Year: 1864

sent me with very hne SWORD, PAIR OF
valuable pistols, and pair of spurs. In
response t, an eloquent presentation speech,
made by learned divine, i delivered q
Union speech, the leading purpose of which
was to promote the recruiting Of men for q
division of cavalry, which then had the
honor to command, whose ranks had been
greatly tLinned By heavy losses in battle
the division having just come to Kentucky
from the front for the purpose of ofrecraiting,
refitting, and remounting. I made long
speech, in which l fully discussed the
wickedness of therebellion, and contrasted
the misery and despotism Of the so called
Southern Government with the happiness
and freedom of our own. In the course of
the speech spoke of your abolition poll
cy, and condemned it. But / insisted that
it was the duty of all good citizens to de
fend their country by fighting the rebellion,
whether they approved the course pursued
by the Administration or not. For the
true character Of this speech | refer you to
the statements OF N. O. johnson and Others,
which enclose. The men whose names
are subscribed thereto are men of the high
est order OF intellect and OF the most ele
waited moral character. The substance Of
what they say therein can be proved by
five hundred ladies and gentlemen.


For this speech | was arrested and sent to
Knoxville, in the State of Tennessee, where
| remained, without any charges being
preferred against me, until you Were in
duced by some wicked men in Kentucky,
who knew that no court martial could be
found who would censure me for any
thing said in that speech, to issue an order,
founded on bare rumor, as you yourself
informed ME. dishonorably dismissing me
from the service Of the United Stats for q
violation of the fifth article of war, for dis>
loyalty, and for conduct unbecoming an Of,
fcer and gentleman.


Now, Mr.. President, what wish to call
your attention particularly to is the fact
that every word contained in this order OF
dismissal is false-tbst there is not the least
foundation IN truth for anything contained
in it. / did not violate the Fifth Article
of War, nor did ever violate any article OF
war in my life. 1t was my duty to study
the articles of war, and teach them to my
men; and thinklI understand them. The
only thing said about you personally was
that you had told great political truth
when you said that you had no power un-
der the Constitution to interfere with the
domestic institutions OF the States. fur
ther said, that you were the President OF
the United States, and, as such, the com
mander- in-chief of the army, which made
it my duty to respect your position, and to
obey all the legal orders that emanated
from you. ,iZ


Your order charges me with dislOyalty
Surely am not disloyal. never did dis,
loyal act, spoke disloyal word, or thought
q disloyal thought in all my life. Disloy-
atty is treason, and treason is the highest
crime known to the law The charge OF
disloyalty should not be lightly made
against any officer or citizen. As proof
that | am not disloyal, let me set before
YOU few facts. At the commencement oi
the war opposed the doctrine of neutrali'
ty in Kentucky. When Governor Magof-
fin refused to respond to your call for vol
unteers, raised company on my own re.
sponsbilty, and held it in readiness for
my country's service. Afterwards, by your
permission, under the auspices of the Ia.
mented Nelson, raised the first regiment
of Kentucky volunteer cavalry, and had it
mustered into the service of the United
States. | raised this regiment at my own
expense, without ever asking the Govern
ment to refund the money. was almost
three years in the service, always in front,
and always present in the discharge of my
duty, although all the time suffering from
severe wounds received in battle. | was
almost all the tine fighting, so that the
fights and skirmishes was in number over
three hundred. | was in almost all the
fights that were fought in Kentucky and
Tennessee. | was in all the chases after
Morgan, and was present, and second in
command, when he was captured. In many
fights / commanded regiment, in many
others brigade, and for long time and
in many fights division. For proof that
did my duty in the field and in the camp
and that my command always behaved well
and always fought well, refer you to Gen
erals Burnside, Shackelford, Hobson, Stur
gis and Carter. never made any written
reports of the battles | fought, because l
seldom had time besides, was not seek
ing fame, and did not desire promotion.


Loving my men from long association
with them, | resolved, after | was dis
missed, to join my old regiment as pri.
vate; but l was so disabled by the wounds
had received in battle chat / could not
pass the examination of the surgeons.
then thought Of going along with my ole
comrades at my own expense, but was pre-
vented from dong 30 by an order.


Being thus cut of from doing anything
for my country in the army, accepted tn
nomination Of the Conservative UnioI
Convention as candidate of that party fo
tho Office of elector at the next Presiden
tial election, and commenced canvass o
the State. My first appointment was a
Lebanon, on the 2Sth day of May, 1864
and from there ! had number Of appoint
ments, filing up the month of June.


On the Goth day Of May | received from
Governor Bramlette this note:


"HsADQ'Rs KENTUCKY VOLUNTEERS,


FRANKFoRT, May &c, 1864.


"Col. Frank WooLord: