Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-08-25

4TRE TRUTH, TIE WHOLE TRUTH AND MOTH
ING BUT THE TRUTH. Mr.. Campbell, the
spicy local editor Of the Fulton Republican,
takes up the article Of the Bedford Gazette of
several weeks ago in which it denies that
Mengel Reed we Mt voluntarily into the rebel
army and comments thus:
His brother Mengcl (Reed) was captured
at MeConnellsburg, by the Rebels. Bed
ford Gazette
Captured Who told you SO {? Mengel
Reed and young Lyon came here about the
time Of the arrival of the rebel General Stu
art. They stated the object of their visit, to
our citizens, to be trout fishing, but as soon
as Stuart was located his headquarters being
at the Fulton House-they sought and obtain
ed an interview with him. AT that interview
they told him, in the presence of several of
his Aids, and within the hearing of several
prisoners, and others, that they had come
hither for the purpose of enlisting in the
Confederate service" Gen. Stuart endeaY-
ored to dissuade them from entering the SER
and views, as expressed to him, they could do
more good to the cause for which he fought,
at home, than they could in the army par
ticularly as he thought from their respective
appearances, they could not endure the hard
ships and exposure of soldiers life. They
insisted on Joining him: telling hina that their
arrangements were perfected for SO doing, and
intimating that for certain reasons they could
not in safety return home again anyhow. At
last the General accepted them.
When the young men came here they stop
ped with Rev Mr.. Kepler, a gentleman not
unknown to the citizens of Bedford. So open
were they in their afiliation with the rebel
officers and soldiers, and so openly did they
ayow their intention of joining the rebel ar
my, that the purpose Of their visit was palpa-
bic to all our citizens. On the evening pre-.
yious to the departure of the rebels, Mr.. d.
Fore, one of the most prominent Democrats
of our town and county, called Rev Mr..
Kepler aside and told him that the young men
staying with him had come here for the avow-
ed purpose of joining the rebel army. Mr.
Kepler called Reed and Lyon and took them
up to his house. In few moments they came
down to the corner opposite the Cross Keys
Hotel and laid their carpet sacks, which they
carried with them, down, then crossed over
to Stuart's headquarters. Mr.. Kepler came
down shortly after, and stated, in substance,
that he had accused them of coming here to
Join the rebels, and that they had not denied
it; and that thereupon he had requested them
to remove their effects from his premises, as
he did not wish to be accused by the citizens
of countenancing them in their disloyalty.
The next morning, Reed and Lyon, carpet
bags in hand, accompanied the departing reb
els on their way southward-not because they
were prisoners of war, but through choice.
All the above statements can be verified by
the affidavits of numbers of our citizens
both Democrat and Republican.
We, onrsef, together with many other citi-
zens, were prisoners with the rebels. We
were charged with being a Union Spy, and
Major Gilmor swore that he had seen US in
the rebel camps of Virginia frequently, and
in his usual gentlemanly style notified us that
he would hang us "by GoD." Others were
charged with bushwhacking. Wewere oil re-
leased on parole. 90 woOtl rcru ana I1yoI4
have been had they been prisoners. Further
remark is unnecessary The statement of
Reed having been forced into the rebel ser
vice is so utterly false and groundless, that
no sane man, knowing the particulars, could,
for moment, give it credence.
M, npY ro1-rTv The moral enutation