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The Union Soldier and Sailor of the Nation did not stop 
 
 TO COUNT THE PeRIL, OR THE SACRIFICE, WHEN Ti^E DrUM-BEAT, 
 AND THE BUGLE-BLAST, CALLED THEM TO DUTY, 'mID THE 
 
 STORM OF Shot and Shell. 
 
 Then Rally once again, Boys, to investigate your Rights under 
 
 the Existing Law. 
 
 APPLICATION 
 
 of 
 
 SETH M. WHITTEN 
 
 OF INDIANA, 
 
 FOR THE OFFICE OF V.,!,. ,1'' f 
 
 SERGEANT- AT-ARMS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNITED STATES SENATE, 
 With Endorsements, Official and Private Letters and Papers 
 
 WHICH BRIEFLY SHOW HIS CiVIL AND MILITARY SERVICES, THE 
 ORIGIN, CHARACTER AND DEGREE OF HIS PHYSICAL DlS- 
 
 bilities, and an argument showing the 
 
 Political preferment FuR office 
 
 OF Rebels over Union 
 
 Soldiers. 
 
 Compiled by the Applicant. 
 
 Copyright, 18S8, by Seth M. Whitten. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 •'Sherman's CijAims TO THE Presidency.*' 
 'L i.s soanetimes said that no man can have any 'claims* to otfice. This is to say, ' Re- 
 public^ are ungrateful.' It is not true. He who has devoted HIS LIFE to the public ser- 
 vice.and has rendered moke and more valuable public service than any other,and re- 
 tains in full vigor of body and- mind— we/ii- sana in corpore saao — all the grea' qualities 
 to make himself as usei-til, if not more so, as any other can as yet be, lias claims of 
 tlie highest order to public favor. He who has been thus * faithful over many thino-s ' 
 should be made ruler ov(!r a great nation." " 
 
 The above qiiotation was clipped from the " Brief Sketch of the 
 Life and Public Services of John Sherman." It is a book of 80 
 pages, was most ably edited by his friend Judge William Lawrence, 
 and is an attempt to show that the claims of Mr Sherman for the 
 nomination at Chicago are superior to those of all other candidates. 
 
 If the following pages of this phamplet do not prove that my 
 claims for the office of Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate are far su- 
 perior to those of Mr. William P. Canaday, and if they do not de- 
 termine the matter 'favorably to me, it is because facts clearly 
 established do not have any effect upon your minds, or do not out- 
 weigh the behest of politicians, or the demands jr requests of a 
 rebel soldier. 
 
 This work has been prepared under the most trying circumstances 
 of physical and mental suferings and financial distress ; and as I 
 have been too feeble to note all of the Typographical errors, you will 
 no doubt find an occasional mistake in the orthograhy. 
 
 I have been the sole editor and compiler of it, and, while in process 
 of printing, the manuscript and finished matter has at all times been 
 in the close custody of a friend, or safely locked up and hid from 
 view. It contains matter which I do not believe you will think it 
 prudent to make public at this time; and as I have successfully kept 
 it from all persons who would make it public, if you should let it 
 fall into the hands of some Democratic newspaper correspondent, or 
 some unfriendly hand, the responsibility would be with you and not 
 with me. 
 
 ^ I have not made this pamphlet as complete in details, of illustra- 
 tions, and of the analysis of Congressional votes, as I should have 
 done had 1 possessed the necessery means to print them; but if any 
 Senator or Republican Committee desires to circulate it as a 
 campaign document, I can easily and readily supply tlie additional 
 details and illustrations in quantities to suit the demaml for them. 
 
 I have in my possession subject to the order of any Senator, or of 
 any Committee of Senators, all of the original papers from which the 
 published copies of this pamphlet were printed, except a few affida- 
 vits on file at the Pension Office. 
 
 I have protected myself by copyright for the reason that I cannot 
 afford to lose the result of my labor; you will please bear in mind 
 the fact that within ten days from the date hereof I must, if I would 
 avail myself of the benefits of the law, file two copies of this pam- 
 phlet with the Librarian of Congress. If your action in this matter 
 is favorable to me before the expiration of the said ten days, I will 
 not file them at all, but if it is otherwise, or extends beyond that 
 time, my sore necessities will compell me to do it. 
 
 SETH M. WHITTEN, 
 
 Washingtox, D. C. June 18, 1888. 1237 9th, St., N. W. 
 
APPLICATION 
 
 OF 
 
 SETH M. WHITTEN, 
 
 OF INDIANA, 
 
 FOR THE OFFICE OF 
 
 SERGEANT-AT-ARMS, UNITED STATES SENATE. 
 
 To Hon. N W. Aldrich, William B. Allison, Henry W. Blair, Tho- 
 mas M. Bowen, J. D. Cameron, Jonathan Chace, William E. Chandler, 
 Shelby M. Ciillom, Cushman K. Davis, Henry L. Dawes, Joseph N. 
 Dolph, George F. Edmunds, William M. Evarts, Charles B. Farwell, 
 William P. Frye, Eujjrene Hale, Joseph R. Hawley, Frank Hisconk, 
 George F. Hoar, John J. Ingalls, John P. Jones, Charles F. Mander- 
 son, John H. Mitchell, Justin S, Morrill, Algernon S. Paddock, 
 Thomas W. Palmer, Orville H. Piatt, Preston B. Plumb, M. S. Quay, 
 H. H. Riddleberger, Dwight M. Sabin, Philetus Sawyer, John Sher- 
 man, John C. Spooner, Leland Stanford, William M. Stewart, Fran- 
 cis B. Stockbridge, Henry M. Teller, and James F. Wilson, Republi- 
 can Senators, United States Senate. 
 
 Gentlemen : — For the reason that William P. Canaday, of North 
 Carolina, was a rebel soldier in the service of the so-called Confed- 
 erate government, war of the rebellion, and the fact that I am a 
 DISABLED EX-UMON soT.DiER, war of the rebellion, "honorably dis- 
 charged FROM the military SERVICE BY REASON OF DISABILITY, RESULT- 
 ING FROM SICKNESS INCURRED," and injuries received " in the line of 
 
 DUTY," and "possess the business capacity necessary FOR THE 
 
 PROPER DISCHARGE OF THE DUTIES OF SUCH OFFICE," which entitles me 
 to preferment under section 1754 of the Revised Statutes of the 
 United States I do hereby apply to you for the election of myself 
 to the said t)ffice of S«ergeant-at-Arms. 
 
