The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-08-30
VOL. XIII.-NO! IL.
Statement by DIR. j. III. Stewart,
Surgeon of the First Regiment
Of Minnesota Volunteers.

of Minnesota Volunteers.
In publishing the narrative of DR.. Stew
art we have taken the liberty of interspers-
ing few head lines, for the eye to rest
upon and relieve the continuity of so long
document, interesting though it certainly
is:
To the Public.
On the morning of the 18th of August,
eleven Surgeons of Volunteer Regiments
arrived in Washington from Richmond,
where they bad been prisoners of war, and
from which place they were allowed to dea
part on giving the Parole of Honor, usual
in war, not to serve again in the Army of
the United States, unless released or ex>
changed. was one of those Surgeons.
On the afternoon of the day of our ar-
rival, an article appeared in the Washington
Star, small, cheap paper OF Washington
city, 10 terms as follows:
The oligarchy authorities are trying to get
rid OF the burden of feeding prisoners in their
hands by discharging them on parole. This
morning twenty-four (made prisoners after the
battle of Bull Run) reached here. They left
Richmond on the day before yesterday, and
were sent by rail to our lines near Fortress
Monroe. The following is a copy of the obli-
CATION forced on them, viz:
"We, the undersigned officers, mono commits
stoned officers. privates and citizens of the
United States, do make our unqualified parole
Of honor that we will not, by arms, informa-
ties between the United States and the Con.
federate States of America, aid or abet the en-
emies of the said Confederate States, or any of
them, IL any form or manner whatsoever, un-
til released or exchanged.
witness, WM. H. WINDER.
Brig. Gen. G. s. A.
We presumelthat those who gave such pa.
role will be shipped to their homes without
delay. as such men will clearly be worse than
useless in any military service.
The following is list of the returning Sur
geons among the lot. viz:
Foster Swift, Sth New York; j. II. Stewart
lst Minnesota; }. NJ. Lewis, I'd Wisconsin; Eu.
gene Benquet, list New York; Chas. S. De
Graw. Sth New York; and u. II. Winston, 9th
New York.
The Assistant Surgeon of the lst lMinnesota
regiment, refused to his credit be ii said, to &C.
cept the parole, and remains prisoner at
Richmond.
The whole party were threatened with pop.
ular violence repeatedly on their way from
Richmond to Fortress Monroe.
Though the paragraph in the above arti-
Gle in relation to.the Assistant Surgeon oi
the Minnesota First" refusing to accept bis
parole, to bis credit be it said," made it
pretty transparent that the intention was
principally to stab at the "Surgeon of the
Minnesota First" and by the comparison to
discredit him, nevertheless concluded to
take no notice of the falsehood and inferen-
tial SANDER, knowing that time rights all
things, and that truth generally prevails in
the long run. But some of the other sur
geons, however, thought it advisable to
speak to the editor about it. They informed
me that be apologized for its insertion,
stating that the facts had been misrepre-
sented to him !; and the editor would have
corrected it in his own columns if he had
been required to do so but, as the other
papers, including the New York press, had
made more just and accurate representa-
tion of the circumstances, under which we
had given our parole, and had also omitted
the personal stab aimed especially at me, it
was not. deemed of enough consequence to
ask for formal retraction in the Star.
1t seems, however, that the same article,
just as it originally appeared, was carefully
saued up by some one here in St. Paul,
who is the fit ally of the hidden slanderer in
Washington, and that it is launched at me
by republication ip the PIONEER the next
morning after my arrival in St. Paul, no
DOUBT intending it as my welcome home
after tour of hard service in the field,
in which l most certainly endeavored to
perform my whole duty to the country and
the men of the Regiment of which was
Surgeon, without counting risks or halting
at sacrifices, pecuniary or personal.
PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF FACTS.
Now, Mr.. Editor, / am not particularly
thin~skinned, and can stand any moderate
amount of ordinary newspaper abuse, but
this imputation sought to be cast upon me,
is so outrageously unfair and unjust, that /
cannot forbear asking you to grant me
some considerable space in your paper for
the detail of facts, of an interesting charac.
ter, which, think, will exhonerate me be-
fore the public, and show that / perhaps
deserve their praise instead of censure.
THE HOSPITAL ESTABLISHED AT suDLEY
CHURCH.
On the 2lst Of July, the day of the bottle
of Bull Run, and some time after noon, as
the Minnesota First was near the battle
field and just about entering upon it to as
sumo the position where it fought so GAL
lantly, the Chief Medical Director informed
me, that be wished me to establish my Hos.
pital at Sudley Church, situated near the
battle field, and where we could get plenty
of water for the wounded, and also directed