The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-06-03
< Enrolling Officers.
A BIT OF PERSONAL HISTORY-HARNEY AND
STERLING PRICE.


The st. Louis Republican of Friday publishes
a long letter from Gen. VIM. 8. Harvey, dated
at St. Louis, May 10, and setting forth. in &C
cordance with the request of the War Depart
ment, the nature of his military services since
the outbreak of the rebellion.
The following bit of personal history is in
teresting:
HOW GEN. HARVEY WENT 70 RICHMOND IN
1861
Twas in command of the Western Depart
ment when the first overt acts OF the rebels
startled the country-not then prepared to an
ticipate the great results which followed.
l was suddenly surprised by an order calling
me to Washington, and set out Immediately in
obedience to it, At that moment Harper's
Ferry was in possession of the rebels but this
fact had not become known, and. in my route
to Washington the train upon which / was
travelling was seized at that place, and I was
number of officers, old friends and associates
of mine in the army in Mexico and elsewhere
but who had now withdrawn from the service
of the United States and joined the rebel
cause. They treated me with kindness and CT
Witty, but whether from q sense of old attach
ment or from hope of drawing me over to
their side, do not know. As was native
of Tennessee. and had been for many years,
when not on duty in the field a resident of the
State of Missouri, l presume that my old
friends made tOlerably sure of my taking sides
with them. Be that as it may, they showed
no disposition to detain me in Richmond by vi
Olence. but permitted me to leave there, and |
went to Washington without opposition, and
Immediately awaited myself of the opportunity
of publishing letter, addressed to an Old
friend and resident of St Louis. in which I an
nOunced myself as irrevOcably for the Union.
l desired to put this point absolutely beyond
the possibility of question. Under ordinary
circumstances such q declaration would not
have been necessary; but as l was from one of
the Southern States, and had resided nearly all
my life in Slave State, felt called upon to
make my election as between the Union and
the rebel cause, as publicly as possible, that my
old friends in the South had nothing to expect
from me, and to manifest before the country
my sense of duty as an officer of the govern
ment.
The burden of Gen. Harney's paper is Bit
ter complaint against General Frank Blair,
whom he accuses of underhanded and unhand-
some conduct. General Harvey also gives an
account of his interview with Sterling Price,
concluding as follows:
HARVEY AND PRICE.
He price, expressed his conviction that he
had personal Influence in the State which
would enable him to put down all attempts at
organizations designed to disturb the peace of
the State, and he voluntarily pledged his honor
that in case he should hear of any attempt at
disturbance, he would himself 90 personally to
the place and address the people, and, if neces-
sary, would tlisperse them by the military
power he possessed as the Major General in
command of the militia of the State. He only
requested of me that, in case l should hear of
any threatened disturbance, l would give him
notice of it, and allow him an opportunity of
trying his ability to put it down, before using
the military force of the United States for that
purpOse-putting this on the ground of mere
policy, but without attempting to put me un-
der any obligations in the PREMISES leaving
me perfectly free in the exercise of whatever
power the government might confer upon me
as the military commander OF the department
After we had come to an understanding.
General Price expressed the opinion that It
might tend to quiet the public mind if it were
made known that our meeting had taken place !:
that it was perfectly amicable and that we had
but one common purpose to which assented
and that General Hitchcock and Major Turner
| were then requested by General Price to pre-
pare paper for us to sign. They retired a
few moments and submitted to US paper,
we mutually signed, expressing in concise but
very precise terms the circumstances of our
meeting and agreement. =
This paper was Immediately sent to the
press, and received many evidences of it's
having given almost universal satisfaction
throughout the State.
The General says, in conclusion :fessy
Since the events above recited have not
been called to take pubic part in the war,
though holding. myself constantly in readiness
to obey any order which the government
NIGH think proper to give in relation to me !;
being now, as ever have been, devotedly
attached to the Union.
VIM. 8. HARVEY,
Brigadier-G General U. 8. A.