 I am a person of good moral character, and of correct temperate 
 and business habits ; am forty years of age, reside at Union City, 
 Randolph County,. Indiana, and since my discharge from the service, 
 when my disabilities have not disqualified me, I have been by oc- 
 cupation a laborer, a school teacher, and a lawyer 
 
 I have always been an earnest, aggressive, uncompromising Re- 
 publican, ever ready and willing to perforin any lionorabie service 
 which advanced, or which tended to advance, the cause and inter- 
 ests of the Republican party. 
 
 My father having consented to my enlistment, I began to work for 
 the cause espoused by this party, in April, 1<SG;3 at fifteen years of 
 age, as a private soldier in the service of my country, and have ac- 
 tively participated in every State and national campaign since that 
 time when physically able to do so 
 
I was a member of the 8tli Michigan cavalry from April 10, 1863, 
 to February 13th, 1864, when I was honorably discharged on ac- 
 count of disabilities received in the line of duty as a soldier, which 
 disqualified me for the cavalry service In twelve days thereafter, 
 or, on the 25th day of February, 1864, believing that I could still 
 render the country efficient service as an infantry soldier, I again 
 enlisted as a private in company " K," of the 4tli Michigan infantry, 
 and was honorably discharged to date May 26, 1866, the date of the 
 muster out of my company. 
 
 Fearing that my father would this time prefer that I should not 
 return to the service on account of my age, I stopped at Hillsdale, 
 Michigan, twenty miles from my place of residence in Branch County, 
 and was here enlisted and mustered into the United States service 
 before going home. 
 
 I most cheerfully and faithfully performed every duty required 
 of me as a soldier, and several times voluntarily performed hazar- 
 dous service with my company and regiment, going into danger when 
 other duties, or lawful causes, would have honorably excused me ; 
 and I never received even so much as a mild reprimand for any 
 cause whatever. 
 
 As a result of that military service I am now, and since Novem- 
 ber, 1871, I have been, physically disqualified for performing any 
 manual labor, and for nearly eight years of this time I have not 
 been able to follow my profession as a lawyer, while during the 
 past four years I have been obliged to abandon it altogether. 
 
 If during these years there had been no failure of my health 
 and strength, 1 might to-day be in the enjoyment of a settled home, 
 and a legal practice worth several thousand dollars a year, and, 
 with an accumulation of means for a support. My success as a law- 
 yer was a complete business adventure from the very first, and it 
 was only because of my physical inability to proseciite it that I 
 failed. As a result of this failure, I am now reduced to absolute 
 poverty, and am greatly distressed thereby. 
 
 Not having a home of my own, nor any place to go when unable 
 to work, I was obliged to establish one, temporarily, and now have 
 a Avife and four small children wholly dependent upon my exer- 
 tions for their education and support. 
 
 Joseph .VI. Southwick, the grandfather of two of my children, was 
 a Union soldier in the 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics, and 
 died in the service of his country in 1863, at Bridgeport, Alabama. 
 
 Nearly all of my male relatives were in the Union Army during 
 the war, and fully performed their part in suppressing that gigantic 
 treason of 1861 to 1865, and none of them were ever in the civil ser- 
 vice that I ever knew of. 
 
 On account of the loss of time, and the great extraordinary ex- 
 pense occasioned by so many years of pliysical inability to labor, 
 I have been obliged to, and have accepted the contributions of 
 friends, and others in a business way, for which I am sadly in debt. 
 This assistance was rendered many times when it was thought that 
 I could not live to return it. It is, thereiore, a sacred matter, and 
 
3 
 
 creates a strong desire in me for such employment as will enable me 
 to discharge these obligations to the very last cent, and afford 
 an opportunity to educate my children, and make my family com- 
 fortable. 
 
 I am at this time just as anxious to serve my country as I was in 
 the first instance when I enlisted as a soldier, and if elected to the 
 oJEce of Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, I will be equally faithful 
 in the discharge of every duty required of me by law, and the rules 
 of the Senate. 
 
 The weather during the past winter and the present spring hav- 
 ing been so very changeable, has so affected me as to render it im- 
 possible for me to follow any kind of labor within my reach, an(J 
 for this reason I have been absolutely obliged to make further drafts 
 upon my friends, for means to support my family, but which has 
 not been sufficient to meet all my natural current expenses I am, 
 therefore, very much in need of, and must have Immediate employ- 
 ment. I have thus extended my credit in the full hope that the re- 
 quest herein made by my friends will be granted, and that this sim- 
 ple act of justice will enable me to once more feel that I have an 
 opportunity to enjoy the independence of a true citizenship, released 
 from the terrible strain of mind and body, occasioned by my ina- 
 bility to meet the natural demands made upon me as a husband and 
 a father With these advantages, and the mental and physical 
 relief which they would afford, my health and strength would 
 return. 
 
 Althouirh I am seriously disabled I have a full and perfect use of 
 my hands and mental faculties, and with iny knowledge of the 
 duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms and of the numerous assistants fur- 
 nished him by law, and by the rules of the Senate, I am able to say 
 that I have no disabilities which disqualify me for performing the 
 duties required of that officer. 
 
 The contest of parties in the present presidential campaign will 
 be one of unusual vigor, and of great importance to the country. 
 These facts have inspired me witii the hope that the Republican 
 party will enter tlie campaign witii clean hands, and that whatso- 
 ever is necessary to do to correct the mistakes of the past, in the 
 direction pointed out by my friends in their letters of endorsement, 
 will be done in due season, and in a proper manner. 
 
 Indiana, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will be the ob- 
 jective points of the struggle ; but it must not be forgotten that on 
 account of the numerous coalitions and combinations which exist in 
 that State, Michigan is also a special bone of contention, which im- 
 perils the majority in tlie next House of Representatives, which 
 fact is worthy of careful consideration, and must not be overlooked. 
 
