The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-11-26

"schoolmaster regiment" then al Helena.
and did not come to town. Mrs. Curtis
assisted mrs Ward to secrete the money
on her person, and she 90 took it all away.
Such is the evidence Of DR.. Guthrie, Civ
en- to the President no longer ago than
last week. And he makes this emphatic
declaration IL here aver that he (Gen
Cnrtis) had no interest, direct or indirect,
Immediate or remote, lat the time of the pur-
chases, or since. in any business we we're
engaged in while in his Department. -
He further testi6es that he vas 10 st.
Louis while the court Of inquiry was in
session, and expected to be called a. Wit
nsss, bs. WAS Dot- Why he Was not call
Cd, beed not be stated. Suffice it, il Wa
DOT IN the programme. Col Chipman
states. in his communication to the Presi-
dent, that be was chief Of Gen. Curtis
staff during the time embraced in these
alleged cotton epeculations. that his desk
was BY the side Of that of the Generals;
that, being 50 authorized, he opened all
communications addressed to him, whether
Of apablic or private nature, and never dis
covered anything which would lead him
even to suspect that Gen. Curtis was in
any manner connected with the traffic in
cotton. or anything else. / think, do
not see how any one can thinh otherwise,
that Geu. Curtis. under these circum-
stances, could not possibly have engaged
in speculations, without Col. Chipman' e
knowledge.
How cocs it happen. some may ask,
that DR.. Guthrie and Col Chapman were
not called to testify before the court ofin-
quiry. 1t would be difficult to answer
that inquiry. Why were they called
upon for their evidence here ? Because
the President, in his honesty and good
sense. saw there vas really nothing on
the record against Gen. Curtis. and that
the charges against him should be CON-
pletely "sq1elched." And even the Ma
tionsl Intelligener, which can be charged
with no prediction in favor Of General
Curtis. or any other earnest Union man,
is compelled to print the following:
Gentlemen from ST. Louis, who have
been here several days, have had inter
views with the President in reference to
charges which have been made against
Gen Curtis A commission appointed
by Gen. Halleck the conrt over which
Gen. Mcdowell presided found General
Curtis guilty of some~hst irregular pro-
eeed'ngs, bu, prominent citizens OF ST..
Louis have submitted facts to Mr.. Lincoln
which prove conclusiyely that Gen. Curtis
committed no wrong, and that not sus-
picion can be hsrbored against his integ
rity of character 1t has been charged
that he paid cut money indiscriminately
to negroes at st. Louis, but the facts are
that he con6scated rebel cotton and made
use Of the avails to support helpless col
ored fugitives, who had come In large
numbers FROM within the rebel lines 10
claim Gen. Curtis protection. His pro-
ceedings may have been irregular" in
some respects, but the fullest inyestiga.
tion shows that whatever be did was FOL
the good of his department, and ths
course was = military necessity. The
President has expressed himself ss per,
fectly satisfied that Gen. Curtis acted ir
every case With honest motives, aud thai
his record is perfectly satisfactory.
need say nothing more. This com.
munication is already much longer than
am accustomed to make. But, l trust,
I need ash no pardon for that, in view oI
the fact that the most distinguished
military officer Of our State was charged
With improper conduct; that he has been
prosecuted in a most cruel and extraor
dinary manner; that, in spite Of the ex
allied position of his assailsnts, he hal
come out unscathed even by the admis
sion Of his enemies. Ii was due to hin
and to Iowa that your correspondent
should give to the legal journal of hil
own home a pretty full erpose Of tn,
whole case. have done Do, thus imper
fectly, and without calling in any specia
friend of Gen. Curtis whatever for assis
lance. HAwKRYE.