Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-06-11
difficulty, Is ii can be done easily with honor 70
both. Yours respectfully,
-. (, B. WHITLEY.

u SnlrnrIE1D, May 30, lsoa'
C. B Sanden Eq: $50 IL
Sir: After the. unfortunate controversy wnlc1 y
SO holly raging between Col a. ), Heath ana your
SELF concerning the proceedings OF secret mseuns
which was held in the town Of Smlthnela On ins %
Of May, it is with very great reiuctance
ply with your request. to furnish you WIZ ohsarns.
ment Of all the facts which came unos. NY ~. wan
ton in regard to said meeting. was not mem.
her NJ the meeting, and since what learned ABOUT
II was nnrelv accidental it may have been very I'M
n me to havespokenofi in the frs: instance;
Int Il is now too late to keep silent-what is out
out. and since you desire statement, you snail7
have it in all its simplicity.
The first knew Of the meeting was on Saturday,
the 3rd of May, when stepped into the room IN
which the meeting was being held, on official busi,
ness. I there found the. gentleman with whom |
had business-A G. Powell, ESQ.,, Col. A. ). Heath,
and Others As the gentleman wished to see ap-
peared to be engaged, 1, paused few Moments
when he commenced reading an instrument which
I learned from its wording to be petition 10 the
Commanding General for the appointment OF MIL
itary patrol, from the 4lst n. Y. reg Oh m'hua-
Sand patrol to consist of forty able bodied young
men between the ages Of 1S and 35 years, and l
think though am not certain that said patrol were
to he all slave owners. The petition stated the
reasons for the necessity of the patrol to be the
strong Union sentiment which prevailed in this
section Of the county and the greatnumber OF slaves
The first of which reasons, stricken out, on mo-
ton or suggestion of A. G. Powell, Esq. then
began to find out that was an an unbidden men,
Der of private meeting, and retired, at which
time heard Col. Heath remark, "call in all those
we want and shut the door" Either that evening
or the next day. spoke of the matter to one or two
persons, who joined me in denouncing the meeting
as an unjust and mean resort 70 avoid the conscrp-
ton law. Two days after that COL A. j. Heath
took me aside, and in the presence of one Of the
gentlemen to whom had spoken about the meeting
said to me that he understood had been speaking
of the meeting which was held in town few days
ago. l told him had The Colonel then asked
me what had said about it. / told him had said
it mean resort to avoid the operations of the
CONSUMPTION law, and that the forty young men to
be recommended were to he all slave owners The
Colonel saidI was mistaken in that and desired me
to correct the statement told the Colonel that it
was my opinion that was right-that l was hon
est in my opinion, and that l am as much entitled
to my opinion as he was and should not correct 1t
until he furnished me with the unmistakeabe evil
dence to the contrary-which he has failed to do.
COL Heath then requested that should say no more
about the proceedings Of the meeting. Here the
interview ended have since tried to see the orig
inal proceedings or copy Of the petition, but can.
not get it.
The above is an unvarnished statement Of facts
as they came under my own observation
Respectfully, Yours,