 I am very desirous of contributing what I can towards the elec- 
 tion of a Republican President, and a majority of the next House of 
 Representatives. I am also extremely anxious that the Republicans 
 of New Jersey shall succeed in electing a majority of their next 
 legislature, in order to secure the election of a Republican United 
 States Senator to succeed Mr. McPher.-^on. 
 
In my present situation I am not in a condition to do very much, 
 but if you will give me the benefits of this office, and in addition to 
 this support me in a legitimate research and investigation of some 
 most infamous practices at the Pension Office which I will clearly 
 point out, in a work of enforcing section 1754 in the interests of 
 disabled Union soldiers and sailors who may be entitled to recog- 
 nition thereunder, and of publishing correct information upon sub- 
 iects which directly affect them, I will effectually reach more sol- 
 diers in the States named than it will be possible to do m any other 
 way I assure you that I can accomplish a great amount of good in 
 Indiana, and I think as much as any other living man m the other 
 States Of one thing I am very certain, that but few men ii any, 
 have made more extensive or more careful examinations of the 
 workings of the various Executive Departments under the present 
 Administration, especially of the Pension Office, than I have ; and, 
 for this reason no man is better qualified to point out the inconsist- 
 encies and rottenness found therein 
 
 The fact that I have lived in Michigan, and now reside m Indiana, 
 and have an extensive intimate personal acquaintance aniong the 
 soldiers of those States, warrants me in saying that with this posi- 
 tion I could render them assistance in many ways, and while doing 
 it I could converse with them freely upon matters pertaining to the 
 canvass, and through them reach other soldiers in their locality. 
 I do not hesitate to venture the predicti.m that I can be ot tar 
 greater service to the Republican party in its present needs, than 
 can Mr. Canaday, or any man who has been mentioned for this place. 
 Having ten years ago begun a sort of a general investigation of sub- 
 jects which have affected the soldier, and a study of his condition, 
 his necessities, and his ideas of legislation, and having for two 
 years represented the Union Veteran Army in matters of pension 
 legislation, during which time I made a thorough and exhaustive 
 study of the Pension Office, carefully analyzing all the important 
 decisions of the Interior Department, and the rulings, orders, and 
 practice of the Pension Office, and having originated every new 
 feature of House Bill No. 11009 introduced January 31, 188/, and ot 
 Senate Bill No. 3289, introduced February 11, 1887, I Relieve I am 
 fully advised of every detail of the Pension law, and of tlie prac- 
 tice of the Pension Office. 
 
 I am heart and soul for the man who will be chosen for our Stan- 
 dard Bearer by the Chicago Convention, and if you will give me the 
 the opportunity to do so, I will contribute my full share toward his 
 election, by employing my time and every honorable means at my 
 command to secure that result. 
 
 I am informed that Col. George W. Hooker, of Vermont is a can- 
 didate for this office, and that several Senators are favorable to his 
 candidacy. I shall not question their right to be thus inclined, and 
 will not utter a word against that gentleman ; but, I desire to call 
 your attention to the fact that a Republican ^e/m^d has never hon- 
 ored a Union Private Soldier with this position, nor has it ever been 
 tendered to one by any Republican Senate Caucus, while, from about 
 
Marcli 20thto May 19tli, 1881, during a special session of the Senate, 
 a Rebel soldier had the solid support of Republican Senators for this 
 place; and, in the selection of the present oificer in December, 1883, 
 both in the Nomuiatmg Caucus, and in the Senate Election, the 
 claims of two very worthy Union Soldiers were wholly ignored. 
 Union Soldier Edward W. Whi taker, of Connecticut, who had been 
 ij^radually promoted during his four years of military service, from 
 the ranks, to be a Brevet General, solely upon merit, who was a can- 
 didate for the caucus nomination, wrote, and furnished to Mr. Cana- 
 day for his use, a certain letter, withdrawing from the contest, not 
 that he did not desire the office or need it, or was deserving of it, 
 but because he was distinctly informed that a Rebel Soldier would 
 be the choice of a majority of Republican Senators in their caucus. 
 Union Soldier Hooker concluded to try the efficacy of a pure, old- 
 time, Republican Caucus, for the evils he complained of, and trust- 
 ed his fate to that body; but when the votes of the thirty-three 
 Senators had been counted. Union Soldier Hooker had received six 
 votes, and Rebel Soldier Canaday, had received twenty-seTien votes, 
 and was declared to be the choice of a Republican caucus, for the 
 office of Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate. This action is a fair illus- 
 tration of the treatment I received at the hands of the Republicans 
 of the Senate, and of the 3ergeant-at-Arms (Rebel Soldier Canaday) 
 in April, May and June, 1886. I had been suddenly stricken down 
 with a paralytic attack, on the fir,-.t day of January, 1886, at No. 
 i;)21 F Street, Nortliwest, in this city, where I remained in an abso- 
 lute helpless condition until the 20th of February, when, my means 
 being all exhausted, I was sent to the Providence Hospital, and re- 
 mained there until the Ttli of April, when I was discharged as im- 
 proved, but had not recovered. 1 care not for my own sufferings 
 during this time, but the condition of m,7 family, left without any 
 means of support, and deprived of the earnings of my hands, which 
 I had intended to send them, and which was their only source of 
 income, made their condition one which language cannot fitly de- 
 scribe. \ I had not been able to send them even so much as a dollar 
 from February 20tli, and they were absolutely at the mercy of the 
 raging winds of winter, and the recurring seasons of hunger. Not 
 knowing what else to do, on the 9th of April I wrote a joint letter 
 to Senators P'dmunds, Logan, Conger, and Harrison, in which I set 
 forth in detail my sickness, the condition of myself and family 
 financially, and my services as a soldier and as a Republican. I al- 
 so filed other papers to prove my statements, and requested such 
 assistance from them as would secure me, at least, a temporary ap- 
 pointment as a messenger in the Senate. Senator Edmunds replied 
 by mail, stating that he had but very little influence in that direc- 
 tion, and that had been promised to another. Senator Conger re- 
 plied by letter, stating that he had no influence, as he had been try- 
 ing for some time to secure the appointment of a badly disabled 
 soldier froni Michigan, but had not been able to do so. Senator 
 Harrison, as I knew, was pledged to another badly disabled soldier, 
 and by reason of this was unable to take an active part, so he sta- 
 
