Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-06-25
COLFAX AND THE SOLDIERS.
81 Answer to copperhead cattsany.'

polls ScntiRct, relative TO Mr.. ColiaX's
treatment of soldiers, and the comments ol
the partisan press thereon. are so shameful
and .unfounded, that out of simple justice
70 Mr.. Collax, ] desire 10 make a bricl
statement - : 80
Chap'aif Le<;er in great measure an
swers these slqndcrs, b. giving a partial re-
cord of Mr.. Colfax's patriotic lenevolencc
but so many more facts are in my posses
sion, that I deem il my duty TO speak ot
them.
1t was my fortune 10 bc more or less as
scciatcd with Mr.. Colfax during the war
and to bc the medium through which some
portion Of his kindness aud libcraliiy was
manifested. After the battle Of Fort Don
.clQa, cur hospital accommodations wcrc
limi.ed, and especially were the temporary
hospitals at Paducah lacking in those little
dainties so necessary 10 the comfort of sick
and wounded men. At this time rcceiv-
ed checks for 500 from Mr. Colfax. with
the request. lhat the amount be expended
among the sufferers as reason and humani-
~ might dictate. \ portion of this mency
was used TO enable boys who were wound
cd and destitute TO reach home, where
they could receive s,e attention of their
friends, aud where, if they must die, they
could lie down in peaccfulness and securi-
iy beneath the old patc.nal ,bof. Nor was
the distribution of this money confined to
lrdiana soldiers, but was given 10 all, SO
long as il lasted. yho required assistance
and God bless Mr.. Celfax' was echoed
from the lips of boys fron Illinois. Iowa
Wisconsin, Michigan. Ohio, and Indiana
alike. Among The acts of Dencvolenct
performed by Mr.. ColfaN, and of which
am personally or otherwise cognizanf, arc
The following: One hundred dollars in
gold, sent through c. ]. Faulkner, ex.
member of Congress and an exchanged
rebsl. to sick Isl..pCa soldiers IN Libby
Prison
Tie same amount 10 sick Indiana sol
diers held as prisoners in South Carolina
Five hundred dollars at ono liInc. and $500
at another 10 volunteers in ST. Joscpl
county. Ind. One hundred dollars to a
Christian and Sanitary Commission il
Washington, and $40 To a fair for the re
lief of destitute widows and orphans O.
soldiers, held AT South Bend last year. un
der the auspices of. Tie Grand Army o.
The Republic All of these gifts were
acknowledged through the press at The
time. Besides these munificcnt donations
Mr. Colfax gave twelve lectures last ycal
~ior the same cause, o..a.ging noibing, pay
his own travelling expenses, and only slip
ulating that the entire gfcss proceed.
pshculd so 10 the relief of disabled soldier.
and tile destitute widows and orphans o.
those who fell in defense of the nation.
According TO the newspaper reports
these lectures averaged over 5000 each
making fund from this source alo-c of a
leas. tWo thousand fire hundred dol
iIa,-s. =
Ii must be borne in mind that Mr.. ColEi,
is in only moderate circumstances. and WI
are free to say that for the amount cf hi.
means no man in the Union can show (:
clearer, brighter, more praiscworthy record
Indeed, in this state, where his kindnes
and liberaliiy are so well understood, i
SEEMS awork Of fsupercrogation to vindicat,
Il
his character in this regard, but the attack
upon him are so base and persistent, ans
are being so extensively copied Outside o
rthe State, that it may be well to thus show
how unfouhded are the ISLANDERS, and how
richly deserving of condemnation are th
mcn who vilify one who, from the begin
ming to the end Of the war, rwrs preemi
neurly the soldiers friend r'Let the trutl
be known, and LET hi, record speak for it
self
Very respectfully yours,
Gil. PIERCE, e
late Colonel of volunteers
Since writing the above we have te"eiv
cd The Evansville Journal containing IN
following, which clinchcs the statemcu
made in the above letter;
"we publish this moynlag letter fror
Chaplain LozlEI silencing some of tll
charges brought by unscrupulous partisan
against Speaker Colfax, relating to his sci
vices in behalf of the soldiers. 1t is Ne
known TO the Army of the Republic {
tthis city That he tffsl niorc for the char,
| ty fund Of this Post by his lecture la,
Winfcr than any ofher dozen men o
ogencics' 'conlJiacd;- and for his Uisi
to this city he declined to reccire
cent crcn for frarcfing crpcnscs. Fe'
men in the country did as much during @
since the war in a Substantial cay fc
the benefit or relief of the soldiers a
Schuyler Colax.7 -'s-
| We see also by Chaplain Lozieris stat,
mcnt that Mr.. Colfax gave his entire mill
age for one term amounting to $500, TO til
soldiers, and we have no doubt that coul
all his gifts to them during and since th
war he made kR6wh, the amount 50 cor
tributed would not fall short of $l0,o6a
4 And this is the man who is reported b
Moore as saying he had ''no time to foo
away with soldiers We don't beliey
there is man M the country who is sue
an addle-p -patcd cool asto believe the story
even without denial.
zA 80. ........a T.
! Ayouns lady who had become tired {
single bIesscdncss, writes to her true 10y
yer" as follows: "Dcer Gim-Cum rite 0
ef You air cunnmin at awl. George Collin