, 1873-12-05
CAPT. FRY At ST. CHARLES.

NhF - Eh} ~ ott StAttst-os |
Lcttcr from Col. Graham n. Etcfa--
EnH Confirmation OF The St:1t.~
1,ar,,sa E'uu11uiacd In Tho Chicago
TrlbNnc.
Tho follownE lottor was r,intod In tho Catcago
Times of ycsterlny. It will 10 aocn tint 1t fully
confirms lilo statements giyen III THE TnInuSE
relative to Tho affair as st. Char&c1, and COM
plotcly domoliahea tho cou1ltor~statenlonts malo
by Tho Times. Thu lot!er being conclusive na 10
Fly'a conduct OIL tho occasion referred to. tho
Times necessarily refrains from any further ut
tempt at druinl Or paliaton of that conduct.
10 Tho Editor:
Tho.,yl, ayorso to 1sooplng n!yo the foolings on
godorel by the tato civil Wal, AZ tonlus to pre-
Won't that cordial reuuion and fellowship botwccn
the North md South which nil OF both section.
should desito, must ask tho favor OF your col
ulu,ls to lnnko lief rooronco to acts Of ono day
during li,at var, viz. June 10, 1874. Thls rof-
orotco ts rendered necessary, IN my 1nigmont, |
command on tlnt day at st. CIIarlcn, Art., BY
tho manner In which, both aro mentioned III q
communication to tho 1imes Of Tho 1st INST. !
over tho mama of James q. blanchard. It pur-
ports to bo IN fofutatlon Of tug chargo Of i'lhu-
inanIty agaiuts Tho late Capt. Fry" Frst, per-
nit mo 10 hay, must uut 10 chased With shoso
II such there DO among American clt2o''s wl,o
dcBilo "to bolstoruptlc eauso OF tho Spaniards."
You cnnnot dotcat tholr causo aud course moro
cordially than they are detostod ly mo. Fly,
notwithstanding hlB conduct at st. Charles, mas,
| aFtcr tho cessation OF tho war; Ill American cti-
our laws and nag. But TINT fact does not lessen
tia guilt Of his conduct At tho time and plnce
mentioned. uo was tllon and there guilty Of isl-
| human and uusoldierly conaNot in ordering tho
boat Mound City, aftor t1ley .we1o Hcal1od BY
| steam from their own disabled boat, ana while
| struggling in tho river unaraica, and MANY de-
claring tLeir surrender. OF this iack thcro aro
too many living witnesses among LIEN somo ooo ~,
any poythnmous statements OF Fly however i'-
lorsca. Tho firing WA Witnessed by hnndsods;
it occurred under Fry's eyo; was done by mon
from his iowor batterY over olytructious placed
il tho way OF nuy nssan1tinS foico from Dolow.
Some Of thcxo men, aftor tint bastory WAS cal'-
turcd by tho Inaiaun troops {lsorty-sixta lntiana
wero returning up tho bluff to lejoin tho rost Of
! Try's command. ALL tho latter spoke OF him as
Colonel. Among tic mortay wounded OF thcAo
rneu waB /. L,eutosant, who gave Ills nanao aud
of his company to tho foot Of tho bluH, shooting
the boatmea in tho water, and atntcd d sholt
time boforo Iii. doath, tlat ho had dono 80 by
express order OF Col. Fly. Several pr!sonoss cos-
Ills Testimony, Of, one Of tho gnnboats, whittier
lie had been scnt wounded aud adrlsonor, Fry
coascd his denial OF having issued such order.
wish to call attention to Tow Of the apcc'as
statements IN Blnucllard's Communication, nl-
though perhaps at tho expense OF occupying more
space in your cou,nns tllan you Or taysolf would
; wish. llo caudldiy acknowledges TINT all aia
: material statenenta wore derived from Fry.
