Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1894-06-22
ROSSER REPLIES.

Gen. Thomas l.. Rosser has written an
open letter to Capt. J. b. Adams, command
ing the Grand Army of the Republic, Bos
ton, in which he says:
Captain 1T is not my purpose to notice
the spasmodic spunciation OF the supreme
holiness and patriotism of the Grand Army
OF the Republic, as claimed by the dispatches
which were sent all over the country through
the press Of the LIST instant; but have re-
ceved So many letters from the members OF
the association over which you preside that
| think il will be well to notice them briefly,
through you, their commander.
Holding the position of Commander in.
CHIEF OF the Grand Army of the Republic,
you must have been soldier distinguished
Tor bravery, as we'll as possessing all the
other essential attributes Of good soldier;
while in peace you are doubtless a gentle
man aud a good citizen, and as such l now
salute you.
was soldier of the army of Northern
Virginia, a first lieutenant of artillery at
the first Manassas, and q major general of
cavalry at Appomattox and during that time,
at short intervals, battled, bled and hun.
gered to the utmost limit Of my capacity
indeed, did all in my power to contribute TO
the success of my side of the conflict, and
thus performed conscientiously, my duty,
and You having done the same, as judged
from your standpoint before our respective
comrades, we stand on the same plane.
You declare in the dispatch above referred
to that "ihe reputation oil the Union veterans
is secure Having whipped the rebels and
secured the blessings OF national life to the
South as well as the North, we can rest on
our arms We have all we can do to carry
on our work Of charity, and teach patriotism
10 the children in the public schools"
Now, Captain, put yourself In my place
for moment. On the 18th ultimo. | stood
before several thousand of my MANNED,
SCARED, grizzled, and careworn comrades,
who had met in the capital city of our State,
which was also the capital city OF the Con
federate States, for the purpose Of unwilling
monument not only TO the memory Of
such of our comrades as had fallen in our
struggle for independece, but to show our
undying devotion to the sacred right OF
elf-government, inherited from our fathers,
When recognized in the crowd by my com
rades, and called on 10 say something to
them-remembering that We had never been
whipped-never in all the vicissitudes of
that long and bloody war had We turned
our backs on an equal number of our enc.
mics, but that on many occasions we had
won and held the field Of conflict against
numbers greatly in excess of our own; re
Numbering that we had finally surrendered
merely the right OF secession; remembering
that indignities which we never supposed
the American people would ever impose
upon a fallen foe were heaped on us as soon
as we laid down our arms remembering
the boasts OF your comrades OF having
whipped us, and your taunts, calling US reb
els and traitors remembering that we laid
dewn our arms over twenty nine years ago
and that you are still on the public pay roll,
and being supported in part by our labor,
could not restrain the honest outburst of In
dgnation, contempt, aud resentment of my
soul against all these wrongs, perpetrated in
the high name OF patriotism.
Do you honestly suppose that the Grand
Army oil the Republic alone is competent
To teach patriotism TO the children in the
public schools. If you go into the public
school to teach, give the children AN object
lesson in patriotism by erasing the fraudu
lent pensioners from your rolls, and MAKE
the pension roll roll Of honor.
Show your patriotism by asking the gov
ernment 10 support only those who wer,
actually disabled In war, and thus reliev,
your country In its present impecuniou
condition
AS soldiers, Captain, we only differed a
TO the right OF secession, and since hav
surrendered that to overwhelming numbers
and il is finally settled, am your peer Il
citizenship, have as many rights as yo
have, and am ready to maintain them.
We are now living in times of peace; tn
American Tag is as much mine as it Is your
OF the properly of the Grand Army of the RI
public, and l suggest 70 yeu that the south
ern citizens of this country are neither rel
els nor traitors" and the citizens OF MassS
chusetts are not mere loyal TO our countr
than those of Virginia and the other state
of the South.