The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-06

education. 1t was clear to me that my du, Y
was to remain in the field, where I could
best serve my country. l told Mr.. 'Kirke'
all this and said that could not accept the
nomination. / said l thought they would
discover that Mr.. Lincoln was doing the
right thing and that he would end the war
successfully. As for me, 1 declined to leave
my post of duty. The matter was begun
and ended there as far as | was &C, -rned
My action was not the result of conference
with any one. / told Mr. Kirke that
would take no part in politics, certainly not
until the war was over, if ever"
A SOLDIER AND NOT A POLITICIAN.
ITO show you how little l knew or
thought of politics, declare to you that
never wrote letter to a senator or member
OF congress for anything until 1864. and
then under peculiar circumstances When
L was relieved from command Of the Army
OF the Cumberland l made no complaint.
L was ordered to Cincinnati on waiting
orders, and was deprived Of fuel and rations.
raise statements were sent out through the
press about me; but / never made COM
plant or asked redress from the President
or the department, and | never made
any sort OF reply to the attacks made upon
me. L simply obeyed orders and SAID
nothing. Ny reason for following this
course was that felt that in the situation
the country was then placed it was no time
for personal disputes and personal vindi-
cations. When | was ordered to the COM
mand of the Army of the Missouri it was
unexpected. | had made no effort in my
behalf, and the efforts made by my friends
were without my knowledge. But what
was getting at was how | came to write my
first letter to congressman
HIS FIRST LETTER TO A CONGRESSMAN.
las soon as got to the headquarters of
NJ hn I
portant discovery. l discovered the organ
lzatlon OF the American knights some
times spoken of as the Golden Circle The
real title was the Order Of American
Knights Before this / had sent one of my
staff to Washington with important dis
patches, and Secretary Stanton had him
arrested for coming to Washington without
permission. When l made the discovery
OF the organization of the American knights
and got all the information that was
necessary | wanted to send an officer with
the documents to Washington. Tog per-
mission to do this | wrote Gen. Garfield.
then In congress, letter asking him to see
Inc President and get from him an order
Tor me or one Of my officers to come to
Washington to bring documents of national
Importance. This was the first letter ever
sent TO congressman to intercede for me
IN any way. Gen. Garfield saw President
Lincoln, then in Philadelphia, but for some
reason the President did not see the reason
Tor prompt action. but telegraphed
me to know if the documents could not be
mailed. answered that they could not.
then sent transcript of the documents to
the governor of Missouri, and he tele-
graphed the President that the information
was OF great national Importance You
see IL was but few days before the order
was 10 make some demonstration and there
was no time to be lost | sent transcript
to Governor Curtin of Pennsylvania, and
he and Gen. Garfield took it and read it to
the President. That was the only time
called on politicians for assistance