Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-07-24
IFrom the Mne-a Chssk Press. Radioal.l
namormn U,SN7avor.

~
The Saadaaky Register and the Hancock
Je6srsonidn call US 70 account for our de-
fense of gentleman's military record.
We are sorry TO differ with our good friends
on any Faublect In general, and this In par
ticnlar. We are all three striving for the
same cause that involves the defeat Of Le-
Fever, and there Is no call for any other
than harmonious action. But there Is
something more at stake than this, and re-
garding 1t as of no little importance, we.
are forced to take issue with our friends.
Knowing that Ben LeFeveri did his duty
as brave, efficient soldier In the late war,
we cannot sit by quietly and see the facts
distorted and the man slandered by an
anonymous scribbler, as the author OF the
communication to the Je6ersQRia,l is, mere
ly because our old conrade has forgotten
himself in permitting shameful use OF his
name and record BY the Copperhead organ
| izati0n, "a.
The Haa,cOck JetasOaian wishes to
know ifCOlonel Dom Piatt sustains pol
troOnp Certainly not. Colonel Piatt does
not sustain Ben LeFever, be he brave OY
cowardlys He seeks his defeat, and is
working hard 10 accomplish that result.
| But this cannot be accomplished by disoort-
iGg his military record or abusing che sol
] der. Colonel Platt recommended Major
LeFever for promotion upon tbe recorded
/ Recommendations of Generals ROsecrans,
| Crittenden, and Colonels Stanley Matthews
1 and Cuinmins. who affirmed that he was O
gallant and efficient officer. ~ =
q The charges preferred against LeFevef
by the anonymous author In the Jefferson
| ian were, that be did not enter the service
as private, that he was under fire but
once, and then was guilty Of shameful mis-
conduct. n'0' '' ''ts ,.'f
We knew these charges were false. We
knew that Ben LeFever entered the SER
vice as private, for we had seen his hon
orable discharge, and the reports OF his
1 superior officers, who speak warmly Of his
| bravery and obedience. Instead of being
In one only, he was in five Of the hardest
fought battles in the Army of the Cumber-
land, and In all won for himself the conf.
dence and support of his superior officers.
h And when the proof Is called for, it cOnS
| sists OF protest signed by all the officers, to
| his promotion over the head OF, as they
| claim, a more deserving officer, and the
only charge is that LeF'ever has been
away too much from his regiment on de-
tached service. Had he been open to the
charge of misconduct on the field, would
not these officers have used the fact to his
prejudiceP They did not, and tits too late,
in the midst of a heated political contest, TO
prefer 1t now. H...S
~ 0n friends do not understand and appFe-
ciate the feeling that pervades the army of
the Union. At least a dozen brave Repub-
lican officers said to us at the late Conven-
! tion, t'ff this sort of thing goes on, we will
lose every soldiers vote i1 Ohio" While
appeals to patriotism make us successful
| with the army. abuse of their comrades
will only weaken our cause. We must re-
member that a large number Of these SOL
diers are old Democrats. aud while they
will stand firmly BY our flag at home, as
they did In the field, are ia no humOr for.
unmerlted abuse Of comrades. '.i'l l.al l. =