Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-10-03


tradicted ,and accordingly heat ance penn
cd the letter, of whicA we subjoin a copy.
HsApoulRrERs DiPor CAMP INVALID Corps,
MERIDIA AN HILL d. c., Sept %, 1863.
Mr.. IT, Bigham, PutsJwg, Pa.:
Sir l have noticed in the newspapers
a report of a mass Convention held at
Pittsburg on the 10th ult., ia which you
are represented to have said, in response
to an inquiry of one Mathews as to where
Woodward (meaning Judge Woodward,
the Democratic nominee for Governor)
was when Curtin was attending to the
soldiers wants 'that when Judge Wood
wards gallant son came home from Get
tysburg, wounded in both legs, his father
told him he might be thankful be got off
so well-that he ought to have been
wounded in the heart for fighting in such
q cause"
AS my only brother capable Of bearing
arms, who has made two campaigns with
the State Militia, has never been wound.
ed, presume that am the son of
Judge Woodward alluded to in the fore
going statement-which statement 1 de-
sire to brand, as you knew it to be when
you made it, wicked and deliberate false.
hood. A cause so weak as 10 need such
assistance must be weak indeed. man
SO lost 10 honor and decency as to use
such means for partisan ends deserves 10
be drummed out OF respectable society.
AS the Lieutenant Colonel command
ing the I'd Pennsylvania Reserves, par
ticipated in the battle of Gettysburg, but
was fortunate enough to escape unharmed
except slight injury 10 my right foot, in
which had been wounded during the PEI
nins ular campaign.
Just after the fall of Sumter, in the
spring Of 1861, finding that war between
the two great sections of our common
country was inevitable, under the call of
the President for three years volunteers
l raised company in Philadelphia, which
afterwards became incorporated with the
I'd Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves -
Any one familiar with the business of
raising volunteer organizations knows il
be an expensive undertaking. Every
cent that my company cost, with the ex
ception of the small amount that my lin.
tied means enabled me to devote to the
purpose, came from my father, Judge
Woodward. During all the time that
elapsed before my company was mustered
into service, lived in his house, and had
SO far as I needed it, his co operation in
my enterprise.
As Major of the I'd Pennsylvania Re
serves, l participated in the Peninsulal
campaign, and was wounded at Charles
City Cross Roads, in the right foot and
; left leg-by which wounds l am crippled
, for life-was taken prisoner, confined in
, the Libby Prison in Richmond, and, aitel
, being parolled, was taken to my father:
J house in Philadelphia, where, for four
, weary months was confined to my bed
. suffering intensely, but with that suffering
alleviated and finally relieved, by not on
ly the best medical skill, but also by tb,
constant, kind, unwcaring attention Of m,
father, mother and sisters. During al
) tn at time, as indeed during my whole life
no father could be more kind, more solic
e itous for a sons welfare, than was mine
. Almost daily conversations occurred be
2 tween us, in which the war, and the pres
!, ent and the future of our country wer
discussed and, although he freely crit
. icised, and often condemned, the name
in which the war was managed by the Ad
mnistration, never did he utter senti
; ment in sympathy with the doctrine @
: secession, nor syllable ofapproval of tn
course taken by the people Of the South
and never did he say aught which wa
% not calculated to encourage me in tn
is performance of my duty as a soldier.
IS have been thus full, sir, in my refuta
!. tion OF your SANDER, not because you nee
or deserve this kind OF attention at IN
~ hands, but because this refu,ation must
- made as public as was the calumny, an
TX | desire the public 10 have the exact trut
in in regard to this matter.
ut In conclusion, sir, will remark that
a. is poor encouragement to our solde
in the field to find that while they Al
IL toiling and fighting for their country, !,
ing politicians at home are using them
L., the instruments Of their partisan malic
and such an instance as this is fair
A, lurtration of the pretended love for SC
- disrs which certain parties parade so co
70 stantly. That love must be sincere i
deed which, while it overlays the soldi
!, with fulsome adulaiion, stabs 10 the qui,
g, !" all that lie holds near and dear.
GEO. A. WOODWARD,
=, late Lieut.. Col. Comdg. I'd Pa. Reserv,
" Majo, Invalid Corps.