Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-01-31

| TO THE PUBLIC.
The numerous false statements which have
been put in circula ion by disloyal press,
concerning my conduct in tho arrest and
transfer of illiam Ii. Hill to Fort La Fay
cite, render brief recital of the facts at
least proper:
Hill was indicted by the Grand Jury at the
last term of tho United States District Court
for tho Western Division of the District of
Iowa, for Treason against the Government
His offense, as sm informed, consists of
writing letters to the rebels, of which tho
following is . sample:
| CLsaK's OFFICE. Magnolia Iowa,
Nay. L. 1851.
| EDIroR UNION DEnocRAT, Union, Monroe
Co., Virgins
Who has brought this dire calamity upon
US? not the conservative men of the South,
nor tho conservative voters Of the NORTH
The demons in the shape Of Black Republ'-
cans and Abolition rule have so misl,d the
excitable masses of the North by such doc
trines as set out in Uncle Toms Ca in, ard
such as taught by Beecher, Greedy, &c., that
tie fanatics believe they are doing Gods ser
vice to wage = war of determination agains,
the Southern shareholders. Yes, Mr.. Editor,
The black-hearted fanatics have causei the
tho dark clouds of war t" hang over US, and
this once peaceful and happy Union to be
deluged with the blood of relatives and
friends, and the Union destroyed.
| Conservative citizens In this portion of the
west justify the course the South is taking,
and condemn the Black Republican Admins
trAtion for waging this unholy and unjust
Aar upon the South. All over the north
western States are thousands, and tens of
thousands Union loving democrats who say
Amen and God speed you in your noble
work in driving back the hordes Of unprinci-
pied Abolit'onists who bide the calling of .
sectional Administration to plumber tine citi-
zens of the South! Never let them pollute
your sacred soil
In the opinion Of majority of the citizens
Of the Northern States, and perhaps q maj r
.ty Of this town and my adopted county the
foregoing are entire secession sentiments.
know am pronounced = traitor BY the ne
gro worshippers, but my opinion ~ given
now as has been gwen since resided in the
State. have fought the Abolitionists
through each canvass with pen and tor que,
and shall continue on, though my Office and
press are threatened by the friends of the re-
nowned John Brown. -....
\
| find words local and will bid your readers
farewell, Not a company nor q volunteer
will. leave Western Iowa to obey the call of
Lincoln, to battle it'll the Southern troops
The Government has called the troops sta.
TONED at Fort Randall and Fort Kearney,
and leaves our frontier exposed to the inva-
son Of the hostile Indians. Volunteer COM
panics are being formed for home protection.
The Government stopped the transportation
of all provisions down tho Missouri River
This act is arousing the masses against the
Government, and making friends for thu
cause of the South.
A thousand cheers for the Monroe volun-
tecIs! In their ranks | see the name of
brother and relatives. May they cover them
selves with glory in this struggle, and be an
ornament to the State and the Southern
Confederacy.
have spun out this communication too
long, and perhaps it should 80, if at all, on
the outside of the DEMOCRAT.
| WV. ii. HILL, Magnolia, Iowa.
Without entering into details, it is suffi-
Gent to say that the fact that he wrote the
above letter and others is established beyond
dispute, and is not denied by him. His trial
was set for the 7th of January, and special
Jury was drawn and summoned for the pur.
pose. On Thursday, the Sd day IF January,
1862, l received from the Post-O Office in Des
Moines an official notification from the Dis.
trict Attorney, who was then in Washington,
Of his purpose to enter . nolLe in the case.
pursuant to instructions received from the
Attorney General Of the United States. On
Saturday, the 9Th Of the same month, re-
ceived an order, over the signature Of WV.
Ii SEWARD, Secretary Of State, bearing date
of December 26th, 1861, Commanding me
Ito arrest and convey to Fort La Faygtte,
VIM. Il. Hill as soon as he is discharged
from civil custody under the present indict-
ment against hun in the United States DIS
trict Court in Iowa." On the 9Th of Janus.
~ received a letter from the assistant Score
!ary of State. bearing date January ID, 1862,
advising me that the order above referred to
had been issued. did not stop to make in
|quiries as to the new light of which the
State Department was possessed or the
reasons upon which this new action was
based. My duty as an officer to execute the
order seemed clear, and resolved to do it,
On the evening of the 8th made the arrest
At the Des Moines House in this City, and
Immediately started to Fort La Faye,te.-
There was nothing unusual or remarkable in
the manner in which the arrest was made
The prisoner was in the office of the Des
Moines House when arrested. He quietly
made such arrangements for the Journey as
were necessary, and when he left the office,
some time after he was taken in custody,
other persons who wero there during the en-
tire time noticed no unusual occurrence. On
the 10th we were met on the cars OF the Mis-
s'ssippi and NJ ssouri Railroad by the Deputy
] nf ,bo
a writ Of h'beU corpus, issued by Judge
LfNDEsMAN of the Olunty Court, upon the
| application Of James Grant, an Attorney
Without Immediately determining in nv
own mind what course to pursue, | proceed
I'd to Davenport and delivered smy prisoner
to the jailor of the County for safe keeping
until again demanded After consulting with
those whose ADVICE deemed it proper to
ask, | resolved to disregard the writ, as has
been repeatedly done by other Marshals hav-
ing the custody of military prisoners l de-
manded the prisoner of tho iailor, received
him, and went on my way. On the 10th of
Janua y delivered bin to the commandant
of Fort La Fayette, as his receipt now in my
possession attests. At no time was any un- |
necessary hardships practiced upon the pris.
oner.
The above statement has been rendered !
necessary by rumor and newspaper articles |
Of which the following is sample:
| MORE OF THE Hill KIDNAPPING CAsE.-l
From one of or citizens, who has been trav-
cling in Illinois, we gather few items con-
corning tho movements of the scoundrel IIox-
lie ard his kidnapped prisoner, Capt Hill
| 1t appears that Hoxie was afraid of an at
tempt at rescue if he did not put long DIS
lance between himself and the place of his
| theft and therefore hired = conveyance and
pushed on to Viola, in Mercer County. Here