Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-14
ARMES,
What he has to Say for Himself-A Yir.
ginian who Loved the Flag and
Fought "Agin his Xii"
He is Rewarded Until he Sets I'D
Business as a misunderstanding
Chaos Comes Again.

the country, but that the truth may pre-
vail, L feel it Incumbent upon me to pre-
sent to the public the following state
ment OF facts, which can be substantial
ed by facts which are connected with
the recent downfall OF an individual
who has not only enjoyed the confidence
If the country, but has been one of thu
principal advisers Of our ehisf magis
trate. Far from appearing to exult IL
public over this bsneful reversion, attel
having 80 materially assisted in bring
| ing to the notice of the people OF tbs
country the transactions OF the late sec
rotary Of war, which 20 clearly prove
him to have been unfit for the public
trust reposed in him. no one can ia
truth say that was Influenced In my
! course by wish for news
paper notoriety, as by my especial
request my name has appeared in
print in this connection with as little fre-
| queney as was consistent with right.
Latterly my name became publicly con-
| Dected with this matter in the manner
! following: The Hon. B. B. Lewis, OF
Alsbsms, was referred to me in Decem-
Der, 1875, as being DESTROYS OF renting q
residence in this city. While with him
examining the various houses under my
charge, as a real-estate agent, I commu-
nicsted to him that had suffered from
the eDmity Of the present secretary of
war (Belknap), and that his treatment
OF me had been outrageous, and / stated
to Mr. Lewis that l was possessed of
knowledge ofcertain transactions which,
II made public, would result in the over
throw Of Mr.. Belknap. Our conversa-
ton was repeated by Mr. Lewis to some
Of his friends on the Gay that Mr.. Bel.
KNAPP was charged by the house commit
tee with high crimes, ETC., and some re-
pcrteYs who were standing near tele-
graphed what wigs said to the country.
On the commencement of the late re.
bsllion l left a beautiful home and my
friends and associates in Fairfax county,
Virginia, being only sixteen years old,
and took an active part sgainst men
who, thought, were about to destroy
one ofthe best ami nobless governments
ever known, which several of my ances.
tors had contributed their services to es-
tablish. So enthusiastic was for main
tsing the old flag that enlisted as
private soldier, left the friends of my
childhood and took part against them
with strangers, and coon attained to the
rank OF second-lieuten0nt. Thereafter,
icing disabled for service in the field, i
was appointed to the veteran reserve
corps, but in few months having re-
cupeTated l requested active service.
General G.. G. Augur approved my re-
quest, and / was sent to the field, where
General U. s. Grant assigned me- to du-
ty as assistant aid.de-eamp to General
w. 8. Hancock, commanding the Sec
Ond army corps, with whom l served
through the most important battles OF
the campaign, from the Wilderness to
Petsrsburgh, Virginia, during 1864. l
was promoted 70 csptaincy when but
nineteen years of age, upon the recon-
mendation OF General Haneock, and was
also complimented by letters ofthat gall
laut officer Soon after Joining my reg.
iment was conplimented in general
orders by General Nelson A. Miles for
leading a charge and capturing the enc
my's works at Hatch's Run, and Tor that
action / was hrsveGted major. 1 re.
NAMED in thu field until the oso of the
rebellion, when 1 was plsctd in COM
mand OF FoIt Whlppis, VirsIh. a, with
six companies Of artillery, and was coon
afterward assigned to tue command Of
the Fifth district Of Virginia, under
General o. D Howard, where l re-
manned until mustered out Of service in
the volunteers. then received a COM
mission as second lieutenant in Second
regiment United States cavalry, upon the
recommendation of Generals w.
s. Hancock, G. G. Anger, c.
II. Tomkins, and some others.
l was sent to the plains and soon placed
in command Of company M, Second
cavalry, in the absence of the captain of
the company. In the fall OF 1866 l led
an expedition against the Indians with
such satisfactory results that the COM
mander Of the department of the Platte,
General Philip st. George Crook, issued
a general order, stating that had per-
formed perhaps the greatest cavalry feat
ever heretofore recorded. He recon-.
mended me to General Grant, who re-
quested that be made a captain in the
regular army at once, and my commits
sion IS captain dated back go far that /
RANKED several hundred officers who had
been my seniors. Subsequently 1 served
In several expeditions in separate com.
mands against Indians, and was special
ly recommended by Generals Hancock
and Sherman for brevet hautenant-col-
onel United States Army. In 1869 l was
a. witness before q court convened at
Fort Harker, Kansas. While in attend
snce upon this court, [ was obliged to
take my meals at mess kept by two
young women. One morning, at the
breakfast table, one Of the officers Of my
regiment, Captain Cox, who seemed TO
be acquainted with the women who kept
the mess, sent the waiter boy to one of
them WITH some pictures, with a
message that l bad sent them.
The woman came into the
mess-ro9m and inquired for me. I Yves
pointed out, when she walked up and
caught hold OF my shoulders in q play
full but rough way, whereupon at once
ordered her to "get out" she left, and
l told Captain Cox never to undertake
such joke with me again. There the
affair ended. Several month"; afLeFward
1 had occasion to prefer charges against
two officers OF my regiment, one OF
whom wss the Captain Cox who tried to
perpetTate the joke. These officers did
their best to have me Withdraw the
charges agSinst them, but l declined,
being Satisfied of their guin. They OBJ.
tanned an interview with Lieutenant
Colonel A. d. Nelson, who listened to
their infamous proposition to prefer
charge against me, which they thought
would ruin and disgrace me, even lift did
not put me out OF the army. l was
placed in arrest and ordered before q
court, OF which Colonel s. B Bturgiss
was president and Major Lewis Merrill
the judge-sdvocate. The court which
tried me was composed OF five members.
Against It's president and Judge advo-
cate made the charge of gambling, and
during my uial objected to being
tried by such q court Excepting
only Colonial Pnlandl. b1t NV nh.