The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-06-20
Mcclellan, fhe Alleged Brisi>Ia
SmRi eca-.- vi uch Ado About
Nothing.


Nothing.
Representation having been made to
the British Minister at Washington that
Mcclellan, who was killed in the KEN
per ARRAY, was a British subject, the
Administration was requested by him to
inquire into the facts. Hon. Luke Lea,
United States District Attorney, was
instructed by the Department of Justice
to make the necessary investigation, and
Mr. g. K. Chase was commissioned by
the President to take part 10 the investl-
CATION. They have visited kemper
county, and conducted the inquiry as we
have the best reason for believing, in a
fair and impartial manner. The citizens
of Kemper extended every courtesy to
the commission and facilitated the inves
tigation.
Touching the citizenship of Mcclellan,
it was ascertained that he was born in
Scotland and come to the United States
in I848 that after residing in Mali e
and Alabama, about six years, he took
up his abode in Kemper county, Miss;
that he was never naturalized that he
pursued his avocations in kemper, made
money and acquired considerable prop
erty in real and personal estate and de-
clared his intention when purchasing a
tract of land some years ago to make it a
model farm and spend the remainder of
his days upon it; that during the late
war he volunteered with other Mississip-
plans in the Confederate service and
served at Bowling Green sixty days !;
that he afterwards worked as a mechanic
in the Confederate shops at Mobile, and
that, while thus employed, he, with other
workman, was at times called out to per
form military service; that he claimed
exemption from said service as a British
subject and laid his complaint before the
British Consul at Mobile; that the Con
sui refused to interfere in his behalf on
the ground that by voluntarily enIisting
in the military service of the Confederate
States he had forfeited his right to British
protection.
In reference to the affray in which he
lost his life, it was ascertained that he
was not summoned by the Sheriff on his
posse Gas first enormously stated but
that his participation on the side Of the
Chisolm party was entirely voluntary ;
that he armed himself with a shotgun
and M de defiant remarks and threats in
regard to the other party, going so far as
to say that it was time to begin the shoot
ing, and the like also that if the crowd
killed the prisoners, there would be
enough of the friends of the latter left to
waylay and kill their slayers, and that
the officers would be taken off first, etc.
In the melee he was killed, how or by
whom is not stated. 1t can well be mag
ined that as he had armed himself for
the ARRAY and assumed the championship
of one of the parties, he was liable to
suffer the consequences, which he had
shown himself willing to do as he was a
warm friend of the Chisolm party, and
unquestionably brave to rashness.
We presume the District Attorney and
Mr.. Chase will report the facts touching
the alleged British citizenship of the
deceased, but the statement that they
will declare him a British subject is sim
ply preposterous. 1t is no part of their
duty to pronounce an opinion on the sub
ject. They will leave that part of the
matter to be determined by the repre-
sentatives Of the British government and
the United States authorities at Wash
ington. We will adj th1t there can be
but one conclusion, and that is the one
announced by the British Consul during
the war, viz: that Mcclellan forfeited his
claim to protection as a British subject,
and so it will turn out another case of
Much Ado About Nothing.
4 sTAUNCH Democrat in New Hamp-