Evening journal., 1891-11-13

DOM PIATr. GUS. and his death was
a complete surprise to his many friends In
this vicinity.
Colonel Piatt was born in Cincinnati,
o., on June 20, 1919. and was educated at
st. Xavier college, and In 1851 was APP
pointed judge OF the court of common
pleas OF Hamilton county. At the end OF
his term he was made secretary OF lega-
tion at Paris during President pierce's ad.
ministration. During part OF the civil
war be was on the staff OF General Rob
ert O. Schenck. Since then he has devoted
himself 20 farming and literature, having
founded and edited the Washington (D.
60 Capital for ten years. He has pub
lished a sharply critical work, Memoirs
Of the Men Who Saved the Union
A Savage Antagonist.
Colonel Piatt had been twice married
and his second wife, for many years an
invalid, survives him. The funeral will
take place on Sunday. Dom piatt WAS q
man Of very strong convictions, q savage
antagonist and bitter controversalist
For politics and politicians generally hs
entertained general and indiscriminats
contempt, but for individual members his
heart and his purse were always open
Dom Piatt was a man OF ideal learning
and refinement. His country place al
Mac-o-chee, in Logan county, o., was
treasurehouse of rare books and souvenirs
The only political office which Colone
Platt held after the war was that Of rep
resentative from Logan county in thi
| Ohio legislature
Colonel piatt's first wife was Louis
| Kirby. the authoress, who died ia 1864
and was possessed OF rare intelligence
| culture and social qualities, which she dis
| played TO advantage while her husban,
| was in the diplomatic service in Franc
| during the administrations OF President
Pierce and Buchanan.
| Minister Mason was attacked with ape
plexy, from which he died in October
1859, and for nearly year Colonel Plat
served as charge d'affaires. On returnin
home he took an active part in the pres
Dental canvass in behalf Of Abraham lii
coin, and stumped southern Illinois II
him with General Robert +. Schenck
His Army Record.
Colonel Piatt served with gallantry dui
ing the civil war and was conspicuous j
many ways Having been sent to obsery
the situation at Winchester, Va, previou
TO Lees invasion Of Pennsylvania, he, o
his own motion, ordered General Robei
| H. lnAAip1 70 tNhCudNt Nnht luQtltflslUl
town and fall back on Harper's Ferrl
The order was countermanded by Generl
Hallack, who in his rage threatened {
cashier General Schenck, Piatt's superie
officer, until President Lincoln interfere
TO prevent 1t. Three days aftefward Mi
roy, surrounded by the Confederate a,
vance, was forced to cut his way out wit
loss Of 1900 prisoners Had Colon,
Piatt's order been carried out the con
mand would have been saved aud two rel
iments Of brave men (who under scheme
and Milroy were the only force That eva
whipped Stonewall Jacksonl would nc
have been needlessly sacrificed. He wa
Judge advocate Of the commission whic
investigated the charges against Generi
Buell. and favored bis acquittal.
why Lincoln Was Angry.
In his Memories Of Men Who Saved Ia
Union," Colonel Piatt gave a graph
story Of the civil war, and one chapter wa
devoted to a "reminiscences OF Presiden
Lincoln on the only occasion when he sal
him angry. It grew out OF an ords
which Colonel Piatt when ia charge du
ing General Sehenck's absence, gave Ger
eral William Birney to recruit a negr
brigade in Maryland. The colonel wa
summoned to Washington and found tha
at that time the policy Of making Mar,
land free state was distasteful to the az
ministration. Mr.. Lincoln threatene
piatt with a shameful dismissal from th
service for issuing the order and spoke 8
harshly in his rage that the colonel woul
not use the words in his book He wa
finally permitted to conntermand th
order as best he coHld, but the word ha
gone out that slaves were TO be enliste
as soldiers and Piatt's policy proved ben,
fetal in its results, for his order resulte
in making Maryland free state.
Piatt Was Ashamed of It.
Subsequently, when General Scheme
resigned command, the Union men Z
Maryland and Delaware waited on th
president with a request that Piatt be pre-
NOTED to brigadier general and put i
command of the Middle department. MI
Lincoln heard them patiently and then r,
fused, saying; "Schenck and Piatt an
good fellows, and If there were any rotte
apples in the barrel they'd be sure to hoo
'em out. But they run their machine o
too high level for me- They never coul
understand that / was boss Colons
Piatt said afterward that he never blame
Lincoln, and sometimes felt ashamed Z
his act Of insubordination in issuing th
order, for 1t amounted to that.