kansas, Fort Leavenworth:
General : By direction of the General-in-Chief I have respectfully
to inform you that Brig. Gen. J. H. Lane, U. S. Volunteers, has urged
upon the President and Secretary of War an expedition to be conducted
by him from Fort Leavenworth against the region west of Missouri and
Kansas [Arkansas]. The outlines of his plan were stated by him to be
in accordance with your own views. The following force, with supplies
therefor, has been ordered to Kansas to operate under General Lane:
Seven regiments cavalry, three batteries artillery, four regiments infantry,
and he has been authorized also to raise about 8,000 to 10,000
Kansas troops and to organize 4,000 Indians.
The General-in-Chief, in conveying to you this information, desires it
to be understood that a command independent of you is not given to
General Lane, but he is to operate to all proper extent under your supervision
and control, and if you deem proper you may yourself command
the expedition which may be undertaken. Under these circumstances
the General will not give you a formal leave according to your application,
but he authorizes you to absent yourself from your command for
twenty days, at your own discretion.
I am, sir, &c.,
L. THOMAS.
Adjutant- General
O.R. Series I, Volume VIII, pp. 525-526
__________________________________________
To Edwin M. Stanton
Executive Mansion,
Hon. Sec. of War Washington, January 31, 1862.
My dear Sir: It is my wish that the expedition commonly called the ``Lane Expedition'' shall be as much as has been promised the Adjutant General's Office, under the supervision of Gen. McClellan, and not any more. I have not intended, and do not now intend that it shall be a great exhausting affair; but a snug, sober column of 10,000 or 15,000. Gen. Lane has been told by me many times that he is under the command of Gen. Hunter, and assented to it as often as told. It was the distinct agreement between him & me when I appointed him, that he was to be under Hunter.
Yours truly A. LINCOLN
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Volume V, pg. 116