Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-01-05
For the Standard.
"sazus Dopul, suprsma est br."


afraid to stand up vindcation of the civil liberties Oh
the people at all risks and hazards write you al tn,S
time not to obtain newspaper notorlety or 10
self unnecessarily upon the attention OF the puolc Du'
rather furnish with plain statement OF facts con-
nected with gross outrage which was committed on tue
laws and Constitution Of the State of NOrthCarolna, on
my person. BY my illegal crest az removal from my
family and home by order of General whiting commana-
ing the District Of Cape Fear, on Wednesday Inc l7n
instant, at dsybreak.
On the Sd day of September last fully enrolled as
conscript and given charge with other conscrps TO
Col MOrrssey, commanding 5sth regiment n. mica
to remain with him nnu further orders Relieving from
the peculiar nature Of the facts IN my case mat Inc enroll
men was arbitrary and contrary To the prescriptions OF
both the military and civil laws OF the APP
peaed to headquarters at Richmond setting forth the
facts length and complaining Of the conduct o the en-
rolling officer partial and illegal After waiting for
period of than months for reply from the ar
DepartInent and receiving nOne peuned for writ OF
hqbtdS corpus which granted by Judge Osborne anu
the hearing of the appointed to take before Jue
Battle in Chambers at Chapel HILL the 9th ut On
my way the above place and while sitting IN the cars
at Wilmington on Wednesday the 18th utimO Capt Buie,
by orders from Gen. w hitting proposed to arrest me on
the charge the Confederate States The
tlemsn who had charge OF me immediately produced ms
authority for bringing before Judge Battle upon winch
Capt Bue his responsibility, Though he was the
next placed under arrest and charges preferred against
him terefOr declined to enforce the orders of the Gen
era in the face OF what he considered, as Norh-CarO
Man, the laws OF his State
Immediately on nv return from Chapel Hill sent the
accompanying letter Gen Whiting in which respect
fully requested early investigation of the charges at
legged against me- the time rendering him the
render Of my person Wilmington at time he nigh
choose TO order This letter written on the I'd inSt
and received b. Gen. Whiting the same evening by
train When several days had elapsed without any word
from the General concluded very naturally, that tn.
order for my arrest belonged to certain class OF such
things, in which that officer INDUCES sometimes when
Guduy excited aud that with cooler moments OF reflection
he had dismissed the whole matter from his mind was
therefore little surprised the morning of the 18th
inst find Lieutenant loudly and rudey knocking al
my front oor demanding Abundance in the name OF Gen
Whiting while all around residence he had his armed
,-.l., fnN1=S
submit ed at and requested leave for time to pre-
pare to accompany him, but informed that had to
depart once 10 go with the train which was to leave IN
u few minutes for Wilmington.
leave you and your readers TO imagine the conserna
ton and produced by this raid OF armed men upon
citizens dwelling when the inmates were reposng IN peace
fuI sumberS aud unconscious of having committed
crime calling for the exercise of military force Imagine
if you the state of mind of delicate lady and num-
Der Of Young children thus reused from tue SAUNDERS Of
the night by armed rutans who refused to assign any
reason the f0rcbe seizure of the husband and father
except the reS de eachet Uf General Whiting TO whom
fourteen days previous from certain family
and avoid this very excitement that husband and ather
offered to surrender his person at any time or place he
might please to order.
Two soldiers with loaded guns and bayonets fixed &C.
cOmpantd me to Wilmington where l detained for
three days at my COST and finally discharged without
the formaltY of IL trial. will not dwell upon the
uncOureOus violence of language and gesture which Mr.
Whiting exhibited at interview with him, all these
have been than compensated for by the geuemany
nrbanity of COL Cunningham the COmmandaut of the Post
who treated with kindness aud respect which
could expect from high-tnned Southern gentleman.
Expensive troublesome aud annoying this arrest has
been me, in my present pecunary circumstances and
Notifying it is in every aspect 10 family and friends,
do complain of it much as do of treatment pre-
cedng it, snd of which this is but the natural
quence.
