The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1862-10-10

Inc New OTk ~ ora mas the Hollow
ing: ..
After a confinement of four weeks in
Fort Lafayette, Colonel Beige is liberated,
and receives from Judge Advocate Turner
certificate that he was arrested npon
an unfounded charge, that his imprison-
ment was consequently unlawful, and, up
on investigation, he is discharged honora-
bly, and without stain upon his character" D."
This is another of those acts of the War
Department which have foully dishonored
the loyal cause.
Colonel Beige, Pfussian by birth, for
seven years pupil in military school in
his native land, and for eleven years an
officer in the prussian army, resigned his
commission to make America bis home,
offered his services soon after the rebellion
broke out, raised the Eighty sixth New
York regiment from his German country
men with rapidity seldom eauailed, aud
so distinguished himself in Western Vars
ginia, particularly at the battle of Cross
Keys, where he acted as Brigsdler General,
that his name was sent into the senate for
confirmation to that position, and only
failed because with hundreds Of others it
was not reached at the hour of the final
adjournment. Having undergone YEAR 5
hard service, he was granted twenty days
furlough, and was sent north to recruit a
German Brigade, OF which he was to lave
| the command.
He had not been in New York three
days before he was summariv arrested for
no reason of which he had even the re-
motest knowledge or suspicion, was con-
veyed to Fort Lafay ette, and, notwith-
standing the efforts of his wife,of General
Sigel, and OF others at Washington, in his
behalf, was kept there four weeks, finally
to be " discharged honogably and without
stain upon his character Itn2w appears
that the charge which caused his arrest
was horse stealing, secret information hav-
ing been lodged by personal enemy that
he had surrep ptitiously taken two govern
ment horses With him on his return North
Hal Colonel Beige teen apprised of the
accusation, he could forthwith have pro-
duced from his pocket a regular official
pass for himself and those two identical
horses, and could also have reEtgi ed to the
quartermaster, whose registry would have
shown at once that the horses had, in cons
forrnitv with regulations. been bought BY
Colonel Beige ard paid for. But he was
kept in ignorance of the charge, until
Judge Advocate Turner, being present in
Fort Lafayette in order to discharge the
absurdly arrested substitute agents, took
cccasion to inform him that there was no
good reason Cor his arrest, and that he
was at liberty to return o..duty. Colonel
| Beige Of course did not leave until he had
taken care 10 extract from the Judge the
explicit certificate whose words We have
given above.
Now, what are we to think Of the Off
cial management of department that
visits such treatment upon one of the gal
| liant defenders of the government so quick
to imprison at the imputation Of any ma!ig
nant wretch, so merciless in Withholding
the nature of the charge, SO tardy in recti-
| flying the wrong. Without qualification
or abatement it is simply Infamous. The
War Department, in this matter, has com
mitted an outrage upon chiralrous
foreign soldier for which every American
has reason to hang his head in shame.