The National tribune., 1909-07-15
GEN. LIE Dues CAREER.
A Breezy Letter From . Good Old
Comrade.

Editor National Tribune: You ed
| itors, with your compositors, type-stick-
ers and such, are, as l know from ex-
| periences of my own, not omniscient
nor omnipotent, and while you assume
the privilege of criticizing others, your
selves are legitimate subjects of criti-
cism-ourselves, ] might as well say,
having had experience as editor and
proprietor of a newspaper many years
ago. The object of the present writing
is to say that in the notice made of my
association with the Florida Colony a
better advertisement for the purposes
of the colony organization would have
been attained If the notice had been
submitted to me before publication, in
which case it would have said that
was familiar with Florida, having fire.
quently visited that State, and that it
was my intention to spend next Winter
there in commencing to improve my
little farm of five acres, and make it
yield revenue per acre equal to places
| was familiar with in California, where
citrus fruits gave annual yiejds of 5000
to $1,000 from oranges and other semi
tropic fruits, sold on the tree to packers,
etc.
AS to the historical statements some
people who know Cho only a few now
alive) will smile at the statement that
"he was promoted to Lieutenant-C Colonel
for splendid services in opening the
cracker line to Chattanooga" whereas
he was promoted to Lieutenant-C Colonel
and Chief Quartermaster of the Elev-
enth Corps in 1862 by Mcclellan, for
services in the "On TO Richmond" cam
paign; to wit, suggesting 10 Mcclellan
land planking a railroad bridge over the
fChickahominy, when the army was cut
in two by sudden rise of water which
took out the grapevine bridge by which
Sumner had crossed to the relief of
nd al loo h1- n in
hand other engineering work not in his
line of duty as Quartermaster at White
Oak Swamp crossing, clearing up
quarter of a mile of distractions which
the rebels had piled on stone road
across the swamp, and getting the heavy
artillery and transportation across,
thereby foiling Stonewall Jackson's
flank attack and securing the position
on Malvern Hill which contributed so
greatly to the defeat of the desperate
attack of the rebels there. For these
Mcclellan gave promotion to the Elev-
enth Corps Quartermastership, which
carried with it the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel, and which was not changed,
aItho advanced to Chief Quartermaster
Of Reserve Grand Division So far from
the splendid services in opening the
cracker line in Tennessee" earning pro-
motion, the position temporarily re-
duced rank and pay, altho / was as
signed to that work of establishing a
base for the army supplies at Bridge
port by special orders of Gen. Grant
whose Aid, Gen. Wilson, assured me il
should not be, the peculiar regulations
of the Quartermaster's Department IN
the service being like an assignment as
Commandant at West Point.
Hooker was in command of the Elev-
enth and Twelfth Corps, and knew of
my services. of course, and when the,
two corps were consolidated into the
Twentieth Corps he applied for my as
signment to that corps. When / turned
the people out of Atlanta on Sherman's
order Sherman gave me leave of alb
sence to go home and get rested. When
j was returning and had got as far as
Nashville Gen. Thomas told me tina,
Sherman had cut the wires and started
that day on his march to the sea- and
asked me to serve on his staff as the
Chief Quartermaster in the field in the
Hood campaign. On his special COM
mendatory order at the close of the
campaign / received two brevets-Col-
onel and Brigadier-General. That's the
true story of that part. AS to residing
at Hastings, Mimi, q number of years"
Hon. II. Hastings Sibley, afterward
Governor of Minnesota, asked me to join
with him in new town to be estab-
lished 20 miles down the river from ST
Paul, to be surveyed as soon as the In
dian title was extinguished and the
land surveyed, and l agreed, and, hav-
ing acquired other landed interests ad-
joining, l came to Hastings minnesota
and not Nebraska, as you published a
few months back, to my annoyance as
am yet receiving letters sent there by
people who read The National Tribunel,
and not for "a number of years" but
for all of the years from June, 1857, /
have had my residence here |
Again, was not for military services
appointed by President Hays Commits
sioner of Agriculture, but Hayes and
were graduates of Kenyon College, and
there were members of the same coll
lege society, the Philomathesian, and |
he was familiar with my agricultural in |
stipcts. etc. and offered me the place OF |
Commissioner of Agriculture, hoping ! !
would be able to make something out |
OF Department of the Government |
which was then in the contempt of the |
farmers. and the Changers were in