Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-11
TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT
FURRY OVER ALLEGED STATE
MENT ABOUT GEN. GRANT.

CHICAGO November 11.--Col James
E. Stuart. past vice commander of the
Department Of Illinois, G. A. r., issued
a challenge lest night to the louisiana
Historical Association TO produce the let
ters alleged to be in its possession in
which Gen. [. S. Grant, Gen. George Fl.
Thomas and Admiral Farragut at one
time offered their services to Jefferson
Davis in the Confederate army.
The challenge follows the statement
made in Baltimore, Md, Saturday by
Capt. A. l.. De Rossett of Wilmington.
y. G. Capt. De Rossett. through the me-
dunn of the Confederate Veteran, the
official organ of the Confederate societies,
said the Historical Association had in
It's museum original copies Of letters
which these three distinguished Union
officers wrote to Davis. Gen. Grant Is
said to have written to Davis applying
for a commission January Is, 1861. Stuart
said:
II challenge the production by the
Louisiana Historical Association. by any
society or individual. of any authentic
letter written by either of these three
men at any time which contains one
word or phrase from which the infer
ence could be drawn they we're willing
at any time to aid or assist the cause
OF the reDelllOn.
Statement Is Denied.
NEW ORLEANS, November lit
deny having made a statement about
letters Of Gen. Grant Gen. Thomas and
Admiral Farragut, attributed to me by
Maj De Rossett in his article in the Con-
federate Veteran of October, 1907.
MAJ. De Rossett must have misunder-
stood what remarks I may have made
about the Davis papers In our conversa-
ton when the major visited Memorial
Hall two years ago. l have never seen
such letters. nor do l know Of their ex
istence.
1T is to be regretted that he did not
verify his recollection of that conversa-
tion by writing to me before the publica-
tion of his article. J. A. CHALARON."
Correction at Nashville.
NASHVILLE. Tenn, November lis.
A. Cunningham. publisher of the Confed-
crate Veteran of this city, said today that
an Investigation of the statement by Capt.
De Rosset that Gen. Grant, Admiral Far
ragut and Gen. Thomas had applied to
Jefferson Davis for commissions in the
Confederate army had convinced him that
Capt De RosSet's assertion was errOne-
GUS AS a result of the investigation the
December number of the Veterans, which
is the official organ of the United Con-
federate Veterans Association, will con-
tain a correction. Mr.. Cunningham said
that al the time of the publication of
Capt De Rossets communication he had
misgivings as TO the correctness of the
Ia tiers statement.
In speaking of the matter of Gen.
Grants reported application for a COM
mission In the Confederate army, Gen.
John &. Black of the civil service COM
mission said My attention was first
directed to the statement printed in the
organ of the Confederate veterans last
night. and at that time ] said it was in
credible 7 also recalled that Gen. Grant,
then Capt. Grant. had presided over a
meeting at Galena, H.. Immediately after
the first call for volunteers, and his every
act after that was in the open. But |
see printed in one of the New York
papers this morning a detailed denial of
the whole story from the alleged Gus
todian OF the Grant letters IN Baton
Rouge. La, so the incident is apparently
closed"
Brig Gen. John -. Wilson. retired. has
also been quoted IN emphatic denial of
the truth of the story. Gen. Wilson's
statement was follows:
Gen Grant had the absolute confidence
of the whole people. and his soldiers never
for an instant questioned his patriotism
and devotion TO the cause for which he
stood and fought. If not of such serious
import, the whole matter would be too
ridiculous to talk about -