The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-08-05
BLUE AND THE GRAY
BRAVE MEN WHO MET ON THE
FIELD OF BATTLE.
Thrilling Stories of the RchglIiou-
Old Soldiers and Sailors Relate Remi.
niscences of Life in Camp and on
the FieId-InCidents of the War.
A Famous SCpop.

Famous scoop.
"The first time ! saw General
irant." Col. W. 4. Holloway. the we'll
known editor of the indianapolis Jour
nay, says, "waS early in June, 1861.
Oliver L. Morton, of Indiana.
Il purchased the Indianapolis Jour
tal in the fall of 1864, just previous to
Sberman's march to the sea. One
morning several officers of Indiana reg
Iments arrived in Indianapolis, on sick
leaves, and Informed me that Sherman
had burned Atlanta. taken large por-
ton of the army, and cut loose with
out baggage or transportation, except
Tor ammunition, and had started for
the sea, expecting to live off the coun-
try. their motto being, Salt water or
hell
lie said they had left an ample force
under General Thomas to take care of
Hood, and proposed to cut the Confed-
eracy in twain.
waited patiently until nearly ,
o'clock in the morning for some news
OF the movement by telegraph, but
nothing came, when 1 realized that
mad tremendous scoop and wrote Il
brief account of the same, which was
d0uble-leaded and put at the head of
the hrst column on the editorial page.
When the Journal arrived at Gin
cinnati the Associated Press agent sent
the account to the press of the country,
giving the Journal credit 1t was COM
mented on by nearly every leading pa
per in the country. but generally dis
credited, because the news came from
indianapolis, which place they declar-
cd was not news center.
They argued that if such a move
nent had been contemplated it could
Hot have been kept quiet. and some in
timation from the same would have
leaked out at Washington, or would
have come from Nashville, Louisville
or Cincinnati.
Editors did not seem to remember
hat the telegraph offices at those points
were under the control of the military
commanders, and no news regarding
the movements could be sent from
those points without being first ap-
proved by the commanding officer of
the post.
when the New York papers arriv-
ed In Washington containing the In
dianapOlis Journals account of the
great march there was great excite
ment, and Charles A. Dana, Assistant
Secretary of War, telegraphed Gen.
Hovey, military commander of the Dis
trict of Indiana, ordering him to in
vestigate the sources of the Journals
information and report to him at once.
when papers arrived at the head
quarters of the Army of the Potomac
Gen. Grant was both astonished and
He ordered that all copies of morn
Ing papers seized and brought to his
to be destroyed, but un-
fortunately some of our pickets had
gotten few copies, which they traded
to the rebel pickets for Southern pa
pers, which they sold to newspaper cor
at good prices. 1t turned
out afterward that the rebel authori-
ties received the first news Of Sher-
mans movement through the Journals
article.
Two days after the publication Gen.
Horace Porter, of General Grants
staff. walked into my office at Indian
apolis. with an order from General
Grant to proceed to Indianapolis, and
require the editor of the Journal to
furnish the names of his informants,
and all the facts in his possession re-
ating to the manner of obtaining the
or arrest and hold him
for further orders. | was in dilem-
ma, and l did not want to give the
names of my informants, as they as
,ured me they had it direct from Cen
,ral Thomas, but that it was not given
n confidence.
Il informed General Porter that Gen
'ral HOvey. the military commissioner
If the District of Indiana. had receiv-
I'd telegram from the War Depart
nent calling for the same information.
md inasmuch as the same parties had
alked with General Hovey. he had as
much information about the matter as
had.
I'VE called on General Hovey. who
handed General Porter the telegram
rom Assistant Secretary of War
Charles A. Dana. and, after reading
t carefully, he said: The War Depart
nent ranks General Grant. The tele-
.ram lets me out
"Of course, when l published the
Jews. 1 had no idea it would be re-
.arded as 'contraband.' but concluded
had a SCOOP and used it for all it |
vas worth.
"If l remember correctly. General |
'orter told me the details of the great |
march was arranged by correspond
nee between Generals Grant and Sher- |
nan, he carrying all the letters that |
'assed between them. and that the |
irst knowledge the War Department |
lad of the movement they obtained |
rom the Journals account as publish
d by the Associated Press"
Had Much Money to Burn.
"When BURNSIDE made his mud |