Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-06-25
DAILY SENTINEL
Letter from Col. walker.
INDIANA STATE AGENcY.
Nxw Napu Tupa "a Il

connection with the following article, extracted
from late number Of the Indiana Journal.
Speaking OF the discharge of Capt Hughes from
the service Of the United States. the Journal
says:
John G. Hughes was Captain in the 35th
Indiana (lst lrshl Regiment. As little can be
said IN praise OF his military career IN his State,
as Of the way he began il, or of the way the War
Office ended H. He was not = ciuzen of Indiana
at ALL but through the contrivance and assist
ance of John Walker. then Colonel of the
giment. he obtained a commission and a muster
into the service. pronounced by the War Depart
ment fraud. His 'iuposture, rs il Is officially
denounced. was probably as much the work Of
the Colonel as himself. and il the former had not
been dismissed for nsubordnaion long ago,
there l. little doubt that he would been lifted
out along with Hughes for share in the clan
destine and disgracetul muster
The above is merely specimen copy of numer
Gus notices with which have been favored, during
the past six months, by the Journal and other
Republican newspapers in Indiana. Having been
indorsed by election to the important trust
now hold. in which recognize the confidence of
those men in my State whose good opnon is
worth an effort to preserve. have thus far passed
.
feeling the abuse of the vicious TO tie a compli-
ment to, rather than u stigma upon nv charac
ter II has been urged however, that owed II
to my friends to refue the false charges which
have been. from time to time. industrously cir
culated against me. To do this will require an
article so lengthy and so full OF details purely
personal TO myself, that hesitate to impose il
read by my friends, and, at the risk of becoming
tedious even TO them, ! will present brief his
tory of the events which led TO the conclusion
stated, and misrepresented, both by the quoted
extract from the Journal and by the War Depart
ment at Washington City
In 1861. after il had been declared BY Con-
gress, and by the Administration, that the war
with the States in rebellion was 10 be prosecuted
not to subiugate them to interfere with their
established institutions but simply 70 restore the
Union and vindicafe throughout that the Union the
Constitution of the United States. yielded with
reluctance, to the persuasion of friends to accept
the command Of Cavalry Regiment, which they
aud were subsequently authorized to organize
| say that yielded TO these persuasons with re-
luctance-for doubted the good faith of the
party in power in the declarations made By it OF
the objects held in view in the prosecution of the
war.
BY the time the organization of the Cavalry
Regiment was perfected, and the Legislative au
thorty for putting it into the field obtained, His
Excellency, Governor Morton, became convinced
through the representation of persons in the north
part of the State, who have not vet exposed their
valuable lives to the bullets of the enemy, that il
was unsafe to entrust an important command to a
man so firm in his political convictions and a:
true TO the requirements of the Constitution a:
the writer of this article. The services of the
regiment were consequently declined os,ensibl,
on the ground that Cavalry were hot needed and
would not be useful in this war. took occasion
at that time. 10 expose the Governors bad faith
in this transaction. which. together with an en
sode especially private in IT, character establish
ed between him and me relations of an unamia
BILE and disagreeAble nature.
Several months subsequent to these events
the gentlemen engaged i'll raising the " Irish reg
iment." urged my appointment to the command
! of it upon the Governor Of the State At that
time the Irish element Of our population, at all
inclined 10 enter the service. had been mainly
absorbed in other military organizations and the
regiment in question was recruited at great labor
and expense 1t was finally ordered in the field
with but about eight hundred men John
Hughes, of Dayton, Ohio Il Captain in the Mex
lean war Major in the three months service a
gallant soldier. accomplished officer, and an
lrshman by birth. was pursuaded to accept a
Captaincy in this Irish regiment. He com
unacquainted in Indiana. succeeded, in the linn
tied time allowed him, in recruiting but few men
who. on the receipt of marching orders, were
distributed throughout the corps, leaving the
regiment with nine companies only, and Captain
Hughes without a command In March, 1862,
while the regiment still in Kentucky, va
cancy occurred in the Captancy of company
and, at the unanimous request of the men.
assigned Captain Hughes TO the command OF
that company. As soon officer authorized
10 act in the premises could be found, Captain
Hughes regularly mustered into the service
of the United States. and has drawn pay only
from the date OF that muster. These are the
facts in the case and will here venture the as
serton that there i not an officer in the army
who values MS reputation that will say the trans
action was either iliegtimate or illegal Th,
true reason for the discharge of Capt H1ghe.
will appe'y further on in this chapter of outrage
inflicted upon the dignity of the service and the
personal rights of officers in the field
By reason OF incaplciy IN some. and physca
disability OF Others the Office of Lieutenant Co
lionel and FIVE or SIX offices of IN, line. in th,
35th regiment became vacant during the tim,
intervening between the lst of January and tn,
lst OF April. ls62 Some time in April. the reg
iment being in the vicinity of Nashville. Capt
Hughes was recommended hy nearly all the Off
Gers present. for the appointment Of Leutenan
Colonel Other persons in the corps. favoriie
with their respective commands. who had earne,
the right to promotion by laborous attention Il
duty in the field. were also recommended to fl
the other offices vacant m the regiment Gov
Morton declined 70 commission Capt Hughes a
Lieutenant Colonel. but. instead OF doing 80, anC
against the almost unanimous wish of the officer,
and men. promoted MAJOR Balfe TO that position
sH.l.