The Hartford herald., 1875-04-28

the CouIleT-JO'uTdt, dig
tiactly states AMI i'm these words: q
'never was in arrest but. once during
"the war, and fiat was by the order Of
General Brace fwlfo seemed to hate
"all Kentuckians) for leaving my. own
Department without orders. and go-
.:ing, into another to meet ByRBRDGE,
''ats Saltvilles z For this kBRAGa Put
ome IN arrest, and the Confederate
Congress gave ne vote Ofthanks."
Again WILLIAMS says that he never
saw the charges of drunkenness and
lnOficer-like conduct preferred against
him by Capt. BIAcKBURN, based upon
his conduct at Rheatown, Tenn, and
was only aware Of their existence from
hearsay, that he endeayored in vain to
get trial, and voluntarily rendered
his resignation of his command and was
transferred to-. the Department i of
Georgia at his own request because Of
his failurestD obtain an Investigation Of
said charges, Now, look at the dis
crepancy between this statement and a
letter he wrote Hon. Henry b. BURS
NETT, at the time, and it win be seen
at once that he states an untruth. In
order to relieve oufself from any i'm.
putation of nlisstating WILLIAMS,
We copy his exaetim language as
used in the handful he circulated il
Logan county, four days prior to- the
assembling of its convention, whiel
was published in the Russellville Her
dd, and which is embodied in the
handbil with which he has flooded thi;
county in the last few days. He says.
"The Captain Blackburn Of Carter
regiment" referred to in Giltner's letter
is the gentleman l. suppose who, wa.
leading the panie~stricken men of ,tha
regiment wheh they were rstampeded a
RheatoEn,, to rally whom | was COM
PEELED to throw outra line of ,skirmisheri
with orders to shoot the fugitises if they
could not be halted otherwise, In m,
endeayor to rally these men, l met sai(
Captain Black kburn of Carter!s regiment
ingloriously fleeing at the top of hi
horses speed. In vain I appealed to hi'
honor and duty, as a gentleman and sol
dier, and finally was forced to and dic
strike him with my sword, and thu
turned him back. This man, / afterwards
heard preferred charges against me whicl
I never saw and never heard from, ifir
existence, and they never we're tried. 1'Th,
indignation and scorn. with which the au
thor of them was treated, was after
wards 'infornfedy drove him in disgrace
and ignominy from the command / wa
relieved from command in the Depart
ment ofWestern Virginia and transferse'
to the command of Kentucky troops il
Gen. 10. Johhston's army at my otcn Il
quest. .,r.a -r, .r-l !:
This is plain and unmistakabl
language. 1t cannot be misunder
stood or misinterpreted. He says ii
so many words, "This man, / after
"wards heard, preferred charge
against me ,rhich I pecer sa,e," &c
The italics are ours. Now read thi
letter to Mr.. BURNETT, which he pub
lished as a rebuttal Of Col. JOHNSTON
charge that such a charge was prefer
red against him, and notice the ex
preston wewil italicise in it: 81.
'' wYTHEvILLE, Jan. I, 1864
DEAR SIR-Early in November last,
Captain Blackburn, of the FirstsTennes
see cavalry (my brigade), preferred char
ges against me '.for cursing and abusin
officers and men, and for drunkenness,
These charges came 10 nay Headquarters. an
,oers sent to MAJ. Gen Sam Jones, soith n
endorsement npon them that they ,ocre .taL,
and malicious. ...- ...-.. ....I..- -,,,.
1 demanded an immediate investiga
1 =
ton, but no notice was taken Of the re
quest. Some days after thisiI requeste
again in writing that the charges be in
vestigated or dismissed as groundless
feeling that could not continue in com
mand while these charges were hangin
over me. Neither was done. i the
asked to be relieved from command unit
an investigation could be had, which wa
done l have continued to press for q
investigation up to this'time but'withou
success. Since quit the command
most of the officers have written me vol
untary letters, asserting in most positiv
terms that the charges were false. Thes
letters l have shown to General Sam
Jones, who promised to dismiss the cha
ges as groundless, or order an i'm mediat
investigations. but has done neither.
am, therefore, constrained to send ther
to you, and ask that you may unoficiall
draw the Presidents attention to then
and ask that justice. may be done mt
The question naturally arises. What il
duced Captain Blackburn to make thes