New-York daily tribune., 1861-12-30
.gespa1orl; Daily Gribnts
FLOYDS ESCAPE AND BENHANS
ARREST

T. tie Editor Of The n. 4 Tribune.
Sir: Ny attention has been called to an article 10
your issue of the lith OF this month, headed Gen'
Benhsms Arrest, aud signed bya limited number OF
the alphabet, in which previous attack is made Oh
re. Generals Sclenck, RosecIsns, and the English
Grammar.
canu-t understand why am drresed into this
personal controversy. ] care nothing for Gen. Ben
ham, and caunot te induced 10 have the slightest TO-
,erest In what becomes of him bore or Hereafter.
The article referred in The Ciaeinna,t Ga.efte wss
an unpretensing narrative OF events, courteous IN f
La guace srd wiihoui the slightest approach 10 pef-
-ouai,fy How tue that history proved TO lie, may
he p,ib.red f,om the fact that Gen. B,nhsm las
since then been put under hfreft sDd is now SNais-
ing the hearing of Court Martial. .
Ore would suppose tlst ihis genll'msn, with
grave charges hanging over him. aud q heavy array
OF brother officers wuitrg h. ~lilesses ~OhlT nave
enough on band wtuon sluei iHg about In lie uisn
ber this article ipdieaies. But Ie b,rs Tie g"cs
wishing 10 destroy tle great Beihm have hni MACS
him uu,d. lie is very mad. and certainly "much
lesruiug' has bad no hand IN II.
The article IN yous paper wac enien'iy eoueh ny
by the General himself. Its oIsque, nf .r-dilBer
style OF muddle, proves this teyoud dontt. IL
NAV 10 that BeiLsrn b0s friend. ! never saw
Benhams friend. never heard Of Inn. Bot, a.
philosophers tell us That every al'ima, bo"eVef
small has We, "A smsller annual as is Iarasite, We
NAV suppose that the Bngpoier has IA ieic. IL
would b. imrossible for hat iliend, boTever 20 20
closely Iiia tue habits and qualities Of lis superior
as tbis article extibis. Who but Bsbhau, iOI
example could oJ EN- and lose upon that everlasting
story Of CanifaX, as IL dOIe IN tne seii-sstisAed
tai ulency OF tGis enoitl
The old excuss of friends having sccefs to evil
deuces. penerslly held Gacred nniorg bon oaols men
apa rrsning ten inCisoroeiy ilto pint II Worn
quite thre sdhare. Ihat card 10 the pubhcl Will Dos
40 round ag.in.
If lad apy doubt ~ 20 the arihor-bip Of this ar
iicle that ooubt would al Oncs have been remove
l, ifs reference to MY career ia Pare Ia lsSs. No
ole tut q nan of Gen. Benbam's sobiioty, truthful
ness. courage aud chastity would look Gown with
such lofty soon upon my conduct cuiing that trl ing
period. / knew Gen. Beuham would 90 Tho. IL lie
veiy annoying wish be would net but tteD he
will, 80 there is no belp for 1t.
Then, again, that reference 10 the lion-bearted
Lyon. WI ich save: "Was it tuppo~ed that Bepbnn,
like The gallant Lyon, To whom be was often CON-
pared in the West, was going TO ru,h oD, DC. IL
was 80 emiusntly BenhGm, that dToPped the paper
and epoved quiet laugh. IL Was 80 Bentamy and
30 exquisite. " Was II supposed Is good. inc
gallant Lyon" is excellent. II patronzes the hate
Gen. Lyon, look you. And then Tho going TO rush
ou" Js immense. Not n common going 10 rush Oh,
ike q b,r.i rush. or Benhsm, with loud, disagreea-
bic nOi.es. bat d. atly "poIng TO rush on seldom
heard Of, AID when found. made bote Of. The
frirpd ght have said that fs bresGier ~as equa to
Moor.'s Melodies, and could heat byron. bn. Ben
ham's = self alone could give that Beuham touch.
Then that attempt 10 account for Gen. Sehenck's
msljcious con ius ~ llluding TO tie pulleo pros-
pects of Bersam Mnjor-Generas,Jp clcses np the
ffSoi Auy frierd OF behham's, wsh a thinbls'uli
Of brain ob,ervbg the Ipile Of eonemptuons laugh
ter that ran oycf tbe entire amy wh.1 tbat Pubnea
ton was made would have advised h's ancient 'hA'
any alIu.iou 10 II ROW would be ulforiubae.,.
j;ep. Benban, to the charges preferred against
him pubhshed this as q detente. When the public
comes 10 understand tie case il wi thai 1t Ii ss
feeblp 10 was his celebrated pursuit OF Floyd.
Gen. Roseerans bad elaborated q trap to catch the
rebel General ard be army. How well be was ad-
yiscd Of their movements snd intentions may lie
learned frou tie inclosed article cut from The RicL-
tDo,d LHagiaer which trust YOU will refusii-h
IN an item of general interest. Can any oDe be-
Ieve" says Bcnhaln, I" TINT Rosecraps ever had any
sach plan and at the came time he neglected Tor i've
or ak weeks after lis retreat from Sewel to prepare
and keep up tie OF passing bis trooie over
New Riyeri Certainly, We can believe II. III
was In accordance with the daring originality Of tbe
g, nerl Offering 20 much from Benham, WHO Is
ike the gallant Lyon, &c whom, &c. Zen koee-
cru,s left opsn the road TO Cotton Hail. and made 1t
,iiIler's Ferry, and Gen. Rosecrsns permitted him
20 give it up When the writer Of this, sent by
Gen. Schenck, demonstrated with Gen. Roeecrans.
saving that If the enemy beld the lights on ue op-
rOfite side OF New llNer " ur, De coulo rheh ou.
orr cauIe Gen. RosecTaus responded tat zee could
not drag artillery OF sufficient caliber over the rohds,
az tbey were, 10 DO ur any harm. The event ap
proved the Generals Judgment. Floyd hurried 20
Cotton Hill, and for week snd more pounded
away with 20 little effect that nobody was hur, and
no one except the General l''who, like the gallant
LYON" &c.l, was at all aLsrned
FIoyd marched his 0JO uien 20 Cottou-fiill IN the
angle of the New River and the kanswha. lie had
but one road spcn by which to retreat and tnst was
the Raleigh.pike. He left ungnarded the Loupeneke
road that led TO the pike directly In his rear 10
this road Beaham was sch. with $50 nsu. lie
fnled 70 accompliii the work given him 70 do. From
the I'd of November, until the 18th, he reaned idle
refusing even ~ scont tue road 1t was INTENDED be
should march along Afterward, when be Abandoned
this road and moved on 70 Cotton I'M. hithoagn
painfully instruc,ed that Csssidy's Mills were the
key TO the position aud ordered 10 occupy that point
within sight Of the pike 20 as 70 throw s forces 70
the rear VI the enemy. he refused and tailed
We had Floyd. We had HE 6,Wo men from
Georgia, Mississippi, and fenDessee, the flower u
the rebti army We had his ARTILLERY, his horses,
his wagons his pots and psns lis Well and sick, bis
contra6ands-il word, his everything Our army
YVES wild with delight and eager TO get ut hin. AZ
the irving moment Gen. Benham foiled us. lie
opened the Raleigh Pike 10 Floyd and along that
rad the rebel fed and all our fond dreams melted
into thin air.
TIE public demands an explanation, defense, and
we ha ye In fespoDse long winded mDddle, eulogis-
inc the great Benham aud adorned with CARRIED ex.
tracts from Dispatches, each one turning on sn u