Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-09-06
A Card from H. h. RIddleberger

As we re-published from the Rock
inghamham Register the communica
ton signed Shenandoah, !" we willingl.
give Mr. Riddleberger the benefit Of tn
publication of his card in answer there
to, as it appeared in the last issue Of thu
Register:
John p. Kerr, Esq, Editor Rocking
ingh0ns Register:
Dear Sir,-Your note informing me
that DIR. d. w. Prescott is the author Of
the communication in your last ISSUE
signed Shenandoah" was promptly
delivered, and 1 would extend to you
my thanks therefor.
Now that l know, authoritatively,
the author, shall ask the publication
of reply. Your prompt recognition
OF my right to the name of your cor
respondent is assurance that you will
do justice throughout. shall not at
tempt to criticise or modify the report
of my speech. have had an expert
ence which long since demonstrated the
folly of this, and feel confident Major
Daniel knows how to estimate partisan
reports as well. It is only that which
is personal to myself that I will notice
and I would not do this If 1t had ap-
peared In Shenandoah instead of Rock
ingham.
It ia now seven or eight years since
DR.. Prescott first whispered the SANDER
he now publishes by inuendo. He was
as long ago characterized as a liar,
scoundrel, and coward and he has
gracefully worn the brand ever since
1t is true that he deigned to send me q
challenge, lin which he selected his
own time and place. which was
promptly returned to him with the as
surance that, coward as he was, and
much as I felt disposed to give him the
assassin's advantage, could not permit
him to run the whole machine"
: That night he was arrested on the In
formation of his friend, and, as the
phrase goes, "bound ever for year
and day." He has been out of bonds
for several years since.
think this statement will be suff1.
cient for gentlemen, and I have no de-
sire to write to any others.
80 far a. my war record Is concerned,
I will leave that to those with whom I
served.
There are men in Rockingham who
know that entered the service boy
of seventeen. and that never missed
an engagement Except the Banks fight
at Winchester) of the sixteen in which
the Tenth Regiment participated while
| was in it. In that regiment I was q
lieutenant, and during part of the time
commanded q company. It was my
fortune, or misfortune, subsequently to
be detailed rs q conscript officer, along
with hundreds of others of the same
rank, and after the wounding (which
this base wretch would call self-infiict-
ed) received my promotion as captain
OF cavalry, ION the recommendation Of
some of the best officers and soldiers
with whom had served and in this
service continued till the war was over.
After my first capture, while was ex-
ecuting the order of General Brecken-
ridge, it was my fortune to be drawn
among 400 prisoners sent around for ex-
change, at the time when Mr.. Davis re-
fused to recognize General Butler as
exchange agent. We were paroled for
forty days, and came to my home. A
few days later I was taken from my
home by gang led by deserter John
Sailor) from the Tenth Virginia Regi-
ment, and this furnished this same
Prescott part of the material for his
first SANDER. This is net remarkable,
however, when we reflect how little of
the ''touch of nature makes the world
akin.n
Prescott bore commission of captain
of the company for one year which
''ours" succeeded. He then deserted to
the enemy, and later sent wagons in
the wake of Sheridan's army to remove
his family.
I hope you will see that it is due to
myself to make this explanation to the
general public. who cannot know other
wise who my assailant Is and why he
is 80 malicious. As never intend to
notice this creature again, would here
and now state that the evidence (of ev-
cry respectable physician in practice
in this county ten years ago) would 60
to show that he is not only all that i
have said he is, but that, while President
of the shenandoah Medical Association,
he betrayed them, and to this day ia
considered only q charlatan, who prao
ticed regularly in this State, while he
was an advertiser of miraculous cures
in another.
cannot now make sufficient apology
to your readers and the public generally
for this inf1iction, as 1 must leave by
first train for other parts and other
work.. III. 81. RIDDLEBERGHR.