The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19

| enemy chooses to make an attack. But /
| do not think any intelligent reader of mill
| tary history will question the propriety of
your conduct at Franklin. 1t has not
seemed to me that General Cox intended to
| wrote his account of the events which ac-
| tually happened without giving so much
| done, to those other probable events which
did not happen, and in which, if they had,
you would have been called upon to act by
far the most important part. All the SOL
diers of an army can't act the same part
| In the same battle, nor any soldier the
same part in any two consecutive battles.
THAT Cox happened to form the curtain
of the main line at Franklin was because
you had done the most vital service all the
previous night and day. You acted nobly
the part assigned you; so did also Cox. The
honor gained was enough for both. hope
there will be no difference between you.
Enclosed you will find extract from
eral Cox from Rome. Italy. Dec. ., 1881.
Yours, very truly, j. NJ. SCHOFIELD.
"A true copy:
y. G. Balance captain, United States
Army, acting judge advocate"
BITTER LANGUAGE.
This letter General Cox had before him
when he wrote this last book, "The Battle
Of Franklin" He says he read my letter
to the New York Sun, and that letter gives
all the pertinent substance of Schofeds
letter. The late Capt. Robert Hunter told
me that when Cox received Schofleld's let
ter he raved. He had spent pages in fawn-
ing and sycophancy on Schofield. and. judg-
ing other men by himself, he expected
Schotield to write, if he wrote at ALL some
thing to give him peg to hang his ridicu-
lous pretensions on. Any man of sense will
see at once that Schofelds letter settles
the question but Cox knows that a false
hood Well stuck to sometimes passes for
truth.
AS to the second question, Did General
Stanley retire from the field when
wounded?
General Cox relates the incident of re-
mounting me on the battlefield, and says
that he saw me ride away. This Is entirely
true. This happened about half-past p.
m. went to the railroad bridge, met Col.
Sir clair. who had been all along the lines,
and with him rode to Kimbalrs lines.
If l saw fit to do so l could obtain GER
titcates of many officers still living that
it being nearly dark, went to Schofields
headquarters and had my wounds dressed
for the first time. Colonel John w. Steele,
senior A. ID. c., Fourth Army Corps, lives
in Oberlin, o.; General Nathan Kimball
lives in Ogden, Utah. Any one who desires
the truth can get it by writing to either of
these officers. L feel that i differ from
General Jacob D. Cox in the fact that my
veracity needs no certificate to bolster it up.
1 will add, for the benefit of DIR. Hill, that
never saw him or his hospital, and 1 was
never in an ambulance during the year
1864
Now the evidence is all submitted, and we
the principal witness; Jacob d.. Cox, him
self. And, first, his habitual character of
DR.. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
In March, 1870 Gen. George H. Thomas
died. The whole country put on mourning
for one of the best. purest, most unselfish
of our patriotic generals. At Washington
there was large meeting held in the hall
of the House of Representatives, and Gen.
Jacob d. Cox, then secretary of the in.
terror, presided over the meeting Many
eloquent speeches were made, but Cox $
speech surpassed them ALL 1t was full of
sentiment and grand expressions He had
made speeches before that time and made
speeches afterward eXtolling General Thorn
as above all men. / give here an extract
from one of these speeches. which may be
of the Cumberland Society. Here is the
extract: Fortunately our commander at
Nashville was a man of Washingtonian
character and will, and knowing that his
countrys cause depended on his being
right, and not upon his merely seeming
So, he waited with immoVable firmness
for the right hour to come. 1t came, and
with it justification of both his military
skill and his own forgetful patriotism so
complete and glorious that it would be
waste Of words for me to tell about it,
This is only one example of the numerous
ones l might quote from Cox's oratory up
on the character of General Thomas at this
period. Well done, DR.. Jekyll, i. e.. Cox
Now, at this very time, in the recesses of
the journal named the Nation, of New
York, marked anonymous, sneaked Mr.
Hyde, alias Cox, dagger in hand, to stab
behind his back the man whose fame he
the life of General Thomas by Chaplain Van
Horne. let us see what Mr.. Hyde (Cox)
has to say. Such phrases are more pow
erful than argument to prove that Thomas
shrank from responsibility and lacked the
proud confidence of ability to grasp and
handle an army which the emergency yr Of
on us unwelcome doubts whether his mod
esty, his kindness and his self-forgetful-
ness were all that we had supposed them to
be-" And more is added of the same
sort. Indeed the type of Judas Iscariot
did not cease when that hypocrite hanged
himself. Is the opinion of this DR.. Jekyll
and Mr.. Hyde deserving of respect on anY
subject? Are statements of historical
facts resting upon his word worthy of be-
lief?
cox AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN.
At the battle of South Mountain General
Jesse Reno was killed. This was a great
loss to the Union cause. Cox succeeded
to Reno's command and this lost the
United States all chance of ending the re-
bellion by the winning of a great victory
at Antietam This can be plainly traced
out by the student who ascertains and APP
plies the known facts in the case. The syn
opsis of the history may be condensed, and
would read as follows: The night succeed
ing the battle of South Mountain Mcclellan
ordered Burnside to move towards Sharps-
burg at daylight next morning, and ordered
Porters corps to follow. This order was
given four minutes before 10 o'clock, and
repeated to General Burnside, but his COM
mand did not move one step. Cox, unhap-
PLY, had succeeded to General Reno's COM
mand, and Burnside said then and repeated
afterward, that Cox insisted that his COM
mand was not fit to take the lead, and he
did not move or try to move Finally Porter
was ordered to move, and did move through
Cox 5 command. When Porters corps had
nearly all passed Cox was -inally persuaded
to move out. Arriving at Antietam creek,
Cox's command Squatted behind POrters
instead of coming up upon his LETT, con-
fronting the enemy, and possessing the
bridge and holding the forts which 1t cost
many lives to possess. Burnside was or
dered to cross the creek and attack at
o'clock, the 18th mot at 10 o'clock. as stated
by COx.) How that order was repeated and
not obeyed and how at 3 o'clock General
Sackett was sent to take command unless
the order obeyed, is now all written
as fact in history.
both at South Mountain where CoXs dis
obedience of orders lost great opportunity
to injure Lees army, and at Ant1etam,
where he could not be induced TO advance,
the certainty of q great victory was COM
pletely thwarted and brought TO naught
All this was due to General Cox, and Burn
| ade did not hesitate to lay it to Cox's
| cowardce.
After the fruitless engagement with the
| enemy, which might have been great
| success eight hours before but for Cox,
| the latter cried loudly for support, and Nor
| rells division was sent to Burnsides or
| der to take position in the rear of Cox
troops. Next morning, as soon as Morrell s
! division had reached it's position, Cox with
! drew his command to the east side of the
| Antietam to a safe place and beyond dan
! ger in any event. No wonder he became