Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-04
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE D1srArcH.l ]

DURHAM, n. c., September 3.-Not long
since there appeared in the Washington
correspondence of the New York EUening
Telegram a story concerning the distin-
guished Southerner and valiant ex-Confed-
crate soldier, General Longstreet The
narrative opens by declaring that General
Longstreet is bitterly remembered" for
his treatment of the family of ex-President
johnson during the war. The story then
proceeds to relate how General Longstreet,
when in command of the Confederate forces
in Tennessee, "drove the ladies of the family
from their home" Mr.. johnson and his
sons had crossed the mountains into North
Carolina, and the family were practically
without male protection, when General
Longstreet is alleged to have effected their
removal, as stated, and then, according to
the story, he turned the elegant residence OF
the ex-President into a smallpox hospital,
broke into his library, small frame house
which set out from the dwelling in beauti-
full grove.
THE SPELLING BOOK GONE.
In this little building Mr.. johnson had
formerly worked at his trade, and afterward
had turned it into library. From this
house General Longstreet is alleged to have
taken the ex-President's books and papers
and distributed them among the soldiers. "
After the war many of these books and
documents were returned to Mr.. johnson,
but the one he priced most, the little worn
blue-back spelling book, from which he had
learned to spell alter reaching manhood, he
never recovered. The narrative concludes
with the statement that when, in the changes
of war, Mr.. johnson became President, that
Longstreet gave the White House a very
wide berth.
The statements have, since their original
appearance in the New York papers, been
quite generally published in many parts of
the country, and as the report has been re-
iterated, it has become clothed with ad-
ditional inaccuracies, until the account as
now published is full OF errors.
General Longstreet, deeming the matter
worthy of correction, has written letter to
Mr.. Edward A. Oldham, editor of the
Globe, in which he says:
A SWEEPING DENIAL.
There is not one word of truth in the OBJ
servations contained iu the New York Evening
Ielegrdnn'S recent article referring to the Con-
duct of the Confederates in East Tennessee
during the winter of 1858 and "a. Had there
been, it is hardly possible that such facts could
escape notice for SO many years Union people
within our lines were under the same orders
and treatment as were the Confederaues.
UnionisJs who wished to go North were given
safe conducts, and when they asked for escorts
were sent out under military protection. There
was no case of smallpox in the command dur.
ing that winter, 80 far as ! now remember and
the Confederate inspection surgeon reported
to me that the army was healthier than
any other of the Confederates in the
field. During my first visit TO Washington,
after the surrender, called to see General
Grant, Secretary Stanton and President John
son. The latter gave me quite long inter-
, view, and when l arose to take leave, invited
me to make another call the next day. The
following day l had another sitting of proba-
bly, an hours duration. At no time of our
conversation did he allude to the conduct of
the Confederates in East Tennessee or else
where, except that he said, There are three
men of the South who can never receive am
nesty, Mr. Davis, General Lee and yourself;
you have done the Union cause too much
damage"