, 1879-06-23

q. T, BALL1NoAL,
>. Senator Fifteenth District
Representative F'' p';tet Wms iiAs !as:'0n County
Representative, Vernon County.
JOHN II. SurLENs,
j. F. DRGoXuAnT,
Representative Chys County.
ATErsrgN 7. Tw1ss,
Representative Jackson County, Third District.
JEFFERSON ClTr, No., Feb. e, ooaa, 1s7.-Eaitor
Rgub!feau: My attention has bccn called to a
letter which appeared In YOUR paper Of ycstor-
T day, written BY Ma]. Gen. schot!eiI, nov, IN
charge Of tho Military Academy IT. West folnt'
caater, O., for tho purpose Of relieving, that
eeutlatnan from the odtuln which ho has Justly
incurred by the well.i;uown md t'tdn'9"s mill
tdr7 o,xler thsllcd by him In 1868 In tho enforce
mcnt OF which large IND populous district Of
our Rtate, embracing seysral counties oorder-
ing OH the State Of knnsus. was utterly dcsolat-
edits inhabitants tirivuu ff0m their homes.
their dwellings committed to the flames, and
their firms laid waste.
The Central has exercised caution, chnrac-
terlstte OF ali great u1ttarv commanders, tn al
lowing nearly fourteen yrnrs to trausptrc be-
fore vc,llurlnE upon tho dotens6 OF measure
which, for heaftess atroeisy, has no parallel IN
however, tl,dt there are those yet surviving WHO
will ba abe 10 confront him lit this prudcntly-
DELAYED effort to subordinate history to the
service OF tyranny.
act Of wisdom, courage, and humanity, BY Which
the ltye8 OF hundreds Of innocent people Wero
saved, and disgracoful conflict brought TO a
summary closo u; that "not life WAs s1crlfcod,
nor any grsa. aiss9TfSrt tn.sa n safrynE
a%s ss Sst sS 9dsa fos ssd Il aoso
were permitted TO srii1er." '"
Neyor did an equal number ef words embody
agrcater amount OF error;
nounced by tho late Gen. B1alE ns oil net Of im-
bcvIltty, Unon the suppnsitfnn that IL was in
tended to atd the cause Of the Union and weaken
TINT Of the 1sobcllon. his denlsnclat!on Was eor-
taIaly lust In Wow, however, Of lis purpose as
revealed by It's actual results, In the ruin of
thousands OF our cttzens, at.d tbs spce1y Lrana-
fer of their movable wealth to t1seir. dishonest
nuighbora in Knnsas, 1t mast be confessed that
1t exhibited tie consutnmhtc wisdom Of tho ser
pont. Neyor was robbery 80 stupcndous moro
cunningly devised, or successfully accomplished
With less personal rthk to the robbers.
AZ MI act ot purely arlitrarJ power, directed
against disarE1lnd aud dcfensclcss population,
IL MIA NE exhibition Of cowasdlcO In lis most
odious ana rerulslvc form.
. AS buttnElnE every principle Of Justice, md
doing violence to orcry generous md manly
n1zcd by wrstcllex destitute OF every quality
usually embraced under that appt,lation.
lr did not brlng "u discrnccfal cnn1ct to a
summary close" It; lntset', nut an ind to tho
hawker*," BY surrendorlng to them s'l that they
coveted ,ieayng nothing that could further excite
their cupldity; but It gave up tho country to tho
bushwhackois, who, until the cloaa Of tho War,
and passengers, and no ons wearing tho Federal
uniform darod to risk his lilo within The DESC
Twas present in Kansas Cisy when tho order
wus bang enforced, having been drawn thtther
BY the bope tl,at would b. abtu to havc It re-
scInded, or at least modiaed, and can affirm,
from painful personal observations, that the
satfcrlngs Of tts unfortunate victims, in many
Instances, weru such o. should hava, e1eltel
ssympathy even from hearts OF stone. Bare
footed mud bare.headed women md children,
stripped OF every article OF clothing except
seant covering fur their bodies, wcre exposed to
tho heat OF an August sun. and cotnpclleh to
struggle through Tho duat on foot. All their
means Of transportation had been aeizad by
their spoilers, cxcept IN occasional lltapidotct
cart, OF an oil anu superannunted horse, which
were necessarily appropriated to the uao Of the
aged and 1nl1rn.
1t ts nall known TINT men wore Ahot doHn Ia
the very act Of oneynE tho order, and their
wuGous uud effects scixotl by their ,nurdcrers.
Large tTnina Of Wagons, extending over the
prairos for @ miles ~ Ien:th , ana moving Kansas.
household furniture and wearing apusrel ho-
longing TO tl,r sx!led inllabItanta. Dense col
unins OF smoke arising III every direction
marked tho con!lagratIon of dwellings, many uf
tho cylGuccs OF which aro yct to bc seen fn tho
remains OF scared and blackcned chimneys,
standing ~ melancholy monuments Of q ruth
lasa military despottsm which sparel Mother
aEu, SEX character, nor condition.
to lhU banishoa Inhabitants by the hcartless au-
thority which expelled them from their rguttul
possessions, They crowded BY hundEtds upon
tla banls Of the AtssissiDul River, nl'1 wore In
Nl%fs han
conductors for TRANSPORTATION to placcs OF safety
Wl.cra friendly atd could bs extended TO them
without dauger to taosa who sentured 10 Ton.
tribute 1t:
ed Iu tic order as having bocn nearly dapopu-
lutGd BY "a Savage guerilla Warfnra" " which Tor
two years hal beeu wuged thcFetn,-thlis at-
tempting to E.alse 1t appear that tho order Up:
"Whsther they aympa.hlzed viii lilo gucrriiias
or Hos, were mere furn!shera Of supplies to these
It is true that such warfare had been waged,
bns tie tie largest portion Of tho E4esIlias engaged
hawkers anil rcd- legs ," OF Kansss, acting under
tho authority Of no law, military or ct7Il yut
carryng on thcir netar1ous operations untrr llu
"5 tGn os Fvs sd 9s
others, constituting the more determined A,td
desperate class, weru chiefly outlawcl Missouri
ans, known as bush"hackers. und claiming to
hcFs, however, wore at all timea insignificant
with the Federal troopa stationed ta these coup-
ties.
As the Inhabitants had all been dtaarmeI by
Feacral military authortty, they were powcrlcss
admits, Hsre compelled to yicld to their de-
lnaltls, whether willingly Or unwlle!nsty. YeE
thty wcJo pot, as Geu. Scho6eld atllrInx, Iuers
tarns!.srs Of supplies 70 tlese Outlaw. Gu lo
piles furnished BY taEp to the Federal $Orcee: IL