You and the public generally are acquainted with the
of certain reports which btpi abroad through
the press of this State and of Virginia touching
duct the field of battle below Newborn the Spring of
1862. Now it is not Intention 10 reflect in the least
degree upon the merits or dement's OF single individual
living dead who participated in that engagement hope
shall be permitted succncy possible, show that
the conduct Of General Whiting lc and tyraunic as
it may seem only the result of example if of pre-
ceP furnished him by Mr. Davis and his Cabinet at Rich
mOnd
reports which circulated against me, and 10 place
myself right with my feow-citizens of N0rthCarOna,
whose good opinion was anxious secure and whose
censure deprecated more than all else in the world, re-
spectfuy requested the BrigadeI General commanding Ia
grant Court of Inquiry to hear and determine what
conduct the battlefield. wish the public mark
the words asked for court to inquire into my conduct
on the battlefield, and where else. My request
granted The court met and touching my conduct the
field decided that Col Sinclair took his proper position
during the engagement, chin and cool throughout and
remained there until the right wing of his regiment which
separated from the left by section of artillery and
independent company, gave way-that he went towards
portion Of the rereatng and ordered them back TO
their entertainments and then took his original position
that he afterwards received the order TO retreat and gIUs
the order TO hiS regiment" &c. &c. Public at that
time had charged with cowardce, and with carving
nv regiment out Of the field without orders and conss
queny with being the author of all the disasters of that
unfortunate day But the testimony before the Court had
shown differently, and one would suppose that having
Ished themselves that conduct rreproachabe
by the testimony Of bitter enemies the matter would
have been dismissed aud any further investigation dis
pensed with in my case But such did not COM
port with the determination of the government. would
be understood indicating the agents of government
whose acts have been and sustained bv the gov
eminent. Wherever in this communication MIR Davis,
government or administration is mentioned, ] use gov
eminent and administration synonymous tcrms) Not
only was my conduct on the field inquired no but every
step of the retreat from Newbern KnsOn was INFINITELY
explored and witnesses from every direction sworn to
show where, under the and trying circumstances in
which found myself placed any committed by
me- and these baZonpd forth to the world in
the papers of this State and Virginia To this conduct
however, did not attach much importance then nor do
now, am not ambitions of military removal saw the
intention at the time to kill me off as a mlljtary
man but if they killed the Colonel l wished the
preacher to be allowed to live If 1 could not lead
broken, raw, and undiscpiued and dspirited troops
in disasterons retreat, according to the rules ap-
proved of at West Point it was a matte. of no mo-
ment TO me- or to my family, as had only engaged in
military life as would in the discharge of any other tenn
pOrary duty where recognized the finger of Gods Prov
idence pointing out to me the way. But it is of infinite
importance to and the Church of Christ whether
ought to be engaged in leading the Cross &C.
cording to the command which have received from the
MASTER to preach His Gospel to every creature Ny
science points out this duty TO The word of God
points it out The udicatOres of MY church insist upon
It, and viewing it in worldly and pecuniary point of
view, the necessities of large and helpless family urgent
y call upon me to discharge the functions of my Office
But how can and minister of the Gospel do
this when charged by the government of Mr.. Davis
with uttering an uubIushing positive faLsehooiF
have begged and prayed Mr. Davis and his Cabinet to
TO review the evidence in my case, where
the above infamous charge is fastened my character
without single exenuatng fact to mark its connection
h the circumstances of the case, testified under
oath by the late Col. c. c. Lee 87th N G. T. RELYING
the justice probty and pety of Mr.. Davis aud no
little upon prior services rendered to the cause of the
South, thought could appeal him with confidence
Tor redress especially did not seek justification of any
military which might have committed but rather
The vindcation Of my moral character which assaed
the finding OF the court onquy was but obscure
clergyman and did not expect the of
well known eccesastic of Presidents own communion
public expression of Executive confidence in my military
'rowesSthrough the press of the country would have
contented nth official removal from the verdict of
he court of inquiry of ali offensive clauses which were
Ot sustained by the evidence with the publication of
he testimony IN the case, with the finding of the court
Hcially, and think, since have such institution in
be South rs State church. that had right to expect
Ome such treatment. all THINGS con sidered