The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-08-31
THE CASE OF CAPT. HURTT.

A lHounde1 .Solliers Expresses HIS Optn-
ion of q Certain Otass Of Officers.
III CINCINNATI, July 21, 1864
To the Editor Cincinnati comtherciaf: 'a''e.
Months after the trial of Captain f.
W. HURT, a small notice appeared. in
your Washington telegraphic column that
"the President had refused to pardon the
said HURT" A few days subsequent ap-
peared the charges and sentence Of the
aforesaid offender and few days later
still, a notice appeared, signed by HURT,
giving your paper a.scorehing on occount
of your publishing the item .'of the par
oon refused" and stating that you only
did so from the fact that he, the said
HURT, was connected with a leading jour-
nal of the State, and vas; opposed to some
of your views, promising. at the same
time to prepare an article which would
show "new evidence" to convince "dis-
interested public" that he was honest.
have waited good while for said article;
but it not being produced, I have word
to say in reference to this case.
A short time before the rebellion be-
gan, HURT was proprietor of some sort of
advertising sheet in this city, from; which
he might possibly have made living,
which / doubt. He then took an interest
in the State Journal, which any sensible
man knows never paid any very large
profits. At that time he was not worth
two thousand dollars. all told; for the
truth Of which examine his own sworn
statement in the County Auditors Office.
But now we find him, after lapse of on
II three years, purchasing real estate to
the tune of thirty thousand dollars. Bear
ing in mind the fact that his pay, net,
after paying for servant, horses, forage,
&C., is only about one hundred and TWEEN
ty dollars per month, and the actual ex-
penses of his extravagant mode of living
have not been less than double his salary,
does not this itself tell of fraud Can
any sensible man doubt his guilt With
all this evidence, and the fact that he
was found guilty by court-martial, net
newspaper in your city has the manly virr
tue to come out and blast forever with
scorning rebuke the man who wauld rob
his government in this her hour of trial.
What is the cause of this silence Sim
ply the fact that HURT owns q paper of
the same political caste.
L have ever taken pride in your manly,
bold actions in common, but am sorry to
see that you have lost your old independ,
ence. The court martial which tried
HURT sentenced him to be dishonorably
dismissed frcm the public service. What
punishment for an offense like this -
What does man who will disgrace his
name, his Office, his sword, and honor,
care for dismissal? ? Not a fig. The
true punishment should have been long
imprisonment in the penitentiary, forced
refunding Of every dollar he stole. and
the refusal of citizens to recognize or as
sociate with "prison bird" Now, L ae-
knowledge that feel personal wrong
in this matter, from this fact: During tie
time Capt. Hurtt was being tried for steal
ing his tens of thousands froih the gov
ernment, private soldier by the name of
Shay was tried for stealing pair of boots. |
and although he proved frst rate char
,cter as soldier and a man, lie, the poor
private, was sentenced to the Dry Tortu-
gas with ball ana chain to his leg. at |
hard work, for three years, with loss of |
all pay, bounty, &c. r.s-.g
Now, though l have served nv country |
for three years, and am on my secynd en-
istment, my very nature volts at this |
demonstration in favor of office. In
Fra ace, where the military science is ear
red to the greatest extent, or in fact any
other country, the higher position an Off
GER holds the greater will be his punish
nent for any dereliction of duty and
should an officer be convicted like Hurtt
every citizen would refuse to recognize
,im-his name would be scorn and re-
oroach TO all honest men. Now, you
must excuse me for taking so much of
1our valuable spec, but as newspapers
Tor court-martial will attack rank, / foel
t duty to show that the only way for
,oys that carly muskets ard march TO the
lefense of the sold flag" is FOR them to
peak for themselves. Let our officers
this fact, that if they want to
meet with entire success, they must, by
heir acts, reach the mass of the army
privates )" then they viii, under all cir
have Justice, and that they
7ill not be punished for what an officer
oes free.
Yours truly,
EZRA HOWE,