The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-25
ORDER MO. BLAnK.

oRD1R 10. sLAnK.
 Duxing the eady pazt q the war of the rehoIIsQn, the Indian Territory vest of Arlnn1os uas military department, under n cDmmand q Bsiaadier- Cen eral Albesx nke Four Texan mounted reeirsonn composed part of his force in rS61, oae of which particularly vas greatly discontensed becanse 1t was net q sent ro the iEcnt." and given opportunity for "acsive sezvicen Everything that occurred afforded the men of this regi- ment snd pan of the men of the others. grounds for complaints and criticism. froviifons, especially beef thsse days in seven. work on the forsiftations, drill, patroh, guard-duty, poi,ee-ree ulations,- noshing met with their approval Many obtained discharges on surgeons' certifi- cates of real and imaginary complaints {; ..9, st last. most of those who were over thirty-ive years of age took advantage of an acs passed by the confederate con- Rress allowing all men in the army, over that are, to cemand and we discharge from the service.
 Upon the retiring to their homes of these var-wern veterans, the following "GeneEal Order was issued, and, pur- suing them into Texas, vas published there. Al the time, II evoked great in dignafion among those at whom ii was aimed but even such of these as are still living will no doubt now see only the humorous side of 1t, ard laugh as heartily at it as hundreds whom its shot did not hit laughed at the time.
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 HEADQUARTERS DEPT INDIAN T'y, :
 FORT MCIuLLocH, July Y, 1862. , TGessyai Oyd<yJ, N0.-]
 1. The General Commanding the De partment of Indian Territory, left with thirteen hundred mounted men and the Indian troops to defend it against Federal invasion, cannot permit those patriotic citizens to return to their homes, who, being over thirty-6ve years of age, re. luctantly yield to the imperative demands of their private interests, and forego the opportunity, SO ardenly desired, and now at last presented, of meeting an abhorred enemy in the field, without an appror riate testimonial of his regard, and of his appreciation Of their eminent and illustrious services
 II. He has been profoundly afflicted, by their unfavorable opinion of himself. admiring at the same time the chaste and elegant language in which il has been expressed. And his life will here after be embittered by the reflection, that he failed to secure the good opinion and applause of body ot men so just and discriminating in their censares, whose opinions are entitled to so much weight, and who, by periodically huuying to their homes, al the moment when a bleeding country besought them for their services, have deserved so well of that country, covered their own names with immortal glory, and added new dignity to human nature.
 III. He deeply regrets that the gentle men in question were, by his sole fault, forced into the service of an ungrateful country, which ough, to be able to take care of herself, fight her own battles, and secure her independence, without com polling any of her citizens to assist her in doing so. For what is Liberty worth, if, to secure it, dangers have to be in- cured, and hardships and priv ations un- derKopeS
 ". He assures them that it was with the deepest sorrow he became convinced that he could not furlough all of them in April, until the end of the war, and pex- init them to remain at home until that time, still continuing to receive their pay, and forty cents a day for use aud risk os each horse.
 V. He particularly apologies to every gentleman for rot having been able here tofore to furlough men and grant leaves of absence to officers, for more than fifteen days out of ten :; and to indulge their burning ardour for active service, and their eager desire to be at home, at one and the same time and he is taking active steps, which he hopes will enable him to effect all this in the future.
 VI. The Commanding General is ut terly unable to find words in which to ex- press his intense admiration of those lofty and heroic souls who, leaving a little handful of their countymen, unfor- tunately not thiry-6ve years of age, to aid our Indian allies in checking an over whelming torrent of invasion, are return ing exultaut to their homes in Texas, cates of discharge, which their children and their children's children will in after years exhibit with just and laudabie pride, as in other countries men exhibit the patents of nobility of their ancestors i; nor can he find language in which to ex- press his convictisn of the supreme in- justice of those laws, ordinarily known among fools ss the laws of honor, de- cency and justice, which have not per- mirted him to take the moneys belonging to our Indian allies to satisfy the de- mands of these patriots who are now re- tiring to the shades of private life, after a long term of arduoas service, chiefly passed by them ir cursing the officers over them, and yelling clamorously for furloughs. sick leave, pay, active service, horseshoeing, corn and bacon.
 VII. He condo,es with them on the unexampled hardships they have under gone, and which, such has been their patriotic devotion, they have borne un-
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