Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-17


written BY Republican Congressman.
Mr.. Gurley-I desire to say that am not the
author of it.
MIR. Cox-Bnt to the account given IN this let
ter. Itis this Wade, ssirm anu bold = whom my
colleague enlogized as so ssbravp," and who was
heralded in the New York Tribune as likely 10
succeed the sick aud dying Mcclellan afew weeks
since-who was urged by certain parties for the
post now held BY Mr.. Stanton, and whose re-
election 10 the Senate is so much desired now by
a faction at home. and who is lugged into this de-
bate to be glorified here that he NAV shine at
home. Itis this Wade. with the aid of Chandler,
who cooked his Maynard in the attitude of bat
tie" laughter. and helped, with the f'calls to
order" from the other Congressmen, 10 stay the
maddened crowd of fugitives. The people who
have been under the impression that the crowd
never stopped till they got into Washington, will
now be gratIfed 70 learn that the congressman
won the Bull Run battle against our own soldiers.
lLaughter.l a
Irefer to this precious BIZ of history to show
how Congressmen fit themselves for military crit
icism.
Ny colleague said yesterday he was at Bull
Run, and made as good retreat as Sgel He
asked then about the battle of Fredericktown,
in which he said he was present.
sGurley-l did not say / was present at the
battle.
to the gentleman from Illinois. (Mr. Kellogg,)
whose brave brother-in-law fought that fight, that
he knew nothing aboutit. My colleague saicf he
preferred not 10 go into "details" | wanted the
details, sir. needed them to estimate the mill
tary experience of mp colleague. Ii his part has
been as inglorions there as it was at Bull Run,
submit that | must be careful hew take his con-
illusions about Mcclellan. fia
There will be, Mr.. Chairman, empyrics in med
mushrooms in vegetation, secessionists in Gov
ernment. snobs in society, and we must not be
surprised at military wiseacres in COngress
Laughter Since nv colleague has hurled the
glove at Mcclellan, i have a right to examine
his claims as critic He admits to being at
Bull Run. HIS mastery activity on the retreat
he admits. How that retreat effected only
know from rumor. have seen it reported--and
perhaps it is as apochryphal as some Of the facts
upon which my colleague arraigns Gen. McClel-
lan--that my colleague, after his fatiguing race
to Centreyile and having passed that point with
the speed of Gilpin-and not-having the benefit
of carriage like the Congressman who kicked
out of it the cowardly and tired soldiers be
smutched with their cartridges in battle-was
careering along like the devil [laughter] in Mil
ton, where he is described as flying
"0er bog or Steep through strait rough, dense, rare,
With head, hands, wings, or feet pursues his way,
And swims, Sinks wades, creeps, or f1ies''-
until, luckily, he met--what think you, noble
Representatives. herd of stampeded cattle,
who were from my own beloved district-Texas
cattle, sir, wintered in the Sciot0 valley, and Sc
lected by their keeper for their stampeding pro-
pensity laughter l--when, seizng upon the ex-
treme rear of noble OK, he was borne from the
field. holding on with vigorous prehension to the
tail of the animall [Great laughter.
Mr. Gurley--That is poetical. sketch of my
colleague. Ii is thing that never took place
Mr. Cox-I am glad to hear it, will do JUS
tice to my colleague. / put this as an apocry-
phal case, which | heard as a rumor, am glad
to DO justice to him, and to that noble OK, NV
constituent. and to whom the gentleman should
have apologizcd if the story were true.
L was about to commend this strategy Of my
colleague; for his quick sense of its commissary
advantages. / deprecate his drawing on that or
any experience at Bull Run TO read the gifted
Mcclellan and this Congress homily on mill
tary affairs. The ancient warriors rode in their
scythed charots; the warriors on the South Amer
lean pampas dash off with their lasso on horse
back; the ancient Gesmans went into battle as
our Indians do with terrific yells, and in painted
horror: the courtly knight dashed into the tour
ney with ron-clad armor and vizor down. Va
rious as humaningenuty are the modesof human
warfare, both in advance and retreat; but never,
sir, in the account of Xenophon or Marshal SAKE;
from the time of Joshua to Gen. Taylor; in the
contests of Achilles or Garibaldi, have we so uni
que performance as this suppostious race of
nv constituent and my colleague on the fields
from Bull Run. Laughter.l Does he claim
that this, if true, would make him military ex
pertl 49,
: But my colleague was undaunted. As soon as
Bull Run was over and Congress adjourned the
telegraph thrilled both in wire and pole TO bear
the tidings West, that (" Colonel Gurley of Ohio,
was about to assume the post of aid to General
Fremont Fremont was then in the ascendant
Before him lay what seemed to be the enchanted
chambers of power. He had the magic lamp
which made gold as common as the pebbles, and
my colleague hasSened to his side. Some men
smiled. They thought it strange that minister
shonld forget the beatitudes of the Sermon on
the Mount for the disquetudes of a Missouri
camp. lLaughter They thought that the af
fluent experience of Bull Run was not of that
kind to excite confidence in the new field Of Mars
to which the patriotism of my colleague hurried
him. +
But /. sir, knew my colleague better adj
mred his patriotism. / thought of Peter the
Hermit. (Laugbter) / saw in his hand the
crozier and the sword, and Bull Run did not OBJ
had read in lvanhoe of the priestly Knight of
Malta; and / knew that The new "Son Of
Malta (laughter) could carve out repu-
ration that the muse of history would proudly
stoop from her Parnassian seat to say: LET Il be
so recorded" (Laughter.) But, sir, disappoint-
ment followed close on expectation. A week
perhaps two, or three-and Fremont lost his mag
ic lamp. He waved under the consuming lens Of
'-Blair's rhetoric" (Laughter.) His ill-slarred
fate was perceived by my colleague. esl
At this critical juncture the only parallel
can find for my colleague is the description which
is given of jobs war horse: "Canst thou make
him afraid a grasshopper? The glory of his
nostris is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and
reoiceth in his strength. He swalloweth with
ferceness and rage; neither believeth he that it
is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the
trumpeters, ha ha! and he snelieh the battle afar
Of. (Great langhter.) The parallel fails only
in one regard. While the war horse of Job was
advancing, that of my colleague was retreating.
Leaving his campain in Missouri unfinished, he
flew from Fremsnt TO Ohio, with the "certainty,
CELEBRITY and security" of star bid in the Post
Office Department. (Laughter.)
What he learned in his bloodless campaign in
Missouri; how much he perceived OF the uaice
of the iortiications around st. Lous--r cash
mean; what estimate he made of the strength of
the Fremont horse; what martial achievements
he witnessed in the ante chamber of the short
lived Western satrap, he did not, and we can nor.
tell. One thing he corrects to day, and we must
deduct that from his military life, thai he was not
at the battle of Fredericktown, though under
stood him yesterday to say that he was there.
But has my colleague any actual experience?
Has he ever killed any onel Did he ever see a
man killed in batrler Did he ever speak to a
man who saw man killed in battley Did he
ever hear. the whz of deadly lead2 Was his
league quoted that fight to show that battle
could be fought and won without McClellans or
ders, and in spite of orders. That was bis point,
If any. Now happen to know that there was