The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-09-20
BLOOMSBURY. COLUMBIA COUNTY, PA. WEDNEsDA
Let US return once more to the letter Of

( let us return once more to the letter OF
the Philadelphia Inquirer
ssI should stale that previous TO the march
/ from Bloomsbury, Major General Couch
had issued proclamation 10 the Insurgents
giving them several days 10 lay down their
arms and return 10 their allegiance
Now, Gentlemen, | want TO read YOU
what Maj Ca. Couch did sag in order that
You NAV understand exactly how m Malicious
| jy false that Inquirer statement was, and
bow thoroughly Ihe record convicls him oi
wiful lying:
CID on DEPMT
( OF THE SUsQu EHANNA
Boomsburg Pa
August 10th 81
Col ]. G. Freeze
Bloomsburg Pa
Sir
Yon are authorized
] by me 10 inform those persons in Colombia
/ Co who have not reported as required under
the previous drafts, aud are known as de
serters, that The charge IF desertion shall be re
naihed by me provided, they duly report
themseyes on or before IL p. III Saturday
Aug 2Olh current.
This does not apply TO those charged with
/ the crime of murder
| am very respt
" IN OOUCH
Mai Gen
Comdg Dept"
Now, mark yon, Fellow Citizens. The Ia
ouirer went broad cast over the country. 1t
fused 10 have standing AT the head o It's
columns statement, IN at lis circulation was
over so 900 copies daily, until some other
| aboliliOn paper, knowing lis propensity TO
/ lie. contradced the assertion and forced
The Bs9dreT to lake it out. Bul the sale-
ments OF this letter which | am reviewing
/ circulated over this entire commonwealth,
and were copied into all the abolition pa
pers OF the counlry ,-"That The insurgents
were to lay down iheir arms and return 10
their allegiance" Gentlemen, there never
| were any insurgents in Columbia county
there were no arms 10 lay down-and Gen.
Couch never issued "a proclamation" 10
any insurgents
He simply wrote a letter asking the draft
eG men who had not reported, to present
themselves within a certain time. proms-
ing If they did so, they should not be chars-
Ell with deserlon.
DO you fully appreciate the malice OF
this writer. his determination 10 manu;ac-
rure public sentiment against you, his abso>
Iute invention OF falsehood 10 serve hI- pur-
pose But here, fortunately, The record so
4 utterly refuies him, TO renter what he
may say on any other point, entirely unrei-
able.
Letus, nevertheless con,inue our exami-
nation of this most surprising letter. 1t pro-
ceeGs-
sIl is almost 10 ne regretted tha, we were
not allowed 10 march against these northern
traitors i'm medialeiy upon our arrival for at
this time they we're located near Benton,
al place called Sll!lwalsr, aud were throw
ing mp rifle pits 10 resist our advance up
we mighI have Lad a chance 10 adm MISTER
some OF The same kind of union arguments
TO these scoundrels as their friends in the
South have been receiving AT the hands of
our soldiers. But GisIoyalists are cowards
and so soon IS the excitement of bad whis-
key has passed away the mass OF their forces
1 lost hesTt, and those men who had property
TO lose. who were in the ranks, suddenly
became Intensely loyal. At preliminary
examination held npor the prisoners, about
one half were allowed 10 return TO their
homes, some giving security for their future
! good behavior. This LETT about fifty, care
being taken 10 retain none against whom
here was not sufficient evidence 10 convict,
as Wall appear on Their TRIAL"
Now, my Fellow Citizens, The man who
wrote this history in the PhIladel phia In.
qtirsr ,oid a wlllui, mailcious aud deIiher.
ale ialSehood. (CoL PIoLLEr, Whom DO
YOU suppose il was ~ Col FREEze-I
:hirk II the Ednor OF The Abolition
Newspaper at Biocmsburg II he did moi
do il be can deny II. bu whether | stall toe
lieve his denial or hot is ano'her QueSi!on.
No man ever saw rife Pii in Columbia co T.,
and no man here, except one who has
been IN The army, knows what rife pit il
do not believe that any man VINO was in
that army oi 000 men was such lar
scoundrel Hnd tool as to write, that rife pits
had been thrown up al Saltwater by citi-
zsns, to impede lac advance Of / 600 men
who had been trained Tor three wears in the
war, IN their marca up the valley OF the
Fishing Creek. Besides, tbe army had now
passed over the ground where these rife
pits were said 10 be. Bdl 30 man ever saw
them every one OF those thousand men knew
that no such thing ever existed; and IL does
not seem possible hat any officer or soldier
would invent such wholesale and malicious
falsehoods. The Inquirer CORES pondent
calls YOU 'lrailors, +" 'scoundrels," +" ''disoy-
alisls !" towards" and drunkards--
The whole country was 10 believe that the
very people who stand before me to day,
and who have been attending this The most
quiet and orderly ald magnificent meeting
ever saw; were among he most abando
I'd wretches in The universe, and false 10
every thing sacred aud honorable. And
i why! Because political contest was 60
4 iag on in Pennsy ylvana, and those opposed
( TO the policy o; the administration had TO
I be denounced and derlded and a5used-The
/ State must b e carried, and Columbia coun-
/ ty with her fifteen hundred Democratic ma
I ioriy must becrusbed ont; and in order 10 do
/ II efeciusllJ ;his man wants blood, he hoqes
/ :or a fight, the groans OF widows and he
/ shrieks OF orphans are music 10 his abolition
ears and the tIuge of blood is the color
/ uexi 10 black, which most delights hts eyes.
] "Oo Friday we once more took up our
: iiae oi march and are now in The mOnn-
| laIns Our camp is located in a valley on