The National tribune., 1895-06-20
THE RELIEF CORPS,
Gleanings from National Headquar-
ters---NOtes from Departments.
VETERANS. ATTENTION.

The Widow of Admiral DahiEren Appears
to You, Comrades, to Establish the war
Record of Uric DahlRren, Reported MISE
ing by the War Department-The Record
of tho Typical Boy Hero of the War-Made
Colonel at 90, and Died I'm a Gallant AT
tempt to Rescue Union soldiers Captive ae
Libby and Belle IsIe-Scenes on Memorial
Day the Country over.
VETERANS, ATTENTION!
The appeal of Mrs. Madeleine Vinton Dahl
gren. widow of Admiral Dahlgren.
1.-THE gallant old Admiral
Iashed to the mast"
addressed to the veterans of the Grand Army
of the Republic, will touch a responsive chord in
every comrades heart.
Who will answer for the record OF any SOL
dier of the Union when the War Department
fails to produce the record OF the gallant young
here. Uric Dahgren, whom Lincoln ana
Stanton commissioned Colonel before the age
of 90 for special gallantry while serving on the
staff of Sigel and Fighting Joe" Hookerf
Col. Dahlgren's exploits were daring and con-
spicuous in all the conflicts in which he was
engaged, especially at Fredericksburg, Chancei-
lorsville, Greencastle. Hagerstoun, and the
brilliant cavalry fighting of the eight days
Gettysburg campaign. He was repeatedly
wounded in his gallant assaults. and Hagers-
town nearly cost him leg.
From this almost fatal wound he was just
recovering. though still on crutches, when he
was chosen to lead the advance-g guard of the
il-fsted Government expedition planned by
Gen Fitzpatrick. The duty assigned him was
To surprise Richmond, free the Union prisoners
in Libby and Belle Isle, burn the Government
buildings and make way for the entrance oil
the main body, $500 men, his own command
composing 800
Owing to furious storm. continuing for
days. the advance guard and the main body
became separated. Col Dahlgren was surprised
and killed by night ambuscade, and his men
| captured or scattered. His body, stripped OF
its clothing and terribly mutilated, was buried
! ut Richmond. but after many months was ro-
turned TO Washington and given military
| burial.
The spirit in which Col. Dahlgren entered
/ upon the Richmond expedition is shown in let
ter addressed to his father, Admiral Dahigren,
| under date of Feb. 26 1864 in which he SAID ::
''If successful, it will be the grandest thing
| on record and if it fails, many OF us VIII go
nm, I NAV be captured or tumbled over,
| bnt If is am undertaking that if / were not in
/ should be ashamed to show my face again.
If we do not return, there is no oet-
ter place to give up the ghost.
| This letter was written Feb 80, and on
March the valiant young spirit had departed
to be with the immortals. Poets ana MS,
toriaus have recorded his unselhsh deeds. ana
n memoir of his son written by Admiral
| Dablpren. and published by the Lippincotts
in 1872. circumstantial account of the war
| services of the boy Colonel, who died one
month before be had attained his maJor'ty, Is
| given in detail.
| O life so pure! faith so surel
| o heart so brave, and true ana stron
| With tips of flame is writ your name,
| In anualed deeds and storied song!
So says the poet. giving no thought to Gov
| ernment record. No, the Grand Army Oh th'
Republic must do this. There are - Dahl
gren Posts in the great soldier Order, some o
them Uric Dahlgren. it is learned.
q have written this address to the Crane
Army.~ Mrs. Dahlgren says; Z" for who else Cal
better protect its own"
1t is hoped the subject may be taken up b.
the next National Encampment, aud such step
taken as may be necessary to restore the los
records Of Col. Dahlgren, and rlght grea
wrong:
To THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC.
VETERANS OF THE UNION: appeal to yo
as the honored and faithful representatives {
; LOYALTY. to demand of the War Department c
these United States the restoration OF I'll
record of the late Col. Uric Dahlgren, U. .. 4
: hold paper. part of a correspondence, at
dressed to Col. I. G. hlnsworth, u. = a, Sniei
Record and Pension Office. wherein objection
: made to an imperfect military record that ha
: been sent by him to a writer for the pres
: which remonstrance has been returned VIII
the following monstrous Endorsement:
RECORD AND Pension OFFICE
WAR DEPARTMENT, April "a, 1879
RespectfulIy returned 10 Gen. Marcus j. VIRGIN
y War Records Office. Washington. ID. O.; with u
| Information that the records of this once IAN
show that Uric Dahlgren. Captain. and addition
| Aid-do-Camp of u. $. Volunteers. was ever a
r poipted or mustered into service Ms CoIoneI.
: | Nv authority of the Secretary of War.
4 | 1Signedi f. G. AIsswoBTH.
: Colonel U. 6. Army, Chief Of Office.
There are records, and again there arc record
az the aforesaid Col. Ainsworth has had 10
4 reason to know, and also the Secretary OF Wa
q in SO far as political records go.
= But the military record Of its gallant defen
ers. that every civilized country cherishes
the light of its life, what nameiess crln
against liberty is the faithlessness OF it's oiic'
custodians?
And has it come to this nay country, that
woman's watchful care is needed to protect al
H. make good the military record OF your mere
]