The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-28
THE LETTER.

The Sentiments Entertained by Editor Hal
stead in the Gloomy Days of 1868.
The Cincinnati Enquirer of yesterday printed
a fac-simile of the following letter.
'OFFICE CINCINNATI DAILY AND WEEKLY
COMMERCIAL, FOURTH AND RACE STREETS
CINCINNATI, Feb. 10, 1868.
Governor Chase:
MY Dear Sir-I wrote you a somewhat fan
tastic letter the other day But that l suppose
is not now strange. / write this morning to
send you copy of private letter have from
our army in front of Vicksburg 1t is from a
close observer, who endeavors to tell the truth.
There never was more thoroughly dis
gusted. disheartened, demoraiZed army than
this is, and ali because it is under such men as
Grant and Sherman. Disease is decimating its
ranks, and while hundreds of poor
fellows are dying from smallpox
and every other conceivable malady,
the medical department is afflicted with delirium
tremens. In Memphis smallpox patients are
made to walk through the streets from camps
TO hospitals while drunken doctors ride from
barrooms to - in government ambu-
lances. How is it that Grant who was benin at
Ft. Henry, drunk at Donelson. surprised and
whipped at Shiloh, and driven back from Ok
ford, Miss, is still in commando
Governor Chase. these things are true. Our
noble army of the Mississippi is being wasted by
the foolish, drunken, stupid Grant. He can't
organize, or control, or fight an army. have no
personal feeling about it, but l know he is an
ass
''rhere is not among the whole list of retired
major generals man who is not Grants supe-
rior. Mcclellan, Fremont, Mcdowell, Burn
side. Franklin, even Pope or Sumner would be
an Improvement upon the present commander
of the Army of the Mississippi. Will you wake
up some of these days and find we have no
Army Of the Mississippi
Then, there is awful discou ragement at the
way the foolish old Hunter, who is thought to
be great man because he is not insane in his
prejudices on the negro question, is doing. In
Gods name, what is he waiting for? More rein
forcements Pity he can't die and get out of the
way, as Mitchell did.
But to stop this sort of growing, and come
to something more practical.
'The army, West aud East, is being weakened
hourly by desertions. 1t is the great evil The
thing needful to stop it is for the President to
give each commander of departments power to
SHOOT DEsERTERs. They must be shot by the
dozen. The Presidents weak pulling. piddling
humanitarianism is death and hell to the army.
Can't you take him by the throat and knock his
head against wall, until he is brought to his
senses on the war business2 do not speak wan
tonly when I say there are persons who would
feel that it was doing God service to kill him, if
it were not feared that Hamlin is bigger fool
than he is.
And yet ne pitiful Congress twaddlos weekly
in private caucus about political matters, as if a
little more niger would do everyt thing. Why
don't they pass your finance measure, and the
conscrlpt act, and mind their own businesSs
''The proclamation is a positive nuisance to
every truly loyal man in the West. 1t is a
weapon in the hands of the Butternuts. If it is
made party test Valiandingham would be
elected Governor of Ohio. Do not think l am
talking at random. Alas! | know what I am
talking about. What is wanted.
II. A general for our army of the Mississippi.
'2. Deserters shot by order of commanders of
departments.
''3. Less dependence upon the niger, and
more on the white man.
H. The consolidation of the fragments of reg
iments
"5. Arrest and try Henry May and Wendell
Phillips for treason.
&c. Suppress the New York Tribune and New
York World. NJ HALSTEAD."