The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-02-06
UNION AND REBEL DEAD.
Are they Entitled to Equal Hon
ors?--Lettef from John Covode
to Governor Eenton.


WAsHINGros, January, II, 1868
To Coz. r. b. E,enton, Albany, N. Y.
S1R-I have received, with sor-
row and astonishment, your letter
recommending national honors to
the rebels, whose invasion of the
North was stopped by death in bat
tie, on the fed of Antietam. You
say:
GA strong local and individual
feeling, in the neighborhood Of An
tietam and other parts of Maryland,
naturally engendered by the inva-
sion, may have created some in
difference in regard to the Confed
crate dead, and an indisposition to
see them buried side by side with
those who died in defence Of our
nationality; but it is confidently be-
lieved that no such feeling pervades
the breasts OF the American people,
or the surviving officers and sol
diers of the Union armies.
When we recall the generosity
and moderation that marked the
conduct of the people, the Govern
M ent and the army, during the war,
and the magnanimity that presided
at its close; when we remember
that our countrymen are now en-
gagged in the work Of reconstructine
the Union on the basis Of universal
freedom, and with an earnest desire
to restore to the Southern States q
prosperity infinitely greater than
that which slavery and rebellion
conspired to destroy, it is impossi-
bic to believe that they would desire
to make an invidious distinction
against the mouldering remains OF
the Confederate dead, Or that they
would disapproye of their being
carefully gathered from the spots
where trey fell, and laid to rest ii
the National Cemetery on the battle
field of Antietam.
ConqueTers as we were in that
great struggle, our stern disappro
val Of the cause in which they Tough
need not forbid our admiration o
the bravery with which they died
They We're Americans, misguided
indeed, and misled, but still oul
countrymen; and we can not re
member them now either with en-
nifty or unkindness.
I have read these paragraphs
twice and thrice, but q dimnes:
other than the film of age, obscure;
them to our vision. 1t is in vail
that have wiped the spectacles o
an old man, and endeavored delib
erately and clearly to see in you,
words justification for the recon-
mendation they make. Two form:
come between my eyes and th'
F printed page. One of them is th'
figure of my eldest son, the Colone
of the 4th Pennsylvania Cavaly-a
brave, devoted, land generous boy
as ever filled a fathers heart will
pride and made mother happy
He covered with his regiment ret
rograde movement of column 0
our army, under Sheridan, in June
1864, fighting every rod Of his way
He fell badly wounded. His mel
endeavored to carry him off; bu
hotly pursued, several of them wer
killed or disabled. He told hi
Major to leave him, and save him
self and the command, and try t.
make stand on the next height
and there gain time for the grea
wagon train ahead, to escape to til
+ James River. My son was laid o.
the grass beside the highway, hi
men obeying his orders to retur1
to their ranks and leave him wit
the dead and wounded Of his regi
ment, to await capture.
The rebels soon came up and, a
. I have been told, shot him agai
when he lay helpless on the groun
stripped him of his sword, money