ted. Senator IjOgan endorsed this paper, and referred it to Mr. Ca- 
 naday for his consideration. Not hearing- anything from it, in four 
 or five weeks, Senator I^iOgan, who was personally cognizant of my 
 circumstances, having visited me three or four times while I was 
 sick, concluded we had better go in person to Mr. Canaday, and as- 
 certain the cause of the delay. When we came into the presence of 
 Rebel Soldier Canaday, and inquired of him why the appointment 
 had not been made, he quickly replied there was no vacancy, nor 
 was there likely to be any very soon, and for that reason he could 
 not appoint me. In a few words I called his attention to the fact 
 that I had been a Union soldier, informed him of the necessities of 
 myself and family, to which he replied with some considerable dig- 
 nity that he was controlled in these matters by the action and or- 
 ders of the Senate Republican Caucus, and while he would like to 
 appoint me, he could not do it; in fact, the caucus rule was impera- 
 tive. I thereupon insisted that a Senate Re,)ublican caucus could not, 
 without violating section 1754 of the Revised Statutes, prevent the 
 appointment by any action whatever. To this Mr. Canaday replied 
 that the orders of such caucus would be the law with him. For- 
 bearance here ceased to be a virtue, and 1 then and there told him 
 that it was a d— n shame, a burning disgrace to the country, and an 
 insult to loyalty, to require a Union soldier with three years of ser- 
 vice, and a good record, d.sabled as I was, to come into the pres<nce 
 of a man who had been a traitor to his country, there to be obliged 
 to beg for a position to keep himself and his family from becoming 
 a public chri.rge, only to be turned away, under the ''Old Stale Clami''' 
 of no vacancy, when at that very time there was upon that messen- 
 ger roll. Rebel Soldier Cotaq,^ Rebel Sjldlev May, Rebel Soldier 
 Barnes, Rebel Soldier Edwards, and Rebel Soldier Cross. Besides 
 this, there was Copperhead Chvi^iiQ, Copperhead DnivQ^, Copperhead 
 Hannegan, and Rsbel Soldier Wall, all of whom the law would turn 
 out to make places for the other class. Rut the caucus dictum had 
 gone forth, and a rebel soldier reigned supreme. Well, having a com- 
 rade at court, he informed me that Rebel Soldier J. F. Edwards, of 
 Missouri, then, and now, messenger to the Committee on Foreign 
 Relations, had been appointed as such messenger upon a resolution 
 offered in the Senate, June 12, 1884, by Senator and Rebel Soldier 
 Vest, which resolution was referred to a proper committee, and was 
 reported back from that committee by Mr. Jones, of Nevada, who 
 asked for it an immediate consideration, which was granted, the 
 resolution passed, and Rebel Soldier Edwards at once became the 
 recipient of the office provided by it. Thinking that I might, per- 
 haps, enter the gates of this palace of loyalty by the same route, [ 
 prepared a similar resolution in general terms, whicli, had it been 
 adopted, would have been an order to Mr. Canaday to appoint an 
 additional messenger. Five Republican Senators po.->tively refused 
 to offer the resolution, therefore, I applied to a copperhead Senator, 
 (so-called by Mr. Ingalls) who made the point that, as 1 was 
 known to him to be a very radical Republican, he tliought it would 
 look very much better if I would call upon Senators in my own 
 
party, I thought so too, and gave up in disgust. But something 
 must be done which would afford me some financial relief. My 
 family were hungry, half clad, and humiliated by threats of " get 
 out of the house or pay the r.nt." I could not go to them, or if I 
 had been able to do so I could not in any way relieve them. So I 
 concluded to make one more effort in the house of the soldier's 
 friend, a Republican Senate. On the 27th day of May, 1886, I filed 
 in the Senate an elaborate petition, in which I set forth in detail, a 
 history of my life as a soldier and a Republican, and the facts re- 
 lating to my afflictions and circumstances, as above set forth, and the 
 efforts I had mide to secure an appointment as messenger, and the 
 attending results. I also called attention to the origin, and the 
 causes which led to the adoption of the joint resolutions which are 
 now known as sections 1754 and 1755 of the Revised Statutes of the 
 United States 1 also called attention to the violation of these St it- 
 utes by the Senate, in that the rehel soldiers above named, were 
 then being carried upon the messenger roll. I also called attention 
 to the fact that on the 3rd day of July, 1882, Senator Harrison, for 
 the committee on military affairs, made a report to the Senate, 
 bearing directly upon this subject, m which he said : 
 
 " Your committee feel that the Senate, having as a part of the 
 national legislature helped to place section 1754 on the statute book, 
 is as a body under peculiar obligations to enforce this law in select- 
 ing its own officers and employes." And in the same report he fur- 
 ther said : " The committee report that no new legislation could be 
 more specific and mandatory than that now in existence. We think, 
 however, that some resolution expressive of the sense of the Senate 
 upon the subject would, if unanimously adopted, promptly correct 
 the inconsistency into which our own boly has fallen, and would 
 also serve to call increased attention to the subject in other de- 
 partments of the government. This would probably serve a good 
 purpose, as it cannot be denied tliat in indinldnal cases meritorious 
 soldiers hatie been compelled to gioe loay to those whose claims are, 
 by the law we are considering, deferred. The committee, in conclu- 
 sion, desire to express their own hearty concurrence in a rule which 
 gives a deserved preference to those who cheapened their lives to 
 save the country from death." 
 
