Omaha daily bee., 1907-11-12
CALL IS MADE FOR PROOl
Loyalty of Famous Northern Gencr-
ais is Challenged.

Loyalty of Famous Northern Gencr-
ais is Challenged.
LETTERS OF JEFFERSON DAVIS
Claim Made that Generals Grant and
Thomas and Admiral FarrnRut
Wanted southern Com
missions.
CHICAGO Nov. 11.-Colonel James T.
Stuart past vice commander of the De
partment of Illinois. Grand Army of the
Republic issued a challenge last night to
the louisiana Historical association to pro-
duce the letters alleged TO be in its pos
session in which General Grant, General
George II. Thomas and Admiral Farragut
at one tive offered their services 70 Jeffer-
son Davis in the conferedate army.
The challenge follows statement made
in Baltimore, Md, on Saturday by Captain
A. L. DeRosset of Wilmington, y. c. Cap
tain DeRosset, through the medium Of the
Confederate Veteran, the oficial organ Of
the confederate societies, said the historical
association had in its museum original
copies OF letters which these three dis
tinguished union officers wrote to Davis.
General Grant is said TO have written TO
Davis applying for a commission January
1s 1861.
Il challenge the production by the Louis
lana Historical association, by any society
or individual, of any authentic letter writ
ten by either Of these three men at any
time which contains one word or phrase
from which the inference could be drawn
they were willing at any time to aid or
assist the cause Of the rebellion"
The Letters Exist.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. lin regard to
an article published in the Confederate Vet
eran TO the effect that General L. S. Grant,
General George s. Thomas and Admiral
Farragut had applied to President Jeffer-
son Davis of the confederacy for commits
sions Immediately before the outbreak Of
the civil war, and that their letters are in
the Louisiana Historical society, Colonel
]. A. Chalaron, custodian Of Memorial hall
in this city, said:
Mrs. jefferson Davis consigned several
/ packages OF letters to the care OF the hall
and these are to be opened only when au-
| thority is given US to do so. This author
| ity rests with her daughter. Mrs. Hayes
! OF Colorado Springs. I do not know the
contents Of these letters"
Editor II in Doubt.
| NASHVILLE, Tenn, Nov. lis. A. Cum
nlngham. publisher of the Confederate
Veteran OF this city, tho official organ of
the United Confederate Veterans associa.
tion, stated today in regard TO the publica-
tion that General Grant, Admiral Farragut
and General Thomas had applied to Jeffer
I son Davis for commissions in the confeder-
ate army, that at the time OF the publica-
! tion OF Captain DeRosette's communication
in the Veteran he had misgivings as to the
| correctness of the statement and that later
investigation had convinced him It was
erroneous. As result of the investigation
the December number Of the Veteran will
contain a correction.
Mrs. Hays Eiu Not say.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo Nov IL
| In an interview Mrs. j. A. Hayes, daugh-
ter of the late Jefferson Davis, said today
IL do not know anything about the con-
tents of those letters, nor do ! know
whether Generals Grant and Thomas or
Admiral Farragut ever applied to my
father for commissions; never heard
my parents make any mention Of their
having done so.
'Not knowing anything definite about
say when they shall be opened 1 am
going 10 New Orleans in February and
shall take counsel with my friends and
relatives before deciding upon any course.
Since neither my father nor my mother
| ever made these letters public, il is but
natural that / should feel some diffidence
! about opening them or departing from
the course my psrepts thought Mt TO pur-
sue. I do not sec any reason why the
letters should be made public just now"
When asked If she would. express her
personal opinion as to whether Generals
Grant and Thomas or Admiral Farragut
applied to her father for commissions
Mrs. Hayes said that under the circum-
stances she was not in a position to ex-
press any opinion whatsoever.
MisunderstandIn Has Resulted.
BALTIMORE, Md. Nov. 1l.-Major Will
lam NJ, Pegram of this city has received
a letter from Colonel j. A. Chalaron. Gus
todian Of the Pantheon OF Confederate Vet
Grams and secretary OF the Louisiana His
torical society, in which he denies possess
ing letters written by General Grant, Ad-
mira Farragut, and General Thomas to
President Jefferson Davis in 1861, request
ing commissions in the Confederate service
Colonel Chalsron says:
Captain De Rosset (who is credited with
having made the statement referred to)
Is completely in error and must have mis-
understood me in conversation wa had
during a visit he made 10 Memorial hall
more than two years ago. / have no such
letters in my possession. nor have I seen
any such.
1T is to be regretted that Captain De
Rosset did not address me on the subject
! e, liz 80
assertion he published.
/ II wrote 20 him on the 22d ultlmO, call,
ing his attention to the error he has com.
mitted. have written to Mr.. Cunningham
Of the Confederate Veterans to the same
effect"
pEpKIMcI nnnX MAC nnrMAr--