The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-04-22
r PATRIOTISM.

-
The Author of "Uncle Daniels Story"
Counted Disloyal - Interesting Facts
from History.
The Stars publication of Logan's
novel of the war has set the oldest citi-
zens of Washington to buzzing like so
many bees. The air is thick with
Renaissance and conjecture. Hoary
veterans who were in their prime dur
ing the tragic days of 1s6O-61, but who
latterly have withdrawn from active
life and mingle with the world only at
some rare military reunion, have be-
gun to brush up their recollections of
twenty-five years ago. They knew
John A. Logan well in those days, and
remember him wildly as a rather COM
monplace man of about forty, or per-
haps a year or two less, who was bon
camarade in the social recreations of
chat time, but of no personal or politi-
cal mark, and giving no promise what
ever of the robust and virile individu-
atty he has since developed.
1t is proper to say that these men re-
member him kindly. What puzzles
them is the attempt in "Uncle Dan
iel's" narrative to make Logan q fu-
rious Boabdil of Union enthusiasm dur
ing the early days of secession. Many
of these men were busy at that time
organizing for the Union cause Many
became members of the first company
mustered into the Federal army for the
war-Company A, Washington Light
Infantry Battalion. Before that they
had known Logan intimately, and what
they do not understand now is why, if
Logan was such a fervent Union man,
he never mentioned the subject to them.
1t was a time when most men were
taking sides; when Congress- rang with
| the fiery outbursts of secession prophets
and imprisoned appeals of the loyal.
The subject was on every tongue.
Southerners were resigning and going
home, and from beyond the Potomac
came sounds of hostile preparation
blown on fierce winds of sectional
hate.
Every body then knew the South's
| dread purpose. A hundred thousand
tongues Of flame were licking at the
| soldier that held the States together.
Wigfall was in New York trying to Sc
cure an engraver's establishment to
take South and make the Confederate
currency. Yancey, Slidell and Toombs
had declared the gloomy propaganda
of secession. 1t was the.time for loyal
hearts to thrill and loyal voices to ring
out. Yet these veteran citizens al
| Washington who knew Logan SC
closely can not remember that he al
any time defined his position, directly
or indirectly. They, his erstwhile boon
companions, were VIGOROUSLY organic
ing a company, but he did not ap.
proach them with one word of sym.
pathy or encouragement. He had op.
portunities without number, but he
did not embrace a single one Of them.
Your correspondent visited OF
these citizens at his house last night,
and asked him to review his memories
of the winter of '60L'61 so far as John
A. Logan formed part of them. 81
knew John very well in those uays,'
he said. "We were, you may say,
close friends, certainly intimate &C.
quaintances. No; l do not connect
him with the Union sentiment during
that winter. If he had declared him.
self 1 should have known it. Hhe had
said a word in Congress I should have
heard it. I am sure of that. But he
never opened his mouth. Nobody
knew how he stood, only we, his former
comp anions and intimates, took it fol
granted that he was a Southern sym.
pathizer because he manifested NJ
sympathy with us. He knew we wer,
embarked in the Union cause, but h
never told us his heart was with u.s."
when was thisp"
"All through the winter. He lef
here after the Congress adjourned, ant
went back to Illinois. Then, when W,
heard the stories of the companies be
ing raised in Egypt to go South. W,
gave Logan up for lost. His name wa
associated with that movement, yol
know"
"How did you finally hear of hi
joining the armyP"
From himself. In May he returne,
to Washington, and one evening I me
him at Browns Hotel. He came up t.
me with his old manner, and told m
he was going with the Union army a
the head of a regiment. l remembe
how delighted, and yet how surprises
l was, for l had certainly thought h
was all wrong. But he made a GOO
soldiers mighty good soldier. Ihav
always thought that the secession Q
John c. Breckenridge had a good dea
to do with deciding the Dougla
faction. They couldn't agree on an
thing, you see. If Breckenridge ha
taken part on the Union side, as h
really wanted to do. 1 honestly believ
the Douglas crowd would have don
the other thing-at least they wouldn'
have gone with breckenridge. BIZ
Albert Sydney Johnston persuade
Breckenridge against his will, agains
his convictions, and he went Soutf
He was a failure there, because h
heart was not in it. But 1 have alway
thought that act of his had a great de;
to do with deciding the crowd Loga
was with."-N. y. Star.
A Cry to Congress.