 (This hearty concurrence in a rule which gives a deserved prefer- 
 ence to those who cheapened their lives to save the country from 
 death, was of course a sincere declaration, which is established be- 
 yond a doubt by the action of 'he caucus which nominated the 
 present officer ) I further called attention to the fact that on the 
 2()th day of March, 188(5, tli > Senate had, it may be said, unanimously 
 adopted such a re.sylution, in these w^ords : 
 
 "■ ResolDed, That the provisioii of section 1754 of the Revised 
 Statutes declaring, 'That persons honorably discharged from the mili- 
 tary or naval service by reason of disability, resulting from wounds 
 or sickness incurred in the line of duty, shall be preferred for ap- 
 pointments to civil offices, provided they are found to possess tiie 
 busine.ss capacity necessary for the proper discharge of the duties 
 
8 
 
 of siicli office' — ought to be faithfully and fully put in execution 
 and that to remove, or propose to remove, any such soldier whose 
 faithfulness, competency and character are above repoach, and to 
 give place to another who has not rendered such service, is a violation 
 of the spirit of the law, and of the practical gratitude the people and 
 government of the United States owe to the defenders of constitu- 
 tional liberty and tlie integrity of the government." 
 
 1 could not see very much difference in principle between the re- 
 moval of Union soldiers to give place to others who have not ren- 
 dered such military service, and a refusal to appoint them when 
 they applied for places held by rebels, and the other persons named, 
 and looked upon either act as a " violation of the spirit of the law, 
 and of the practical gratitude of the people ;" but, as yonr action of 
 March 26th did not seem to have sufficient force to produce the re- 
 sult contemplated, if you were candid in such action, I believed it 
 to be my duty to do so, and did therefore, in my petition pray the 
 Senate to adopt the following preambles and resolutions : 
 
 "Whereas, By the passage and approval of section 1754 of the Revised Statutes of 
 the United States, it was intended that Union soldiers, sailors, and mirines, of the late 
 war for the Union, who were lionorably discharged from the service of the United 
 States, by reason of disibilities inciirred in the service and in the li e of duty, should be 
 preferred for appointment to tlie civil offi:-es of the country, and 
 
 " Whereas, It was indeed, patriotic in the peo))]e wlio petitioned Congress for the 
 enactment of sucli a law, and sucii action is entitled tc, and .-hnuld receive the' highest 
 resi)ect of this body, and 
 
 "Whereas, Any rule, order, or practice in force in this bodj", which withliolds a 
 place from such disabled Union soldier, sailor, or marhie, and instead, retains those 
 who were in the service of tlie so-called Confederate government, is an infraction and a 
 violation of the letter and spirit of said section 1754. as well as a vicious principle. 
 
 'Therefore, be it Resolved i y the Senate, That from and aftei-the adop- 
 tion of this resolution, whenever any disabled Union soldier, sailoi-, or murine of good 
 moral character who j)ossesses the qualitications neces^aiy to perform the duties of the 
 otiice he seeks, shall apply in person or otherwise, to any offli-er of the Senate who has 
 the authority to make tlie ai)])ointmeiit, for a place in its force of employes, if there is a 
 vacancy such disabled I/nion soldier, sailor or marine sliall be at once appointed; and 
 if there is no vacancy, and there is a person employed in the office he seeks who was in 
 the service of the so-called Confederate government at any time duiiiig its existence, 
 then, and in such case, the otHcer so authorized to make such ap])ointmeiit shall imme- 
 diately notif}'^ such person who was in the service of the so-called Confederate govern- 
 ment, as aforesaid, that his services, from and after the day of giving him such notice, 
 are no longer required ; and such disabled Union soldier, sailor, or marine, shall be at 
 once api)ointed in his place." 
 
 Jf Senator Harrison was sincere in the declarations made by him 
 in the report above referred to, and if llepublican Senators were 
 ^•incere in their action when, on March 2()th, they adopted tlie reso- 
 lution as above set forth, and if such action had failed to secure to 
 the Union soldier the rights hitherto denied liim as stated by Mr. 
 Harrison, there was certainly no inconsistent action on my part, 
 when I petitioned the Senate (which of course jueaiit Republican 
 Senators) to adopt the latter resolution. No matter what the form 
 of it, the purpose was plain and unmistakable It had been in- 
 dicted from a brain which was then, as now, severely ra(;ked with 
 pain and distress, and was written with a hand nearly useless, the 
 result of the sickness complained of. If the language did not suit, 
 modification was an easy matter, and there is no excuse for its hav- 
 
ing been consigned to the fate it received. Well, it was referred to 
 the Committee on Rules, May 26. Senator Frye, the chairman, was 
 at the time absent in Maine, and I had the promise of Senator 
 Ingalls that when Mr. Frye returned, he, Ingalls, would call up the 
 petition in committee, have it acted upon, and if possible, have it 
 reported favorably to the Senate. If the committee ever did any- 
 thing in the matter, I am not aware of it, but I was told by the 
 clerk long afterwards, that the matter was never called up when he 
 was present, and thus ended the farce of attempting to place on 
 record the love and admrration of Republican Senators for the disa- 
 bled Unionsoldier and sailor. As time passed my necessities grew cor- 
 respondingly oppressive, and keenly feeling the insult, I determined 
 to make another effort, this time in a way which would bring the 
 rebel soldier directly before the Senators whose influence I intended 
 to secure if I could. Desirous of making a strong case, I settled 
 upon tile Rebel Agent Corse, as a hrutiim fulmen, with which to 
 win over to my cause these Senators. Rebel Agent Corse had on 
 two different occasions voluntarily recited to me the history of his 
 life during the rebellion, and had stated boldly that he was in 
 Canada as the agent of the Confederate government, and, with Dr. 
 Luke P. Blackburn, of Kentucky, engaged in preparing clothing, 
 and such other articles as would, when infected, spread the fell dis- 
 eases of small-pox and yellow fever, with the intention of sending 
 such clothing to be distributed to the poor classes of people in the 
 large cities of the United States. Armed with this information, I 
 consulted Senators Sherman, Cullom, Hawley, Dawes, and Logan, to 
 whom I detailed the conversation \ had had with Corse, and then 
 presented the following paper, which, after reading, they all signed: 
 
 ''Senate Chamhi:r, VVASHrxGTOx, June 3rd, 1886. 
 •'To William P. Canadav. Sergeant-at-Anns: 
 
 "The l)carer, Mr. Seth M. Whitteii, is a disabled ex-Union soldier, who is very much in 
 need of empioyMient. It is my retjuest that you appoint him to be a messenger, and if 
 there is no vicancy, I think Mr. J. D. Corse, who has been on the roll since 1>S0, might 
 be removed to make one. Section 17i>4 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, 
 contemplates the pi-eferment of di-abled Union soldiers for these minor offices, even if 
 the removal oi some one not in the Army or Navy, becomes necessary. 
 
