New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-08-19
GARFIELD DENOUNCED.
Don Piatt Turns Upon His Lifelong
and Now Dead Friend

Don Piatt Turns Upon His Lifelong
and Now Dead Friend.
CLEVELAND, Ohio, Aug. l7.-Don Piatt,
in letter from Makochee to the Plain
dealer gives some personal recollectjons
that throw vivid light on the lite of James
A. Garfield, and show his character in an
un!avorable light. In his letter Mr.. Piatt
says:
IL thought for many years that knew
Garfield. We were, before the war, in the
war and after in the political arena. init
mate as brothers. sympathized with and
sorcowed over his struggle for life tel
being shot down by maniac, and cried
like child when the news reached me OF
his cruel death. But sorrow deeper than
this was reserved for me when years
after atter' engage engaged upon the life of
upon Garheld's confidential letter to
Salmon ?. Chase, written from Rosecrans'
headquarters at Murfreesboro. I was fairly
stunned, for my investigation OF the events
OF that wonder. III campaign gave me an i'll
formation that the public was deprived Of
This letter was the cause of the bloody bat
tie OF ChicamauHa and all the loss we SUI
feced in the terrible two days .hting. I
write this with reluctance now. But these
are facts that must sooner or later pass to
public record. l did not know how ten
derby attached l was to this eminent man
until, reading his letter by the lurid light
of disastrous events. was forced to take
out all vestige CT affection from my heart.
was driven to the painful conclusion that
the man to whom I had given so many
years of disinterested devotion was not q
living reality, but
CREATURE OF MY IMAGINATION.
Garfield's crime was this When Lieut..
Col. Garusche Gen. Rosecrans' chief of
staff, was killed at the battle O. Stone
River, Garfield, through Salmon P. Chase,
then secretary of the treasury, M ade applica-
ton for the position. Secretary Chase got
Rosecransto make application for the assign
ment. and Garfield was appointed Rose
Grams chief o: staff. Rosecrans found Gar
: field positively lovable, Tor Garfield labored
to secure his chiefs confidence, and yet
Garfield, in the midst OF Rosecrans' troubles
with the war department arising out of
his demand for supplies and reinforce
Ments, sat down in the solitude OF his tent
and wrote confidential letter to Salmon P.
as an imbecile, utterly incapable Of COM
manding such all army as that oithe Cum
berland. .-E.. -.l j.. ...
Chase was at first stunned and then de-
moralized. He admired Stanton, and anyway
felt reluctance to interfere in his depart
Ment, especially against its head. He
dropped the contest and left Rosecrans to
his fate who without the reinforce
ments necessary to protect his flank
crossed three ranges of almost inaccessible
mountains deep, wide river and maneu-
yered Bragg out of the grand gateway Of
the South that, when taken as Thomas had
promised, brought the deadly conflict to a
close. Had Rosecrans been given what he
had reasonably a right to demand, the
mounted infantry. he would have occupied
Chattanooga without the loss of man.
All the blood OF these two awful days came
from the one treacherous letter that demor-
allied one friend and nearly destroyed the
9th or - - ~ Ez1.