Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-03-18
A Letter from Gen. Curtis De-
p0rtmemt.
HEADQUARTERS DEPT OF KANsAs,l
Fir. LEAyENwoRTH. March 4

FT. LEAvENwoRrH, March 4.
]. MAHlN, EsQ.,-Dear Sir: As you will
see by the date Of this. have got on the west
side Of the "Big Muddy" and at the head
quarters of Gen. Curtis, in the above named
Fort. l found him very busy arranging his
new department. 4yt ,
His staff, like HIMSELF will not suffer by
comparison Gin point of intellect and gentle
manly bearing) with that of any other on
this continent. His Generals Blunt, Mitch
Ell, Mexican, Davies and Ewing-are all
assigned to their respective districts, and all
is moving like we'll finished machinery. Many
of Gen. Curtis friends felt little mortified
at his not receiving better department. Let
those who feel aggrieved on that score come
here and remain few days in his Office and
they will go away satisfied that it requires all
the ability of an able commander to do justice
to it. M . at
You have heard great deal about the
crimes and barbarities of the bushwhackers
in eastern Kansas and the western border of
Missouri, but you have not heard the truth
half told only wholesale slaughter appears
to be worthy of attention. Three murders Of
Union men liz Missouri have been reported at
these headquarters since last Tuesday. and
another one was hung three times, until he
was nearly dead, to make him acknowledge
having loaned his pistol to woman. Two of
the aoove were Union soldiers, and were
slaughtered by five bushmen in the vicinity
Of secesh Lexingtop. Mo.
In Missouri, along the line Of this State, the
country is almost entirely abandoned Its
citizens have fed, not to save their property,
but their lives. But here in Kansas, sacking,
burning and numbering unarmed persons,
destroying and devastating the country, have
been the general, almost universal mode of
warfare pursued by those devils incarnate -
a mode of warfare which makes that of saw
age or seapoy seem respectable.
Pass through any portion Of this devoted
country outside the range of the guns of
forts and you see the Wondering ruins of
once.happy homes and the former occupants
draped in mourning. Everywhere, as at
Baxter Spring and Lawrence, the black flag
and no prisoners have been the cry of those
demons in human form. and the innocent,
unoffending, without regard to age, have been
inhumanly slaughtered.
This is sad picture, but it is true, never
theless. 1t is disgrace to our nation that a
people as loyal as those Of Kansas should
have been thus neglected. think there will
be no duplicate Of the past in this depart
ment. General Curtis is using every element
in his possession to prevent repetition, and
with the fighting officers and men he has
around him in his department, I think he
will succeed.
Politics here are up about 1902 above
blood heat, but both parties, think, are
loyal to the core, and it is not probable that
the country will materially suffer by the sue
cess or defeat Of either materially. am
sorry to see this movement of the friends of
Mr.. Chase. The loyal people of our country
should not be distracted at this time by polit.
ical excitement. This rebellion gives us suf-
ficient employment, and think it would be
very unsafe to take away an experienced
commander who understands every part of
the rigging and knows just what line to pull,
and where to find it, and place in the old
ship neu man or commander, until after the
storm has abated. Mr.. Lincoln understands
the management Of this government as no
other man can at present, and it will be soon
enough to make change when this Internal
war is over.
shall remain here some time, and if see
anything worthy Of your notice ! will post
you. Yours, truly, L. B. FLEAK.