The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-07


to the President.
WASHINGTON, March .6.--The resolu-
ton adopted by the senate, calling for a
complete record OF the court-martial
which tried Adjt. Gen. Corbin when lieu
tenant colonel of the Fourteenth colored
infantry, on a charge of cowardice, and
other information as to his military ca
reer, called for a mass of papers that will
require a weeks time TO copy, accord
ing to the estimate of the war depart
ment.
Gen. Corbin, in anticipation of the re-
ply, today addressed to Senator Davis, of
Minnesota, an appeal for an immediate
examination of his soldietly record from
the day he entered the service of the
United States as a seventefn-year-old boy,
thirty-eight years ago. ua to the present
time. Moreover, he authkrizes the sena-
tor to present his (Corbfl's) resignation
to the president If the search reveals a
suggestion of unworthiness
The letter includes the findings of the
court-martial, which most honorably &C
Quilted Lieut.. Col. Corbin of the charge.
the president comforting on him two bre-
vets for gallant service at the time he
was charged with cowardiee and finally
a-letter from the colonel of the regiment
who preferred the charges praising his
work In the campaign. The text OF the
letter is as follows:
-Adjutant Generals Office, Washington.
=. y, March 3, 1900.-Hon. Cushman K
Davis, United States Senate-Dear sir:
MY attention has been called to certain
newspaper reports purporting to set forth
s&traGts extra from memorial that is said to
nave been transmitted to you, which are
IN the nature of charges affecting nv
record as an officer of the arrnV So
tar I as these statements or any: other may
De deserving OF consideration or exnlana-
llon desire to place myself at your com
mand or your committee to permit of a
searching investigation In order to de-
Nelop the facts In the case, and I saw to
you IN all earneStneSSt that if the in
Nest1gation reveals the slightest founda
Ilon l VIII close the discussion so far as
L am concerned by authorizing Won to
present my resignation from the service
to the president. ~
belieYe in dealing with radical meas
IRE utss " win quick remedies, and so far as
nes In my power this rule is followed in
the administration of the adjutant gen
Srals department, and L shall not shrink
from from having the same rule applied in my
case. II is my duty as an officer of the
army 10 AFFORD you and through Won
congress full and complete information
+eierflng te,.e, . TO my department of the mill
tary service in part or in whole. I have
tne honor to hand you herewith an offi
G1al copy of General AOrder- No
of afeaoquarters % First Division, Army
ot W the Cumberland dated. March
10, 1855, promulgating the nroceediI,sss &c
ana innings of the general court-n1artial
a1S9 aes99itlllg g from trial on all allegations.
the unusual expression of the courf IN ito
innings, to wit: Most honorably acdiiit .
~ dnat the court was composed of officers
~ o1,+ h0,tt he%perIence and high character goes
H,1diut HW1tdniout saying, and that its proceedings.
Ilnulngs and approval were in all re-
spects regular and lawful has never been
questioned. "eeA
OF the official record fnclosed herewith
OF the engagements of the Fourteent1
oh3 Ghnlted states colered infantry in and
neppt nsrt Of Qecarur, fec Ala during the latter
ca IN volume 49, part l, pages ia to 71S
OF the records of the Union and Confed
crate armies, War of the Rebellion which
report is signed by the officer who later
preferred the charges upon which 7 was
and place -''' '41iie
rd,,t feel confident that your own long ex-
perence as public man and your high
sense Of justice of the official records
HeFeWith brought to Your attention will
not allow you to be misled or to accept
as as true the statements contained in the
memorial referred to- If, however. Won
desire to make further examination into
my record, will gladly grant you any
assistance in examining the records madS
day by day from the time when. as :. lad
OF seventeen, 1 left my fathers farm IN
southern Ohio, and joined the volunteer
San aelny I am now closing my thirty eighth
year or continuous service, service
modest though 1t is, yet l claim to have
peen honest and faithful.
MY service in the volunteer army COW
sreo nearly four years, in that time hav-
Ing received commands of six grades
from that of second lieutenant to and
Inciudlng that of colonel with brevet
or brigadier general. From that service
/ was honorably discharged Not only
thls. but Gen. Grant, while secretary Of
war al interim 1.-TWO years after the trial
nefeln discussed had been of record in
the war Department., conferred upon me
py authority of the president two brew
ets, one OF major for gallant and meritori-
Gus conduct in the battle of Decatur,
Ala, and another of colonel for like serv-
ices IN the battle of Nashville COPIES of
which are inclosed, covering the exact
the charge tried).
FolioWing my discharge from the voY-
uhteer service l was appointed a second
IHee IiHe9tenant in the regular army, and July,
1000, was appointed q captain in one
OF the new regiments, and so far as
am aware without the solicitation of any
1niuence outside of the military service
l nad been an officer of the army mora
than fourteen years before I had the hon
oraole, the personal acquaintance of any
MEMBER of congress, and any one else
IL touSH WITH the ways in Washington
My first ten years in the regular army
were spent with my company in the then
remote Western states and territories
of Kansas, Colorado, New. Mexico, Ari-
zona and Texas having in that time
marched in different expeditions against
hostile Indians and changes of station
from Fort Riley, Kan.edh Western ter
minal Of the railways leading to the
WeStl, to Fort Brown, at the mouth of
the Rio Grande (the distance traversed
and difficulties of this service being fully
understood by those who have had the
experience). During all these ten years
l was never absent from duty for sin
gle day. from any cause whatever, l