The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-02-13

General Grant. for its avowed treason anC
mu,inous conduct. The following is a his
tory OF that regiment. and the causes tha
made it act so shameflsly, written by 81
officer at Holly Springs to the Chicago Tri
blne:
You will doubtless hear from othel
sources of the di>gracaful and disloyal be
havior Of one Of our Illinois regiments. w,
Illinois soldiers feel mortified and chayrnet
beyond expression that any soldiers fron
the glorious Prairie State should turn trai
tors 10 the Union and its Il g in the face o
the rebel enemy. Bat so it is: thereis a
least one black sheep in the i,ck. Bat the
plan was discovered in tune 20 nip it before
it was carried into execution.
The 1o9th regiment was raised. if mis-
take not. in Williamson and Johnson coun-
ties, and was supposed to be full OF knights
/ OF the Golden Circle. 1t was notoriously
pro slavery--except one company. sde up
of Republicans and War Democrets. A
vague suspicion pervaded the minds OF
many off GERS and soldiers of other regiments,
tina. the l09!h would ,t do 10 :. tie to- in
an emergency; that /. WAS not sound
corn )" still, for q time, there was nothing
rem srkably bad in their behavior. The
most suspicious circumstance, was the fra
ternity and popularity of the officers and
men with the secesh nitives es-women as
we'll as men. 1t did not escape observation
and remark that tn, officers spen, much of
their time In swearing At the AbolitIonists.
catching and returning con rabands of rebels
that came within our lines. and talking
I" the constitutional rights of our Southern
brethren that we're being violated by the
Lincoln Government" Whenever men talk
In that way, it is sure, uufailing sign that
they are half rebels themselves, and care
but little for the preservatiol OF the U Iion.
Things went along in this way until it was
discovered that one or more of the officers and
a number of the m en- had deserted TO the enemy,
taking their arms along with them General
Grant was de SirouS of knowing to what extent
the regiment was rotten. and he was shortly
furnished with the desired Inormltion. few
days Lieutenant of the famous 9TH K,ssas
cavalry, who is about t sharp as they make
'ern" dressed up in the garb of rebel 9th ;er,
and went into the country at night some eight
or ten miles from Holly springs, and played
Off on the "butternut" natives thN he was a
Ciptain in the rebel army out on scout, and
for other purposes. He quckly gained the con-
fl lence Of rebel family honyh the old MN Of
the house reticent at first, he was soon
convinced that the Captain was "all right on
the z ,ose," and swore BY JEFF Davis, when the
old fellow unburdened his soul and made the
following revelations
The 1O9th Illinois was then stationed at
Waterford, eight miles south Of Holly Springs.
The officers AMI m IN had told the natives that
they were tired Of the war. and did not want to
see the South whipped but wished the seeded
States to get their Independence that they de-
sired to be taken prisoners and would surrender
at the first opportunity that they tered the
army because they thought they could best
th,,- e.. kl,,a
and when the time come, desert and take their
arms with them. They assured the natives
that they all true Southern men except
C c)mplny K which was made up of black Re
publicans'' and "abolitionzed Democrats"-
The regiment, with the exception OF SAID com
rany, had concerted mea ;ures with the secesh
citizens of Pontotoc county to attack them
some m ,rnins so as to give them an opportu
nifty t. surrender with all their arms and rnuni-
lions. The old fellow said that a band OF sixty
of the neighbors had already organized for the
purpose and the ATTACK will speedily be mite,
and the post surrendered. twas expected that
company X would show fight, but 1t was ar
ranged to rush upon them suddenly, and before
they would have time to fall iato line.
The Lieutenant could hardly credit the story
told him by the old secesh and his wife and
daughters. It seemed to the officer hardly
credible that this could all be true but on
making tests to verify it, he received the same
Information from five diff.rcn. families. residny :
in different neighborhoods, within circuit Of
halfa days ride.
One of the planters told some OF our men
recently that Captain of the Tooth illinois hal
offered 50 10 to any man who couid bring him
Two companies OF guerrillas, to attack them as
they all wanted to surrender except Co K
which contained sixty id Abolitionists. but
they could easily be overpowered and taken
prisoners
This and other information was laid before
General Grant. The result was the issuing of
The following order
Headquarters 18th Army Corps Dspartms Mt % thel
Tennessee, Holly Springs Mss. Dee 81 '
1t having been alleged that the 1O9th regi
ment Illinois volunteer infantry has shown
indications of disloy atty, and many members of
the regiment having voluntarily hunted up cit
izens in the neighb rhooi of their camp to sur
render aud obtain paroles from, is hereby placed
under arrest.
The regiment will be dSarmed by the com
mander OF the brigade to which the regiment is
temporarily attached, and the arms and ammu-
ntion of the regiment turned over to the
Ordnance Officer Lieutenant Carter, to be DIS
posed of as may hereafter be ordered
The conduct of company X OF said resi-
ment being in honorable contrast TO the balance
of the regiment, is Vempt from the effect OF the
above order, and will be placed on duty with
By order of Major General j. GRANT,
JNo A. RAwLIss, A. A. q.
The regiment is now placed where 1t can do
no harm. and its arms ere saved from falling in
to the hands Of the enemy.
] reco,lect of hearing reports that when this
regiment left Jonesboro' to join the army, that
many of the men cheered for jeff Davis and
.he Southern Confederacy as the cars moved
off.
The feeling of disgust and anger among the
loval regiments is intense, and If the soldiers
were allowed to hold court martial on these
recreants, if found guilty of the charges, they
would order out every tenth man to be shot,
and se.d the others to the penitentIary during
the continuance of the war.
e~ There is one test of unconditional
loy alty that never fails. When You find
man so intent on finding fault with the 10y
al Government. that be has no waste wrath
To testow on . conspiracy to break up the
Union and destroy tie Republic, set him