Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1865-04-06
THE RAID ON THE RAILROAD.

Fit were not truth, AZ old as the days OF
Timon Of Athens, that the parasite and syco-
phant invariably abandon the patron whenever
the latter ceases to be able to protect and de-
fend him we should have been somewhat
surprised at the brief aeticle on this subject
which appeared in the Union of last Saturday.
There is .lur in that article upon Gen. KEEL
", which strikes USES coming with i'll grace
from sheet that has for SO long constituted
itself the special aatterer and adnlirer Of that
officer. That VIC may not again be accused
Of incorporating the Lnion, VIC reproduce
its article as follows:
ANOTHER TRAIN CAPTURED.-The train
from Baltimore, due here on Thursday even
ing, was captured by Rebel guerrllas, sup
posed to be McNeill's men, about two miles
below Patterson's Creek. The passengers
were robbed, some trunks broken open. part
Of the mail carried of, and four Union officers
made prisoners. The train was set on fire but
the flames we're extingushcd by the passen-
gers after the Rebels let. Tue passengers,
minus money, jewclry, hats, etc, reached
this city We suppose General Kelley is to
blame. ,N
Had any other press in tho country thus
laid the blame Of that affair upon the shout
derr of Gen. Kelly, people would have said
that perhaps Elk weeks were insufficient to
cure the evil, brought upon the Department
by three years of laxity Of discipline and
feeblencss of vigilance. but that if such grave
military errors were really chargeable upon
the late Head of this Department, he hal
already, in his own person, paid the penalty.
which was the legitimate consequence of such
la1ity and want Of vigilance. and that no
generous mind would taunt him With mis-
fortune which he is certainly noD powerless
TO prevent or to avsnge. But that the Union,
which had for SO many years. (while the
General was in command) praised and fiat
tered him lin season aud oat Of season, with..a
persistance, differentiation and fulsomeness,
which must have embarrassed, if it did not
disgust the subject Of il; is indeed another
melancholy instance Of the truth Of the saying
that human natura is the same in all ages"
The Union has often sought to fix upon us the
charge of cherishing causclSss hostility to
Gen. Kelly, but it will have to search our
columns in vain to find one word Of blame or
rcproach against him since he met with that
greatest misfortune that can befal soldier
aud commander that Of being captured by
the enemy in his own bed, in the midst of his
own troops, and surrounded byhis own guards.
That baseness. we think, it will be found,
was left to other hands than ours. And per-
haps. we may be allowed to say while we are
on this subject, and now that our motives
cannot be inexperienced, that we have al
ways felt high respect for the personal char
acter Of that officer, even while we blamed his
official conduct of military affairs. We think
We have quite as fully appreciated bis strict
integrity. his amiable disposition, his kindly
heart. as any of those who have been louder
in demonstration. Yet while we repeat the
expression Of our esteem for his private worth
in view Of our full conviction of his short
eomiugs as a military commander, we must
Pill Say:
o"on V "CaHio, ! love thee:
blDdDhtnever more be officer of mine"