The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1863-02-06
"A Mt PA UL..
The Suppression of Official Reports,
I'm order to make Case against
Major Brown.

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In reply to our review of the Adjutant
Generals Report, wherein we exposed the
studied injustice which had been done
Major BEowN, by that official, in his ac-
count of the battle of Birch Coolie, the
Press, of the 30th ult., attempts to parry
the effec. of our criticism by counter at
tack on Major Brown.
This attack is made up of false state
ments of fact and inference. 1t is not
necessary that W. should notice these in
detail we content ourself with exposing q
trick of which the Press is guilty, in sup
pressing an official report of COL SlBLRYs,
while pretending to give his Judgment OF
the affair as against Major Brown. For
this purpose, we quote paragraph from
the Press, as follows:
The Pioneer says that "Col. Sibley openly
attributed to the cOOlness courage and precall-
ton OF Major Brown, the saving of the camp
from the assault OF the Indians, and the prOba-
BILE assassination of every individual in it," If
this be so, Col Sibley was certainly very care
full to say nothing of the kind in his official re-
port of the affair. He there calls it "a sad af-
fair, which had been attended with eXtraOrdi-
nary fatality to portion of my command"
The Press quotes from the preliminary
report of Col. SIBLEY, made on the morn
ing of the 4th September, at Fort Ridg-
ley, he having arrived there the midnight
before with his command, from the scene
of the battle. This report was written
simply to announce the fact of the battle
of Birch Coolie, and its results; and it
does not pretend to furnish single detail
of the events connected with the affair.
This hasty report the Press attempts to
use against Major Brown but there is not
a statement in it which was designed, or
can fairly be construed, to his prejudice.
Col. S1BLEY made second report on the
9Th September, which was addressed to
Gov. RAMSEY, and which covered the re-
port Of Maj. BROWN as commanding officer
at Birch Coolie. In this second report,
Col. SIBLEY used this language:
That the command was not destroyed before
arrived to rescue them from their perilous
situation, may be ascribed chiefly to the COOL
ness of nerve displayed by Major Brown and
Capt. Anderson, both of whom were severely
wounded.
Yet, in the face of this high compli-
ment, officially transmitted to the Cover
nor, his organ, and the apologist for the
Adjutant General, denies that Col. SIBIEY
gave Major Brown credit as above quoted,
and as we stated in our former review.
1t is hardly possible that the Press was
ignorant of Col. SIBLEYs second report, of
September 9th, from which we have quot
ed. The Adjutant General could not have
been ignorant of it, unless the Governor,
to whom it was addressed, wilfully sup
pressed it, for the purpose of insuring a
partial and unjust history of the affair by
his Adjutant General.
On Thursday last, the Hon. VIM. P.
MURRAY introduced the following resolu-
ton into the House, and it was passed
Resolred, That the Adjutant General furnish
this House with copies ofall reports, dispatches
and official communications of every kind, re-
ceived by him or His EXcellency, the Cover
nor, on file in the Office of the Adjutant Gener.
al, and relating to or having any bearing upon
the Battle of Birch Coolie.
The only printed document laid before
members clearing upon the battle OF
Birch Coolie," which We have noticed,
was distributed in the House, on Friday,
and was confined to this preliminary re-
port of Col SIBLEY, under date Of Septem-
Der 4th. This must either have been in
tended as response to the House resolution
or it was sent in to forestall the opinions
OF members. If this single, preliminary
report of Col. SIBLEY's, is the Adjutant
Generals response to Mr.. MURRAYs resO
luton, the House owes it to its dignity tt
appoint committee to investigate th
business, and ascertain what has become
of Col. SIBLEY's report of September 9th
and of Major BRowN's report which wa
transmitted along with it, to the Cover
nor. Is it A1jutant General MALMRos, o
Governor RAMSEY, who suppresses officia
documents? or are they in league to pre-
vent such documents from being pub
lished to the people, Oh the demand o
their Representatives?
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