The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-24
WAR ON DE ARNAUD
A New Feature Is q Suit Brought
by Him Against General
Ainsworth.
Strange and Exciting Story of the
Veterans Work in the Civil
War.

" d4s
Fron. The journal Bureau. Room IS. 1'os
Building, Warrington. a.S e. ~,
Washington, Oct. pa suit for $4,000
damages that will attract wide attention
among civil war veterans was commenced
in the courts of this city by Colonel Chas.
A. De Arnaud against Brigadier General
Fred c. Ainsworth. chief Of the records
and pensions division of the war depart
ment, for defamation of character.
During the last session Of congress,
Senator Nelson of Minnesota, whose at
tention had been called to the case, intro
duced resolution in the senate extending
the thanks Of congress to Colonel De Ar
maud for services rendered by him during
the civil war, but nothing was done with
it. On it's face 1t looks like a case OF
unexplainable persecution Of brave and
gallant officer, whose civil war record won
him the personal compliments Of Grant,
Halleck, Thomas, Hood and Fremont, and
Of President Lincoln. Its history is inter-
esting.
In 1861. De Arnaud, then young man
Of q years, Russian and graduate
from the best Russian military school,
came to the United States as military
expert for the purpose Of getting informa-
ton in actual war which would be Of SER
vice to his country. He went to the ter
ritory near the mouth Of the Ohio river,
where Fremont was in command. The
confederates in this region were num-
bered at $4,000 able-bodied and we'll
armed men, while the union forces did not
exceed $4,000, the majority of them I'M
drilled and unarmed. 1t was the cOnfed-
crate intention to take southern Illinois
and st. Louis and forcibly annex them.
De Arnaud was appointed captain on
Fremont's staff and sent into Tennessee
and Kentucky to ascertain definitely what
the confederate plans were. He quickly
found out what was afoot, and sent word
hastily to Grant, just appointed briga-
der under Fremont, with headquarters at
Cairo, that the confederates' first move
was the capture of Paducah, KY, then a
| neutral point. Acting on the advice Of
De Arnaud, Grant hurried to Paducah,
| which he entered only an hour ahead of
the confederates, whom he surprised and
routed, taking many prisoners and cap
turing many guns, supplies, etc.
Following this victory, Grant, all the
while comforting with De Arnaud, who re-
manned within tine confederate lines,
mapped out the wonderful campaign
which kept the Tennessee and the Cum
berland rivers open, resulted in the cap
ture of Fort Donelson, and eventually
|
not claim credit for originating this cam
paign, nor does any Of the other general
officers then in the west. De Arnaud
does claim the credit for it, however, and
whether he is right or wrong, it IS a mat
ter of record that he was publicly thanked
| by the generals named in a. paragraph
| above and by President Lincoln.
| While securing information within the
confederate lines, De Arnaud was cap
tured and condemned to immediate death
as spy by order of Colonel Morgan, a.
nephew Of Senator Morgan of Alabama.
The carrying out of the sentence was de-
ferred for a few hours, at De Arnaud's
request, In order that time might be had
for the arrival Of confederate general,
who De Arnaud said would acquit him Of
the charge Of being a spy.
During the middle of the afternoon,
after the temporary reprieve had been or
dered, a hot-headed southerner entered
Morgan's headquarters, where De Arnaud
| was prisoner OF war, and asked for a
pass through the confederate lines to the
northwards. Morgan bluntly refused the
| request, giving as an excuse that the man
asking it was under suspicion as a spy.
Hot words followed during which the
southerner pulled a big pistol and shot
Morgan through the head death resulting
instantly. In the melee which followed,
DeArnaud was struck twice over the back
| Of the head with the pistol and rendered
| unconscious. AS soon as he returned to
his senses, he picked himself up, and the
confusion was so great that he was able
| to make his escape from the room, after
which he bought horse, reaching the
union lines at Cairo the next night.
AS the result of the injuries, DeArnaud
became insane. He returned to Washing
ton. resigned his commission in the army,
had an interview with Lincoln. during
which he fell to the floor in a dead faint.
and arranged to return to Europe, where
| for twenty years he was under restraint
in the best known insane hospitals. FL
nally, he was cured, and in 1883 he re-
turned to the United States, where he
married, in about 1885, a wealthy widow
in New Jersey. She died a few years
later, leaving no provision for DeArhaud,
who was thrown upon the world without
means Of support. During his wife's life
time he had wanted to apply for pension,
or for $1,000, which he claimed had been
promised him for his services during the
civil war, but his wife prevented him from
acting, saying that she had enough prop
erty for both of them, and that he would
gain nothing but an unpleasant notor1ety
through the proposed application.
The pension became a necessity after
the death Of the wife, and finally, after
much effort, an allowance of $40 per
month was made. The suit for $4,000 in
the meantime had been thrown out OF
court on g. technicality. Before returning
to Europe in 1852, on the verge Of in
sanity, DeArnaud had been compelled tc
sign receipt in full for his claim against
the government in order to secure enough
money with which to defray his passage
homo. This receipt was sprung In court
against his claim, and the case was decid-
| ed against him.
The pressing Of the DeArnaud claim was
, the signal for the opening OF cruel ane
inhunan campaign aginst him by certain
t men In the war department, and In con.
gress, who denounced him as fraud anc
. an adventurer, and have succeeded to TIL:
| day in holding him down to the paltry $l(
per month which he gets under the gen
t eral pension law.
One of the men who has steadfastly
| stood in his way is Senator Cockrell O.
Missouri who as confederate officer op
Grating in the region affected by the Pa
ducah campaign, had his plans upset
Cockrel1 knew that DeArnaud was'a spy
I and never has been able to forgive or for
} get. Another man who stood in his wa!