Washington telegraph., 1864-07-06
A. CARD.
:" SANDER, that wOTst Of poisnns. ever iinls
An easy entrance 10 ignoblc minds"


Reports Of q MALI ious, sanierous. PREJrDI-
CIAL and false character, have been for some
time in circulation against me. having bf4-n
instrumental in causing the capture " thr
steamer Homer hv the Federal army turing
their temporary occupation Of the city uf C.iIl-
den. To show the f;ilsity Of saii reports, sub
init the following statement of facts:
When the Fei-rals left Camlrii. Eavr nul
army the first notice Of their drparIur- and
then learned for the first time, land most sur
pTisingly too-) that ! was strongly c-n~uT-d DA
our officers and men. and accused cf dsloyai;y
to the :. Confederate States, growing ont ~ -.lr
capture Of said steamer.
/ thought for some time that woglI treat
such slandrTous charges a. were made against
me, with the silent contempt that ;iry deserved,
and was sanctioned in this course by several
prominent officers of our army. Bur under tA'
advice of citizen friends / concluded to act
otherwise. and applied TO Maj.-Gen. Price. in
writing, TO have ms connection in the matter
fully investigated. W hich be did By referring ihr
same 10 Maj. Shaler, Inspector General. for tins
District Of Arkansas, nho, after a thorough ex-
animation, at different times, vf about two
weeks duration, IA not bring present during the
examination,) exoneTatcd me from al blame. or
disloyalty in the capture Of said boat. ! now
submit 10 All honest public the following truth
ful statement of my whole connection with the
affair:
On the 18th day Of last April, the Federal
army marched into Camden. A few days pre-
vious to their arrival. il rHInored thr
streets that our army WAS falling back TO the
Notifications here, and would defend tn. city
from Federal invasion. There were no convey
ances Of any kind to be had in Cam2en, and If
a battle should take place between the contend
ing armies, il was highly important that the
women and children should be removed to q
place of safety. Such being the state Of affairs,
Mt the solicitation of numerous ladies Of Camd-n,
the steamer Homer ordered here for the
purpose Of moving tLem. The boat arrived al
the wharf in the evening Of the 18th Of April,
some few hours in advance Of the Federtls.
About the time Of the arrival Of the boat. a
short time previous we were informed that cur
army would make no stand, but allow the fede-
rails to take possession Of the city. tCol. Law
:her, however, and his gallant command, give
them small turn before iaving.) This beng
the case, upon the arrival of the Homer iHime-
diatciy went on board of her and informed Capt.
Mclaughlin, who brought her up that she mnsr
he taken away at once, and ordered preparations
TO be made for her immediate departure, and in
less than twenty minutes from the arrival, under
full head of steam she gliding down the
river. run her below where tine Government
corn agents had tied her up, previous to heI
coming to Camden for the purpose already stat
cd, being some thirty miles below Camden, and
10 or 20 miles, a. l WAS informed, inside Of oui
pickets-secreted her at a bead of the river
where the swamps oyeTtiowed on each side, and
no road leading to the place. There were nc
orders TO carry her below tine point she was LEFT
at by the Government agents, and L, very Tea
sonably (as Think came TO the conclusion that
il my duty 10 leave her Mt, near, ihs
place selected by them, as i understood tina
one Of our commands WAS 10 cross the river a
Miler's Bluff, and they were to be supplied will
| corn from the Homer Besides. Confederate
| troops being close by, considered her SAT,
and secure where she was she would be in
any part of the river above Bayou Bartholomew,
| and ihst 1 would be acting in total violation o.
orders il i carried her further down the river
Capt. Mclaughlin, who was in command Of tL'
boat while the GUvcrnmr mt agents were o.
board, agreed with me and advised me 10 1T thi
| boat remain where it was. Here my come fior
with the boat ends. She was left i'll charge OF
Capt. Mclaughlin.
| In this whole affair acted ont faithfully and
honestly what thought was right, and hat
considered was for the wei are and interest o.
our Government, well as that of the owner
Of the boat-my interest being oneninth. le
| 1 have been grossly slanderea and Ensured, an,
upon what grounds Simply because | endrs
vored to afford the means of escape 70 helpless
women and children from city threatened will
the terrible horrors Of a siege and assault by al
| infuriated and merciless foe-at the same lime
/ in manner, jeopardizing The interest Of th'
| Government, or violating my allegiance or dui,
| to il; having carried the bost 10 point farih-
down the river, and 10 place Of greater secuIir,
| than where she would have remained until o.
dered away by our Government Again, if dis
LOYAL. as is charged against me. Il was not mu-l
apprec ated by the Federals, rs they wan,orl J
| destroyed and took my property 70 The nmoun