Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-09-04

The ruined people Of the South for the |
P irpose Of rewariing Mr.. Davis for
his Washington like services to q gem
esous-minded, but / tear, too easily
dcluded people2 Perhaps the most
cruel and atr0cious conduct perpetrat-
cd by any Of President Davis militia
,'y servitors during the war, was that
l,racticed by his especial favorite, Gen.
in the State of Arkansas. l
have formerly asserted, and my asser-
non has never yctbeen denied, nor can
IL be, that ssthis person, as his
own formal report to the War Depart
ment evidenced, finding, as he said,
tlat the very comprehensive provis-
IONS OF the conscription law were not
quite comprehensive enough to suit
his purposes, deliberately amplified
them by proclamation; declared mar
rial law throughout Arkansas and the
portion of Texas, and de-
handed the services Of all whom he
hid thus lawlessly embraced in his
" ide-sweeping conscription list. AL
Who refused to obey his mandate as he
In terms confesses, were unprecedented,
subjected to trial by military court,
appointed by Hindman himself: and
when convicted, az a good many of
them were, of an offensc which he
himself unblushingiy acknowledges in
this same official report, was wholly
unknown to the law of the land, he
had them all executed and going even
beyond the example of the internal
Jefireys himself in barbarity, he, Gas
he also most ostentatiously declares, in
the same report,) took care to be per-
sonally present, that he might witness
the dying agonies Of bis unfortunate
victims. This man seized upon all the
cotton and other property for which
he had use, Gas he boldly avows,) burn
ed some, retained some, and appropri
ated a third portion to such purposes
as he pleased. His crueltils were so
enormous in Arkansas that it became
unsafe that he should remain there
longer, when he was brought across
the Mississippi river under order Of
the Confederate War Department,
made president of court of inquiry
for the trial OF General Lowell, and,
after having made such a report as
was deemed to be necessary to the
shielding of certain officials in Rich
mond from blame in connection with
the capture Of New Orleans, was inn
mediately thereafter put in command
of the largest division in the army OF
Tennessee, where he remained snug
and comfortable until, running into
collision with more potential prcsi-
Dental favorite, the well-beloved
Bragg, he was quietly relieved from
command. ! exposed all the enormity
of this fiend in human form in open
session of the Confederate Congress
on more than one occasion, and tool
pains to have my exposition pnt In
print, and yet could I not persuade
Mr.. Davis or Mr.. Seldom to takc the
slightest notice of these outrageous
enormities."
This is the proper place to give some
special attention to this same Genera
Bragg. This military commander firs,
set the example of proclaiming mar
| tial law, which he did repeatedly and
upon the most fiimsy pretexts. ~
sert what 1 know to be true, and whal
l charged to be true on more than on,
| occasion, and what l stand now fully
prepared TO establish on proof, tina
General Bragg did deliberately put Il
death on repeated occasions, withou
| o shadow even of Confederate legA
| authority, as merit0rious soldiers o
he had under his command, and TO
one of the most revolving instances 0
this kind which occurred. ] can conf
IDENTIFY rely upon the authority Of Gen
eral Buckner, from whose own lips
learned the particulars. He evince,
on all occasions while he commando,
the army of Tennessee an utter disre
gard of all the established principle
of constitutional freedom, committe
such excuses as SyllA or o Mariu
would almost have recoiled from, an
yet, in spite Of all that could be dom
his removal from command could M
be effected until the Confederate caus
had become well-nigh hopeless. o
one occasion, in company with mi
jorlty of the Tennessee Senators an
Representatives, joined in demanl
ing the removal of General Bragg, an
the substitution in his place of Gener,
Joseph E. Johnston. A written con
munication had been addressed to tt
Confederate President requesting o
interview with him, and asking that
might be private one. Mr.. Dav
had consented to see us at particult
hour at his Office. We were receive
with sufficient politeness, but we pr
sently perceived that Mr.. Hunter,
Virginia, and Mr.. Barnwell, of Soul
Carolina, were also present. / q,
dressed these gentlemen civilly, al
suggested to them that as they SCENE
to have precedence over us we wou
: withdraw until their particular bus
ness should be dispatched. To til
they answered: mo, it 10 unncce
sary," and took their seats, between
large table and the wall, near enous
to hear all that might go on. Our /
terview was q very brief one. NJ
Davis gave us to understand that q
: change which we demanded should
: made, and he even went so far "a
present to our view q book purportil
to contain copy of the kilograms
had sent Off atday, from which it a
: peared that he had already issued ,
, order for which we asked. This, b
, the-by, was not done; and from sui
{ sequent facts I am satisfied that
had never entertained the least thong
, of parting with Bragg at all. 1 reco
, lect that Major Gustavus Henry, OF
( of the Tennessee Senators, inquired
me, as we left the room, if ! thong
J Mr.. Hunter and Mr.. Barnwell h,
} been requested by Mr.. Davis to rema
: in order to bear witness thereaft
| to what might occur. To this / a
j swered that could not undertake
j decide SO nice . point as this, but
considered that we had all been trea
ed most disrespectfnlly, and that it W
D the last official visit should ever pr
, to Mr.. Davis. This surely. needs =
3 comment.
81 And now, with such facts as the
3 staring us in tho face, will any porto
. of our Southern people desire the r
storation of Mr.. Davis tyrannic
rule? Does any one wish to see r
t newed in any part Of the land the reie
i, of secession ? Is it indeed true To
. any portion of the fair ladies Of Il
t South yet sympathize with this III
i scrupulous and daring adventurer2 2
/ M s,n< all n, % Ian an |FnV.imO rnuntv,,