Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-07-09
LETTER FROM Captain sAFF0Rp.
The Transfer Of the OberIin Company
from the 37th Battalion TO the I5Ofh
Regiment Ohio National Guards.

aNoAudOly ueAdy Gu uhtlA INT PAC9SH' 'ii~'
-EDIToRs LEADER.
/ FOsT BUNKER HILL, WASHINGTON, D. C.,
June goth, 1864.
EDITORS LEADER Il desire the favor Of
using the columns of your paper for few
words Of explanation in regard to the trans
fer of the &" Oberlin company" tothe 15Oth
0. N G. I should not trespass upon your
good nature were it not for the fact thatthe
editor of the Elyria Independent Demo
erat, which, as you are perhaps aware,
originated and has continued a series Of
spicy, splenetic and would-be-severe re-
marks upon the part which the officers of
that company took in said transfer, has re-
fused to publish a candid and temperate
communication from myself in reference to
the matter The letter was plain contra
diction of many of his charges. have no
Wish to complain of this, but when the
Democrat continues its attacks upon me,
aud even gives anonymous letters-pro-
vided they espouse its view of the Casa
place in its columns, am forced, in self
respect, to seek public opportunity of
stating the facts as they are. As far as we,
the officers of company K, I5Oth o. n. G.
then company A, S7th Battalion, o. n. G.,
are concerned, the matter stands thus
On the Wednesday following the Mon
day on which the call for the guard was
made, I, with the approval Of my lieuten-
ants and members Of my company, and in
, accordance with the advice Of what the
editor of the Democrat calls "infuential
parties of Oberlin," went to Cleveland to
, ascertain whether our battalion, which con
sisted of one company from Oberlin and
one from Elyria, could not be united with
the city regiment. Finding our chances
for uniting the battalion with the regiment
rather unfavOrable, then made an effort to
have our company transferred-which
transfer, by the way, was very much IA
vOred in your city. was to receive a re-
ply the following day from tkS eonanuHd-
ing officer of the regiment. The reply not
coming to hand, l sent one of my lieuten-
ants to Cleveland on Saturday to ascertain
further in regard to the matter. He brought
back word that all was being done by the
authorities in Cleveland that could be done
to effect our transfer to the I5Oth.
On Monday, after all this had been done,
we were ordered to Elyria, and went. 1t
is asserted by the Democrat that, during
our stay of week in Elyria, we, the officers
of Company A, were guilty of "trickery,"
inssmuch as we were secretly planning the
consolidation of our company with the
Cleveland regiment, while at the same
time we had made an agreement to 90 into
the Thirteenth.
And first in regard to our "trickery." l
called upon the editor of the Democrat, in
my reply TO his publication, to state a sin
gle instance of the kind, which occurred
during our stay in his place, or at any
time. For some reason, he has not seen fit
to do so. Now, I will be frank enough tc
acknowledge that while in Elyria, as the |
result of an item in your paper, stating |
that we had been assigned 10 the Cleveland |
regiment, I sent one of nv Lieutenants to |
Oberlin to see if such a consolidation had |
been made, as there were individuals there |
equally interested in the matter with my |
self, who would know if such assignment |
had been made. This act, however, would |
have had no possible influence on cur |
transfer.
On Wednesday of the week Of our stay
in Elyria, heard, through one of the in
huental parties in Oberlin" that an effort /
was still making to effect the transfer, both
there and in Cleveland. From this time
until Saturday morning, Iheard nothing in
regard to the matter, save what came
through your columns, and concluded from
their tone that the transfer could not be
made, in as much as your paper stated that
other companies were reported assigned to
the Cleveland regiment
On Friday evening my command was
until the next Monday, at
which time we were to report again at
Elyria. We went TO our homes on Friday
evening, fully expecting to return on
Monday and share in the service
with the Elyria Company. On Saturday
learned from another of the influential
parties in 0berlin" that the transfer had
been actually made, and that we were
part of the Cleveland regiment l imme- |
lately went to Elyria and reported the
ame to our Major, who said he had lust
'eceived orders to send us to Cleve
and. Thus much as to the "trickeTy."
Bat the Democrat charges that I made
horts to effect the transfer not only secret
Y but after having agreed to go into the I
9Th Regiment. In no manner, and by no q
can that statement be substan-
lated. In conversing with the officers of
he battalion, distinctly stated that, for !
-arious reasons, the members of my com
,any desired to go into the Cleveland regi- !
nent. I advised the Major to see what
ould be done in the 18th, and also told him
hat 1 preferred joining the 15Oth. No
greement was at any time made. a
Let me say a word in regard to our en- t
Dying the hospitality of the Elyria people \
We did enjoy it. We were very grateful
indeed for all the kindness shown us, and 2
ndeavored to indicate as much by the ex- t
ression of our thanks in a series of resolu :
ions, which were unanimously passed by =
he company. Now, think wrong idea
revails from the manner in which the
ditor of the Democrat" puts the matter. /
rom his statement of the case, it would
hat . la {, Of | n
indy treated by the Elyria people, we 4
7ere held to the Elyria company. Allow y
ne to state that our being quartered upon
be citizens of Elyria was not of our own
hoosing, but the work of the Maior-H. c.
"0ur boys" often felt. o
nd as often told me, that they hated I
, be thus thrown upon the hos C
itality of the people and wished that ra- :,
ions might be drawn as the State had or
cred. Now, if we had asked this att en- b
ON from the people of Elyria, or had our
elves, obtained it, in any Way, there c.
hight perhaps be some reason in the state Il
tent that by this kindness we were bound Y
} follow the fortunes of the Elyria Com b
any, but as the thing was the result of an t.
fder from superior officer, we cannot hold 81
1rselves responsible for it. By the way
lay as well state that before leaving Eiy-
a, 1, at the request of the Major, made il
1t papers calling upon the State for pay ct
tent to him of about two hundred dollars. u
Ome of this went for ratiOns-a compara- ei
vely small portion, I conclude. Where Ii
lie remainder went, l can't tell N
] shall allow the personal and abusive
-taeks of the Democrat upon me to pass fo
Objurgation and insult never et
ct won cause, and in the use of these b,
eapons I freely confess myself inferior ct
the anonymous correspondent of the il
lyria Democrat. l shall be content to to
low the facts to speak for themselves h
ithont matching epithet with epithet.
The statement of that unknown cores 81
ondentthat the men of my company do in
ot uphold their officers is utterly and un- n,
false. in
n -