The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-04-29
CAMP OF AID ONO, on Bayou Tensas, La,)
20 assles .Westef Rzseksburg, .sse.ss5
April 9th, 1863. \

You will, / have no doubt, bear me witness
that hitherto have not been disposed to
thrust myself or my grievances upon yon or
the people, through the columns Of the press
/ do not intend to pursue. different course
hereafter; but, as my name has recently aud
very Unexpectedly to me, appeared in several
public journals of Ohio, in connection which
does me great injustice, both as an aofficer
and a gentleman cannot from, a sense of
duty, at least personal to myself, forbear an
invocation of your kindness, ard ask place
for this communication in your valuable and
widely circulated paper.
On the 18th day of February last, with
health somewhat impaired by sicktless, and
feelings depressed by recent death and pres
ent severe and uncertain sickness in my fami-
", I rejoined my regiment at Young's Point.
La. near Vicksburg, reported to the COM
manding officer for duty, and by his order
Immediately resumed command of my COM
pany. From that time to the present, in
common with my brother officers of the line,
have done my proportion of whatever duty
was assigned me, and up to the 1st inst. was
utterly unconscious that had been reported
to the authorities at Washington for any
'.effence y either of omission or commission
against any one, even of the most rigid re-
quircnlents of military law, nor was / con-.
scious that / had violated any one of those
requirements. Indeed, had alright to sup
pose, yes, to know, as I now do, that I had
not violated any one of them. And further,
from the fact that was placed in immediate
command, and was received and treated with
kindness and cordiality by every officer of the
regiment, without exception, had also a
right to suppose that no one, of them looked
upon me as an offender. 0n,the,frst.d day of
the present month received letter from T.
R. Williams, Esq, of Ravenna; also, slip
cut.from the Cleveland, Ohio, Morning Lead
era Washington letter." which, among
other things, stated that for the offence ~ of
absence without proper authority" an
nouneed in general orders, @Capta,n Horace
H. Willard. 42d 0hio,a with one other named,
was to stand dismissed from the service un-
less within fifteen days from March II, 1868,
he reported and made satisfactory defence'' y
before the Board, of which Brig. Gen. Rick
etts is President. - % seatelo 5p.t i'i'1 aals
I need not say that when l read this, and
under all the circumstances, was taken by
SURPRISE" yes, more, with astonishment. I
was vexed, but not much troubled. II finally
bethought me, this is "all fools day. and
some heartless joker has played the cruelest
of his pack upon me. But on the next day,
April I'd. through the kindness of the gentle
man who had sent me the letter referred to-
received copy Of your paper, of date March
25th, containing the Washington order refer
ring to myself, in full, with your kind COM
ments hereon in my behalf was now con-
WINGED that was the victim of no Joke. The
truth was, | had been reported "at the head
quarters of the army'' as an offender-an ab-
sentee without proper authority''--the report
had been acted upon. and the result an order
of dismissal from the service, unless within
fifteen days from its date-17th March,
should report at Washington and make salts
factory defense. Thus, the last day. of grace
meted to me in the order found me with my
command, where had been for more than a
month, quite two thousand miles away from
the Head Quarters of the Army" where l
might report or not, at my peril, and until
then, utterly, yes, as I have said, utterly TN
conscious, ignorant, that had been reported
as an offender, or that had offended, and that
then, too, the penalty Of an unknown, but
alternative Judgment had been or would be
visited upon me, whereby should suffer dis
grace even for tardiness in the cause of my
country. But SO it was. All this had been
done, and thus done. own that now was
not only vcxed, but troubled. s, .,-
I at once went to regimental headquarters,
and there through the courtesy of Lt Col
Don A. Pardee, commanding was shown copy
of an application made by Col L. A. Shell
don of the AID Reg't, of date February 18th,
1853, asking my dismissal from the service
for the reason. as given by him, that, having
been several months ago detached on the re-
cruiting service in Ohio, received orders
Dec. 25, 1862, from the War Department to
rejoin my regiment-that after long delay =
proceeded to do SO; came to Helena, Ark,
and there stopped and returned to Memphis
without authority. The facts in reference to.
myself are briefly these: The latter part of
October last, and soon after the arrival of Gen.
Morgan's column from Cumberland Gap, L
was detached at no solicitation of mine, to
enter upon the recruiting service in Ohio
Having remained until the Both November,
doing as best I could, and in my opinion all
I could, and seeing little or no prospect of fu-
ture success, in my monthly report of that
date to the Superintendent of the recruiting
service, ] made an earnest but respectful re-
quest to be relieved therefrom, ard for orders
to reioin my regiment. also made a SINH
lar personal, verbal request to that officer
soon after; also one to Col. Sheldon, through
Capt. Barber, of the 42nd. ] so, and then,
made these several requests, because knew
I was needed with my command, and because
I had good reason to know that the regiment
would again soon see active service in the
field. and I felt that should share its perils
and hardships Finally, on the 5th day of
January was relieved from the recruiting
service by the War Department, and received
orders to report to my regiment at Vicksburg.
Saturday, Dec. 9th, 1 had received orders
from Gen.. Morgan, directing me to collect in
to camp and bring forward to the regiment all
absentees and deserters, lists and supposed
places of residence of whom 1 also received.