 '•Very truly yours, ".John Sherman, 
 
 " H. L. Dawes, 
 " S. M. Cullom, 
 " .Jos. R. Hawley. 
 " .Ino. a. Uogan." 
 
 Having decided to take this step, I had on May 29th filed with 
 the Sergeant-at-Arms, an application, in which I had set forth in 
 substance the facts presented iti my petition referred to. 1 also 
 presented the letter above quoted, whereupon he delivered to me 
 the following written instrument : 
 
 •' Sergeant-at-Arms, U. S. Senate. 
 
 •' Washington, June 5th, 1886. 
 " Sf.th M. Whitten, Esq. 
 
 " Sir : Your application to h md, and in consideration of the fact that you are a 
 wounded Union soldier and have the indorsement of six Senators, I will appoint you a 
 messenger on my force and will continue you as long as I lemain in oftice, provided 
 you wish to ilo so, and can perform the duties of said position. 
 •' Verj' respectfully, 
 
 " VV. P. Canaday, Sergt.-at-Arms, U. S. S." 
 
10 
 
 Now, Senators, this appeared very nice upon pape^*, but what are 
 the facts ? Until about December, 1887, Rebel Agent Corse re- 
 mained on the roll as a messenger, and Union Soldier Wh'Uen was 
 never appointed. Nor has Mr. Canaday ever assigned any tangible 
 reason M-hy he did not carry out his promise so expressed in writing. 
 He has said to me, however, that Senators who signed the above 
 letter, or perhaps 1 had better say some of them, had told him to 
 pay no attention to it so far as their signatures were concerned. I 
 heard Mr. Corse at one time state, and others have told me that he 
 had in their presence stated, that on account of a friendly intimacy 
 which existed between his wife and Mrs. Senator Hawley, the Sen- 
 ator would see to it, and he would be retained as the messenger to 
 the Committee on Civil Service and Retrenchment. I know nothing 
 about it farther than that some influence kept him, until about De- 
 cember 25th, 1887. On the 8th day of March, 1887, Mr. Sherman 
 again wrote a letter in my interest, and earnestly requested Mr. 
 Canaday to give me employment on the Senate force, but he again 
 refused under the plea < if no vacancy. On the 16th of September, 
 1887, Mr. Canaday voluntarily promised that he would put me on 
 the messenger force on the 1st day of December, 1887, but at that 
 time I was at my home at Union City, Indiana, too sick to sit up, 
 and was not able to come to Washington until in January, arriving 
 here on the 16th. I at once reported to Mr. Canaday, when he a^ain 
 promised to appoint me as a messenger February 1st, but not hav- 
 ing named any year he must have meant some time after '88, at 
 least, the time has not yet come. Now, to those of you who have 
 for years, and years, enjoyed th6 comforts of a home, and good 
 health, with everything to make life pleasant, this story may seem 
 of little consequence, but if you will take my place, and undergo 
 the scenes and incidents, the trials and hardships through which I 
 have passed, and experience the deep humiliation which I have 
 felt, then if all these troubles had in your case as in mine, resulted 
 from a military service, and had your energy, determination to suc- 
 ceed, perseverance, and patience been equal to mine, and what I 
 have proven it to be, I am sure such treatment heaped upon you 
 would cause you to do as much, or more, than I am doing toward 
 recovering what I have lost as a result of trampling a law under 
 foot made expressly for my class The highest oratorical powers of 
 Senators are frequently called into use when proclaiming and de 
 daring the right of every citizen to be protected under the law. 
 Why protect one class and let another go unprotected? What did 
 Senator Manderson mean when, on the 30th day of May, he admin- 
 istered his stern rebuke to those who wouid make sport of the term 
 "old soldierism," and to those who would refuse substantial recog- 
 nition for the invaluable services rendered by the Union soldier 
 Were these the idle words so often spoken in the campaign, the 
 purpose of which was to create sentiment ratlier than to stimulate 
 action ? Or were they cool, honest, patriotic words, coming from 
 the heart of one who spoke what he meant, and meant what he 
 spoke ? If the latter, would it not be well for the Senator to size 
 
n 
 
 up his own actions, and those of the United States Senate, in the 
 matter of appointing and retaining rebels in place, before he ad- 
 ministered this rebuke. It does look that way to one making the 
 examination which I have made. 
 
 The Stanley Matthews, the Carl ScJiurz, (mugwumps) the John De- 
 frees, tlie Frank HiscocTcs, and the Wm. H. Robertsons, of the Re- 
 publican party, did in IS 72, without a reasonable cause, kick out of 
 the Republican harness, and went over to the camp of the Greely 
 Democratic Rebels, and did everything in their power to defeat the 
 Republican party in that election. Well, after associating with 
 these bad fellows for a few years they conclude to come back and 
 sop from the old dish ; and it does seem strange that as soon as they 
 returned, the office of Representative in Congress was forced upon 
 Frank Hiscock, the office of State Senator and Collector of the Port 
 of N Y. was forced upon William H Robertson, that of Secretary of 
 tlie Interior was forced upon Mr. Shurz, while a minor United States 
 office at Cincinnati, and finally the office of Associate Justice of the 
 Supreme Court was forced upon Mr. Matthews, and the rebel and 
 renegade RepublicaR have reigned supreme. Your attention has 
 been directed to the-lignificance o^ the former course pointed out, 
 and its probable effect uf)6n the soldiers, by my friends in their 
 letters of endorsement attached hereto, and I think their suggestions 
 are entitled to careful consideration. If Senators desire fo assist a 
 disabled Union soldier in distress, I do not believe you can give this 
 position to one more in need of the benefits to be derived from it, 
 ^ than your humble servant 
 
 Col. Hooker is, as I understand it from those who profess to know, 
 a man of usual physical ability, in easy circumstances, and not in 
 any wise in actual need of the office for his support, while I am, and 
 for a number of years have been, reduced to absolute want on ac- 
 count of my disabilities ; and, as a further result my wife and little 
 children have been distressed and humiliated beyond description, 
 and are at this time wholly dependent for a support upon what I 
 can obtain for them through my friends. Whether ("ol. Hooker 
 has any stronger claims than myself for political preferment, by 
 reason of his political party service, is a question for you to deter- 
 mire. 
 
