People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-09-16
GENERAL WEAVER
Answers the FalsehOOds about His Army
Record in Pulaski, Tennessee.

| ~ OAO a CORIC dIby Il dpEIs
My attention has been called to the
publication in various democratic pa
pers concerning my administration as
commander of the post at Pulaski,
Tenn, in the winter of 1864. The
charge that ever imprisoned anyone
and then released him for moneyed
consideration; or that ever oppressed
anyone, male or female, or ever charg-
ed the people of that locality for passes
through the lines of the federal army,
| or that l ever in any manner extorted
money from the people of that locality
and appropriated the same to my own
use, is an unmitigated lie.
was assigned to the command of
the post at Pulaski by order of Gen.
G. NJ. Dodge, commander of the left
wing of the 10th army corps. Upon
entering that part of Tennessee, Gen.
Dodge issued an order and made it
public, in which he stated that his
army was in need of supplies of every
kind, and that if the people would
bring in supplies, vouchers would be
rendered for the same without making
any inquiries as to the loyalty or dis
loyalty of the parties. The people
| brought in their supplies and vouchers
were given and they were all paid by
the assistant commissary general Cy-
rus c. Carpenter. The left wing, 10th
army corps, consisting of several divi-
sions of troops, was encamped at
Pulaski during the winter with Cen
eral Dodge in command.
During my administration as COM
mander of the post large number of
refugees came within our lines. They
came from the Confederate army in
Alabama and elsewhere. They were
totally without supplies and destitute,
and at that time they could not be
allowed to depart without restraint.
Gen. Dodge issued an order command
ing me to make levy of $4,000, as I
now remember, from wealthy citizens
| living in the vicinity, for the purpose
| of paying for supplies necessary for
| the sustenance of these refugees. In
obedience to that order issued an or
der reciting the authority under which
| was acting and served it upon GER
tain parties, doubtless the parties nam
ed in the circular sent out from Pulas-
hi. The money collected was paid
direct to Col. Cyrus G. Carpenter,
assistant commissary general of the
left wing 18th army corps, and did not
pass through my hands, if remember
correctly, and the wants of the refu-
gees were supplied. In no event was
one cent of it retained by myself,
Gen. Dodge is we'll known to the
people ofthe whole country, being at
present in charge of an extensive rail-
way system in the Southwest, and Col.
Carpenter has since served as an officer
in the treasury department, as o mem
Der of congress, and as governor of the
state of Iowa. To those officers, and
TO all others who knew me in the army
refer all questions concerning my
rectitude and honorable conduct as a
soldier. There is not human being,
man, woman or child, living or dead,
that ever. oppressed or mistreated
iSF I IN 41a 0C
try. / did not disposess any one of
their dwelling houses and appropriate
the same for officers quarters during
my stay in Pulaski. My headquarters
were in the Court House andI board
ed with private family, that of Mrs.
Ballentyne. The officers of my regi-
ment lived in their tents in line with
their respective companies. The sew
eral divisions, brigades and regiments
encamped at Pulaski were not under
my authority-not even my own regi-
ment-while was in command Of the
Post. It is manifestly absurd and silly
to charge to my account the misfor-
tunes and misdeeds incident to the
military occupancy of that part of the
country. 1t is promulgated for an
evil purpose and is too transparent to
deceive any one.
The confscation of property is cruel,
the taking of life is cruel, every phase
of war is cruel, and unfortunately our
unhappy country had a surfeit of it.
For my standing in the community,
and during the time I commanded
the said post I refer to Mr..
Harris, the Ballentyne family, Rev.
Robert Caldwell and others who
lived in Pulaski at the time of my
sojourn there. My association with
the people was as peaceful and
fraternal as possible during the exist
ence of hostilitles, and remarkably so
in all that region of the country.
No complaints were ever made to
me concerning the matter now Matched
up, and so far as know none were
ever made to Gen. Dodge. The troops
at Pulaski were under the command Of
of Gen. Dodge and was acting under
his authority myself. Had [ been
guilty of the outrages charged, he
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