Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-03
INDIANAPOLIS. ND, MONDAY MORNING.

/ IL Il
regret that he should have been deprived of his
toy for a day. He was permitted by Gen
: Neglcy to resign whilst charges we're pending
against him. Ii was HE prosecutor. the manly
meeting of trial would have ,indicated him
and Inundated me He preferred to resign to
) avoid exposure. l did not object and do not
now desire to detract from bis reputation. /
was opposed to bis promotion. particularly, be
cause the regiment. with singular unanimity. were
in favor Of the promotion of Capt Hughes
In coming again to the name of this much
: abused officer, it is proper that should notice
, the repeated inimatons that had some inter
ested motives in standing by his fortunes. Not
solitary reason can be adGuced to sustain such a
charge. I never saw Capt Hughes in nv life
until the Irish regiment was in course of organi-
zation. He resided in another State. possessed
neither influence nor political position, and could
not in any way be of benefit to me in the future
As an officer. however, he possessed unqueston.
ed ability. The men of company "E" desired
him to command them Having been commits
stoned captain in the regiment, which admitted
of no qualification whatever, / assigned him, as
had right to do. 10 the vacant command in
that company The officers aud men of the re.
giment afterwards. with scarcely dissenting
voice urged his appointment to the position Of
Lieutenant Colonel. | endorsed the recommend
alton made by the officers and pressed it upon the
Governor. and, in doing so, was actuated by no
other motive than desire to satiy the brave
and true men of the regiment, and promote the
interest of the corps which was proud to com
| mand. Capt Hughes had his personal faults
They were weaknesses, however which not one
of the several persons who have been Lieutenant
Colonel of the 35th regiment should venture TO
criticise. | have defended his reputation, which
has been unjustly assaed. as have the reputa-
tiOn of Messrs Mears and Noyes-who are not
my political friends-as an act of justice, and to
put facts on the record, which, when our present
despotism shall have passed away, will enable
those gentlemen to receive justice under an in.
vestigation which will be obtained for them
And now. in noticing Gov Mortons lengthy
communication to Gen HalIeck, and the letters
of Mullen and BaIfe which ACCOMPANIED that
communication. it is necessary only to say that,
had those statements been true, to have Droued
them 50 before 4 court martial, would have left
no room. in fnture, for questions OF veracity to
arise, and effected the desired object in single
day, the accomplishment of which. during my
sickness and without the knowledge of nv Gen
erals in the field. cost His Excellency month of
anxiety aud labor. The means adopted by the
| Governor to create vacant place for a cringing
sycophant, secretly performed. we're cowardly and
diSgraceful. and. having been forced to the light,
show upon their front the impress of conscious
villainy. | will not notice in detail the state
ments made in those communications but will
call the reider's attention to the fact that neither
Gov. Morton nor his attorney have attempted to
prove that Capt Hughes was not legitimately as
signed to duty IN the 35th regiment and legally
mustered into the service of the United States
Neither have they attempted to prove that did
not possess the right To rel ect the services Of off
GERS who reported to me for duty under muster
which was palpibly false On these TWO points
and on these alone, rests the question of the JUS
tce or injustice of nv discharge from the service.
And here will repeat, what was said in nv first
| letter. official orders and the action of those in
authority to the contrary notwithstanding, that
an intelligent army officer cannot be found who
will haz'rd his reputation by asserting that. under
| the circumstances. the assignment of Captain
| Hughes to command, his mus er into the serv.
ice, aud the refusal to receive Mullen into the
regiment. not clearly within the province of
my official duties
1 befr Il ha 6I r,bo Ii
men OF Indiana. who procured my appointment
to the position of Colonel of the Iri>h regiment,
Is not for the vagabnni vino. at the beginning
sought and failed get that position for himself
to decide. The friendship of Mullen, which he now
earnestly protesses for j Ryan. will be ap.
| perciatel when it il known III 1t he urged me to
get the Lieutenant Colonel displaced. and him
self substituted. before the regiment left Indian
apolls. will take Inv oath that had no nstru-
mentality ia bringing the first Lieutenant Colo
mel before the Military Board for examination
1t can be proved by several officers in high posi-
ton. among them General Wood. that was ap-
pointed a member of that Board without nv
consent and in the face of nv earnest protest
am willing to answer before heaven and TO my
country, for the truly conscientious and faithful
manner in which l discharged nv duties to the
Irish regiment. For long time the corps was
not supplied with more than half its compliment
OF officers. which quadrupled my labors; but
preferred this to making il common receptacal
for such political pensioners as Mullen whom
Governor Morton might be able to purchase for
the promotion of his selfish purposes. Because
was disposed 70 yindcate the rights of the brave
men who started out with me in the service. and
! while the regiment. during hazardous marches
and the occupancy of dangerous outposts, in
which renamed with it, in sickness and in health
was earning reputation for discipline and USE
/ fulness unsurpassed by any other in Tennessee
an immense amount OF indignation was aroused
against me. Where? Not in the regiment; for
no officer ever succeeded in winning more com
pletely the friendship of those under his command
than had done. The trouble was at home, among
+ persons who had been discharged for incapaciiy,
and Others who desired 70 obtain positions in the
/ regiment which they were unfit to hold. None
know these facts better than Col. Mullen. Yet,
he has the hardhood 10 state that the larger por-
ton Of his old (6Ist) regiment deserted when
i they heard they were 10 be placed in nv CON-