The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-10-01
23itIluoNlI 5lispattlr.
,,EsDAY..........". OCTOBER |, 1867.
ct,cr from General Charles p. Stone.
GoocuLAND COUNTY, VA, !
September IL, 1867.

Jst,r 65',0" I"S'.
SRA friend Of mine has sent 10 mr. n copy
.,gggg newspaper t$sue OF August Oath, ulii.
which nas Just been received and therein
Ilra marked communication relative 10 my
,.rvr.suMr0cnt III 1862.
rruv correspondent has fallen into some err
-5-s. which appear in his communication but
-ass r. hardly 20 be wondered at when the
.-.stp.v thrown around the incarccrat!o ion and
... domination are considered.
t4n statement IN the com municat ton feel
yraud 20 correct, disaGTccah!e as IL is 10 RE 10
-...-r.r IaN personal wrongs Of years past be.
-n thr pu5lic. The statement is rs follows /:
raaIt De believed that though The truth had
,.-- since Gawucd upon him, and he had come
I'll, rs,uCu.2c The craven malignity which has
--.urd aud ruined him. yet he cherished the
's.rr for !IbCrtN. FOR restoration, for home
.r.ntv. and thC amenities Of life, and was so
r..rNie3 and cas-: down that he sued for mer-
~. from his calnmniator, Sumner, and pro-
s..sr, his readiness TO suffer such self humilia-
ton - might b. imposed upon him If il would
procure his release from the bastile which
'r~rvt"usd soon 10 be his grave.
Ennwiug, ~ do what is =" the heart Of tho
solitary prisoner knowing and having the
,.-aiU upon The mind, the body; ave the
,srs4 ug,H Tie Syu}oi 4 man, who, conscious OF
ra arbitrary powcr-cot oil from free associa-
.aa wiih friends, comrades, and famiiy-heid
,rfrlu four wall--his every movement sub
,a,, 70 thc scrutiny Of Il silent aentincl-kept
T.
.r., continued day after day, week after week
,r,.a Just sufficient relaxation from the rule
solitary from time to time to make the solitary
rr..ryalS more real - psr1HiH,d 10 learn
.n.ough letters subject to previous inspection
nt rrgardS o. Illness ana trouble in his diSttn /
emily hut allowed TO write no word Of nd.
vice without having his letter carefully scru-
t.Zrd-makiug appeals again and again for
Information us 10 what charges or allegations
4gI,.t have beer! made against him, and never
fffr IA M
.nrir recript-allowcd 10 learn that devoted
.-.auLS had for weeks hung around the sources
f., poorer, applying everywhere for informa-
moi. concerning the cause OF his imprisonment
has every wncre finding only silence, some.
Zines receiving contumely --tsmDted, after
y,raks OF this regimen, b. the intimation that
u h" would but bear testimony against his
commander n friend of Eis youth he could
have liberty aEd advancement. knowing, |
s.y. what AL this Is, ! could readily believe
HAT q man so circumstanced might lose, if not
sustained by more than human power, all con
igJl Of body, mind, and sonl No one who
lus no. known in his own person what such
confinement is can form even II dim concep-
tom q, il.
Eu,vrt your correspondent is in error, and
lrci II my duty 10 my family, my friends,
and myself, 10 correct II
never during my incarceration "S"sd for
H-rrj" from any man. 1 asked again and
again for trial, FOR presentation of charges.
for knowledge as To who ordered my arrest.
These applications T. made rs If mYriglt TO my
military suprriorS. They were never an
swrrcd. After months OF Imprisonment
asked for suspension OF arrest and permission
10 serve III my pluc" in the army until such
rii4r rs trial would be- granted. This applica-
non, Ike tn" rest, was received by silence.
Throughout my Incarceration | frequently
asked (unayailingly) FOR my rights, but never
sued for mercy.
Especially is your CORES pondent in error
when he writes that L sued for mercy TO
.!r Summer.
lam confident that none os my friends ever
dG 50. ard rs FOR myself, ! know that never
wrote but one letter TO him. That letter was
written when ] was IN command of the right
A4nk division OF the Army Of the Potomac.
was my first, last, only letter or message 10
hun, and wIs rs follows:
pooLgsyILLE, MD, December 49, 1861.
