The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-06-07
OONFEDERATB @. 4. R. MEN.

CONFEDERATE G. 4. B. MEN.
Not long ago q communication APP
,eared in the Kansas City Star, signed
BY one Sidney Brigham Of Joplin. Mis-
,ouri, in which It was asserted that ''in
Chattanooga, Tennessee, ex-confeder-
ates and members Of Forests guerilIas
were admitted to and were now MEM
bers of the G. A. 3. This commnnica-
ton was answered in the Star by the |
editor of this paper, and signed by him |
in his official capacity Is an officer Of |
the department OF Kansas. Since then |
the following personal communication
has been received:
JoPLN, No., May 10, 1888.
Charles Harris, ESQ, A. Q. NJ g., Dept OF
Kans, q. A r.. Rmporia, Kansas
Ny DEAR SIR-Referring to your
note In yesterdays Star. permit me 70
saw: I did not attempt to write"
touching that Chattanooga matter.
On the contrary, / did write stating a
cold fact, which your fire-at-the-h heap
denial does not slaughter to any large
extent. j viii cheerfully plead guilty
Of almost any degree Of Ignorance, just
to please you, but must insist that your
individual belief that 1t Is almost inn
possible" will not do to tie to this time.
Help yourself to the proofs If you
cannot will assist you. Twenty odd
years since, men loaded before they
fired. 1t is good plan yet. Very truly
yours, SIDNEY BRIGHAM.
The ammunition used in the first COM
munication evidently being considered
by Mr.. Brigham as blank cartridge,
we proceeded, in accordance with his
advice, to load with different kind
before again firing. The following is
the result Of a requisition on Chatta-
nooga:
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, May %, 'sS.
Charles Harris, A. Q. n. G., Emporia, Kan
| DEAR SIR AND CoMRADE:-Your
favor of May 22nd addressed to 'Post
Commander, G.. A. r." enveloping
an extract from the Kansas City Star
| of May 18th and letter to you from
one Sidney Brigham, Of Joplin, Mo-,
dated May 10Th, have all come to our
hands and received full consideration.
The Brigham letter herewith enclosed
as requested.
This episode is an exemplifcation OF
the adage: tone must travel to learn
home news On the evening of May
25th, Lookout Post No. and Mission
Ridge Post No. 45, both Of this city
meet in regular session and thoroughly
discussed this correspondence, which
resulted in its being referred to us fol
reply.
elegant rhetoric, we imagine him to bt
one of those peculiar creatures still
wrestling with the problem whether
the Great Creator made Brigham, o.
he made the Creator. To use vulgar
ism more in accordance with his men
tai calibre, "a smart Aleck," VIII
knows all there is worth knowing.
For years we have resided in Chat
tanOOga, and been intimately aSSo
ciated with the Grand Army, in posi-
! tiOns enabling us to become thorough.
conversant with its workings in thj
section, and while our first impuls
was to treat these charges with tn
silence and contempt they deserve, w
felt that they had gone before the world
; and unless publicly denied might fin'
, some who would believe them true
therefore we wish to say, that to tn
best Of our knowledge and belief thu
statements Of this meddler, Brigham
that sin Chattanooga, Tennessee, ex
confederates and members of Forrest
gueriIlas are admitted and are mem
bers of the G. A. R., +" is without an.
D foundation in fact.
3 Our posts here are largely compose'
, of loyal men of southern birth. On
of the signers hereof, a native of Mort
Carolina, served through the war i
l the First Tennessee, cavalry, Unite
| States volunteers; the other, a nativ
r Kentuckian. did likewise in the TweI
ty-hrst Kentucky infantry, and we ca
al bear testimony as to what it cost
: be true to the Aag; what 1t was to sc
. families divided and arrayed aga1ni
each other. We can speak know
J, ingly of the hardships and pr
8 vations endured by hundred
: yes, thousands, of loyal men. ratl
er than bear arms against the
country; of the many who eluded II
D Vigilant enemy and enlisted in ii
d union ranks, while many more WEI
h captured, conscripted and held in tt
confederacy until an opportunii
offered to escape. We are also col
n scious of the injustice done to scort
Of true, noble men who are oStracise
from the Grand Army by having
:, one time (hoWeyer short that time ma
n have beenl had arms forced into the
n hands by the rebels, but we at ii
same time acquiesce in the decision
. our rules and regulations, that the lii
i must be drawn somewhere to keep OF
1t ranks clean.
a BEING conyersant with all these fact
Is we have, in our positions as comman
ers of posts, been far more watchf
than our comrades north have need
"a be. Every application brought to /
has been referred to careful conrad
~ and rigid investigation made, and '
10 are ignorant of one single instance
d Misrepresentation. Our inquirl
a frequently go beyond the applicant
old residents of his neighDorhoOd,
W there is the slightest cause for doul
70 still, with all this care, it is bare
G. possible there may have been some
70 lost to honor as to have perjur
themselves, but we do not believe ev
y this prophet Brigham can show tn
this is probable.
Mt AS evidence Of the close scrutiny Civ
n in the interest of our order here
Id mention one or two instances. Not We
X long since the department inspector,
is member of Post No. 2, was called
in Larkinsville, Alabama, to establish
ny post. A sufficient number had assel
%. bled, but upon closely examining a
interrogating each one it was found th
10 enough of them had borne arms AGAR
- the United States, albeit unwilling
VI to reduce their number below qI
rum, and that post is not yet musterC
Similar experience fell to our prese
10 senior vice department commander
a. town in George, and no post has be
!, !, organized there either.
IL We trust the foregoing will conviI
We our comrades the world over that
wv of the department of Tennessee a
n Georgia understand our duties to t
order and are amply able to wat
up over its interests, despite the NAL
in ious interference of this Latter
DIV saint" or any oficiOuS meddler.
a We have the honor to be, comrade
Sincerely yours in F. @. and L.
A. j. GAHAGAN,
81 Commander Post No. ,
G. w. NORWOOD,
ne Past Com'r Post No. As, A. D.
1t. Natl Staff.
adl We trust this win disnosa nf the 81