Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-03-03
THE SHERMAN-B -BOYNTON
WAR.

Those two stalwarts have been
scoring each other for some time, and
the etlde OF military etiquette ran so high
that General Boynton brought charges
against General sherman, "of conduct
unbeeoming an officer and a gentle.
man" From the following CORES
pondcnce the reader will learn just
how these great men write about each
other Hayes, being an. Ohio man,
refused to order Court Of inquiry,
and, therefore, sends Boynton to the
Civil Court owned by the Sherman
Brothers. This is very low dodge
for the Commander.in.C Chief to take,
who, according to his own version Of
himself, has always been a nice man,
and therefore need not fear Court of
inquiry
HEADQUARTERS ii ARMY OF THE L. S.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. Is, 1880. /
To he Hon. A, Ramsey, Secretary Of
| lVdr-iST: have this moment re,
ceived for the first time the commum.
cation of IL. V, Boynton, addressed to
you under date OF January 2S, 1880,
inclosing charge and specifications
against Gen, W. T. Sherman, with his
volume marked exhibit b." lrecog.
nize his manuscript document as sub.
stantially the same as has been pub.
lished in all the newspapers for the
past two weeks, and herewith return
il with the few remarks deem proper
to make" The charge itself is an in.
suit to my office, my past record of
public services, and name which has
stood sixty years without single
imputation on my honor or integrity.
The first two specifications involve
purely the civil offence OF libel or
SANDER compressed into the short letter
wrote him under date of Jan, 16,
1880, every word of which is true, and
which | am prepared to Justify. As
to the third specification, | have never
heard that General Grant, or Thomas,
or Logan, or Blair, or any Of the great
men whom he assumes to defend, have
ever appointed Gen. Boynton as their
attorney, 10 the living and to the
friends OF the dead | am responsible
for every word spoken or written. ]
yield to no man my love and venera-
tion of my comrades, and have been
for fifteen years on all suitable occa.
sions, their eulogist, All men have
their good qualities and their human
defects, and in accounting for the
actual events Of terrible civil war, |
was forced, like every commander of
an army, to account Tor actual results.
If ever in my life, at any time, | have
done injustice to any person whom.
socver (which ] deny, | will cheer.
fully submit the matter TO an umpire
and abide by his judgment have
made this proposition again and again,
and will renew it publicly at our next
army meeting These meetings are
composed Of the very men who knew
and felt the causes referred to, and
compose the rightiu tribunal for the
matter set forth in the third and last
specifications. admit the right of Ii.
/ V. Boynton or any citizen TO prefer
these or any charges, and that | am
always amenable TO court martial,
and am glad he has reduced his com
! plants to Il tangible form. lie has no
right, however, to impose on the
United States the heavy cost OF
military trial, of witnesses from dis.
tance and the necessary attorney fees.
l regard his premature publication Of
these matters Of scandal as in the line
of his profession, and meant purposely
to avoid the only trial which is right
and proper, viz: in one of the many
civil tribunals which exist in the
District of Columbia for this very pur-
pose. | beg, therefore, that you will
understand that | am abuudantly
ready to answer before any Court
that when, II month ago, this Boynton
publicly threatened me with suit,
employed as my attorney the Hon.
Matt. II. Carpenter, who is ready to
answer in my name, at any and all
times have the honor to be
Your obedient servant
lSigned) W. T, SHERMAN, General.
In letter to the Secretary of War,
replying to this, General Boynton
says But my attempted proceeding,
recognized both by the Judge Advocate
General and by General Sherman him.
sell as legal, was for the military
offence of conduct unbecomng an off.
Ger and a geDtleman'-a offence not
known to the civil courts. BY the
Presidents decision, no military officer
will hereafter iniure bis army standing
at least during the term of this Admin.
istration, by denouncing any citizen
through the public press in language
of the ioulest abuse, even though he
repeat this language to the President
in official form Against decision
which fully justifies this construction
as a citizen, most respectfully pro
test. While this decision, in its terms
is as broad as the army the high sense
of honor which always actuates the
great body Of its officers, renders it
certain that the Presidents indulgence