The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-12-05
vindication Of Gen. Curtis.
WASHINGTON. D, c.. Nov, 80


EDITOR HAWK EYE: Your readers will
remember with what pertinacity the press
of the country insisted upon General Curtis
completely in cotton speculations while in.
command at Helena. The journals were
hardly responsible for the great wrong
tons came from correspondents who fell
into the common error of reporting rumor
instead Of what they knew to be fact; but
these false and prejudicial stories got to the
people through the press, and it would
seem but just that they should make re-
paration by giving the defense hearing
now that it can be done authOritatively.-
What shall write you in this matter you
will receive as coming from the records on
file in the War Department, and for the
truthful representation of which the reader
can rest assured. - .-3a. 'a. ...
ORIGIN OF THE COTTON ISLANDERS AGAINST
1 s5ts CURTIS.
Soon after Gen. Curtis arrived at Helena
he found his camp infested with scores of
irresponsible men, semi-loyalists and spies,
all attracted there by the cotton mania and
equally regardless of their own honor and
the safety and success of the little army
which they imperilled by tampering with
the enemy without and within the lines
There were few good men, honest and
fair III their dealings, and perfectly loyal,
but they found it difficult to compete with
age, even to robbing from negroes the cot
ton they hid away from rebel farmers, or
compelling them to sell for low prices and
paying in Tennessee uncurrent paper
These abuses increased until the command
ing General found it necessary to take the
whole matter of trade into his own man.
agement, prohibiting by general orders all
| traffic in cotton except the buyer had a per.
nit from his headquarters, and making
loyalty prerequisite to obtaining u per-
| nit, as we'll as bringing the trader under
the army regulations which govern suffers.
These restrictions, manifestly necessary to
the safety and discipline Of the army, nee
essarily excluded great many traders
who had fiocked to that point to take ad-
vantage of trade, and who could neither
establish their loyalty or responsibility
From this class of men first began the cot
ton TRADE against GeneralsC Curtis, whom
they accused of excluding them from the
privileges Of trade to facilitate and enlarge
his own operations. There were at this
time in the army, officers of high and low
rank backed by many papers in the Nor
Curtis liberal policy on the negro question
and denounced him publicly and privately
for iberating the slaves of rebels and rebel
sympathizers, and allowing them to sell
cotton and using the proceeds to clothe,
feed and convey them North these per-
sons not daring to make an issue before
the people on this question, took up and
fed the cotton clamor seeking by indirect
means to destroy the reputation of the man
whom they dared not meet on the real is
sue of their own making. Evidences OF
this are abundant; the names of officers
and the proofs of the conspiracy can be
given, but do not deem them necessary to
the purpose of this letter. This work be.
gun, it was not allowed to sleep. Repre-
Tot ~ iru
high sources the press kept up the clamor
| and government official at st. Louis com.
| missioned a detective and sent him down
| to Helena as spy upon the track of the
Commanding General an Infamous abuse
of power, and UNANIMOUSLY conceived. Thus
watched, and thus abused, misrepresented
here in Washington, and weakened in his
command by the intrigues Of his own Of
ficers, headed by Ex-Governor Phelps
then influential but from whom the sceptre
has gone, not to return, except through
repentance and tears. Gen. Curtis wen
steadily on, taking no notice Of his sland
erers, but reporting from time to time Il
his superiors the condition of affairs in his
district and the policy pursued by him, anl
he does not shrink from the judgement O
the world as to the justice and humanity O
that policy.
i DEPARTMENT OF MISSOURI.
Soon after Gen. Curtis assumed com
mand of the Department of Missouri ht
received letter from President Lincoln
informing him that the General i'm Chief in
formed him (Mr. Lincoln) that grave char
ges had been received, something abou
cotton speculations, which could not bt
over looked, and asked General Curtis t.
make such explanations as he could. TIL.
General Immediately replied denying tina
he had ever directly or indirectly been in
terested in cotton speculations, giving tht