The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-11-21
JUNE, 1889
The Sanitary CONVENTION.

Y On looking over the whole matter. we
confess TO an utter inability to discern any
sufficient reasons for the call Of State Con-
ventiOn ut Des Moines. There was one
held but recently at Muscatine, and if con-
ventons are the proper mode of settling
sanitary matters, that should have answer
ed the purpose for the present season. But
the echoes of that convention had scarcely
reached beyond the borders of the State.
before another State Convention, entirely
ignoring that, isconcocted, its preliminaries
manipulated, and the friends of the soldiers
required to assemble in hot haste and on
short notice at Des Moines.
The perfect preparedness of the program.
me, the array of distinguished names, end
the evidences of manipulated concert of ac-
ton, leaves no doubt that the whole move
ment owes its origin to single will, and
that Will actuated by one definite purpose.
Under this state Of things those who are
interested in sanitary matters are compel
led, whether they would or not, to attend
themselves, or enddelegates to Des Moines,
MOI, not to effect any coed, but to prevent any
evil to the cause.
We learn from letters received from the
northern part OF the State, that the inn
preston prevails there that the Conyen-
ven ven was called throughshostility to Mrs.
Witlenmyer, and the object is to kill her
on ON py fair means or foul. We believe that
e eneIe are persons also in this part of the
a,e viii, VINO VINO entertain the same impression,
Win 1, what justice we cannot say.
Why people should be hostile to Mrs.
Wi..eninyer, y; we cannot say. Whether it
Is because she has acquired a fame for
Soou deeGs which they envy. or holds a
posti0n Whch they covet, or is not amongst
.ne ,ltleu OF the land, we cannot say. Ar
lstloes was ostracised and banished no.
cause his follow citizens became tired .n5
dlsgusted with hearing him called 0THE
JUST" and even one of our own distin-
sulshed fellow citizens has been honndad
down for months by men abroad ss weIi
as at home for no better reason. We nsed
our pen in his defence, because he was onr
1eiloW cltlZen, had done the country SER
vice, and was uniustly assailed: and Wa
cannot do less than enter our protest
against the more unjustifiable and merci-
less warfare now waged against Mrs. Wit
tenmeyer.
We know that Mrs. Wittenmyer devoted
her time, energies and means to this "holv
cause. i'll its feeble beginnings in our state
When IT presented no other attractions than
the nope OF doing good and relieving the
the sufferlngs of our patriotic soldiers, She
was the organizer, and mnistering mes
senger OF the infant Aid Societies, and she
charged them nothing for her services
She won the gratitude of the soldiers. and
the admiration of the public at her own
cost and charges, and the Governor and
Legislature recognized her services i'm fit
ting words OF acknowledgements, and ap-
pointed her to her present position. We
believe that she has filled the position and
discharged its onerOus and responsible du-
ties with selt-sacrificing energy and eff
cheney, rarely equalled and never excelled,
1T is not in the power of this Convention to
remove her, and any attempt to do so, or to
change, or add to the Sanitary organiza-
I m w in, laS n
friends OF the cause, and diminishing the
effective aid rendered the soldiers. There
fore, II not presumptuous in an early
friend OF the Aid Societies, we would coun-
sci the Convention to let well enough alone
and If they have any complaints against
Mrs. W1ttenmyer, make them in due form
10 the Legislature, which appointed her
and may remove her.-Gatc city.
SOME OFFICIAL LIGHT ON CHICKAMAU-
GA.-There are one or two points concerns
ing the battle of Chickamauga, which have
never been understood here TIL the official
reports cleared them up. One of them is
why the battle was fought at all. This
must now be well enough understood in
the West; but here it was still unknown
that the battle had to be fought to get the
army concentrated in Chattanooga.
Another point is Gen. McCooks S assigned
reason for going to Chattanooga while the
battle was still in progress. He says in his
report that the last order he received from
Gen. Rosecrans was to support Gen. Thom-
as, and having made his dispositions to
that end, to report to him (Rosecrans) in
person. General Rosecrans having gone to
Chattanooga, he intimates that he followed
MIN there to report. 1t is true that, after
receiving this order, he had seen and con-
versed with Rosecrans in person on the
field, but not having improved this oppor-
tunlty to make his report, it is still techni-
cally true that when he came to do it he
had to go back to Chattanooga in order to
give literal obedience to his order.
How the line came to break in the mys-
teriously sudden way it did on the right is
also explained. 1t will be remembered
that, passing toward the right, Brannon's
Division came next to Reynolds, and
Woods next to his-Wood's being not in
line, but in echelon. An aid appeared, ap-
parently not understanding the echelon
formation, and seeing what he supposed
to be a gap between Wood and REYNOLDS.
so reported to Rosecrans. The General,
accepting the report as correct, at once sent
an order to close up the line. The order
appears to have been loosely expressed by
the staff officer who wrote it out. and Gen
Wood CThos. j. Wood, of Kentucky, Colo.
mel in the regular army,) construed it as
an order to withdraw from his place, (where
he was airead beginning to be sharply en-
S"SS>'sJ pt'So W tLC rear OI l1rlnnOO, anu
come up to the support of Reynolds. OF
course that opened a gap through whichan
army might pour. The rebels instantly
leaped into it, and turned upon the weaker
part OF the line, and were already scatter
ing the right like chatl, before Wood had
reached his new position. Gen. Wood him
self must have understood the effect of the
order as he construed it, for he afterwards
said, showing it, II hold in my hand the
fatal order Of the day." Some of General
Rosecrans' friends, believe, claim that he
put construction on itwhich even its care
less wording would not justify.
THE CHANGING SENTIMENT IN ENG
LAND.--The fact that public sentiment in
England is fast changing in favor of the
North has recently been exemplified in a
remarkable manner. There have been sew
eral elections for members of Parliament
lately, in various parts of the kingdom,
and in every instance the rival candidates
have gone before the people solely on the
American question, no matter what were
the local interests ut stake. All candidates
have been compelled to declare their views
and sentiments in advance on this subject,
and to pledge themselves as to their course
if elected. 1t is gratifying to learn that in
every case tho man who ax,o1yod b;mSalg :.