The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-05-21
THE HISTORY LACKING
A G. A. X. COMMITTEE COMPLAINS TO
STATE EDUCATION BOARD.
MontgOmery's Textbook Not Impair
tial-It Also Contains a Number
of Inaccuracies.

\ committee of c.. a. r. men, composed
of Judge A. o. Marsh, Of Winchester, Prof.
\. III. Graham. of Knightstown, and Capt.
W. II. Armstrong, of this city, was before
the State Board of Education yesterday
afternoon for the purpose of pointing out
a number of inaccuracies in MontgomeryS
school history, which is being used in
great many of the schools of the State. 1t
is claimed by the G.. a. r. men, and a
perusal of the history sustains the claim,
that the book has a general fault of skip
ping too lightly over important events in
the history of the rebellion. 1t would be
better it is claimed. if some events were
not mentioned at all, rather than to men,
ton them so briefly as TO give not the
slightest idea Of their Importance. One in
stance of this, pointed out by the commit
tee. is the battles of Lookout Mountain and
Missionary Ridge, TO which subjects five
lines are devoted. Another general claim.
which does not apply to any specific events.
is that there is nothing in the book to in
spire or upon which TO build patriotic
thoughts. Besides that, the committee
pointed out that while the book pretends 10
mention all of the important events of the
. war, the names of Generals Logan, Nc
Pherson and Howard are entirely omitted
from the book. and the pupil hearing Of
them afterwards would not know on which
side they fought 1t is also claimed that
the writer of the book was not entirely inn
partial in his views. Two instances of this
were given. One is the large amount OF
space devoted to praise of Stonewall jack
sons character and TO the laudation of
General Lee, while Generals Grant, Sher-
man, Sheridan and Thomas merely
mentioned as having commands in the
Union army. Another instance of this
nature pointed out was in the battle of
Gettysburg, where il speaks of General
Picketts charge with sixty thousand men,
but utterly fails to mention that General
Hancock, though wounded and bleeding,
had refused to leave the field, and with
eight thousand men defeated the charge OF
General Pickett.
Many other things of vast Importance
are not even mentioned in the book, among
them being Andersonvile and the graves
of sixty thousand soldiers. Such things as
these, the committee thinks, should be in
corporated I'm the books, and the whole
should be made impartial possible TO
make IL, stating merely the facts as they
occurred and where a thing is mentioned
at all. to give both sides OF ii. 1t is also
thought that the result of the war is
treated i'm much too commonplace man.
ner. The war il Is claimed, was not fought
for the purpose of liberating the slaves
simply because il was believed that their
liberation would tend TO the commercial
advantage Of the South. but because there
Il
stake-one dear TO the hearts OF the North.
ern people. The history. in treating of all
this. merely speaks OF the great advantage
the liberation of the slaves has been in
expanding and charging the commercial
interests of the South, and entirely ignores
the great principle for which Lincoln died.
\ representative OF the publisher of Mont
gomery's history was present. but did not
attempt to argue for his book more than 10
say, after admitting a number of mac
curaces, that il was impracticable to go
into details IN primary history. He also
claimed that the book now leans so much
unstable in the South.
The State board, after listening to the
committee decided TO ask the committee
TO place in writing all the matters which
it thought should not be i'm the book. also
such things as it thought should be added
virtually furnishing the substance for
revision of that part of IL relating to the
rebellion This the committee agreed TO do
and will meet on the night OF May Is in the
Statehouse for the purpose of formulating
a report TO be sent TO the State board. The
State board will then meet at later date
and consider the report. The board did
not give decision as TO whether 1t would
require a revision of the book, but II is
probable that such will be done. Under the
State law the board has the authority TO
require the revision Of any school book by
giving one years notice 10 the publisher
and ii may edit the revised copy before
publication or may exclude the book alto
gether from the State.
This movement the part of the G.. A
r. is not simply local matter, but IL is
only part Of what is being done through.
out the North. The reports of the G.. a. r.
encampments for several years show that
efforts are being made in almost all the
Northern States by the CT. A. r. men to
have the histories revised so as to make
them more accurate in such details as they
mention. The State board will meet again
to-day and further consider the matters
pointed out by the committee yesterday.