Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-10-20

TIT will be seen that General Hod..
don indicates himself from thel half NJ.
tered charges which have been hurled q,
his head for the past two years. His lett.,
Isl manly aud straightforward one. and
does credit to him. Let those who b.v.
been prcjndiced against him read il.
ADJurANT GENERALS Orr1c,D
~assas Augusta, Oct 5tii, 1865.
John NJ. adams, Esq. Editor of The Fac,
Dear Sir-n your issue of MONDAY Ia.
you publish an editorial article which con
talns grave and specific accusation apa;n..
the State authorities, and especially a9n;ns.
the conduct of this office, in the mater ~
enlisting troops during the year 1864 In I'M
sinnations aud covert illusions have hoo
made to the same effect during tho n,..
lew months, but never in such manner
admitted OF correction, being purno.oI..
made so indefinite as to cut off tho anno:
tunlty and the justification of n renly fr",,
those SO wrongiully assailed. Yor. h. ",
the manlncss and candor 70 ,nale 49,
ticalar charge, thus enabling me TO n"o.
and COMPUTE it. as am prepared to me-.
all similar charges. involving in nnv w..
the integrity aud honor of my official con.
duet WV
lhe gravaman of Your accusation. il
contained III the following paragraph, which
| extract from Your editorial
- ! he ease Is substantially as folIow..
Some seven hundred men. chiefly M
groes. were enlisted in the rcb.ll;on.
States, upon the quota of Maine. Tbes.
men so enlisted, should have been countcj
upon the quota of the State, reducing i,
by 80 many, aud should have been credited
to the several districts This was not
done. On the contrary. these reyv men
rere sold by somebody 10 different h,rn. !,
hc state, at some nee Hundred DALAI.
apiece. and The money pocktted bu The nv.
." or persons perpetrat,Hg The fraui and
he aidcrs and abettors Aereot.
Thus some three hundred. 10 thrco b,,,
dred and fifty thousand dollars were taken
out OF the pockets Of the pcople by grace
less sconadrels, who have since been riot.
ing III their I'll gotten gains. We have no
clue us to who are the guilty parties We
cannot believe that those high in authority
like the Governor or Adiutant General
would be guilty of participating in such .
fraud or crime, or of winking at it in 9th.
crs, and yet how could it have been com
United with these officials as yigilant and
active As guardians OF the public welfare
ought to he For the lie OF us we cannot
see. The ease seems to show at least a
eulpable negligence on their part"
Ii Is sufficient reply to the above, for mo
to assure You that there was not n single
negro or white man enlisted in the rcbcll
Gus States to the general credit Of Maine.
Some town agents going at the expense Of
their towns to enlist men ON their own
quotas, were furnished by Gov. Cony with
the credentials necessary tn enable them
to pursue their business. but the Gov.
steadily refused to send out agents at tie
expense ot the State to enlist men to the
credit OF our aggregate quota. believing, las
he did, that il would prove failure, and
involve an outlay without any return. The
poor success Of the agents of other States
aud those who went for the towns of our
own state, poin,edy justified the cour.e of
the Coy. From this statement YOU will
see that the frauds charged by you, was
simply a matter Of inpnssbility.
here were no .'seNcn hundred men,"
nor even ''scven men, that COLD have
been thus disposed af, and Whoever gave
You any such Information was grossly de.
c iy.d hiuiself aid grossly deceived ,uu in
turn.
The records Of this office are as open IN
the inspection of the public, MS are the
aitutes ot the State. fhrv were examine
ed iy the investigating Committee Of the
last Legislature, and | trust similar COM
mlttee will be appointed to examine them
at the approaching session. / there l,,.