The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-10-16
BALDERDASH!
The Story Of an Alleged
\ 'Spur and Ride
General Beatty Reviews the Facts in
the Case,
rxN-- RF4T-- ~ HpT&-
And Shows That at Best It Was Out
side the Danger Line.
Heroes Who Would Have No Chance
of Appointment Under Foraker.

s'And it happened again, when Gen-
eral Joe Johnston gathered the Confed-
crate armies for last struggle, and fell
upon -Sherman's left wing in North Car
olina, and General Slocum needed help
after the bloody struggle at AverysDoro, /
that Captain Foraker was sent in the
night on the best horse to be found,
with orders not to spare him, but to give
him the spur and ride to Sherman 70 tell
him how serious was the struggle, OF |
which he was advised by the muttering |
of the artillery and the dull roar OF the
distant musketry during the evening. |
A long swift gallop in the night, through
obscure and gloomy roads, brought tne
young Captain, with his momentous
message, into the presence OF the COM
manding General, who called for John
Logan" who ordered Hazen's division
to the rescue, and Foraker piloted the
column. In squirting his thor
oughbred in hot haste to headquarters
from the wing of the army that had been
hit hard and was fighting heavily des-
perate enemy delivering his last de-
spairing stroke in the last battle OF the
war, Captain Foraker displayed the same
heroic temper and gallant qualities, that
distinguished him as Governor of Ohio,
and called forth from General Sherman
last week such extraordinary and COM
manding compliments. ."-Commerclal
Gazette.
Slocum did not need or call for any
help at Averysboro and neither Captain
Foraker nor any one else was sent 1or
any. What the writer of the foregoing
extrayagant balderdash was probably
thinking of, but evidently knew moth
ing about, was the battle of Bentonv1lle,
in which four divisions of Shermans
left wing ran afoul of Joe Johnston's
entire force, thirty OF forty thousand
strong, which Sherman and Slocum both
supposed to be cavalry detachment.
At that time the four divisions above
mentioned 1.-TWO of the Fourteenth corps
under Davis and two of the Twentieth
under Williams) had been separated by
"a detour from the rest of the army, which
was moving towards Goldsboro. The
distance between Slocum's column (left
wing) and Howard's (right) was from
to is miles. Both columns were passing
as Johnston knew. through swampy
country full of bogs and quicksands
where movements were necessarily slow
and difficult. Between them was no
enemy. Johnston had gathered up every
man he could muster for last des-
perate effort, and he went at Williams
and Davis with the fury of tiger. Slo-
cum very soon found out that he had
something besides cavalry to deal with.
The battle lasted all afternoon. AT
first the Union line was driven back.
but it rallied, threw back one assault
after another, and at night-fall, when
the battle closed, it held the greater
part of the field. No reinforcements
were received that day-not single
man. When reinforcements did come
the battle of Bentonville was practically
over. What took place afterwards was
chiefly f1anking movement by General
Logan's Fifteenth corps and Mower:
division of the Seventeenth. There
was some fighting in connection with
these movements, but it was light il
comparison with what had been done
the first day. The battle took place OF
the 10Th of March; during the night o.
the 21st johnson retreated.
Officially describing the battle Gen
eral Sherman says:
ST had gone from General Slocun
about six miles, when / heard artiller.
in his direction, but was soon made cas-,
by one of his staff officers overtakin.
me, explaining that his division (Car
lin 81 had encountered a 0i vision of rebe
cavalry (DibbrellS) which he was driv
ing easily. But soon after other sta1
officers mot one only came up, reporting
that he had developed near Bentonvill
the whole rebel army, under Genera
Johnston himself
General Sherman then proceeds t
narrate what steps he took for Slocum'
reinforcement.
Now, there is no disposition on the pal
of anybody to detract one iota frol
Foraker's soldier record. It was doub
less good; as good as that of a million {
other Northern soldiers. To say b
discharged all duties to which he wa
assigned, intelligently and faithful
should be enough. To pervert histor
and belittIe the services of his comrade
in order to make him appear an excel
tional hero whose deeds of daring WEI
conspicuous and unparalleled is decit
edly too much. A speech has recentl
been attributed to General Sherman
which he would probably not recogniz
IF he were to read it. 1t was a-speec
made late at night under the stimula
ing influence of a good dinner whe
men are likely to say pleasant things
those around them, but not likely
trample with stolid Indifference upo
the recognized proprieties of soci
non-partisan occasion. 1 assume ther
fore that the speech which appeared
the Commercial Gazette on the folio,
ing morning was made up in part of IL
do In,
of the cunning and premeditated inte
polations of his reporters.
What was the tremendous exploit
which the Commercial Gazette alleg
Foraker displayed ''the same hero
temper and gallant qualities that di
kinguish him as Governor OF Ohio
What act of exceptional and conspicuo
gallantry did he perform? He rode $
or eight miles in the rear of the line
battle to carry message from Slocu
Ito Sherman, through a country as Dt
rem of foes as Halstead is of consistenc
He did what any orderly might ha
done as well, and when started on |
errand every leap of his horse took b.
farther and farther away from the he
!of battle. There are hundred prlva
soldiers in this city, and probably h
hundred in Franklin County, who, I
der the leadership of John G. Mitche
ION that day at Bentonville, stood Ii
men of iron amid hurricane OF 81
and shell. They were not galloping
safety six or eight miles away from t
scene of the conflict. Oh, no; tn
were looking into the eyes OF the
and giving them shot for shot. They w
begrimmed with powder. parched W
thirst, deafened with the roar of gu
but nevertheless stood fast at the po
of danger and of honor. Some OF tn
who fought fell never to rise aga
some were desperately wounded, 6
some escaped unharmed, but vent
10 say that the gast heroic Of tA