The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-11-26

wrong anu tney snOulQ not nave uohe ~,
but they were ordered to, destroy ..'what-
ever they damn pleased" And upon this be-
ing repeated by DR.. K. to Captain R., nei-
'ther affirmed nor denied that such orders
lad been given. From which scenes of
violence, together with the effects produced
by my arrest on the next day, one Of my
daughters has been i'll Of nervous typhoid
feyereyersince; and not only has my fencing
been torn down and DESTROYED in every di
rcction; but some twenty five or thirty of
my best hogs have been shot down, and
have not been left one ear of corn, all of
which could not be used was carried of or
destroyed; and now challenge any and ev
cry man of the southern confederacy to-
come forward with any charge that can be
made against me for ything said or done
of which their government can justly com:
pl in. And but for the protection now at
folded me by guard from the headquar-
ters of Gen. r. E. Lee, none can tell to
what condition should have been reduced.
Have j, then, Mr., Editoryyth you, had
much reason for attachment or devotion to
government by which have been thus
treated92 You complain of tao. treatment
Mr.. >Vallandigham has received at the hands
of his government He made many violent
speeches, in which he took active and strong
ground against his government, and for this
he was sent amongst his friends, as they
supposed. But / have done nothing, taken
no part, but maintsined firmly aud con-
stantly, as shall continue to do, my own
private opinions and the convictions of my
bestjudgment, which has not been controll-
ed by any considerations of selfishness, am
bition, or fear, as wrote the Secretary Of
War while was confined in McDaniels
negro jail in the spring of 1862 and because
| cannot surrender these convictions am [
thus to be oppressed and prosecuted by the
government and its army2 I4want no bet
ter vindication for having withheld nay ap-
proval of this war than is to be found in the
fact that there Is not one of those who aid
ed in bringing it on that would do it if,
with their present experience, it had to be
gone over again, or if they could have fore
seen what has followed, all of which did
foresee and feretell and if any man with
brains in his head and heart in his bosom
says he would, then Isay fatty don't be-
lieve him. -
But to come back to nv second arrest by
General j. e. B. Stuart. On Monday morn
ing, the 18th inst, following the night Of
the ruthless and heartless destruction Of my
property, General Stuarts Provost Marshal
rode up with guard 10 my house with a
warrant, of which the following is copy:
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS,
3,oi October Il, 1863
LIEUTENAar RAILS: You will please
arrest John Minor Bolts and send him to
Richmond. Charges will be forwarded from
these headuuarters as soon as practicable.-
Don't allow him to annoy General Lee, but
keep him as prisoner of state. Let me
know how many prisoners.
By command Of
Major General j. E. B. STUART.
A. R. VENABLE, Major and Adjutant
Upon this warrant, containing no charge,
was arrested about half past 10 o'clock on
Monday morning, carried under guard to
Culpepper Court House, kept there until 5
O'Clock, and then discharged on the ground
that there was no charge against me; but
have been semi-ofiicially informed from two
sources, either Of which would be regard
ed as authentic, that the sole ground
of my arrest was that | had entertained
General Meade and other Federal officers at
my table, and if it was not that it was upon
some other pretext equally frivolous and
contemplate, which hereby challenge
General Stuart to lay before the public, and
if it be any offense against the peace
and dignity of General Stuart, or Of the
Confederate Government, that should
have entertained Federal officers at my ta-
BILE, which would justify my arrest, then
Major General Stuart has signally failed in
the discharge of his duty to the peace and
dignity of his Government, and to the peace
and dignity of the aforesaid Major General
Stuart, by not bringing me to trial for this
high crime and misdemeanor-for although
it is not true that General Meade took his
dinner at my table. | hereby make it
known to all whom it may concern that
invited him to do 50, and deeply regretted
that his constant engagements prevented his
acceptance of the invitation. | moreover,
further proclaim that if he should return to
this vicinity (Which do not at all antici-
pate,) l shall in all probability subject my
self to another arrest by repetition Of the
ofense, without consulting General Stuart's
pleasure on the subject
The truth is, | have entertained freely
and Hospitality the officers and gentlemen of
both armies whose acquaintance have en-
joyed and shall continue to do so SO long as
I am master of my own house aud so long
as they treat me with kindness aud civilty
let it offend whom it may, provided the
means are left me which to entertain them,
and unless in the meantime shall be pro-
hiblted by law, or by some higher authority
than that of Gen. Stuart
In fact have met no officer in the con-
lederate army and with few priyates, with
whom was acquainted from Gen Robert
F. Lee down with the exception of General
Stuart, that have not invited to my house
nearly all of whom have parr1kei Of my
hospitality-while hundreds Of half iamiAh-
ed soldiers have been furnished with meals,
,yh;cb have never charged the Srsf d;me