The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-02-21
RATES OF ADVERTISING:
Letter fr,m Colonel Bolton, 6. S,
Army.
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY.
To the Elitor Of tie Mem Fork Ne'cs:

uThe o. Den ia mishtier than the sword
To the potent point of the former, rather
than To the keen edge of the latter, are the
Fedsral chefaains indebted for many o
thar victories aud consequent reputation II
the late wir--or rebellion, 80 called. Ga
tell History it's q lie = said Sir Walter Raj
cirh when America WIS in its infancy
Had he lived till the present day the m IN
dacity Of those chronicles known as militia
~ reports, fled at the War Department il
Washington, would have LIFT him speech
iess with astonishment. Yet these perhaps
ara the only data from which posterlty Is
tIleara the history OF the desperate struss
gleIfJr the right Of self government made
bya people now without a n'me-alnost
without hape. Tradition may in after
time throw new light npan the deeds Of
Tie past. The half palsie.i tongue OF SEN
ti,ity may hereafter diynlee certain acts as
they were known to some Of the particIpa-
tors batithese will be mere local cJrrec-
tons. and thu probability is that the great
body of truth will forsyer rema;n at the
bottom OF the well, crushed meath the
weight of thes bloody bay1nets or the he
r,es ofi6j the present champions OF Tree.
dom, progress and civilization.
The attention of the writer has jast been
called to ii certain portion of the report oil
lieutenant General Grant. United States
Army, respecting the surrender of the
Trans. Mississippi Department. Confederate
States Army. commanded by General r.
Kirby Smith, in, May. 1865. The state
lnents therein made, assailing the repu'a
ton Of brave men, require contradiction.
Manhood forbids sibnca, even under c.fe-
palsion. Errors of figures flights OF fancy,
simple exlsserstions When only INTENDED
tSadI new glitter t, the stars OF Yankee
Generals, are par'i ,nable fctions, fully un,
desjta3d by intelligent readers at aome aad
ABROAD. In tile present tran;naled state ol
the free ~ press If the South, they can,
with diligently, be corrected, and, indeed,
ore sc.lfc1ly worth serious contrad ctiOn,
Were those WHO know better to reyiew
seriatim the report in question, as has been
partially done in one instance by Lieut,n-
ant G.naraI Early, Confederate States ar.
ms, there might be but few facts left there
Id to aid the historic muse in making up u
true record. 10 disarm an antagonist
even 10 shay al le in fair Fl yht, is legitimate.
~ Stab at the honor of a van1uishei
and def.nseless soldier is not right is mot
manly, 10 n 1t to be Federated Fortunately
tie otfsnse is rare, almost unknown in civil
lied countries committed by ma5nani-
NOUS men, never.
Kirby Smith ) Bad Faith is the SEN
satiou heading Of that portion OF the Uni
I'D States Lieutenant Generals report
which w claims attention rs printed in
The New York Times Of Wednesday, De.
cs.nber s, 1865. The text is this:
'"On the 4th day Of May Gen D:ck Tay
Tor surrendered to Gen. tanoy al the r.
Ima;niag ,rces east Of the. Mississippi! A
force sufficient to iGsura ali easy triumph
over the enemy under K'rhy Smith w,'st Of
the Mississippi, was Immediately put ii
motion for Texas and Maj. Zen. Saerdan
designated for its immediate command, but
,on the, 10Th day of May, and before they
reached their destination, Gen. Kirby
Saith surrendered his entire command to
Mai. Gen. Candy. This surrender did not
place., however, until utter the capture oi
the rebel President and Vice President
aud the bad faith was exhibited of first dis
banding his army aud permitting an iadis-
eliminate plumber of public property. -
lowing to the report that many Of those
lately in arms against the Government had
taken refuge upon the soil Of Mexico, car
'rry'iag with them arms rightfllIy belonging
IS the United States, which had been sur
rendered to us by agreement -anong them
s)me Of the leaders wh1 had surrendered IN
.per.s,ooll--anl the disturbed condition of al
i,irs on the Rio Grande, the orders fJr the
troops to proceed to Texas were not
changed. .aa +
Now for facts. Kirby Smith did not
'Adisband most Of his army. Kirby Smith
did not permit an indiscriminate plumber Of
public property. Kirby Smith exhibited
no" bad faith On the contrary, General
Smith was not present at his headquarters
at the breaking up Of his army, issued n J,
!, orders in relation thereto, and at the time
/ hal no control over the matter.
Il About the 18th Of May, Gen. Smith issu-
oil an ordgr directing the removal Of t,a d,
psrtment hedquirters from shreveport
H., to Houston, 'l'exas, which last named
( pace had for some weeks been in proc
0 fertilization, uader the immediate dlrec
zion Of Major Gen. Magrader Gea.
Su,fh ton,,;,,. - n,,o,, -, a., n 81, h,,i N