The advocate., 1891-06-03
NAILED AT LAST.

AHllht&o 1d6b y06E tu0 U1U UAVVNy SMAkO
gang industriously circulated che re-
port that L. L. Polk, president Of the
National Farmers Alliance and In
dustrial Union, "brigadier.g general
in the confederate army" captured q
company Of the l51st Regiment PEN
sylvania Volunteers, and being un-
able to get away with them, with an
oath ordered them shot. Testimony
in contradiction of this foul slander
was published at the time sufficiently
positive to satisfy any unbiased mind
Of the absolute fslsehood Of the
charge. Notwithstanding this the
Capital and other papers Of it's ilk
repeatedly reiterated the charge and
ins's upon it's truth. We are now
able to definitely and eternally settle
this question and again convict the
Republican party press Of malicious
falsehood. The following letter is
from the colonel Of the regiment in
which President Polk served during
the war and settles the question as to
his rank:
RALEIoH, N. c., March 26, 1891,
L. L. Polk, Esq, President Formers Alliance:
DEAR SIR:--Your letter received, In which
you state that persons In certain localities have
made charge against you, and ask me TO give
you statement In regard to IT, The charge Is
that on the lrst days fight at Gettysburg you, 40
Drigadler general, captured company OF the
15lSt Pennsylvania regiment, and seeing that you
could not take them from the field by reason OF
pressure from the enemy, ordered your men 70
shoot them, killing some and wOundlng others.
You were neither brigadler general nor q
colonel but lieutenant In one Of the companies
In the 4Sd North Carolina regiment, which /
commanded as Its colonel on that occasion; and
this Is the only military rank you ever held.
There is positively no truth in the charge made,
and do not believe that anyone exhibited such
wantOn disregard of the rules Of civilized war
fare. Yours truly, THOs. s. KEENAN,,
Late Col. 4Sd N. G. Reg't, at Gettysburg
1t will be seen from the above that
President Polk never ranked above
lieutenant during his term Of service
in the confederate army. So much
for the first part of the story.
The following letter is from the
lieutensnt-colone Of the 151st Regi-
ment Pennsylvania Volunteers-the
man who commanded the regiment
at Gettysburg one Of whose conpa-
MES was said to have been captured
and ordered shot by President Polk:
COL III. q. DcmninO. Harrisburg, Pa:
MY DEAR COLONEL II have been too unwell
to answer your letter Of inquiry Of March %, and
am hardly able TO do 50 now. / made for the
war department list, by name, Of every man
killed. wounded and missing at the battle Of Get.
tySburg, and IL was adopted as the official loss.
The total was SS7. can account for this entire
number--how killed, wounded aid missing, and
when and where. In most cases / have the or
derly Sesrgent's signature to the list. At our reg.
mental meetings and reunions have met many
Of each company, and got these statements In
reference to the losses. In al their inquiries
never heard It intlmated that any Of the men
were foully dealt with.
i am entirely confident, therefore, that the
story that reached you that some Of my men had
been shot after capture by the confederates is
untrue In every particular,
thank you sincerely for your sympathy and
good wishes, and remain your friend and CON-
rade, GEO. +. MCFARLAND,
Late Lieut.. Col, 15lgt Pa VOL,
Commanding at Getfvabur0