The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-04-06

of your paper, an article purporting to
have been written By G. G. Eaton. OF Dem
mark, Lee Co, Iowa. 10 which he makes
a very bitter personal attack upon me
He either stases what he knows to be
false, or at least what he does not know
to be true. In matter of this kind, one
is Just as bad as the other, and | think he
does both.
He manages his cards with sope
sbrewdness he suppresses truth IS skill
fully as be constructs falsehood, and In
the latter he shows himself an adept.
He says that one Furguson Of Co. l.,
of my regiment, twas tied up for some
real or imaginary breach OF discipline o;
a trivial nature 6c.
lie is careful not to state what the
breach of discipline was. The facts are
these: Furguson refused to obey the COM
mand of his superior officers, the case was
reported to me, and ordered him under
arrest some time afterwards ordered
him to assist in the policing OF the camp,
which he not only neglected to do, but
positively refused, and sought, as | we'll
| kuUW, ~ lAseC db NACiAcbicbk ouohs, Hso
comrades about it. This is the breach Of
discipline that Eaton calls of one ''tri-
vial nature | call it grave offense,
and my judgment in the matter is proba-
bly as good as his 1t is much better
supported, unless there is some late au-
thoritative military work by Eaton, of
Denmark, which | have not yet seen.
/ ordered + tied up by the wrists, a
punishment recognized in the army, and
resorted to in cases of less stubborness
| than this. All this, however, is aside
J from the case. Ii | did wrong in pun
ishing 4. would that justify mutinous
combustion to resist aulhoritye There
was an open Court Martial. before which
| might have been arraigned but. in.
/ stead of that, tho men named by MIR
Eaton. (Paulk and Brockway, with 9th
ers of their Company, Ed seized thei
arms, and with bayonets fixed, proceeded
in body from their quarters to where (
: was tied, forced the guard and released
him. l may state incidently here, tha
SO soon as | was notified of this BY th,
e Sergeant OF the guard, had +. re tied
and no man made motion towards his re
lease until his two houn we're up and
ordered him released. Mr. r. haa refuses
u no order since, nor any other man Of M
Is command. This severity deemed nee
d essary, aud it has proved saia,ary. lha
!, those men who released him ipmedis,ei
. arrested. They were subsequently trie
3, BY court-martial and found guilty Of III
y grave crime Of matiay. They had cour
r sci for their defense. and never hear
70 any one here claim that they did not hav
4. a fair trial. w
- How does Eaton's statements, of whs
u he calls the substantial facts. correspon
with this i? speak from the record
What does he speak from am charge
"a with attempting the disgrace of thes
in men, being "their bitter enemy" al
be the .switness against them | was OF
of the witnesses, but the record will sho
that testified to no material fact that
NC not testified to BY at ,leas. two other vi
ne nesses. l, on my own motion, testi6,
e. to Paulk's previous good character as
"a. soldier, because | wanted him to have Il
!. full benefit of it, Since then have,
" their request. Paulk and Brockway' IS
y drawn and addressed petition and 70
warded it through the commanding Ge
rts eral, asking their pardon or commut
,st tion Of their sentence, for reasons there
:. stated.
W / notice it is not claimed 10 the arti'
snt that the men are not guilty of what tb
he we're charged with, although the tone
of it is that the whole thing was instigats
aud carried through by me, while 10 fa
the men wefe innocent This | could /
have done if | had wished it, and Ea,
ar gives me credit for more power and
Tor iiuence than I make any pretensions
He rests his whole case upon the form
for good conduct oi Two Of the four men 9
victed of the muliny. / make no is.
''.' with him here, but oonGne myself TO VI
ph- he says OF Psalk and Brockway's pre-
Of ous good conduct, from personal kno
ledge. 1T is, however, poor defence,
the one charged with theft, for instance,
al prove that he had formerly been hon
= That fact might make : case for-exe
'en- tive clemency, and that is just the |
'on; thai en- tying = make y their bshl