, 1862-05-22
@BE'G:ttha th I !:
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~ THURSDAY, MAY ss,1sts.::s ::


Our correspondents at Washington Write I:
Us that the case Of Gen. Charles s. Hami1- Il
Ion, who was q short time since relieved
Of the command Of his Division at York
spwn,S f,y Gen Mcclellan, and ordered to
report himself al the War Department,
continues to excite great interest and sym
pathy among military men and civilians
We are informed that very few men IN
deed can be found to juBtify the dismissal
pf Gen. Hamilton in that manner. The
Wisconsin Senators and Representatives
have taken the case up and made It q per
sona1 matter. The men Of Wisconsin
Epeak Of this General as their best military |
man and it is known at the capital that # |
this fayorite has done nothing wrong, and
is still thrown aside, the people Of the !
Badger State viii not soon forget the out
rage. We belie1e-and our belief is based
on the facts-that he has been already out
xageously treated, and that it is due to him
and to the brave men who served under
him, and performed almost incredible
1abors at Yorktown, that the President
promptly interfere in his behalf
This case has been for several days be-
fore the Secretary of War; and the Pnesi
dent is considering it. The facts, as they
have appeared, therefore, which are noto-
1ious in Washington, may properly be
stated here. An occasional correspondent
sends us statement Of them, which is
fuller than any we have before seen.
When thelabors Of the siege before York
town began, all the work devolved on
Heintzelman's corps, composed Of three
divisions, Porter'e, Hookers and Hatnil-
tons. Of these Hamilton's was much the
smallest, and from its position had by far
more guard duty {night and day. than
either of the other divisions. Gen. Ham
ilton's camp was In swamp-wnter bad
and air unhealthy. When the work began
Of digging the trenches and building the
batteries and roads and bridges, the de-
nands for labor we're made equally on the
three divisions; Porter's and Hookcr's we're
worked up 10 their full capacity; and still
demands were made upon Gen. Hamilton's
men. These men were literally worked
to death. They were on picket duty
ana in the trenches day and night,
deprived of res: and Sleep Men worked
IN NUMEROUS instances three nights in sue
cession all night in mud and rain, besides
much Of the Intervening time during the
day. AS our correspondent says, flesh and
blood and bones could not stand it. His
sick list increased fearfully, and scores d
the men were buried in the swamp whost
lives were sacrificed need1essly If not Grim
ina11y. The surgeons all went to Genera
Hamilton and told him the division would
all be sick, and in q few days more mont
would be able 10 take the field Th'
Co}onels and Brigade Commander:
made representations to him to TIL
same effect. General Hamilton's duty
as he thought, Was clear. In q note Il
Gen. Heintzelnan he applied for relief 70
bis men, and again personally to that off
cer He was informed that the order
came from Gen McC1ellan's headquarters
He then wrote letter tt Gen Mcclellan
Adjutant General, and then to his Conf
DENTAL Aid. The courtesy Of reply
even, was not deigned- He neg
wrote to Gen Marcy, Chief (
staff, but with no effect Thus b
had made repeated complaints, whic
produced no effect; but he wrote ono
more ITO the Chief Of Staff that he shoul
feel it his duty to appeal to the highest 81
thorities Of the Government unless thez
was more equality in the labor of the di
fe1ent divisions This is the whole cas-
Gen Mcclellan replied that the menace
the las: note was disrespectfut and iusu1
ordinate; and accordingly removed hi,
from lis command. We learn that &c
Hamilton does not attempt to expla
away anything-he admits the worst tn
isagainst him He insists that he has do:
nothing that good soldier and gentlem;
might not honorably do. No officer in t
army knows better than he what is hone
able IN soldier, and none who Won
shrink with greater abhorrence from al
act unbecoming the rank Of Genera
and we are not surprised, with this state
facts, that the Secretary Of War and Il
President, the Cabinet, and Senators al
Representatives are anxious to restore hi
to his division.