The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-06-25
communication.
CAMP MAYNARD, NEAR NASHVILLE,
June "a. 1862.

place, published IN your ISSUE OF the AlsJ
inst, imposes upon me the unpleasant
duty Of saying something on that sub
ject 1t would, perhaps, have been as
well TO have let the matter pass into OBJ
lyion; but, as Mr.. H.. who was in no
wise implicated, has paraded himself or
allowed others to present him before the
public as the champion Of the offending
parties, has revived il in such manner
as to cast reflections upon my yeracity, a
full disclosure of the facts must be made.
Never having seen the comments Of the
Louisville Journal | can give no opinion
Of their justice.
On the lst Of May, in obedience to an
order from General DUMoNT, | stationed
detachments of the Goth Regt O.V. l., at
five different points on the line between
Nashville and Columbia, and established
my headquarters in a grove near Frank
In. On the 9th Of that month my Ser
geant-major, who is a gentleman of I'M
impeached character for truth, and whose
statement is annexed, reported to me
that the graves Of Union soldiers had
been rudely trampled upon and desc
Grated. / Immediately ordered him TO
detail a sufficient number Of men for the
purpose, and dress up and sod the graves,
which order he reported to me on the
next day he had executed On the same
day learned through another source
which ! know is entirely reliable, that
females were seen in the cemetery orna-
menting the graves of rebel soldiers with
beautiful shells and flowers, and at the
same time dancing or playing merrily
around and over the mortal remains of
Union soldiers. This information natu-
rally excited my indignation Urath.
On Saturday, the 10th, with a view 10
the safety of my command and more
efficient discharge of its duties, marched
my men into the town, took possession of
the Court house, unfurled the old flag,
and made my headquarters there. In the
evening | addressed the citizens in the
Court room, briefly informing them what
purposed doing and what expected
them to do. | referred, perhaps with
some severity, TO the conduct of the fe-
males and the dissertation Of the graves
as a damning disgrace to any community
upon whom the light of civilization had
dawned. | emphatically notified them
that recurrence of such breach Of
propriety should not take place. and that
we would consider it quite as honorable
| TO shed our blood in defending the sane
tity of the grave Of the humblest Union
soldier as in unfolding our flag on the
field Of battle.
The next morning Mr. McEwEN, who
prctcds TO be Mayor of Franklin, called
on me and stated that he and others had
| just been out to see the graves, and that
they found no evidences that they had
been disturbed, Mr.. HMDRETH says that
he and hundreds of others likewise went
TO see if my statements were true, and
found that not a single grave had been
trod on, thus presenting me, Mr.. Editor,
before your readers and the public as the
defamer of the regulations of the good
women Of Franklin. That these gentle
men found the graves in good condition
on Sunday morning is quite true, because
it was on the day before that Sergeant
Major HNsTEAD and the men detailed,
had dressed them up, and il was on the
previous Friday that the misconduct of
the females was witnessed. The names
Of the offending parties were furnished
me, but as they were "indiscreet misses
in their teens and daughters of re-
spectacle parents, did not disclose them
Mr., HHDRETH never exchanged words
with me on the subject, and as he pro-
fcssod to be a loyal Union man, | an
unable to discover his motive in dragging
the matter before the public, and at
tempting 10 shield the guilty parties from
the Just odium which attaches to theii
behavior by perverting the facts anC
falsely representing me as the assailan
of female character. lie also charge,
that | promised to visit the graves, bu
Uccr lcct" This | pronounce palpa,
BILE DC, whether it emanated from tn,
Mayor or Mr., HLDRETH and use tn,
epithct with full understanding Of tn,
responsibilities which the "fre-eatin,
chirahy Of Dine attach to it. did yisi
the graves often whilst stationed a
Franklin-attended the burials of my
unfortunate men who were stricken by
disease and death, as the troops stationed
there will bear testimony.
II is with no degree Of pleasure that
feel constrained to expose the impropric,
tees of women, but as Mr.. HuDRETu an,
others whose mouth-piece he has beer
made, have sought to cover up the gross
f est improprietios at the expense Of my
character for truth, the exposure must b.
made. 1t is proper however, to say tina
it would be most unjust to hold all tn
secossionists Of franklin responsible 70
f the misconduct. Many of them, know
+ would heartily condemn il.
The effort OF Mr. HupRETu to Great
the impression that there was no bitter
ness Of feeling exhibited by the female
of Franklin towards the Union soldier