The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-03-27
E.E, We hope all will read The ahe and
The Statement Of Col. Hnll.

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q " The Statement Of Col, Hall.
Col A. s Hall publishes in tho Cleveland
Herald slatementin rcp1y to an srticle
IN our paper of February 2Tth, upon the
disgrace Of Capt. CanGeld, in which. without
provocatiou or excuse, bo charges us with
falsehood ard trickery. Havinguo motive but
to viDaicate tho truth, and feeling that such
course reflects greater discredit upon him
sban upon us,we cannot, in Justice to our own
character or position, follow bis example
in thiS respect bat shall cndouvor to give
him tho benefit of all tho material points he
has stated. To Col, Hall We owe no moro
or less than to Capt CanRcld, OF the most
obscure private in his command. Justice is
alike due to all, and we shnl not knowingly
withhold it from any. Taking single cx-
tract from our article for his text, Col.
Hall remarks;
''ln the article from which tho above ex-
tract is takent il is sought FIRST, to show thai
tho guard was insuiiiciout,' being only 1928
men. To answer this tho public have Culy
20 know-that the Train was not sent out
rs an independent Trnin--but was ordered
10 Join u large train from Gen. Woods Di-
vision, going to the samo place, aud having
n large escort OF Infantry and Artillery
This Capt Garfield did not R0 but there
being "a little delay in making up the large
Train, Captain Garfield drove his train past
the large ono, and loading his men into the
wagons, went ahead alone. Captain Can.
fio!d had ls9 mon in his traiu lGl Of whom
wore captured. The next effort OF this mr..
ticlo, Gs will bo seen from tho above extract
is 10 get up an excuse or authority fOr
putting the men in tho wagons. To lay The
foundation for this excuse ii is lqlsoy
stated, that the train was to mnko trip oil
fifteen N5) miles and back the same day' -
aud that the Forage Master told mo that in
order TO mako tho trip tho mon would have
10 ride to which | 'assontcd.' Not ono
word of which is true Tho train was going
seven miles and back 'and that on an excel.
lent pike; no such conversation was ever
thought OF, nor was tho Forage Master
presout whom Caufold received his ordcrs
Another trick is also attempted in this al Ii
Gle. Tho Forage Master is published as d
Major, thereby ondeayoring to misload us
to who was res ponsibte tor tho safety of that
train. 1t is well that tho public should
know that the Forage Master was a private
in Capt. Canfeld's Company. and was whol
ly under tho orders OF the Captain. How
little ho was permitted ty dictate is woll ex
hibIted in tho. fact shown by the proof, that
before tho train had passed. Tho ou,or picket,
Potter asked the Captain (who' was riding
uneoncerned In a wagon smoking bis pipe)
If thero ought not to DO an advance guard 2
and received tho reply, I.gness it is all safc
enough"
In reply to this, wo havo TO cay that, in
the article from which Col, Hall takes
Tho extract upon which his commouts are
based, VIC sought to do mono of tho things
with which he, in his unduo constituencies
soes fit TO charge US, and that careful and
candid psrusat of that article will show to
any disinterestcd porson tho Injustice
of bis unworthy ihputations Wo did
not even intimate that tho "guard was in
sufficient" bccauec coRposcd of only los
men; it was, for ought wo know, as stroug n
tho occasion required, or aa commanding
of1iccrs arc in tho habit of sending ou
with trains tho szo of tho one it accompan
iod. We merely desired that it's strongt
should not bo ovor,ratod, or tho streugt
of the enemy uucer-ratod. in order to in
crease the blame imputed to Capt. CahheI
for tho surrender. We admi;ted that ther
were ls4 men in tho train, aud VIC shall ne
dispute Col. Hall whom no says that th0I
wore 1870, though wo had not thought ii
number 30 large; but we stated, (as we ha
boon intormed9 that only l25 of the
were armoa, tho rest accompanying Il
train moroiy for tho purpose of'loading al
unloading tho wagons" Col. Hall max
no. allusion to this himself, but publish
corroboratng statement Of lst Lieut..
NJ. Eastin, of tho l23d Illinois Volunteer
IN which ho (Eastin) says that no was Pre-
ent tho morning Capt, Garfield reported
Col, Hall, with les. men, to go with al
guard forage train," WHICH 40 regard as
virtual admission of its ttuth. In regard
tho largo train which Capt. CanGold was c
dered to join, we understand tho facts to
these, which seem not to bo very inconsil
snt with Col. Halls statement that Car
CauGeld, comngup with the traip, with I
consent of its commander, went In adyaDt
aud that the two trains wore not far npr
when tho capture was madc. Col. Ill
says tho largo train "was within hi
hours march of him" Wo may have be
Inisinformed In regard TO tho distance CaI
CanfeId's train was to go II so, We willing
stand corrected. 1t Seems, also, from u s tat
men: Of tho Forage Master, which, wi
others, is appended to that Of Col. Hl
that he was not present WHOM Capt. On
fold received bis orders; but whether
was or was not present, (and wo certain
have no reason or .dosiro to dispute b
Btatement,) is question of veracity belwoc
himself and those members OF tho Reg
mont who assert that he was. The idea
Col. Hall that.wo bad a sinister motive,
''attoupted trick" in speaking of tho Fo
age Master as "AIGJOr. Potter" strikes |
as 60 extremely IudcrOus thai Wa sImo,
ioso sight Of it's Injustice, llo WAS so cale
in the ailileVils from which wo quoted, an
We, meditating no III, unfortunately faiic
to make the noodod correction, Ii he wei
not familiarly known, both AT home and
the army. a. "Major Potter" there migI
be some planbibllity to this criticism. III