Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-05-10
Col. John b. Weller and his reYilers.

ana bravery at the siege Of Monterey,
oy an eye ac5t,aess, and the liar brand
sndellably stamped upos the broao Of
the coaoardly scatllion auho himself de-
serted has post an Aehour Of trial. and
moac seeks to corer his amfamy bysslan-
dersmg the brave patriot aoho stood By
hss eostntry'sjf flag to the last Iupor
taaat correspondence.
The following highly Interesting and
Important letter from DR.. CHAMBEKL1N, Ia
military knownas as "Old Medicine Chest, J"
was kindly furnished to as by Mr. AlclisE-
COR, for publication. Ii twill be recoilect-
eo that the DR.. was Surgeon 10 the 1st O.
hlo Regiment, and was an eye witness and
participant in the terrible conflict in
which it bore SO conspicuous and glorious
part at Monterey. This letter complete
ly puts to rest the Infamous and unfonnded
libel set afoat by one Millikin, cowardly
wretch who deserted his couniry's flag in
the hour of trial, and ingloriously fed to
camp, whist the gallant Weller, and the
brave boys under him, nobiy barred their
breasts and sustained their country's hon.
er-bearing aloitt the stars and stripes in the
thickest of the fight. A pretty too, indeed,
in the hands Of Mexican Whiggery, to ad-
vance their cause and traduce the bravery
OF such men as Lieut.. Col. WELLER!
If such running witnesses as Millikin
are to be brought 10 the stand to impeact,
the bravery and military bearing of such
men as WELLER, we shall not be surprised
to see the statements OF Santa Anna. Am.
pudia, ano all the fleet runners in the Mex.
ican army, grace the columns Of their sym.
pathising federal papers in thia country
Stark County Demacoat.
CINCINNATI, March ID, 1s4s.
JOHN McGKEGoR, ESQ
My Dear Sir-Your note, asking de.
tails OF The conduct and bearing of Col. John
B. Weller. during the sanguinary siege of
Monterey, was received by due course of
mail. W ere il not that his reputation has
been attacked by dastards with whose char.
ucters the public are .unacquainred, Twould
most certainly decline complying with
your request, and refer you TO the official
reports Of his superior officers, which is,
or should be. ample testimony Of the gal
lantrv and isarlesness of, not only the Co.
lionel himself, but every officer Of the lst
Ohio Regiment.
The scandalous attacks upen Col. Wei.
Ter, since his nomination TO the gubsrnato.
rial chair, have brought more than once to
my recollection, some remarks Of the old
hero and veteran, Gen. twiggs, which
prove the old conqueror can prophesy as
we'll as fight. The conversation occurred
at Monterey, in the hospital under my
charge, some three or four weeks subse.
qnent to the capilulation. Present, Col.
Mitchell and Adj. Armstrong, severely
wounded, ond Col. Weller just recovering
from a severeand dangerous inflammation OF
the neck and throat, brought on by exces-
sive over exertion and exposure during the
fight and siege. The old General who Of
ten called to cheer the dropping spirits of
our invalid officers, and sometimes spirit n
drop of the cheer our hospital stores afford
ed-was, on this occasion, particularly pro-
fuse in his encomiums upon the gallant
conduct Of the 1st Ohio Regiment, refer
ring particularly to their behavior on the
2Ist of September, on which day they came
often under his observation. 'You,' said he,'
addressing Col. Mitchell and the Adlu,ant,
may retire from the srvice and subsiat up.
on politics-your wounds are ample re-
ccipts Of your having been in a battle.
But you. Col. Weller, should you ever run
for an office, will Gnd political enemies who
will swear YOU were never in Mexico in
your life-neyer belonged to the Ohio
Reg't-ran like dog IS soon as you came
in sight of the enemy, or skulked while
your men were engaged-for SO it is with
The world. fla man gels killed or loses
limb in battle, they are satisfied he did all
the fighting, and glorifiy him-if another
equally brave or daring has not the luck to
get hit, they jump at the conclusion that
he did not venture where there was dan.
ger"
The charges againgst Col. Weller, COM
ing from the source they do, give his friends
no uneasness, md he himself laughs at
them. They originated with dastardly
fellow by the name of Millikin, who went
out in the Hamilton company US private,
and became enraged at the Colonel, because
he would not promote him over better men:
and takes this means of venting bis spleen.
by insinuating that during the action he saw
the Colonel dismodnied and behind a ranch
(house, secure from the balls oithe enemy.
when asked what the Col.was doing there,
he refuses to give his opinion, saying others
may infer his object. These vile insinua.
tions are seized upon by the ensmys paper
printed at Hamilton, rs well asby wor.
tby advocate OF the enemy residing in the
same place, who sometimes makes stump
speeches, to trumpet abrond the impression
that the war candidate for Governor behay-
ed in cowardly manner at Monterey.
Now can inform you what the Colonel
was about when he disrnounted near the
ranch referred to, and have j, from the
wounded officer to whose wants he was
,ninistering-and then let the cowardly
poltroons, who would sell their country's
honor for a groa,, answer il he were skulk-
ing. :.
AT the time the FIRST Ohio, with the other
regiments of General Buffers dlvisIon,was
ordered into ,own,the whole command was
drawn up in line of battle, distant one Hlie
from that part of the town entered by our
troops, and twelve hundred yards from the
citadel (black) fort In this. position they
had stood for Thirty minutes at least. ex:
posed, as targets, to the tremendous fire OF
tho baovv artillerv Of the fortress, without