Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-05-03
The EeI.Ies ana DavIs LeIters.

Inc luuAhnhpOuS JOuEHhl OF OhLuruhy
says:
As we credited and commented on the
letters alleged to have been written by
Judge Eckles and John G. Davis, Of this
State, to John C. Breckenridge, Of the reb.
ell army, and have no desire TO do injustice
to men whose public language and acts
have already loaded them with such odium
as few men have borne since Benedict Ar
mold died, we deem it due to them, to our
selves, and to General Garfield, who has
been innocently placed in a false position,
to give a full account of the origin Of
those letters, AID the way they came to
General Garfield, which Captain Osborn Of
our 20th Battery, who was fully cognizant
o. the progress and completion of the
whole affair, gave to us day or two ago
BE is q resident Of Greenoastle and well
a ,qusinted with both Eckles and Davis.
He says while General Rosecrans WAS ly-
ing at Tullsboms last summer, he (Csp-
ain o. was at Nashville, and was there
visited by one Oliver Rankin Of Greencss-
tie, with whom he had had some previous
acquaintance. In the course Of conver-
sstion during his visit Rankin said to
Captain Osborne that he intended to try
to get through the lines into the rebel ar
my IS a sort Of "Outside Spy. Being
asked how he intended to do it, he said
General Rosecrsns would pass him through
and once in the rebel lines he had letters
that would secure his good treatment.
And he exhibited letters purporting to be
introductions from John G. Davis and
Judge D. R. Eckles to General John C.
Breckenridge. " If you depend on those
letters" said the Captain, "you may find
yourself in difficulty. They are forger-
les. l know the handwriting Of both Davis
and Eekles well, and they never wrote
them" Rankin then admitted that they
had not, but that they were limitations got
ten up in this city. He nevertheless de-
clsred his intention to 20 on through the
lines. He went down soon to Tullshoms
TO headquarters, and made his application
to General Rosecrans for pass. Il was
peremptorily refused, the General saying,
with some warmth, will not have your
blood on my skirts" Rankin then pro-
fessed 10 have some knowledge Of the
movements Of the rebel sympathizers in
this State, and to have been in their conf
dence, and he proposed to come back here
and obtain evidence upon which proceed
ings might be based against them. At the
same time he exhibited the letters to
Breckinridge as corroborsting evidence of
his statement. The matter was, as it
might we'll be, deemed Of importance
enough to merit consideration, and Gene
raj Garfield took copies of the letters, as he
stated in the House when they we're read
Rankin stsrted back to Nashville ostensi-
bly, for Indiana, on his new mission, and
there again called upon Captain Osborn
and gave him the account which we have
reported Of the interview with General
Rosecrsns- The next day, or soon after
be went South instead of North, and prob
ably passed the rebellines, but nothing has
been certainly learned Of him since. He
left the originals Of the letters with some
woman in Nashville, but Captain Osborn
did not know her name or residence.
This statement, which cannot be ques-
TONED so far IS it rests upon Captain Os-
bOrn's own knowledge and the material
portion Of it does, confirms the statement
Of Mr.. Hays, and completely exonerstes
Davis and Eckles, and it also exhonerstes
General Garfield from any imputstion of
using forged documents knowingly or
earelessly. They came to his hands in
such shape ss precluded him from even
suspeeting that they were forgeries, and
shame to them for it, the course Of both
men since the war began has been such ss
to create strong presumption in favor Of
the truth OF any document alleged to be
theirs exhibiting sympathy or connection
with the rebels.