Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-09-12
The KidnappinE oG Major Luther
Gsddings.

Our readers are already informed that
the gentleman whose name appears at the
head OF this article. was arrested by mil.
itary authority on the night Of Monday
the 9th Of Septembcr--a week ago to-
night--and carried Of to some unknown
Bastile. The fact that such an outrage
shonld be perpetrated at this time, in this
place, upon such person. is one that
amazes and shocks every peace-loving and
law-abiding member Of our community
We propose now by a simple statement
Of the facts. to show the unmingatcd
villaiuy Of the transaction and to ex.
press again. the destation Of such crimes
which we feel in common with every tire
American.
Major GiDDINos was fora long time a
resident of our county, When the war
with Mexico began, he raised a company
Of volunteers in our city and. on the
organization Of the lst Ohio, although he
was then but % years of age, he was
selected to be its Major. He bore himself
with distinction through General TnYLoR's
campaign, and on his return home, gave
to tie world the book called "The Cam
psign in Northern Mexco"--the most
valuable and interesting history Of the
,litart n,arotiopy that line fbof hoe
even been published Soon after, he was
elected over SAMUEL MARSHALL, Esq, to
represent this county in the Ohio Legisla-
ture which he did with credit to himself,
and to the perfect satisfaction OF his con-
stituents. In 1854 he returned to Mary
land his native State, where he has since
lived in quiet seclusion upon his farm.
lThoughin the prime of life, he has taken
10 part in this war, resisting steadily, on
account of the claims of family of
motheress children, and his affection for
the ''old flag" uuder which he had fought,
and for whose honor he had often periled
his life, all the inducements that were held
out by the southerners to draw him to the
support OF their cause, The last two years
he has spent with his brother on their
farm in Loudon county, Virginia, a few
miles south of the Potomac, within reach
of the Federal forces who could have arrest
ed him at anytime. Becoming wearied
Of the agitation of war which was contin-
ually raging about him there, he came back
to Dayton about three weeks ago, to visit
the family of his half brother, the late
DANIEL BEoKEL--to see his old friends
and acquaintance and, probably, to make
his home among us until "better times"
should return to our unhappy country.
He had been here but few days how
ever, before some gentleman of the most
uneasy patriotism, caused him to be sum
moned to the Provost Murshal's Office to
give an account of himself. He complied
so readily and frankly that even Mr.. Mills
was satisfied that his presence here was
not likely to result in any injury to the
cause of the United States, and he was
dismissed with assurances that his state
ments were entirely satisfactory, and that
he was only summoned to satisfy some
''intermeddling Union people," whose
nervousness make them imagine on every
dark night that they see jeff. Davis be-
hind every awning post npon the street.
The "intermcddlers" however. were not
satisfied, but continued their efforts until,
as has been stated, they succeeded, and the
Major was spirited away at midnight,
under military escort to some dungeon
in the east The supple tools of despot'
ism who made the arrest, enioined the
strictest secrecy upon all who witnessed it,,
and but for the inability Of some the Gin
termeddlers" to contain their exultation,
the facts might have been kept from public
knowledge for many days yet TO come.
These are the facts. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to add one word Of comment. We
live in reign of terror and the quietest
one of the five thousand democrats Of
Montgomery county, may find himself at
any moment in the same position occupied
now by this unobtrusive, thoroughbred
christian gentleman, with the conscious
ness too, that there is no power in the laws
or under heaven besides revolution, whereby