 Knowing that the Senate can at any time reorganize its force of 
 officers, it is not necessary that I should, nor will I engage in any 
 controversy with Mr Canaday in this matter. It is enough for me 
 that I present my claims, show the treatment I have received, 
 and then stand squarely upon Section 1754, of the Revised Statutes 
 of the United States, supported by my record as a citizen, a soldier, 
 and a Repuhlican, as presented with this application. 
 
 In thus presenting my claims for your consideration I have per- 
 sued the usual custom of Senators and of other persons when seek- 
 ing political preferment, except, however, the fact that 1 have de- 
 parted from the rule of going before you over the name of some 
 friend, or of some league, as some candidates for high honors are 
 now doing. It is also possible that I have presented more in 
 
1'7 
 
 detail, the records of others, than is usual under such circumstances, 
 but, when you take into consideration the fact that I am stoutly 
 contending for a principle, as well as self interests, which, if en- 
 forced as I would enforce it, will benefit other disabled comrades, 
 then you must admit that there is at least some ground for inserting 
 this record. If you can justify Rebel Mohone in his boast that he 
 had no apology to make for having been a traitor, I will venture the 
 statement that I have no apology for this record. 
 
 I beg to express the hope that you will at once carefully consider 
 these papers, and by your influence and vote, assist me to the end, 
 that I may be, at an early day, elected to the said office of Sergeant- 
 at Arras. 
 
 The suffering condition of my family, and the sore necessities of 
 self having required this effort, I have made this application, and 
 present the accompanying papers in obedience to their demands, 
 and in the honest belief that my treatment by the Senate and the 
 Sergeant-at-Arms fully warrant this step here taken I do this in 
 good faitli, with a sincere motive ; and, should a caucus of Republi- 
 can Senators so decide, T feel confident that there will be no objec- 
 tion to my election by the Senate. Being under a conscientious 
 conviction that I am entitled to recognition in this matter, 
 
 I remain your humble servant, 
 
 Seth M Whitten. 
 
 Washington, D. C, June 8, 1888. 
 
 ENDORSEMENTS. 
 
 " Law Office, Peelle & Taylor. 
 
 " Indianapolis, Ind , January 4, 1888. 
 "To the Republican Senators U. S. Senate : 
 
 ''Captain S. M. Whitten, of Union City, Indiana, has been known 
 to me for a number of years as an active, energetic Republican. 
 
 " He was a brave Union soldier in the late war, and was severely 
 wounded by a falling horse in the line of duty. He is, therefore, a 
 disabled Union soldier, and I commend him to you as one worthy 
 of appointment in your honorable body, and I trust you will see 
 your way clear to aid him in securing the appointment he desires. 
 "Very respectfully, 
 
 " Stanton J. Peelle." 
 
 " Indianapolis, January 5, 1888. 
 " To the Republican Senators U. S. Senate : 
 
 " 1 take pleasure in saying that from a long personal acquaintance 
 with Captain S M. Whitten of this State, I can and do recommend 
 him to your favorable notice as a person competent and fit to be 
 appointed to any place within your gift. 
 
 " Captain Whitten is a wounded Union soldier, and a brave and 
 generous man. He deserves well at the hands of the Republican 
 party. 
 
 " Respectfully, 
 
 " W. H Calkins." 
 
13 
 
 "State of Indiana. 
 
 '^ Lieutenant Governor's Office, Robert S. Robertson, Lieut. Gov. 
 
 " Fort Wayne, Jan, 6, 1888. 
 " To the United States Republican Senators, 
 
 " Washinti-ton, D. C: 
 
 " I take pleasure in recommending Capt. S. M. Whitten for any 
 position in the gift of the Senate, believing him to be worthy, capa- 
 ble and deserving. 
 
 ''In my humble judgment there has been too little attention paid 
 to the demands of disabled veteran soldiers, and as Mr. Whitten is 
 one of this class, I urge it as a special reason why he should be re- 
 membered in the distribution of patronage. 
 
 "It would be a graceful recognition of that deserving class, and I 
 think would do good in Indiana among his comrades where he 
 could be of service to all of them. 
 " Respectfully, 
 
 " r. s. robertpo.h." 
 "Office of the Auditor of State, 
 " State of Indiana. 
 
 " Indianapolis, Ind., January 5, 1888. 
 
 " To the Republican Senators U. S. Senate : 
 
 "Gentlemen: Mr. S. M. Whitten of Randolph county, this State, 
 entertains an idea of applying to the Republicans of the Senate for 
 the appointment of himself to be the Sergeant-at-Arms of your 
 honorable body. 
 
 " He is in possession of evidence which shows him to have been 
 an uncompromising Republican, who has served the country and 
 the Republican party faithfully under all circumstances, from the 
 time he entered the military service of the United States as a vol- 
 unteer soldier at fifteen years of age, to the present time. 
 
 " He also has the most conclusive proof that he is a great sufferer 
 from injuries received and disease contracted while in the service, 
 and in the line of duty, as a soldier during the war of the Rebellion ; 
 that he was a brave soldier, and that by reason of his disabilities he 
 is unable to gain a subsistance for himself and family, either by 
 manual labor or as an attorney-at-law. 
 
