River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-08-19
HANCOCK.

Hancock is reputed to be a ''pink
of perfection" in his personal make
up, but extracts from The diary of Dr.
Alfred l.. Castleman, Surgeon of the
Fifth Wisconsin Volunteers, prove
him 10 be coarse, brutal man to-
wards soldiers Of his own command.
Years before Hancock was thought OF
as a possible candidate for The Presi-
dency, extracts from Doctor Castle
mans diary were published, among
which was the following:
"The effects of Gen. HIS vim
dictive meddling with the medical de-
partment are beginning to manifest
themselves. When he took from me
my well-trained hospital attendants
and my experienced druggist. on the
5th inst, there were appointed in
their places men worthless in the
ranks. and without knowledge of the
important duties which they were to
perform in the hospital The druggist
knew not one medicine from another,
and to-day three men are poisoned by
a mistake in dispensing medicine. One
of them it already dead; the other two
are suffering severely, though | have
hopes that they may yet be saved.
Thank God | was absent at the time,
and had nothing to do with either dis
pensing or administering; and yet,
should | write that the vindictiveneSS
was not yet gratified, would the world
credit itl 1t is even so. | have adj
dressed to the General a respectful
letter, setting forth the facts and urg-
ing the restoration of my druggist,
but he refuscsl Would he decimate
his brigade to crafty his vindictive-
neSs!"
The above, and others of a like ma
ture tending to faithfully Illustrate
1.-THE other side" of Hancock's person
atty, were promptly pronounced cam
paign lies hy the Democratic press,
but living witnesses of the circum-
stance above described are within a
days drive of River Falls, as may be
seen by the following extracts from
Dunn County News:
In the Net0s this week will be found
a series of extracts tls4Sen from the
published diary of DR.. Castleman,
surgeon Of the Fifth Wisconsin regi-
ment, which presents General Han
cock in no very enyiable light as u
commanding officer. This diary was
published in 1853. In the extract,
under date of March 18th, the doctor
alludes to the fact that General Han
cock took away his well-trained hOspi-
tai attendants and experienced drug
gist. and appointed in their places
worthless men from the ranks,
who had no knowledge of hospital du-
ties. The druggist did not know one
medicine from another, and three
men were poisoned by mistake III
dispensing medicine, one of whom
died from it's effects. 1t 50 happened
that this part of DR.. CaStleman's mar
rative has living witnesses who are
cognizant of the facts. Mr.. T. ID.
Johnson, Of this villege, was the eX-
perienced drugsist taken from Dr..
Castleman by the imperious Hancock.
And Mr.. johnson says that the poi
soning spoken of is true, the new drug
gist, by mistake, dispensing morphine
instead of quinine. Furt Ii er-
more, one of the poisoned men
who recovered is Mr.. Conute Thomp-
son, formerly q resident of Menom-
onie, but now living in Baldwin, we
believe. We thus substantiate the
statements of Mr.. Castleman, because
Eastern Democratic journals stamp
them as campaign lies, some even go
ing 50 far as claim no such book was
ever written.