Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-09-10

We left st. Joseph, Mo. about noon,
and left Quincy, III. in the after
noon. Not in. one single instance
during ID months service was !
called upon to leave any place DUR
ing the night. In going up the
river in '65, wa did not, as q regi-
lnent, effect q landing OF Kansas
City, Mo-, but we lay there perhaps
an hour or two At the furthest, and
some OF the officers went ashore, but
all or neurly ali Of the men were de-
tanned aboard the boat. In coming
down the river in '66, | am positive
we didn't call at Kansas City at all,
as we landed 1t st. Joe aud pro-
ceeded by rail IN the II. u st. }. Il.
Il. for Quincy, Ill.
The Colonel is next charged
with having had a man cruelty
treated by having him hung UP
by the thumbs, having him marched
back and forth in front of the
fort Fort Rice }, having him
"oucked and gagged" out in the
cold upon the parade ground until
his hands and face were badly
frozen, &c. This is said in such .
way as to create the impression that
the man SO treated was q soldier, a
man OF the 5Oth. But the truth is
the man was a civilian, murderer
kept in custody by order OF Gen.
SuIly until he could be turned over
to the civil authorities. He was
punished for refusing to obey Or
dcrs. He was punished at the in
stigation OF the Officer OF the Guard,
I'd Lieut.. Amos Devoe, of Go. II.
At that time Capt. Putnam, OF Go.
d., was in command OF the post, as
Colonel Clark was absent on buff
falo hunt and could not have been
nearer than thirty miles, at least, at
the time Of punishment. will adj
NIT that Henry Funk was cruelty
treated, but I did not hear anybody
express much sympathy for him at
the time, but | sincerely believe
that if Colonel Clark had been at
tie fort ut the time he would not
bave tolerated such treatment, even
ot Henry Funk,
The Colonel is next charged with
being the cause Of the desertion of
a great number Of men from our
regiment. This again is a contempt
ible untruth. | will admit that
during our journey up the Missouri
river, quite a number OF men did
desert. TneTeason was tins many
of the men had been enlisted for
one year or during the war. Now
that the War was ended, they be-
lieved themselves by justice free,
having accomplished what they
agreed to do, which was to bear
arms during the. war. How far
their ideas were correct, Is no busi-
ness of mine to argue here, but it
is enough to say that this, and no
fault found with Col. Clark, was the
true cause of so many assertions
during the latter part of August
and the early part OF September
1865.
The next allegation made is, that
the Colonel purposely delayed our
journey home from Fort Rice. We
left Fort Rice as soon as troops
were sent to relieve us and trans
portation could be procured to
send US home. We made excellent
connections But one accident
occurred during the long dis
lance among SO many men. We
travelled from Fort Rice to st.
Joseph by steamer, thence to Madl-
son by rail. We accomplished this
long and tiresome journey inside OF
ten days, and l believe we made it
in eight.
Though the men whom we re-
lieved at Rice were badly reduced
by scurvy, &c.-although the great
er part of their stay there was in
the summer yet, although, we
stayed there during long and
severe winter, our regiment lett
there, through the rigid carefulness
OF our commanders and surgeons,
entirely free from scurvy and VEN
ereal diseases. But one man died
from our Co, and he more from
Inconsistencies than anything else.
Every provision for our comfort
during our stay in that dreary
country was made. Our quarters