Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1864-08-04
HD, Qas. Drrr, or W, Val
Mp. July 1S. '64. {


!, To his Ereelzency A. I. BoREMA
a Cor Of Vest Virginia:
SIR: I have the honyr 70 ackno,
r ledge the receipt Of your comupu
cation dated July 10, 1864, relati,
4 to the case of J. E. Wharton. es,
I editor and proprietor of the PAR
BRsBURe GAZETTE; and have first +,
!. state. in reply, that about two houl
E previous to the receipt Of your lettei
orders had been given to the Prc
, vost Marshal for Mr.. Whsrton's n
: lease, and he had been released be
fore your letter reached my hand.
And now q few words as to th
causes which led to Mr.. Wharton
arrest and the temporary suppression
: of his Journal.
AS to the criticism on your fmy.
conduct in which Mr.. Wharton in
dulged, and to which you refer,
agree with you that there was. O.
cour e, no ofense whatever. 1t wa:
merely 8 matter of taste on his part
nor was it noticed by me until you
called my attention thereto as one OF
the possible causes for my action.
But Mr.. Wharton, in the editorial
which led to the suppression of his
paper, stated first; that Gen. Hun
ter and his c-mmand have principa Iy
passed through our city { Parkers-
burgJ on their way east" This was
contraband news, and was utterly un-
true. Much less than one-tenth of
my command had passed through
Parkersburg, aud l was detained
there for some time after the appear
ance OF the article, hurrying forward
the balance.
In the second place, Mr.. Wharton
vent on to say in the same article:
1--WE were sorry to see so much suf-
fering among them. They were COM
pletely worn out, and many in the di-
vision had di' d of starvation"
"The sufferings of the soldiers in
their movement from Lynchburg to
Charleston were terrible, and the half
require rest and surgical care"
That there was some suffering
among the troops is true The busl-
ness of the soldier is one in which
suffering forms an inevitable part
But on careful inquiry, personally
and through many officers employed
for the purpose. 1 have failed to
discover even a report of any one
case of death from hunger; while
on the other hand, my medical direc-
tor, Surgeon Thomas B. Reed, an
officer of large military experience
and excellent judgment, assures me
that despite the certain limited priv
ations and great fatigues of the
the health of the command
was throughout far better than the
average health of soldiers quietly
resting in their camps.
The worst enemies to health are
lot privations and fatigue. The IL
,entiousness of an idle camp. or the
to soldiers of an i'll regulated
own, will swell the hospital returns
ar quicker and more seriously than
Ill our men suffered in their march
rom near Lynchburg to near Gauley
Bridge, where abundant supplies met
ls-supplies which l had expected
o find much earlier at Meadows
Bluff, but which had been removed
rom there without authority, under
he influence of a stampede created
" few score of guerrillas opera
ing against tenfold their own force
# State militia
Apart from the falsity of these al
egations, therefore, could any state
nents be more calculated to give 1
aid and comfort to the enemy" than |
he announcement that my whole {
was worn out" and that
he half require rest and surgical l.,
are?" ,
1t is my pleasure to believe that
o troops in the service of the Union l
njoy to day a better average of
ealth, morale and spirits, than the
orces composing the late expedition !
oward Lynchburg, While many If
ne cavalry horses broke down from
atigue and shortness of dry forage,
he men appeared only to harden and I
ecome more thorough soldiers
'herf are in every army grumblers,
lalcontents and alarmists--not only
a the ranks, but, l regret TO say,
lnong the officers, and some of
ank that should make them more
,rudent That Mr.. Wharton heard t
that be reported l had no doubt at
he time of ordering his arrest; but
ven that as no justification for the !
of his statements at I
Ime when he knew that my COM
land was again being pushed for !
'ard with every energy 20 meet the l
nemy. I
Having seen statements very SINH i,
IT to those of The Parkersburg Ca /,
ette in certain of the Wheeling and !
ther papers, / would suggest, if in :
onsonance with your Judgment, that
copy of this letter should be fur
lshed to whatever paper you are in
le habit of using for making com
lunications to the public. As the
reater portion o my command are
Vest VIRGINIA troons- il would seern |