, 1879-02-23
RENO.
Post-I1terpreter Girasd Writes an
Open Letter to the
Major.
He Indicates Considerable Contempt
for the Person He
Addresses.
Cowardice, Mendaeity, Vanity, and
i Vulsar1ty Among Girard's
ln1uendoeS,
Ereci03 Dispatch to The Tribune.

! Special Dispatch to The Tribune
! BISMARCK, D. T., Fcb. 22-Thc following
open letter to Maj. REM appears IN to-day's Bis
marcl1 Tribune:
[ . To -naj. 4Harcus Il. Ilc.o-MA1oR: In tAt
issue OF the Chicago Times OF Jan. you ART
represented as testifying, in you effort to acqui
| yourself OF the charge OF cowardicc, that yor
discharged Gitard from the Government scrrct
| In the latter part Of 1875 because you believed
him to be guilty Of stealing. Those who dc
| not know you, sir, may not make due allowance
! for you, and may do me the injustice to place
| absolute confidence in your vcracity. To guard
against such an error, talke the liberty Of con.
fronting you with your worst cnemy,-a state
ment of fact. You did discharge me IS post
interpreter May 6. 1876, assigning as reason
that you expected to 20 out Of command Of the
| Lincoln column, that you must econotnze, and
that you could employ three tcamsters for my
salary.
CAN NOW UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMY
in discharging an interpreter, as you probably
foresaw that there would be 10 occasion for
one, so far as your relations with the Indians
were concerned.
"Gen. Custer, contrary to your plans and eI'
pectations, returned and assumed command,
and, after hearing your reason for my dis
charge, restored me to my position On
the 18th OF the same mouth. Why did
you not make official complaint to your
superior or institute proceedings yourself
against me3 The fact is, you displayed
another trait Of character always associated
with that which distinguished you at the battle
OF tho Little Biz Rorn.-petty tyrauny Custer
hnr h.,f anY1f his INN, f3tA
friends, so you discharged Girard. Major,
what evil genius tempted you to suggest a con-
parison OF character between you and me? You,
whom q too generous country educated and
trained for an honorable profcsslon-to see you
conspicuous only for 1ncanness and unmanli-
ness in your capacity Of commanding officer at
Abercrombie, where your insults and persecu-
tions Of q brother officers wife aroused
THE INDIGNATION OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY,
and eliminated in your dismissal from the milf
and eentlcman,-you, say, do yourself an in
justice in contrasting yourself with an humble
interpreter, whose simple ambition never arose
before the humble discharge Of his humble duty.
Your name, succ this hasco, has secured to itself
some prominence by its association with
L chief whom you BETRAYED, and this
has ended in an inquiry into your con-
I,,,ct a, tho Tjtt1c Bir Horn. I commend
uu~o ~ - 49,, ae,,,ro - ,,o+ y, otho~e -.
your Pr"oence III 'u's eou4s', - NV :" o1".1s' 10
more than TWO years anu hal1 clapseo nciore
your wounded honor asserted itself, and asked
for a Court of INQUIRY, the coveted regime.
W., a,o sa1o ,+ 1,st sir md safcrr is the poo1
Iou 49, h a,u;,,;-.1r for ,,os,s'f 1-o,,r ,;f..
) ou n1'e 49, .t1:a- 49,, a.,.a .o.,,a., ~.
ous' ieu'enoe', ..a1o, 1 go :. 49, sr+,, ~ ansaa,
LAIN kiro OIL sa1essa WAS !. "o'tn t0c p''ee'
Your modesty would not allow you to imagine
that your feat ct horsemanshp on that occasion
would evcitc such nrofouud interest in the
.;,sa- 1T VOW ooun,rrmon nor 1;d vo,, believe
'o+''''7 " ,o.i eoun'., 'ne.' "es ~ 49, o'
WHEN bEAiSD tnh 's ,, ~ .,1a.n 4n1 In,A,
"ncfc you 50 ee5aleSc.ttniy ~ eaueeu w - 1c HGn'
,l,at you won|d be exposed and pilloried Us YOU
have bccn III Chicago. Pity for you prevented |
yorr comrades from charging YOU with quail ]
ty Of which the public verdict convicts you. /,
t.,o. cornuisserate your condition, and gladly |
award YOU alI the benefit of the doubt implied |
by The Scotch verdict, tsNot proycd.'' You arc |
not my ideal Of the representative American t
of}iccr. I cauuot recall any ilIustrious per- |
son IN our military history to whum |
vo11 hear any resemblance. lind vet I /
nm informed yon sometimes assume Napolconic !
,tt;tn1es buE they are only attitudes, and are |
rot si.5niGcant Of ANYTHING warikc Major.
amonr the other amusing elements OF your
.. h.f,.o 14,a ro,,-+ 1,roc vorr of+on v,t ~