Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-09-16
A Double Dyed Traitor Unmasked


No man in the South was more bitter OF
malignant against the Northern men-none
did so much to precipitate secession, as
Governor BROWN, of Georgia. To give the
devil his due, as soon as he found secession
failure-that SHERMAN was likely to &C.
complish his march to the sea, he became
lukewarm, and did his best to betray the
cause he, more than any other man, precip-
itated on the people OF Georgia. i-t
AS soon as the war ended, this man
Brown, turned Radical and was member
of the Convention that nominated GRANT
The Indianapolis Sentinel in ventilating
this man BROWN, charged him with divers
acts of cruelty to Federal soldiers. This
Brown, in a letter, roundly Denied
Thereupon, the Sentinel addressed a letter
to DIR. FLETCHER, of Indianapolis, which,
with the response, we give below:
-.'d "SENTINEL OFFICE. Sept. IL.
"Dr. W. B. Fletcher: "5 ~
DEAR SIR-A question of veracity be-
tween the Sentinel on the one part, and the
Journal and Ex-Governor Brown, of Geor-
gia, on the other hand, has arisen out of
statements that you were once prisoner
Will you be kind enough to state if you
were ever prisoner in Browns hands, and
If so, what was your treatment-humane
or brutal? Also, any other facts of which
you may be cogniZant having bearing on
said Browns character as a gentleman, q
soldier and patriot. ...i--s-. ... ....-
Respectfully,
~ dGEoRGE c. HARD1NG.n
DR.. FLETCHER replied as follows:
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. II, 1868.
"GEoRGE C. HARDING, Eso.-Dear Sir:
In reply to your note of this morning, /
will briefly give you the facts of nv ac-
quaintance with Governor Brown: s..
I'm August, 1861, after having been a
captive in the hands of the Confederates
about three weeks, General Lee moved to
attack General j. j. Reynolds at Cheat
Mountain. leaving Governor Brown, of
Georgia, in command of Huntersville, Po-
cahontas county, Virginia, at which place
Lee had large supplies.
During our stay in Colonel Browns
camp, and within hundred yards of his
tent we were subjected to every abuse
imaginable from his men--Starved, either
by his order or neglect, and when reduced
to prostration and feebleness by such treat
ment so that we could not have ran twenty
yards, he said we only feigned, to escape,
and therefor had us tied hand and foot.
{" look back with more kindly feelings
to the prison keepers of Richmond-W
ter and Winder-for, personally, they were
ever kind to me.
"If Governor Brown will prove that he
was not my keeper In Huntersville, then
some man who was variously called by his
men, .Old Gov > sOld Jo.,' Pap Brown
and Governor Brown has played char
acter in the same name, which renders it
loathing, a hated sound, and which causes
said Colonel Brown to stand in my memory
as doubly cruel and vindictive traitor.
"Believe me, very respectfully, yours,
"W. B. FLETCHER"
The lie was never planted upon scoun-
drel fairer than DIR. FLETCHER plants it on
BROWN. DR.. FLETcHER's word where he is
known, will outweigh all the secession Gov
BROWNS between Halifax and Hades. The
pet delegate to the Chicago Convention, a
traitor to his country-a traitor to the
cause he forced honest men to embrace and
a traitor to his word, he stands this day,
the most contemplate of the bipeds that
Heaven allows to cucumber the earth.