The National tribune., 1902-10-30

it would have lowered his official dignity
in his own estimation to have said so.
As the Colonel would not even hear me,
much less consider my opinio., my only
course, without creating rupture, was
to apply for leave of absence, and, be-
lieving that such application could pass
through the regular official channel
from Regimental to Corps Headquarters
and return in 48 hours at most, and that
this unnecessary proceeding would only
delay my trip for few days, l acted on
the Coloners orders, and within 10 min
utes my application for leave Of absence,
together with nay permit from the War
Department, were speeding through the
regular official channel in the direction
of Corps Headquarters, while l, in heavy
marching order, was pursuing my way, as
an Obedient soldier, along hot and dusty
highway in the direction of Gettysburg.
Time rolled on. So also did the Army
Of the Potomac. We travelled old, famil-
lar paths, and paths that were not SO
familiar; we left our battlefelds of pre-
vious years far in the rear as we pursued
our march to the northward, and still my
papers from the War Department with
my application for leave Of absence were
pursuing that mysterious "official chan
nell" We reached and crossed the Po-
| tomac River; we marched DER the bor-
ders Of Maryland, My Maryland" before
our eyes were the mountains, beneath our
feet the. valleys of the Keystone State;
but from the regular official channer
my papers had not yet returned. The
morning of July 1 dawned upon US: over
muddy roads, through drizzling rain we
marched to the memorable field of Gettys-
burg, and when the battle was over, as a
prisoner Of war, l accompanied Lees de-
feated army to the shelter of the Virginia
hills beyond the Potomac, and later took
weary trip to Richmond. After basking
for season on sunny Belle Isle, was
among the fortunate who were paroled
and returned to Gods country, arriving
in Annapolis some time in the month Of
August.
Immediately after my return from Jail
| l wrote to my Company in the Army Of
the Potomac, to learn if my papers from
the War Department, etc., had been as
fortunate as myself, and had returned
from the regular official channel" and,
10! with the answer, which came in due
season, came also my permit from the
War Department and a leave Of absence
to visit Washington. bearing date July 10,
1863, officially approved from Corps
to Regimental Headquarters, in COM
pliance with the wishes of the Sec
retary Of War. Thus, it will be
seen, these documents Travelled the
regular official channel' on their up
ward journey from Regimental to Corps
Headquarters, in the short space of "a
days; but how long it took them to ac-
complish the home run I never learned.
At last / held in my possession leave of
absence to visit Washington, which had
passed safely through the regular official
channel" and yet it was but SO much
worthless paper, for was then far re-
moved from the power and influence of
the commander of the First Corps, and If
I still desired to visit Washington my
only hope lay In this old permit from the
War Department, which was just as good,
but no better, than it was on the 18th of
June, the day first received it. Although
by sad experience had learned that the
Secretary of War was inferior in rank
to the Corps Commander of the Army ol
the Potomac, still retained lingering
hope that he was superior in rank to the
Commandant of Camp Parole. However
when I presented said permit to the gal
liant Major in command Of the barracks
where l was quartered, in the city, with
!. the oral statement that l proposed visit
ing Washington, the Major informed me
that a permit of that kind from the Wal
Department was Of no Use there, only as
a recommendation for leave of absence
for which, If l desired, could make ap
plieation. That he, the Major, holding thu
SECRETARY OI Nar III Hlucn esteem, WOulC
approve the application and forward the
same, together with my paper from the
War Department, through the Irregular
! official channel" to Col. Root, Command
ant of Camp Parole, where it would ir
all probability be approved. and on its re
turn I could visit Washington.
Greatly though l admired the expedi
tious manner with which documents Of
this kind travelled the regular oficia
channel" my late term in Jail had added
) an impatient recklessness to my spirit
quite foreign to my naturally long g-suffer
ing disposition, and without entering int
an argument with the Major on the rela
tive powers and authority Of Col. Root
Commandant of Camp Parole, VS.. e. NJ
stanton. Secretary of War of the United
States Of America (the Major would sure
" have gotten the best OF the argumen,
in such case), I concluded to play shook