Maysville weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1864-1866, 1864-09-29
ROSS & RoSSER, Publishers.
Statement of Bishop Kavanaugh.

To The P,tJ7c:-It is we'll known to the
public that / was recently arrested by the
military authorities on this coast, and was re =
quired to answer to certain charges preferred
against me, by persons even now unknown
to me.
III were but private individual, holding
TO official position in the Church with which
l am connected. 1 should perhaps deem it
best to remain content with the vindication
: OF my conduct. as established by the investi-
CATION before Generals Mason and Nc
DoweIl; but claiming, as / do. to be a min .
lister of Christ. and clothed as l au. with the
high functions of a Bishop in the Church !,
whose duty it is, by precept and example,
to inculcate the lessons taught by my Divine
Master, | owe ii to the cause of relig gon and
truth. and to my high and sacred calling, to
explain to the public frankly, and In all hu
mility, the circumstances connected with my
arrest. The very fact of my arrest implies
suspicion Of improper conduct on nv part,
and it is due t6 the Church Of which am a
minister, that | should explain the circum-
stances, hat DO repr)ach may rest upon the
cause Of the religion which profess 10 teach
aud practice. In making this publication,
have 10 motive but IN vindicafe myself from
suspicion, and my high Office from reproach;
and do il, with no feelings of querulous
complaint against the military authorities.
/ by all Of whom was treated with The ut
most courtesy and kindsess.
With this preliminary explanation, now
! proceed to state. that while was in attend
dnce at a camp meeting, some thirty miles
! from Stockton, at the ranch OF Mr.. Black,
on the road to CopPeropolis from the city of
/ Stockton on the 18Th day OF july, and
shortly before l had an appointment to
| preach, | was approached by Cap Jackson,
. I NF |. Z IL. l. 4 -.
/ California, who took me asi lie, with one OF
my brethren in the ministry, (he Rev Mr.
/ Burchard and sa "a he was ordered o arrest
me, and to take possession Of my person and
property and take me to San Francisco
! told him | would 20 with bim. On being
| informed that | had an appointment to
preach at the hour OF IL O'Clock, he said ]
could DO So and he would stay and helr me.
Auer the II O'Clock services we dined at
Mr.. Blacks, after which the Captain asked
me to meet him on the boat tor SAP Fran
cisco At O'Clock on the next day at Stock
Tor. which assured him | would do and
did 20 acc Idiugly.
From the time OF m arrest, the Captain,
tor th- sake of quleluie and TeAce, ,euj piued
secrecy upon m4 and my friends ls 10 the
arrest, uutil | should reach Stockton. T.
his requ yielded my ful' consent. as
Z
sion Of auv trouble to the eauthorities or p-o-
ple OF California, and carefully ob-erved the
tiiuuctiou. | accompanied the Provost
Marshal 20 this cry. On parting on the
I boat, in the morning, be requested me TO
IN eet him at his Office al twelve O'Clock |
! com piled with TINS request, when he told
| me he Was required to examine my baggage,
| nv letters, e.c., which he did IN the pres
euce of the Rev. Mr.. Brown OF this CIV, AMI
myself He did TINS office with all he del
| icscy be could, to be faithful to his obliga-
/ lions. He then accompanied me to Gen
/ Masnu's neadquarf &. ;, the Assistant Provost
Marshall General tor this Coast. l now
| learned from Gen. NJ MAsoG for the first time,
| he charges that were made against me He
/ said il had been stated ot me Ia his office
/ Firyt-Ihat | was d citlZen OF the State
Of Georgia;
Secondlv-That had crossed the mill
tary lines with pass from the Confederate
authorities; and
| Thirdly-I hat was on this Coast with
out any visible business.
These charges were verbally stated
was not furnished with aDv wr tteu charges
or spec fcations, nor with the names OF my
accuser or accusers. | did not ask who pre-
lerred these charges. Ind ed | had no de-
sire to know the names o. those who could
|
t. Gen. Mason a statement of the facts in the
case, to which he replied, that he thought
if would commit the statem nts u writing
and present them to him, tnat they would
be satisfactory to Gen Mcdowell, | did so,
and presented him the following staten ent
of facts
SAN Francisco, CAL, July 2O.h, 1864.
B,1gadier- General John S. Masoa, Assist-
ant ProU1st Marshal Geaerat-Dear SW:-I
arrived in Cal fornia few weeks ago, on
business exclusively connected with the
Church OF which | am memher, aud am
here on no political mission OF any eharac-
ter " wbatsoever. lam a native of Kentucky,
in which State.I have resided ali my life,
with the exception Of about twO years pass
ed III the citv of Cincinnati. The printed
minutes of Our Church viii show m, wnere-
abcuts from the year 1928 to 1854 when
was elected to the EpiScopaey From that
time 10 this, my residence has been AT Yer
saiilss, Kentucky Since the commence
ment of the war. ! have never crossed the
military lines, nor entered any State in re-
bellion except on a visit to Nashville, Tenn D.,
then in possession of the Federal troops and
under their control, together with the whole
line Of road from my residence to that city.
have never been a politician, nor in any
manner participated actively in political at
fairs, and have never preached politics either
before or siLcs the war. On the contrary, |
have invariably discouraged it in the minis
try Of the Church over which l had in some
sense the supervision. For the truth Of this
state ment, l appeal to all who have ever
heard me, or known my conduct on this
Coast, or elsewhere.
The particular occasion Of my present visit
to California is as follows: The Pacifi. Con-
fereLce OF the Methodist Epscopa Church
South has been, for four years, without th
| nresence of a Blshop. Dnring this nerind g