Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-09-07
quarters of the 18th West Virginia

, quarters of the 18th West Virgins
: Regiment.
: In a very short time after arriving
there-my impression is that it was
. about ten or fifteen minutes, but no
over thirty minutes-General Hayes
sent for me. / cannot tell whethe
, it was an officer or enlisted man WHIT
came for me. l went up to Genera
!, Hayes headquarters at once, ant
!. found General Hayes and Colone
J. Comfy together in the tent. Didn''
notice anyone else in the tent. Gen
eral Hayes asked me what the man
gave me. told him about $400 and
two watches.
General Hayes took the watches
and examined them. Colonel Comfy
also examined them, and handed
them back to General Hayes, who
returned them to me. The General
then said: ~ have decided the
money belongs to the Government"
l have no recollection that he said
anything about what should be done
with the watches. / got the impress
sion from what General Hayes said
about deciding as to where the
money should go, that he and Colonel
Comfy had been conversing about
the matter before l came in. Ihand-
ed the money to General Hayes after
got the watches back. The money
was in large roll, taken loose from
my pocket, just as it was handed to
me by the deserter. l did not count
the money when handed it to Gen.
Hayes, and Gen. Hayes did not
count it in my presence. I took no
receipt for it.
am not certain Gen. Hayes and
Col. Comfy were in wall tent or un-
der fly, but if it was tent the
front was all open, and my impress
sion is that it was wall tent. 1t was
open wide enough for me to walk in.
There might have been other par
ties around the tent, but do not re-
member now, kept the two watches
for three years, and then gave the in
ferior one to my son. The other
watch l still retain, not having been
able to find the mother of the rebel
deserter. The convicted deserter
Just before starting to the place of
execution exhorted the multitude
that stood around him, not to do as
he had done, and insisted that mas
much as they were soldiers, fighting
for the union, they should never de-
sert the army. After giving the
money to General Hayes, I returned
to the headquarters of Thirteenth
West Virginia regiment, and stated
to Col. VIM. R. Brown what had oc-
Cured. l think it was not yet dark
when I reached Col. Browns tent,
but know it was not dark when l
left Gen. Hayes tent. My impress
sion has always been that the execu-
tion took place along toward the mid
die of the day. and that the money
was delivered about the middle of
the day."
Question by General j. NJ. Comfy,
(who came into the room just before
Mr.. Harper commenced his state
ment)-"Mr, Harper, are you sure
that was the person present In the
tent at the time you handed this
money to Gen. Hayes"
Answer--"I am sure.'
Question-"Have you always here
tofore stated that was the only per-
son present with General Hayes,
when the money was deliyeredY'
Answer-"I have always stated
that you were the only person pres
ent that / noticed. l have no reason
to doubt but that Gen. Hayes made
a proper disposition of that money"
After thanking Mr., Harper, for the
time and attention he had given me,
l turned to Governor Hayes, who had
been present during the interview,
and said:
"Governor, what say you to an in
terview? l know you don't enjoy
that sort of amusement very much,
but your side of this important mat
ter should by right, be given to the
public, with that just made by Mr..
Harper. Will you consent to have
the pressure applied"
To this rather direct way of put
ting it, the Governor with his usual
frankness and directness, replied as
follows:
GOVERNOR HAYES STATEMENT.
81 should probably object to being
interviewed on public affairs general
ly, but this charge aimed at my char
acter for integrity, and my honor as
soldier, is of such nature that /
am willing to reply to it publicly.
The charge is that l appropriated to
my use about $400 in money taken
from man who was shot as de-
serter or spy at Monocacy Junction,
Maryland, in General Sheridan's
army of the Shenandoah, in August
1884. / do not understand Mr.. Har-
per to have charged me with any
misappropriation of money, but it has
been inferred from his statement, by
certain newspapers, which have mis-
represented him.
The case was remarkable one on
account of the condolences which
led this deserter to his fate. In the
fall of 1868, he came in rebel uni
form into the Union lines IN the Ka-
nawha Valley, claiming to be Un-
ion man who had been forced into
the rebel army. Subsequently he en-
listed in Company D, Twepty-third
Ohio. Soon after, he became sick,
and was in the hospital a month or
two. Soon after he got well he de-
serted, taking with him arms and
equipments, with watches and pis-
tolls, which he stole from his COM
rades.
z Afterward, May 9, 1864, at the
l>o<k1o oF cloud Mon ba rr,e -