Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-09-13
Ihe Assault on the Argus Office.

SLOAN GENERAL HOSPITAL, I
August Both, 1864.
Mr. EDITOR Il notice IN the freeman some
severe comments in regard to the assault Oh the
Argus and Patriot Office The Freeman as
sdmes.-
That il was an unpr1yoked assault.
IT. That the men making the assault were
lea by a1 oHcer
III That Capt. Dree, having charge Of the
m.u " c.uutouanced If be did not order the
4ttoL.
a. show thc ioiustico of the Freemdn's COM
mauts ! Will state the following facts
Az usual, % pAtrol went to town to look up
drunken or 1lsJrderly soldiers on the day that
tl Argus bad i- pictures smashed. was too
uu#sll .bat day ~ leave my room, aud knew
u.tliu. about the affair until citizen from
t.wu ulofued roe that somo Of my men had
saas th, 4rgH windows and destroyed some
elppellcad pictures that were there exposed
inu.diielv sent down patrol Of twelve men
10 change Of d Sergeant 10 arrest any one found
td.r Knowing the intensely bitter feeling ex-
lstiut among soldiers against the c0pperheads of
tl. lygun stripe feared there might be a se-
cious disturbance grow out Of IT, and 80 sent
for q e4rrmge and rode TO town sendiDg jOwn
another patrol of six men with orders TO send
ae. tl ths hospital every soldier who was down
town, wheth On pass or patrol. ! drove to
tc Argus Office, and seeing great crowd
around t, and many soldiers somewhat excited,
ordered very one of them to the hospital,
telling them distinctly that would have no RI
otrs tIr any reasons whatever.
On uy sugating the affair found that the
ultrI. hld separated for the purpose Of locking
up n au, aud that nix men, without any officer,
were passing the Argus Office, when their atten
was D..leJ 60 d picture in tho window represen
800. Hal tac Union was dead and being buried
l..Y smashed the picture, and unfortunately
sma-.i thl window
I1 Fireman says
Cap. Drew, who is We believe, the officer
90 q. lers ought at once to call the men
win. fumitted the act 70 account
ln4aa yoa The FREEMAN, perhaps. thinks
t,a..-s u sas not informed that the men had
been called to ace unit, that lhey were not.
1d. uan wara allied TO account, and as the par
teuI4r rues could not be found who did the
smashing, ai those who were present were pun
i-td a- they deserved am very happy to find
tb eity Of the freeman so Jealous for law
uI order and will ask him it, while he holds
mr % account for any violence that soldiers may
ha uuUl guilty Of, "a responsibility that |
H nilg assume De Will not also call the at
arisn I'D the citizens to the fact that two hou.
-e- % ctzns have been assaulted by other
citizens. dalr- smashed &c and that not a
Lib notice has hcen made Of it 10 the Freeman
AI-l ttlt ll1Ies, patients in the hospital, have
h.l ,oxleate1 by citizens selling them rum
and akug their clothes IN payment mention
fae ching. t1 show that 50 long as human ma
100. remains as % Is, not even the vigilance OF
tle civil authorities can check all disturbances
Is DO Is., therefore. when have to look after
ihe clnlucl of nearly 500 soldiers to abuse me,
i 10 few oi Them, angered by seeing our Gov.
crumsut reyi.ed by copperhead wood cuts, smash
d window % destroy the pictures
] a-k nl iavdrs OF the editor Of the Freeman,
but inlg claim that he ought to learn the facts
before d. iad. fault
Respectfully, &C., j +. DREw
Com. v r. G, Military Asst
1t capt DRgw instead of giving his own
version ll whl. we said, and misquotng where
ae u.-ames 10 give our words, had caused our
structure g. Or published with his reply, his
readers would have been better able to Judge
bow Tar his reply meets the case As is, he
pretend. only TO answer the charge, which he
4lle- we made, that " he countenanced if he
Did uo. order the attack We said, they
touu-euanced, If hey did not order meaning
IF course 10 include Sergeants, or any other
.Ii iors in any way responsible for, or cognlzant
)i the assault. Capt Drew states what his
lau knowledge Of the affair was, and so far bis
.ep is pertinent lie does not state, however,
etai punishment be inflicted upon the soldiers
Rh0 " smashed the windows, though it is ey-
den from the tone OF his communication that
he ulicuon was not severe, and we regret to
ee that .ha spirit of the article is in .ustifea-
ion rather tran condemnation of the window
,reaking
Capt. Drew's version Of the way the windows
yera broken, Is substantially incorrect, but that
s a matter OF little consequence, as he admits
hat they were broken deliberately, and with
ut other proyocation than the pictures them
elves presented
A. 20 his complaint respecting citizens selling
oidlers rum, &C., we suggest that pretty etiec-
ual protection against that will be to keep his
zen on The Hospital grounds, where he can en-
orce military law against citizens as well as
oldiers and we shall not complain if the,e he
smashes every window that contains obnoK-
1us pictures, aud every glass that holds obnox-
1us liquors. The other disturbances Of which |
e speaks We know nothing about, having never
card OF them until now. We leave the sub |
'ct here, hoping there will be no repetition OF
he offence which we have felt it our duty to |
ondemu.
GRuNuLEa.-Gen. Burnside recently made
hort speech in New Hampshire, where he is
coping for few days, in which he expressed,
he fde, confidence in our military success.