The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-16

United States Cavalry. when the highest
rank he is entitled to. by reason of his very
brief service during the civil war, Is that of
q brevet captain, as shown by the recorCs
of the War Department, and who, while in
noWise connected with the United States
army or the national guard OF any State,
was there upon your staff by your own
verbal appointment.
You also have commented upon the fact
that wore badges and insignia belonging
to my father, which you know is a lie, as
YOU took occasion to both inspect and queS-
ton ne in regard 10 them, ara then and
there expressed yourself as satisfied that l
WAS entitled to wear every onenof them.
1t is true | did not receive them for any
record which ! personally MADE by paGtici-
pating in the battles of the late-War, such
as Stone River or PerTyVille, but have
them by reason of being a member of the
patriotic societies which commemorate the
wars Of our country, and because some
member of my family made an honorable
record in the defense OF his country in every
war this country has had since the fOunda-
tion of the country, and this IS the first
instance | have ever heard OF where ridicule
has been called down upon anyOne on ac-
count of the showing of loyalty and pa
triotism by one who has worn the uniform
of the United States army, and if it comes
the fact that my ancestors gave up their
lives for their country, then indeed are the
insignia of our patriotic societies nothing
but baggage checks and their usefulness
at an end
SOME PATHETIC STORIES.
Mr.. Logan then goes into family and mill
tary history touching the relations between
his father. General Logan, and the Nc
Cooks during the war. Il remember he
says, that hanging at home is a coat that
my father wore in the battle of Bull Run.
1t is faded, but down the front are dark
red stains. Do you know what those stains
are? They are the likelihood of Charles Nc
Cook, your brother, whom my father aided
by carrying him from the field of battle,
and who died in his arms.
There IS a grave out in Dakota. You
know it as well as l. Ed McCook sleeps
there. AS a boy, in 1861, he went to the
front, an officer of the Thirty-frst Illinois
Volunteers, made so by the colonel, who
looked upon him as a son. l hardly need
tell you that the name of that colonel was
John A. Logan, or that they served to-
gether for four years, advancing together
step by step. Nor is it necessary for me TO
tell you that General Grant appointed Ed
McCOok secretary of the Territory of Da-
kota at the personal request of the same
John A. Logan.
There was q lone woman in Washington
twenty-five years ago in poverty and dis
tress. My father assisted her continually.
He also obtained an appointment Tor her
son in the regular army. Her name was
Mrs. Baldwin, your sister. In 1853, when
your father came TO southern Illinois as the
agent of the Mount Carbon Coal Company,
he appealed to my father for assistance,
which was freely and cheerfully given him,
and he made his home in the house of my
grandmother. From 1883 to the day of his
uedll COtlt "a. hO6dn GtlI w anu CO
sisted the McCooks, and their calls upon
him for assistance were numerous.
II think the fighting McCooks' must all
have been killed. for they were brave men
and loyal, and when l find two members of
the family insulting the white-haired widow
and circulating malicious lies and making
cowardly underhanded newspaper attacks
upon the son of the man who befriended
them time without number, l know these
two members of the McCOok family to be
those one Of whom was relieved of his COM
mand in the face of the enemy for disobe-
dience of orders and the other resigned and
went home upon the eve of a campaign
Mr.. Logan concludes his letter with a
demand for retraction in these words: AS
long as you and your brother have seen fit
to try to hold me up to ridicule by malicious
lies, you can either give an equal publicity
to a denial and retractiOn of the story. plac-
ing me in a proper light before the American
people, or | shall hold you personally re-
sponsible and take such action as L see
fit"
The charges against Mr.. Logan to the
effect that he masqueraded in uniform ana
badges at the Cars coronation We're orig
inally the gossip of the Army and Navy
club of this city. Through members Of
that club they reached the public.