The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-13

fcrred 10 as "A general answer 10 them all
General Sturgs then submits
LETTERS
from his subordinate officers all exempting him from
blame for the disaster at Brce's Cross Roads. The
FIRST a letter from Alexander wilkins Colonel Of the
Ninth Minnesota Infantry volunteers, under date OF
June - 1854 The writer considers want OF forage
10 have been oac great contributory cause OF the
defeat and says the advance would never have been
pushed beyond Ripley but for the further positive
Colonel wilkins says II one well conducted and
emnenty successful one, considering that the am
munton had almost given out when the order OF re-
treat was given.
Then follows the letter OF George E. Warrington,
Colonel of tho Fourth Missouri cavalry written from
Whites station. Tenn. under date OF June 30 1864.
THIS letter makes the general recitation as the
other, but says:-'You wero cool and energetic and
certainly did all that lay in power 10 make the en-
gagement successful and when defeat was evident you
dd all that could be done to prevent the disaster which
followed | am confident that any do
cdcd stand made with the intention OF rescuing The
infantry which were last engaged would have resulted
in the capture Of the entire force" The writer then
discusses the question of the advance beyond Ripley,
and concludes by saying:-''You acquitted yourself
nobly and well and musvrcceiyc the commentator OF
all who have right to express opinion in The mat
ter"
Here follows a letter from
JOSEPH KARGE,
Colonel OF the Second New Jersey volunteer cavalry,
and President of the Military Commission then IN scs
sion at Memphis Tenn. This letter recitcs the finding
OF The enemy by General Sturgis, hs fight win them,
lasting some scvcn hours; his nnal vnnquishment ov
superior numbers ana tho vast diicuitics attending
the rercnt II closes with these words-"To your m
]
saved from utter ruin and earnestly beg OF you to
dispose freely Of my services whenever You should hnd
IL necessary to indicate your unsulicd pane MS
brave and merorous officer, which you have already
demonstrated on many bloody battlefield"
Also letter from W. |. McMillen, Colonel OF the
Nncty-hfth Ohio infantry, written from Moscow,
Tenn, and referring more particularly TO me oiihcuty
met in attempting to transport troops and material
through the encmy's country, and TO the iact that
whenever the command reached u railroad il was liza
bic To DO annihilaied by superior force suddenly
coping down. and stating that the advance beyond
Judgment
the officers concerned, and only attempted in compli
nncc with the positive orders received by the leader OF
the command
suppose 1t may be assumed that in publishing the
article signed "Company H. the Chicago Times IN
dorscd IL otherwise II is hard to believe that paper
OF ITS standing would give publicity TO communica-
ton whose only recommendation lay in its scurry.
Now there is rule, believe governing the admis
of evidence which orbios either party suit ut
Law to mpcach its Witness but tho Times has Como
further even than this and introduced witness to i'm
peach ITSELF Soon alter the battle of Brice's Cross
Roads, or Gunown, that paper with commcndablc zeal
in the interest OF justice, sent reporter to Memphis
Tor The express purpose, ms he announced, OF invest
eating this whole affair and finding out the truth.
He had access to tho entire command and did mako
n thorough and exhaustive investigation, the result
OF which may be gathered from the following editorial,
which may be found IN the Times. OF August 3 1864.
General Sturgs here gives an editorial from the
Chicago Times OF August 3, 1864, which ays:-"Tho
report OF General Surgis, who commanded tho expe-
dlon that badly defeated in Mississippi in June,
encctuay
pIsslPArEs THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
thrown around the affair by partisan press, and also
enables place the responsibility where properly
belongs The man who plans impossible
iy and orders its execution by a subordinate Is tho
who should DO held responsible Tor its failure and
not he who In obedience thereto, attempts It's oxccu-
ton. ~
have se6n somewhere article, which cannot
now locate, in which 1t was asserted that was jealous
OF General Custer and ANXIOUS TO bring my ''rccord"
before the country. This writer evidently
stranger to or both OF us he would have been
Of the groundless Of his assertion. 1t
not possible that our paths could ever run athwart
each other. II VIC hat both tccn young men starting
oa' on our career together toward common gonl men
II Is possible that emulation might have occasionally
deeencratcd into sentiment OF a less laudaolc char
acter. But General Custer was young man, iul Of
energy and ambition. living altogether IN the futuro
and seeking his happiness in the rcazation.o OF success
My career on the contrary (howevcr may have been,
is well nigh run. am rapidly approaching tho ''scre
and yellow leaI living rather the past than the u-
turc, that paths may DO SAID to have been d.
versent and leading to no common ground whereon
The feeling of Jealousy could possibly thrive or even
take root
Here had intended closing my case. but having just
been informed that number OF papers have made my
Indian record subject Of snccrng animadvcrsion, |
think better therefore, to trcspass little further
upon the patience OF the public By submitting without
comment, two or three short notices tending to show
tho estimate placed upon some OF my Indian services
by those who, from their POSITIONS wero necessarily
familiar with them.
That have had desire bring these services to
the notice Of the public will appear in tho SIMPLE TACT
that It years since the FIRST, aud six
years the last or those services
dcred, and only refer 10 them now because the prin
cipc of self-deiencc demands it.
The following Is an extract from the Santa Fe IN. NJ.
Weekly Gazette, January, 1901
ARRIVAL LIEUTENANT SANTA rr.
from ther successful OF the Mescalerc Indians last
s e ns d ""a att the as
party OF citizens met them some distance from town and
and whole population welcomed them back. The
o % %s% 6 wf o Ss
mer,ctiou. services Of lsa'snap, s'nrs nn nimonsy
nicatcd In duo form! by joint committee OF both houses.
joint resolution OF The Legislative Assembly of the Terri.
tory OF New Mexico eompi,msntsry to Lieutenant Samuel
whsrsas IN. cGndae, q Lenisn.n, D s,urs. Of the
s By
bold and solderly daring which is only
rapid a%s anal
ps.sa % W" ~ es % ~ s5r
savage oa s s 'o' ''f.
Resolved by tue Legislative Assembly of the Territory Of
SECTION THAT thanks OF Legislative Assembly
be endered to Lieutenant sturgs for his gallant services in
s"a fSa, commi,,cc Of air h .r,o,,.d ,hr.o
from the Council and three from the House Representa-
tves, to wait upon Liensensn, sturs and present him
with copy OF these resolutions
Speaker of the House Of KrprcssnIailvc,.
President OF The Council.
The following appears in the Philadelphia Press Of
September, 1861: =
npicApiER cENsHAL n. srunGIs PESSsYLvASIAS.
he recent dI.ilnsaishcd Of mi, gallant ocer
his promotion have excited the curiosity
he VIII psy Important part in the bsing
enaeea IN Missouri propose giving Drei sketch OF his
,Gensfal s.nrgssa native of ronnsylvans lie entered
thereafter Joined General i.ylcss army as reves second
@ M , h OF any ina
nss a. Which ns ne ma the result.
battle. yaiio,cn in H. history. of the battle
s gave ,,o him s,s. re-. Sted, for hi, serVsS A.
where performed hSSd service was inen
during which time he was rngassd in ,ne battle Of 80
n u~t Inns. amin