The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-06-26
THE WAR FOR THE UNION
INTERESTING BIT OF HISTORY.
SPEECH OF GENERAL nOUssEAU.

oH'HohS w hVuiS'H'V " O6utIhl NOUS r.
seau, the General spoke at length, as fol- c
lows: .aB t4.1.t t ....i ..s. a
My FRESDs: am deep y sensible Of i
the honor offered me 10 nigbt-more :
grateful than ] can tell yOu-and my only
regret is, that the brave men of the Brig !
ade whom you honor through me to night c
are not here to enjoy the pleasure ofyourl'
commendat:on. 'f .# "9e - 10
Il is how little more than a year
since l asked leave to enlist troops in
kentucky for the ds'ense Of the nation.
Ny coifimission of Colonel with authori.
~ to doso. dates from June is. 1861. Ny
friend. Mr.. Guthrie, whoss patriotic de-.
yotion to HE country should make every
man proud TO call him friend. has allI
ded to the difficulties Of that task. You
can never comprehend the magnitude Of
the trials through which I passed. Old
friends whom Ihad known we'll for many
years, passed me in the public streets Of
my own city without recognition. because
they had turned traitors and / had re
mained loyal 10 the Government Of our
fathers. This state Of things growing
worse daily, finally resolved 10 spesk TO
no one who did not first speak to me- Il
walked the streets ol my own city as il 10
a strange town, and tell you, my fellow
cniEena, that, little as love battles and
danger, l would prefer fighting a battle
once month to going through what /
1 did in raising my Brigade. Ny enemies
were ever on the alert. The friends Of
the Union were bewildered, and most Of
them silent on the issues of the day; but
was doing my duty, and never faltered
for moment. r't ,'l3'.. '9 t''h /
On my return from Washington, with
authority to enlis. soldiers in Kentucky.
the leading men Of the State whowere for
the Government met at Louisville, and
after mature deiberation, resolved that it
was impoli,io to enlist soldiers here al
+; that time. WAS instructed at Washing.
ton to act in harmony with the Union
0 men Of the State. With much reluctance
(. abandoned the project Of enlistiug my
. soldiers on Kentucky soil, and went 10
! Camp "Jos Holt in Indiana. o'. 'o3s..H.
{ O. Al that time the rebels Lad their re.
I cruitihg stations openly established IN
0 many places in Kentucky they wsro pay.
9 ing large bounties 10 those who won ID
d Join them 10 this city. This they could
we'll afford 10 do, as the bounty was all
l. they intended ever to pay them. I saw
% that our young men were focking 10 tht
il standard, l observed thas every one they
70 scduced into the ranks of treason tool
with him more or less of the sympathy
d of his kindred and friends. / saw the
'f necessity of countsracting this BY enlis
I, ting men on the side Of the Nation there
by giving loyal direction to the symps
z thies Of our people. Well 1 did not know
8, at the beginning whether the Lincoln
to Government. as 1t was called. could Oh
tain credit 10 equip my troops. ] was
Fe little shy in asking it, and one or Two 70
fused to credit the Government for wha
I'd I wanted. / needed tents. blankets. com
missary stores for my soldiers; but wha
Il we most wanted was transportation =
is Several companies on the river asked 10
transportation to my camp. / called OIL
y. my old friend, that true and tried patriot
., Capt. Zack Sherley for help. He prompt
It, ly said that he had Tor many years besl
Cd q contractor for the Government Of tn
nd United States; that il had paid him all
had ever owed himI and whether he wa
I'm ever paid or not. he was not afraid /
ne trust the Government, and he woul
= cheerfully bring to my camp oil the sold
RI iers I could get; and he did so. ] am a
ID. the country Is. under many obligations
N; Capt. Sherley for his course at that tim'
ad for bis services were invaluable.
ey Iraised my troops and equipped then
Die The traitors hated us intensely-ealls
Up, them "Rousseau'S Silver Creek Rag
he mufins,H "LincoIn Hirelings,"I "I"Abol
Ia. tionis,s." They were drilled and disciI
he lined, and on the field Of Shiloh they n
IN baid me, and their enemies, too, for all
and the soldiers had suffered. a
Did proud to say, that a braver or more ga
Ian. regiment never entered the fold
ce. battle. -. ....l, ..r,..J
l@ns @ On that bloody day, the 7th of Apr
y. ,au this maligned and abused Louisville L
~. 1 glon confronted the chisalty, the J Our
''n "al bloods from this very town. They sl
= countered the enemy in numbers no ma
! ne ter how greatT they moved steadily toll
-. front, ..skedaddling" the sscesh, reiakir
10 our batteries, and driving the eneu
~, from his own guns, And when the bs
rs tie was over, the gallant and soldier
asn S McCook rode up to 'these Silver Cree
oon Ragamufins." and in my presence sa
ls nsn that every man in the Louisvlle Legic
~, was hero. That was the prOudsSt d.
'u' Of my life, III o1 aa.!tnu l
=, BntI wander. ,Mycommand at Can
ny ny Joe Holt was ordered to Missouri, Al
ny then my friends who had rather sto
aloof awoke and came forward, and wise
TO as events showed, and got the Preside
.L to countermand the order. Soon af
3. Buckner a came into the State with !
sr;. army ofdoubls traitors--traitors 10 th,
State and to the nation---apd on the me
re re- orabis aight Of the l7lh Of September
7ing crossed the Ohio river and marched {
and under General Sherman to meet them.
,hed BY SOME means that ardent desire Of o
.egi. hearts was never fulfilled, but BuckI
never came TO Louisville. .su s,.a =.
whol l wish to say word Of Gen. Shermt
!, to You Go not know, him. though you m
ase' think You do. :. Hp Stayed with us wh
pro. Buckner was most expected, but at last
vine obedience to commando, he left our Sts
He gave us our first lesson in the ae
a. 10 the face of an enemy, and Of all