The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-10-04

wo propose to examine the evidence
upon which 1t IS based. We premise by
calling attention 10 the fact that on the
eve of campaign it Is q common trick
of our opponents to get up sensational
charges against candidates knowing the
| imposaibllity Of refuting them. The
charges iu the Bulletin, il true, could
have been produced eight years ago and
it is self evident that they arc hatchod
| for the occasion.
We shall not deal with the inuondo y,
infcrcuccs or surmisos of the Bulletin,
but answer the alleged facts upon which
they rost.
1st. TIE MOB MOUNTAIN MEETING.
Garblcd extracts nrc made from the
| speeches OF several gentlemen who were
there, but not single ertract from any
Of those delivered 6y NJ. BuckaleC.
Even in making quotations from those
OF other speakers, parts of sentences are
1 taken and added to other detached
| phrases so rs to pervert their meaning.
The meeting was held year after the
close of the war.
Cd. THE EVIDENCE IN THE TRIAL OF
| THE COLUMBIA COUNTY PRISONERS.
The testimony of large number of
witnesses were taken before the Court
Martial, but the Bulletin produces only
that of few witnesses for the prosecu.
ton. Not single ,oitaesS hoveUer ipapl.
Gates Mr.. Buckdleto nor mentions his
name. We positively and emphatically
deny that Senator Buckalew was pres
ent at or addressed the Rantz meeting
as alleged, and challenge the proof. OF
all the witnesses examined who were
present at that gathering not one asserts
that he was there.
80. COL. STEWARDS AFFIDAVIT.
Gen. Couch never gave Stewart any
such orders as he alleges and he can
neither produce a copy, nor will Couch
corroborate him. There nerer ,cas q
piece ofartiliery on the Fishingcreek dur
ing tie tcar, The sign Of an en6uaknaent
nor an organized body of armed men,
nor was there scintilla of evidence be-
fore the Court Martial to prove it. The
men arrested were not drafted men nor
had they resisted the draft.
The editor of the Shenandoah Herald
was soldier in the army of invasion
and in his paper, (Which is Independent
politically says:
So it is with the charge of fathering
the Fishing Creek Oonfederacy"whic
is cast upon the statesman like shoulders
fof
BUCKALEw.
Yet we know this charge is false, for
we were on the spot and took part in
the celebrated campaign to crush 1T.
! Well do we remember the heroic charge
we made on the supposed battlements
Cf the cOnfederate5 after fortnight's
preparation, reconnoitering, scouting
and picketing and quite vivid is the
| picture still in our minds of the disgust.
ed countenances of tho one thousand
| braves as they reached the summit of
the mount where we were taught to be-
lieve the Fishing Creek army was
| massed and which for one long month
| we had regarded with awe and expect.
ancy, and found not a man, nor the
meanest evidence that man had ever
/ been there. Such was our extreme dis.
appointment that oursojOurn in Colum-
bia county was shortened none too soon
and but a few days elapsed before not
soldier was to be seen wnere for six
weeks all had been hustle, and activity.
The Government was beautifully fooled
| by few people who wanted to see the
soldiers. In word, impartial reader, let
| us inform you, that such thing as a
confederacy to resist the U. s. Govern.
ment never existed in Columbia coun-
ty, that the trouble that existed there
during that interesting period of time
when the draft was so severe, amount
ed to nothing more than what existed
| in this and other counties of the State,
| and that was the desertion ofa few men
| that had been drafted and their refusal
| to appear when summoned in defence
of their country. No open resistance,
no organization is opposition to the fed.
eral authorities, nothing but the act OF
| few men who fled to escape being for
ced into the army-and this is the his
tory of the "Fishing Creek Confeder-
acy."
And yet no portion Of Stewards affi.
davit duplicates Mr.. Buckalew! He
heard through scouts that Mr.. B. had
addressed the Rantz meeting, and on
thatrumor" sent detachment to arrest
him. "As Mr. .Buckalew never concealed
himself and no arrest was ever made,
| it is fair to presume that Stewart dis.
| covered his information to be false. If
true it could easily have been proven.
And now word as to Col. Stewart.
We will not go into his disgraceful
army record but give few facts in our
knowledge. At a time when every
brave soldier able to fight was at the
front and when they were badly need.
ed, this man sought and obtained q
position where he could persecute limo
cent men and women, and levy black
mail to his hearts content. For his
benefit we produce the following aft.
davit, made over five years ago:
STEWARDS CORRUPTION PRovED-AF
| FIDAV1T OF ALEXANDER HESS.
State Of Pennsylvania, county Of C0lua
bia, SS.:
Alexander Hess, of the said county
being duly sworn, saith:
That he was drafted into the mil itary
service of the United States in the yeai
A. ID. 1864, that on the fifteenth day Of
September, A. ID. 1864, he reported &c
Charles Stewart lieutenant colonel com.
manding United States forces in Col
umbia county; that Colonel Stewart in.
quired OF your deponent what sum o.
money he would give to be discharged
from the draft, and not be further
troubled, stating at the same time he
had the authority to discharge him.
Your deponent replied that he wa
poor and not able to pay much, bu,
offered to Colonel Stewart for Ger
tihcate of discharge .fdy dollars. Stew.
art refused this and notified your de-
ponent that he would be held to service
and that he (StewarD could do as he
pleased with him. Finally he agreed to
grant the discharge upon the payment
of one hundred dollars. That sum was
thereupOn paid to him. the said Lieu
tenant Colonel Charles Stewart, and he
gave discharge of which the following
is copy:
HEADQUARTERs UNITED STATES