The Evening critic., 1882-01-09
THE KENTUCKY BIS.

bridge ana congressman blHch-
hutu.
For some days past there have bccu
rumors of a spicy correspondence between
Representative Blackburn aud Gen. ;. G.
Burbtidgc, Of Kentucky, aud it has even
been intimated that it might lead to o
meeting on the field OF honor. The cor
rcspoudeucc is now made public. Under
date Of Lexington, Ky, December %, ISL,
Mr. Blackburn wrote to Burbridge as fol-
lows.
Your note of recent date with inclosure
from one Owsley, directed to you, was
handed me by an Assistant Doorlocper Of
the House of Representatives on the day of
the adjournment of Congress, TO wit. 2lst
instant. IN your communication you com
plain OF my reopeniAg the wounds of the
war, aud charging you with having dotted
my district over with giavcs of men whom
YOU had murdered during the war, and
seek to apologize for your action of that
period. This is substantially the contents
of your letter. / wond have replied
earlier had not been leaving the city as
soon as | was well enough to do So ! am
thus forced to answer by mail
Il wish you to understand, sir, that |
have never sought to reopen the issues of
the war. nor have | at any time spoken
unkindly of any officer of the United States
army, unless his acts put him beyond the
pale of civilized warfare in the twilight of
barbarism. Nor will | consent to employ
harsh language or severity of criticism
toward my opponents in that struggle, save
under the circumstances stated but, sir
after careful consideration, allow me to say
that in spite of your special plea that q
number of distinguished gentlemen, whom
you name, approved your conduct (who. III
so doing, must have acted without full
knowledge of the facts, whenever circum-
stances require, or | may be called on to
speak in regard thereto, my statements
shall be consistent with the truth aud those
heretofore made by me-"
Burbrsdge's Reply.
Gen. Burbridge replied as follows:
'.WAsHNeToN, Jan. 8, 1882.
Hon. j. s. C. Blackburn, M C., SeUeaN
District KeRtuckW
"SIR: Your letter Of the 9th ult., in ref
erence to mine of the 2lst. received. In it
you make the point that the distinguished
gentlemen who approved my conduct must
have acted without full knowledge of the
facts declining to assail the characters OF
men whose loyalty to their State and coun-
| try at tn period of my administration in
Kentucky is in striking contrast to your
own. You assume that they have not a
|
"The deeds which received the hearty
approval Of all Union men, and which,
in corresponding ratio, provoked the wrath
I of rebels in Kentucky in 1861, were not
done in corner. They were planned in
| strict accordance with orders from Sccre-
taly Stanton and Gen. Sherman and exc.
cuted in the light of day. The letters
copies of which will be published in con.
nection with your letter, and this reply
| Of. ho1
closed and at the time when the Demo.
cratic press of Kentucky was the loudest in
its denunciation of my official conduct
| They were written by men who were fully
conversant with all the facts both before
and after they had been distorted by rebel
hate.
ut is to be regretted that in passing sen
tence upon me as the officer to whom the
execution of orders for the suppression Of
guerrillas was intrusted you failed to in
cude in your denunciation the guerrilla'
themselves. Hare you ever heard how
BeITy's band murdered Mr.. Kalfus on the
BardstOwn turnpike, while he was protect
ing his wife from insult, and how the in
censed reighbors arose and pursued them
until Mr.. Roberts, the county surveyor wa;
killed? Hundreds of such crimes were
committed by the guerrilla bands wh'
roamed over the State. You refer TO mel
| WuOst dCto Dul Lutul DGNOuu lut liIlt v
civilized warfare, in the twilight of barba
rism, cor worse, in the domain of actua
crime.
"Would it have been au act of this char
acter to hunt down Berrys band and han
every one of its members? If your dist ric
was dotted over with graves, il was 70
such acts as these. AS | informed you i
my previous letter, not a man was put
death by my order without first havin
x. .ex, ,ln,,
ganiZed court-martial. The acts whic
place the perpetrator beyond the pale q
civilized wareiare in the twilight of bar
barism, or worse, in the domain of actua
crime, were the very acts which it becam
my duty to punish. That was too lenien
and allowed many to secure pardon upo
promise of future amendment, | admit
That l was frequently censured for this,
true. AT time when the Kentucky Leg
islature had no power to command me,
appeared voluntarily before a committe
appointed by the senate, and all the charge
to which you now refer were fully invest
gated, and upon the advice Of Hon. Asa {
| p, Grover (of the senatel the investigl
tion was abandoned by the lower House,
"In conclusion allow me to suggest tha
there were acts attempted by the adhel
ents of your cause who, like those
whose death you so pathetically allud
! never rl5keu uneif lives IN DauUle Wulc
only put the perpetrators 'beyond the 'pal
of civilized warfare in the twilight of ba
barism," or worse, in the domain of actui
crime, but which SO Ear surpasses thos
above mentioned as to provoke the inquir
whether they were not concocted by th
prince of darkness himself. allude, sir, {
the attempted introduction of clothing il
fected with the yellow fever into th
Northern cities during the war. l do NJ
know by whom this crime against civilizi
tiOn was attempted, but the proofs of Ill
attempt are ample, and while vexing you
righteous soul about the barbarous trea
ment ofthieves aud cut-throats in Kei
lucky, it might.be well to allow some porto
of your indignation to find vent again
this diabolcal attemp to murder innOeel
women and children. Respectfully
IS G. BURBRIDGE"
A telegram from Gen. Sherman, date
Big Shanty Ga, June IA, 1864, in whic
Gen. Burbridge is instructed to hunt dow
every guerrilla and robber in Kentucky
letter written on the 2lst Of the sam
month by Gen. Sherman urging at lengt
that summary measures must be adOpte
in dealing with the guerrilas, and a lettC
from Secretary Stanton day and mont
not given, written from Washington i
1864, and authorizing Gen. Burbrid ge {
seize all he can lay his hands on aud
turn over to the Quartermaster Department
all be cannot use, are given, together wit
the following;