Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-17

sible for the order of removal, and it was
right. II was eminently humane to remove
a non combatant population from the theatre
Of war 1t produced the effect | intended
and FASTENED the conclusion of the war,
IA bloody war, which Mr.. Davis, accord
ing to his own account, would never
have terminated Us long as he could have
saved his own life.
As TO the burning Ct Columbia, he intimates
that have endeavored to escape the respon-
sibiity for that act and refers to the excesses
of Wallensteins army in the thirty years
war. Mr.. Davis was not in Columbia dur
ing that fire, nor was Gen. Hampton. l was,
and so was Gen q. o. Howard 80 were Gen.
John A. Logan and Gen. William b. Wood,
now Justice of the Supreme Court, and his
brother Gen. Charles Wood, and IA, 600
honest, good, true Union soldiers. Mr..
Davis ignores all these and adopts the soli-
tary statement of Wade Hampton, who
got away and was not there at all after his
troops had set fire to the bridges, depot and
cotton in the streets of his own city, all of
which were burned down or were burning
when our troops entered the city. The
Hampton mansion, occupied by Gen. Logan,
was still standing, and the college where
Gen. Howard was Quartered was not burned.
The fire originated on Richardson street,
near where saw with my own eyes burning
cotton bales which had been set on fire BY
the Confederate cavalry. was in supreme
command inside of COLUMBIA during the
night of the confiagraiion, anil l allow no
man, not even jeff Davis, to question my
statement of fact as seen by myself. What
remained of Columbia the next morning was
wholly due to General Logans troops With
out them not house would have escaped.
Had intended to burn Columbia, | would
have done it Just as | would have done any
other act of war, and there would have been
no cOncealment about it. | may have said,
and now repeat, that should rebellion again
occur in South Carolina anG it should be my
office to cross the COngaree opposed by
Hampton's cavalry, and if in my simple
Judgment the interest of the Government de =
manded i, there will be no such question after
ward, but it so happens that in this instance
my orders were made two days before we
entered the city. They were in writing and
must be still in General o. o. Howard's
possession. They are recorded in the War
Department and have been often printed.
These orders were purposely most merciful
because have none but the most kindly feel
lngs toward South Carolina by reason OF old
associates and friends made before the
Mexican war, some of whom were known TO
be in Columbia and TO whom l extended per-
sonaly and officially every possible assist
ance IIabitually honorable men accept
the Judgment OF a court of competent
jurisdiction, especially of such courts as do
! honor to our country. This whole matter
has been adjudicated by the mixed CON-
mission ON American and British claims IN
the cases of claims for cotton belonging to
British subjects burned in Columbia. If
burned by agents of the United States, the
United States were liable. If the fire origi-
mated by act of the public enemy, the judg
ment was To be for the United States The
testimony was overwhelming and the judg
ment was for the United States. The COM
mission, composed Of Count COrti of Italy,
Russell Gurney, NJ. F., of London and
James s. Fraser of Indiana. rejected every
claim for cotton then burned at Charleston,
S. C., 23 in number. Several claims were
brought for property destroyed by the burn
ing of Columbia on the allegation that that
city WAS wantonly fired by the army of Gen.
Sherman A large amount of testimony
was taken upon this subject, including that
of Gen. Hampton and other Confederate
officers on the part of the claimants and of
Gems. Sherman, Logan, Howard, Woods and
other Federal officers on the part OF the
United States. The claims were all disal-
lowed The commissioners were unanimous
in the conclusion that the confiagration
which destroyed Columbia was not to
be ascribed to either the Federal or C0nfed-
crate officers declare that it is simply in
famous for Mr. Davis 10 offer naked state
ment of fact after such judgment
by tribunal of justice TO which he now owes
an allegiance, however unwilling. Were 1t
| not for the fact that he has published such
statements in foreign lands, l would be dis
posed to treat his comparison OF me with
Alva and Wallenstein as the fruit OF his
pompous vanity, for the likeness is about as
wide of probability as his own resemblance
| to julius Caesar.
Again he asserts at Greensboro, n. C.,
Gen. Joseph +. Johnston disobeyed his
| (DaviS's) orders TO retreat toward Texas SO
| rs to proloug the war. | am sure there is
| no good American citizen of the North or OF
the South but will feel a debt of gratitude
to Gen. Johnston for his good sense and
his humanity i'll stopping the war in defiance
of Daviss orders. To have then resolved
the war from one by grand organized armies
into one of partizan guerrillas would have been
| an objectionable crime against humanity.
know all that time many of us dreaded
! such an event, and would not have believed
that Il man of such weight and experience
| cDuld have advised and ordered il, had NOT
| Mr. Davis in his new book revealed the
! truth over his own signature. Gen. john
ston still lives IN vgor and health, and is abuu-
| dantly able to vndicate his soldierly fame
against this and the other filings which MIR.
| Davis has cast at him. l only allude to the
| case in this connection 10 show how blind
| Mr. Davis seems to have been 10 the human
! ilies of the war, how little sympathy he felt
for the marches, tolls, priva,ions and death
| of his own soldiers.
TIE ELECTION OF oFFICERs ETC
Speeches were made by Gems. Burnside,
Franklin Hawley, Sickles, DevenS, Slocum,
and Gov. Bigelow of Connecticut. Tho
business meeting was next held and officers
were chosen as follows: President, Gen.
Charles Devens of Lowell, Mass; vice presi-
dents, first corps, Col. George w. Hooker OF
Bratteboro second, Gen. w. g. Mitchell Of
New York third, Chaplain J. Ii. Twitchell
| of Hartford CT. fourth, Col. Charles c. Sug-
den of Elizabeth, n. j.; fifth. Gen. j. j.
Milham of New York sixth, Col. James II.
Platt of Brooklyn; ninth, Gen. T. W. Swift
of Detroit 11rh, Gen. A b. Underwood Of
, Boston; l2, Col. George ID. Chapman Of
Hartford, Ct; general staff, Gen. ID. d.
Wiley Of Worcester, Mass. cavalry corps,
Major Gen. John b. Mcintosh of New
Brunswick, n. J. artillery corps, Gen. c.
H. Tomkins OF New York; signal
corps, Capt. Howgate of the United
States army, recording secretary, Col. Hora-
tio G. King, New York corresponding sec
retary, Col George ii. Sharp, Kingston, n.
70; treasurer, Gen. NJ. T.. Mcmahon, New
York. A committee was appointed to ar
range for general reunion Of the societies
of the several armies The next meeting of
the society will be held in Detroit next year