The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-09-28
The One Charge Against Gov. Hayes.

From the Cincinnati Commercial.
There has been Il good deal Of atten.
tion paid to the story that Gov. Hayes,
while in command of a brigade in Gen.
Sherman's Army Of the Shenandoah,
appropriated to his own use $400 in
money, taken from a man who was
shot as a deserter at Monocacy juno.
ton, in August, 1864. The man was
tried by court-martial. and condemned
as a deserter and confirmed bounty
jumper. Before the execution of the
sentence he sent for ". W. Harper.
the chaplain of the Thirteenth West
Virginia Volunteers, to whom he gave
two watches and $$4UU IN mOney,-tne
avails of his bounty jumping. The
disposition of the money became a
matter of consultation, and it was de-
termined that it should be used to OBJ
tain a recruit for the service who
would not desert. The watches were
handed back to Mr.. Harper, who still
has them, and he has never found the
relatives Of the soldier who was shot.
AS to what Gen. Hayes did with the
money. Mr.. Harper is not prepared to
say. lie only knows, or thinks he
knows, that he left it in the hands of
the general. Gov. Hayes recollection
Of the matter is, that after it was de
cided the money should be used to get
Il recruit, it was also decided that sit
should be delivered to the proper Off
Ger to get the recruit and he had al
ways supposed ''that this was accord
ingly done'' with the money. Il
know" says Gov. Hayes, ''that
never used or appropriated it to my
own use. If it was handed to me it
was Immediately, then and there,
turned over to the proper officer to OBJ.
tain another man in the place of the
deserter."
This was not done in corner. The
officers present at the court.martial
knew of the circumstances. Major
f. NJ. Carey, Of the Twenty third
Ohio, knew the money was left in the
hands Of the Judge advocate of the
court, and by him turned over to the
quartermaster or the provost marshal
for recruiting purposes, and that was
probably the disposition made of it.
At any ralc, Gov. Hayes assertion
that he did not appropriate it to his
! own use is a sufficient denial. AS
Gen. Comfy, who was cognizant of the
affair, though not present when the
money was disposed of, says
II: is the most prep0sterous non.
sense to suppose that Gen. Hayes, a
soldier of the strictest honor, with a
brilliant record to hand down for the
inheritance Of children he loved 50
tenderly, could have sullied his honor
and tarnished his fame III doubtful
money transaction covering the pitiful
sum of $780,
Moreover, the record of "the court
martial in the case of Isaac B. Whit
low, rebel spy and deserter, has been
discovered. It shows
81. That he was tried by 4 drum
head court-martial regularly called
| and convened by an order Of Gen.
Crook, and the action of court con-
iirmed hy the department commander.
20. That he was ordered to be exc
cuted by Gen. Crook at sundown, Aug,
5, 1864.
''3. That lie fought in the rebel
ranks after his desertion and was cap
tured in rebel uniform, and that in ad
dition to other crimes he was boun
ty.jumper, and had received money as
a substitute.
~. That Gen. Hayes had nothing tt
do with his trial or execution"
The record is at variance in many
particulars with the statement of Chap
lain Harper, whose memory both as t<
the time when the execution tool
place and the persons present whe1
the money was paid over by him, is al
fault, and makes it probable that be
yond general knowledge of the affair
Gen. Hayes had nothing to do with it
Chaplain Harper having made his little
noise in the world can now retire.