Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-04-28
To Gen. J. C. Breckenridge, C. s. A.
THE SERVICES OF MR.. RANKIN.

THE SERVICES OF MR.. RANKIN.
The following account Of Mr. Rankin and of the writing
and purpose Of the foregoing letters copied from the In
dIanapOls Sentinel:
Oliver Rankin, the person introduced by these let
ters we'll known ia this State In the three month";
service he was employed as bugler by Col Manson.
Afterwards IN the three years service be appointed
quarermaster OF the Tenth Indiana Regiment and when
Col Manson wac promoted he became brigade quarter
master under him. He is represented to have been fine
ocerbrave, dashing, and reckless Subse quently u-
der Gen. Rosecrans, he employed a spy In that
character he had crossed thrice into the rebel lines and
obtained valuable information. The last time he came
from rebedom it in the character of rebel mail
rier He was tall with an enduring frame and mentally
of the keonest penetration When here July he had
the appearance Of Southern reeter; with long hair
planters hat and grey suit he looked the character well
At that the letters which purport to from JoLn
Davis and ID K Eckles introducing Rankin to John
G. Breckinridee, we're prepared They were written at
the clerks de in the Office of Littles Hotel in this CITY
John G Davis and Desna X. Eckes had no more KIN W.
ledge ofthe matter, had TO do with writing or
suggesting them, than Abraham Lincoln They were not
in the city at that time RANKIN then about to start
what ho consdered perious trip He so expressed
himself to his friends here He told them he did not ex
pect to get through alive and that day they
would read extract from rebel paper announcing
that another Yankee spy had been hung He knew that
Messrs Davis and Eckes had been well acquainted with
Breckenridge and the letters written with the hope
that they would aid him in he should be arrested or
his character suspected And it his intention if be
had returned in safety to have destroyed them He so
stated TO friend here
In confederation of what we state we produce the
statement of Mr.. j. Med. Hays, who has been Office
clerk in Titles Hotel for two years past and who is
well known as young gentleman of strict integrity
and veracity Mr. Hays has long been intimate friend
of Rankn's. As will be seen, he present when the
letters written be read them after they were
written and he knows them 10 be bogus He
them sucb and that Messrs. Davis and Eckes hsd no
knowledge completely in the matter whatever Other
parties were present at the time and coguizant Of
these facts
STATEMENT OF MR.. HAYS.
The undersigned was well acquainted with Oliver q
Hotel in this city, in July, 1868. have read the letters
read by General Garfield in the United States House Of
Representatives, dated July, 1863 purportng tn have
been written by Hon. John G. DAVIS and ID. R. Eckles
(or Eckes) introducing said Rankin TO I'm C. Brrck
inrdge, a general in the rebel army. To my know.
ledge those letters written in the Office Of
Titles Hotel. / them written. Neither John
G. Davis ID. X. Eckles had any participation in or
knowledge of the matter whatever The said Rankin was
acting in the capacity Of spy He had sucf crossed
the rebel lines three times The last time bis friends
heard from Rankin three days before the battle Of
and they suppose him to be dead The object the said
Rankin had In in writing the letters referred to was
to aid bin he should be arrested by the rebels a
he thought e ers would recommend him TO the rebel
authorities in such event and help conceal his true
character
make this statement matter OF justce to Messrs
Rankin and Eckes, whom know, but with whom have
no political sympathy 1t was the purpose Of Rankin tn
have destroyed the letters named above il he had returned
in safety.
officer His daring and bravery bad received many com.
mendatons from bis superior officers Gen Manson com
plmened him very highly his official report for bs ser
vices at the battle of Mil Springs. j. Nc ID. HAYS