Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-15
THE ARMY NEWSPAPER
INCIDENTS RECALLED AT RE-
UNION OF NINTH CORPS.
Harry n. Smiths ''Camp Journal"
Printed in This City in
February, 1868.

Among the interesting incidents which oc-
Cured at the 9th Corps reunion during
the encampment, was a story told by
a comrade of the Goth Regiment Michigan
infantry. After Rev. DR.. Treadway had
sp"heh OF the establishment OF a Union
paper IN East Tennessee In the fall OF 1863
oy an Illinois regiment as the Pioneer
Army Paper OF the Civil War" the Michi-
gan comrade demurred to that, and said
the credit OF establishing the first army
paper belonged TO the Goth Michigan. COM
manded by Col. Bryan NJ Cutcheon. who
subsequently served eight years in Com
gress from Michigan; that the regiment
was In Gen. Q. b. Wlcoxs division. and
was stationed at Lebanon, KY. in April or
May, 1865; that the suggestion was made
by Battle Creek officer. who had been a
printer and editor: that 1t was at once
agreed upon, and an abandoned newspaper
office. the owner of which was in the con-
leoerate army, was taken possession of;
the type was set and the first issue christ
ened The Union Nidette," printed on brown
or dark wrapping paper; that Col. Cutcheon
was the editor or leading writer; that his
leading article was entitled Peace" and
TOOK up Lncoln's emancipation proclama-
ton, and argued that there could be no
peace without the destruction of slavery.
The Kentucky legislature took up the mat
ter. denounced the paper and the article
that the paper be suppressed
1t was not suppressed. however" said
the Michigan man. until it got out TWO
more editions. and then the regiment was
too busy fighting to get out any more
papers"
Others remembered 1t, one saying, how
ever, that he believed another Michigan
regiment (the 26th) started the first paper.
and that one of the editors was I'd Corps
man: that he was from Kalamazoo and
was temporary resident of Washington.
10 to ,nI- h 4
the rest of the story will be told by the
party of the second part alluded to, who
proved to be Harry II. Smith, for many
years journal clerk of the House of Repre-
sentativeS and afterward acting register OF
the treasury.
"Our Camp Journal"
In response 70 a request for statement
in regard TO the matter Mr.. Smith said:
Il think the Doth Michigan Infantry is
entitled to the credit of authorship of the
first army military newspaper es:ab-
lished at the front during. the civil war. and
1 may add with becoming modesty, that
was the first person to suggest it publicly,
though Lieut. w. w. Burch Of Company
suggested such publication In private
letter to an Ann Arbor friend, who APP
proved it. The regiment had just returned
from Union Mills, Va, where 1t had been
hastily sent, and assigned to the LIST Bri-
gade of Slocums division of Sigels Re
serve Corps
"Our brigade was commanded by Col. De
Utassy of the 139th New York Infantry
(Garibaldi Guards. who had ANONYMOUSLY
surrendered his regiment at Harpers
Ferry. Many OF the officers and most Of
the non-commissoned officers and privates
declared they still under parole and
would not fight. They were a tough lot.
and Col. De Ctassy was subsequently
court-martialed and dishonorably dismissed
from the service, over one hundred charges
having been proved against him. Lieut..
Col. III. II. Wells of the 2ith Ga Detroit law
yer well acquainted with Senator Zach
Chandler) quietly slipped away to Washing
ton and tod Senator Chandler the situation
The senator drove Immediately to the War
Department, saw Secretary Stanton end
asked that the Goth Michigan Infantry be
assigned to some other brigade and that
the "Garibaldi Guards be disciplined
" Michigan regiments are at the front to
fight, not surrender said the senator, I'M
petuously. and If they get into a fight now
they liable to wipe out these blankety
blank ''Garibaldi Guards a starter
"The order was Immediately issued. the
2Gth was detached and sent to Alexandria.
and shortly after (April 2o was sent 10
Suffolk and was under Dix on the Black
water expedition on the peninsula.
Lieut.. Burch died February .: 1863. and
his brother. Lieut. L. n. Rurch of Company
D Lieut. c. H Holden OF Company A and
myself 1'rvate Smith of Company c. were
chosen editors. | brought the copy to
Washington in early February. 1SES ana
contracted with Gideon q Pearson. whose
establishment was on the southwest corner
of 9th and ID streets. to print the publica-
ton. which was entitled Our Camp jour
nal 1t was n four-page, fVe-column sheet.
II by l9l5. and we agreed to print 5000
copies as a starter After correcting the
last proof an inspiration seized me as they
were locking up the forms, and increased
the order to 10000 copies. 7 shall never
forget the shock | received at the profane
remark of one of the firm, with the ad-
denda that they had only wet down paper
for 1000 copies. and that I couldn't get the
extra 1000 copies under three days. | took
the 3.0n0 copies over to our camp near
Alexandria. arriving at noon. and in twenty
minutes every copy was sold. and L came
near getting tossed in tent fly for not or
dering 10000 copies before l could say L
had done SO.
An Edition Of $4,000.
"Orders came in thick and fast from
other regiments, notably the 126th and l';d
New York and 10Th Connecticut Infantry,
as well as from the surrounding forts and
convalescent camp. with the result that L
ordered 5000 additional copies, and as Cid
con & Pearson We're willing to hold the
type for a week-and did-we printed 3,oD
more COPIES making in all $1,000 copies.
That enterprise reached the ears OF Mr.
Douglas Wallach. then the owner of The
Evening Star. who wrote me TO come III
and see him the next time l was in Wash
ington | called, introduced myself. was
kindly received was then introduced at
'Samstags, and after 'refreshment Mr.;
w alach Salu' NY poy, VIZ 80 q r lii
of 'sojering come and see me ana Will
give you good place
Two additional numbers were Issued put
ach edition was small. for | was on de-
tached duty and not with the boys TO look
after copy, proof, etc, and, then, the nov
eltv of the thing was gone | looked the
matter up some years ago. and found that
Our Camp Journal was the pioneer IN
the Wav of army or war newspapers, ana
I claim that honor for and on behalf OF the
2fth Michigan Infantry.
Lieut. Col Wells was afterward military
governor of Virginia, and subsequently
United States attorney for the District of
Columbia
Mr. Smith exhibited copy, of the first
edition of the Camp journal, Volume 1.
No 1 which on examination proved to BIO
an interesting and well-edited publication
of good typographical appearance 1t Is
Mr. Smiths purpose to present ME OF the