Evening star., 1899-04-17
Defense of Porter Command.

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
Will you kindly permit a word in reply to
the Complete history of the trouble which
led to the taking away Of recognition of D.
ID. Porter Command, No. IS, Union Vet
Grams Cnion,' published in fridays
Star? The members of this command have
no apology to make for the sentiment, of
recognition and respect they entertain for
the sincerity and bravery of the confeder-
ate dead. Every living ex-Unien soldier
who had the opportunity and improved it
OF Judging, and now possesses the faculty
OF remembering and the capacity of appre-
ciating, the lighting qualities of the defend
ers or the lost cause we believe, shares
this sentiment. Neither do they regret
thelr support OF the resolution that aroused
the unrlghteous Indignation of tae COM
mander-ln-chief, and from which he evolv
ed, with the assistance of his Valorous
stan, pretext for the bombastic orders of
eXpurgatlon which he has promulgated. But
they desire to protest against the labored
attempt to belittle the command by an in
correct analysis of it's vote and a miSState-
nent OF its numerical strength. The rep
resentatlons that have been made by Wor-
den. Plerce ct al. raise an issue of fact not
sustained by the records, and at once sug-
Best the desperate means reSorted to to Sc
cure the approval of the action of their re-
doubtable commander, by the 1900 vet
Grams, of whom probably not more than one
In a hundred really share his sentiments of
venom and fnhuman hatred toward van
quShed and fallen foe, and his determined
efforts to discredit the President of the
United States, himself an honored member
of the Union Veterans Union. 's
And not content in having Withdrawn his
official recoe milton of the command as an
organization, he has resorted to personality
to justify his remarkable performances.
HIS lgnominious reference to the military
record of the author of the resolution pass
Ell Dk sIDFESr lsQnIJRSi6lA AxlS lkDglGal and
Inconsistent with his previous approval
thereof as it is unfair TO the object of his
maedctlon and contearY to the record evi-
country. The facts are that this man,
When a prisoner. with fepdish cruelty and
starvation staring him in the face, together
with several hundred others, accepted an
against the u-nion, B3R Weld an ak and
shovel in makinSz aylSka dhUing roads, and
they all embraced thS&H Afst opportunity Of
escaping to the Union side, many of them
being killed in the attempt and others +e-
eaptnred ca! I,a and shot Shssnan whom Gen.
one Of the few who !succ seded in reaching
the Union lines aftaoilweeks of exposure
and hardships in the woods Of North Caro-
Ina He rejoined his regiment at once and
related his experiences and the captain of
ms company, instead Of having him shot to
death, as the uncompromising Dyrenf6rth
would have done. actually applauded him,
as did all his comrades and the officers Of
his regiment. He was soon after promoted
IN mis- company, and served faithfully till
mustered out at the close OF the war, and
was subsequently pensloned for injuries in
CURED In the service. The efforts of Gen.
Dyrenforth to injure this man, whose mill
tary record was well Known to him when
mustered into ths Union Veterans Union.
only reveal the fictitious character of his
own pretentious regard for the ex-Union
soldier. The commander-in-chef is evil
IDENTIFY seeking self-aggrandizs sment and
notoriety We shall next hear from him
probably in a patriotic (2), protest against
the burial at Arlington OF the southern SOL
diers who fell in the war with Spain, some
Of whom We're doubtless thu sons of vetsr-
ans of the late southern confederacy. Vari-
ly the flowers that are born to blush un-
seem are not of the genus Dyrenferth. -
JOHN N. EHLE,
April 1A 1soa