This acknowledgement. then, wonid lend tho pub
/ tic to question their truth. TbeY are tho state
o mol,ts OF ono who conscious Of his own wrong
n doug, waa willing to save hs character by douy.
t ing Or pantng tho wrong at tho bspense q
o truth. Fry eithor imposed upon Blanchard ;.
n credufity, or abused Ills confidence to tho oxton
Of colniug untr1ths for him to uttor. lie spoak
r Of tho ;" lionel fortress" (battories) nndor Fr,
q bcl,g manned by 122 mon, leaving It to DO in
= fecred tlut that number constituted his entire
, force, That number included only those Wit
!? Ind served on tho ironclad iobel g11nboat Mnrl
: posa, the crow Of which was transferred 10 th'
$ taud-batter.ea, Besides tlosc. Fry lad nun
i ber of Arkansas militia, estimated to bsslporio
y in nun1hor to tho attaching force: II
!. further says the Yu Mound d. city 't]set sih9t
again and again" atsr . nhs was M or p!o%,
g iii tho water by this statement. Tho crow Of lh
Il boat wns about 200. or these, somo so wcrt
d killed dying within short tlme) by tho OF
% subsequently died Of sca!ds OF wouuAs, ,-tA.
t dead finally rcaching LEO. Not 30 mcn wero lcf
# ou tho boat ablo for duty a'ter the explosion
3r mud tho boat helplessly driftcd With the curren
y y sI,o shore. Its commanding oniccr was anou
it tile disabled, Not gun was fired from 1t unit
it drftcd out OF range Of the batteries. and tho
T. ou1y tho ono fired in tho mannor Danohar
" dying struggles OF ono Of tho crew. Tho she
~ struck tho Nav National, ono Of our transports
Il Il living by tho Eido Of the Mound City, doing Il
asnags except to The ttarsportd; .,p deo bsq' of
nr company or squad Of ri1emea advancin
= = to tic banlz beyond tho worka to open iii
8 on tho men in tito water Ia simply ridiculous.
81 Fry did not thinls 80 when l.e gaye tl!e osdn
nv victims OF tho iiro. Ills (Dlauclards) assertion
a. that tho mon eugaged IN the nofarious buslnos
or would have bcen exposed to rakinS Tire
ng from tho guuboats, aud that Illa-Iiring wonl =.
nj Layo boou :. Just as effective from bohiud til
to woy!sa," can only exotic contompt for tho rocl
u lossness with Which he makos atatemonsa rol
OF tive to actions and localities Of Which he
~. ycscut ior tho purpose Of throwing doubt over
ia criminal net. And last. peraonal to myself,
ir- says: "Col. Fitoh'a indignation, on dheover.1
NV by what handful Of men his humorous Tor
beon , 20 atunborny sao 0pgosfed RStqa u
lat tees to tho "todiguntion." Was it Ii
Q natural, eftor being All eye-wltnsess :,
al tho murders 7 hayo moatteusdS ,,a H. !, d
M !erlca. Ny numerous forcc," waB about
s.h men. Tho "laandful Of men " by which w
Or opposed exceeded that number. 11e failod
by discover that y1o were "stnbbornv oppoaet
ne rhe advance ct tho rcgimont aud its at!rmaAt
his was not checked ono moment. In t"ot
:, II III possession Of both battorcs, and OF ma
OF prisoners aneladinG tx. ~ Wna unuonpss, j., M
" q bravo utlcer. Whom 1ifat ldohtlllou as III ~
Int 1s,and, Ao was In full ratreat with his nit
me- but that should not be received as evldonco
by want OF courage. for ho probably retreetoa II
QUO them for tho purpose and with tho hope
cen ralyinS thons. Certainly lie waa making oifo
aye TO lint oud whea wounded and captured.
uld dnAMAm IN y: Ut, ntroa,
,ara LoaAAgponr, Iua., Doc. 2, 1S73
re-
ded Ink In Adn1toruted 1ea'
sos, Quo often hcars Of IN article, pamphlet
" other written statement carrying It's own pr
ven on tho faco Of it," but tho expression gerert
bya mea,s 10 moro than thai lta arguments
In