Ioa. CAari.S Sumner, C7dtc1 SiuteS Senate
Stiff the Nutiuhul Lt.ilyeucer newspaper
Of the tn instant quotes you correctly, you
have uttered the floor Of the Senate
:ll~ehood and 4 slandcr
Permit me to thank you for the speech in
which Won use my name. There can be no
higher proof, in my opinion, that u soldier in
the field Is faithfully performing his duty
than the fact that while he is receiving The
shot OF the public enemy i'll front he is recev
ing The yltupcralion OF Il W"il-knoWn coward
from a safe distance III the rear
Respectfully, your obcdient servant,
CHARLES +. STONE.
The above letter was entrusted to well
known gentleman Of New England, then 4
colonel of artillery, who subsequently in
formed me- that he delivered IL in person at
Mr.. Summers lodgings in Washington on
Christmas morning.
Having never received from Mr.. Sumner
auy reply Ia the above letter, l have, OF
course never held any further communication
with him.
i, IL dGc 10 myself and my friends that
should state why / wrote TO a senator Of the
United States SO vehement 4 letter. The CIR
CrmstauCcS some OF thcml were these: was
~ mat time, as already stated, III command
az 4 large division of'cNcelicnt troops, among
which were three admirable regiments raised
IN Massachusetts, my native State. My COM
maua held a picket line of more than seventy
miles length along The PotouGtc, our plciietS
being within speaking distance OF those OF the
,arIny We alone covered the northwes tern
approaches TO the al-Washington-andl II
is easy ~ see that good discipline and per.
;yCt subordmation were essential. We occu-
plci Il county of the State of Maryland; and
u wlll be remembered that this was the first
season Of the war, and that great circum-
sgrCtion was necessary III Il commander so
situated. Rigid discipline WAS necessary, not
only 10 cope with the enemy, but also 10
prevent tn" troops sent To project the soil and
people OF Maryland from becoming, If allowed
license, ogprCSSOrS Of those people. Moreover,
during training Of fifteen years III the ser
vice OF the United States had been taught
that military officers We're expected 10 Obey
u.,E execute the laws. Therefore my orders
published TO the troops were always based
upon til" principle that We were 10 protect
ctr own people and fight the enemy, both 10
The best OF our ability
Copies or my orders We're, as q matter of
course, daily transmitted 10 my supcriors,
from whom | never received any criticism
upon them and | have, therefore, always
Supposed that nothing Objectionable was
found in them by those SuperiorS. aScer-
cuSy dispteasrd with some of those orders;
Tor II was brought 10 my notice that he was,
from his place in the Senate writing letters 10
my su1ogoinaLes, urging them to dlsobey my
orders.
Can it be believed" that loyal senator
one who had taken the oath required by his
oliCc-was using his great influence i'll time
o.! terrible war 10 create spirit OF lnsubor-
UInatIou among troops in the immediate pre-
scnce Of the enemy 1t was SOL have the
documents 20 prove il. Not satisfied with thus
attempting to undermine general officer III
Tue Ncid, he also attacked mo III most violent |
language in u speech delivered in the Senate |
Chamber. Il
II became necessary to decide the point i'm
mvdiately whether Mr. Summers s'ideas' or |
my orders should rule the division under my |
command. II the soldiers We're 10 be taught |
That my orders TO respect = civil magistrate in |
the proper discharge OF his duty could be |
safely diSobcycd because Mr. Sumner deemed |
such orders wrong then they might also take |
upon themselves 10 disobey an order which |
directed them 10 hold IN outpost against all |
odds because they might deem that wrong; |
aud Yet The safety OF the army might depend |
upon their obedience.
only i"o courses were open TO me. One was
to prefer charges against him for exciting in.
SauoFdinaton among the troops; the other TO
treat he matter OF his speech us personal, and |
10 act upun that
The Nrst course could not well be adopted,
Us III those days civilians were not held anne
nable 70 military laws, and there was no civil
Law against such proceedings. The other
course was the shorter and most certain 10
lrNN snnnn q niL.lr rnSnlrs and | adOntPd IL.