 " He informs us that he does not seek this position for any pur- 
 pose save that of having an honorable remunerative employment, 
 which will afford him a means of support, and enable him to recover 
 in part the losses he has sustained by years of prostration resulting 
 from said disabilities for which the Government has never paid him 
 a dollar; and to further enable him to render additional service to 
 his late comrades in arms, and more effective service to the Repub- 
 lican party in Indiana, and elsewhere in the campaign of 1888, than 
 he otherwise could. 
 
 " He also informs us that during the f>ast eighteen months he has 
 made a close, careful study of the duties of the office he seeks, and 
 that he has full confidence in his physical ability to perform them 
 to the entire satisfaction of the Senate, and we believe these state- 
 ments are triie. 
 
14 
 
 " Mr. Whitten has also the testimony of a large number of the 
 most honorable and influential citizens of his home and county, who 
 are well known to us, which shows that he possesses a good charac- 
 ter for citizenship, for correct temperate and business habits, and 
 that he is a man of decided energy and perserverence. As a friend 
 of the Union soldier, and of the widows and orphans, and relatives 
 of those who have died, he has the proof that he has rendered them 
 great service without charging or receiving any compensation there- 
 for; and the fact that in November, 1885, he was chosen, and duly 
 commissioned as the agent to manage pension legislation in the 
 49th Congress for one of the great soldier organizations of the coun- 
 try, and that in his voting precinct in Union City, Indiana, at the 
 November election, 1886, principally through his untiring efforts, 
 there was a net Republican gain of J^evenfi/-four votes in a total vote 
 of less than three hundred, is, we think, sufficient evidence of his in- 
 fluence a,s a campaign worker. He has made the pension, land grant 
 and tariff questions subjects for special study; and, so far as past or 
 proposed legislation which has affected, or which may affect the 
 soldier is concerned, there are but few, if any, who are qualified to 
 impart such information to this class of voters as will forrectly ad- 
 vise them of their rights and interests ; and having an extensive ac- 
 quaintance with the common soldiers throughout the state, we be- 
 lieve his appointment, if made soon, would enable him to success- 
 fully reach a large number of electors whose votes cannot be secured 
 by the ordinary campaign routine. 
 
 " In the > oming contest, Indiana will be an important field of ac- 
 tion ; and while it may appear at this time that we have a promise 
 of success, we respectfully urge that we caimot afford to lose or ig- 
 nore the slightest opportunity which will tend to increase the har- 
 mony of our people, and strengthen the forces of our canvass. 
 
 " We would respectfully call your attention to the fact that recent 
 developments have demonstrated beyond a doubt, that the Union 
 soldiers of the late war will no longer be satisfied with the practice 
 of preferring Confederates for office, to the exclusion of our disabled 
 comrades who received their disabilities while defending the Flag of 
 their Country against treasonable assaults of rebels, many of whom 
 are now living at ease because of their preferment ; and these Union 
 soldiers will insist that the Republican party shall, so far as it has 
 the power, enforce to a letter, the provisions of Section 1754 of the 
 Revised Statutes of the United States, which was enacted for their 
 benefit. 
 
 '*In view of the fact that Mr. Whitten is eminently qualified to 
 discharge the duties of this position and the further reason that his 
 appointment will, in our judgment, result in much good to the Re- 
 publican party in Indiana, in the campaign of 1888, and that it will 
 give general satisfaction to the soldiers and Republicans of Indiana, 
 we respectfully, but earnestly ask that his application may receive 
 your favorable consideration. 
 
 " Very respectfully, 
 " Charles F. Griffjx, Secietary of State. 
 
15 
 
 " Bkuce Care, Auditor of State, 
 
 " Wm. T. Xoblk, Clerk Supreme Court, 
 
 " J. A Lemckk, Treas'r of State, 
 
 " L. T. Michener, Attorney General, 
 
 " Harvey M. La F()lli:tte Supt. of Public Instruction." 
 
 "CoLDWATER MwHKiAS, JaTiuavy 10, 1888. 
 " To The Republican Senators U. S. Senate : — 
 
 "Gentlemen ; — Mr. S. M. Whitten, of Union City, Indiana, wlio is 
 an applicant for the position of Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, was 
 for years a resident of, and w ent from this county into the army when 
 a mere boy, as a private soldier in the 8th Mich cavalry, and in the 
 4th Michii^an infantry. After nearly one year of cavalry service he 
 was discharged for disabilities received in the line of duty which 
 rendered him unfit for cavalry service. 
 
 '• Having firmly resolved to serve his country until the overthrow 
 of treason, he almost immediately re-enlisted in the old 4th Michigan 
 infantry, and served until the muster out of his company, as will be 
 seen by his certificate of discharge. 
 
 " Mr. Whitten has the reputation of having been a faithful soldier, 
 and while living in this county, was always an active, energetic Re- 
 publican. That he is now suffering from disabilities received in the 
 service as a soldier, and that said disabilities disqualify him lor 
 any arduous labors, are matters well known in this county. The 
 endorsements he brings to us from prominent men in Indiana, his 
 home, we think sufficient proof of his fitness for the place lie seeks. 
 Therefore we respectfully unite in recommending his appointment 
 to the office of Sergeant-at-Arms of tlie United States Senate, fully 
 believing that such action will meet the approval of his comrades 
 in Michigan, and of Republicans generally, and add strength to the 
 canvass of 1888. 
 
 "We would also urge the suggestion that the Republicans of Con- 
 gress cannot afford to any longer ignore the just claims of Union 
 soldiers individually, or collectively ; especially when the soldier 
 brings himself within the provisions of Sec. 1754 of the Revised 
 Statutes of the U S Hoping that Mr. Whitten's application will 
 have the favorable consideration of every Republican U. S. Senator, 
 we are, " Very respectfully, 
 
 " George H. Turner, Register of Deeds, Branch Co , Mich , 
 
 " Chas. N. Lego, Atty. at Law, 
 
 " X. A. Reynolds, Probate Judge, 
 
 " Frank D. Newberry, Atty. at Law." 
 
 " Executive Office, Michigan. 
 
 "Lansincj, January 16, 1888. 
 " Mr. S. M. Whitten, of Union City, Ind , who is an applicant for 
 the position of Sergeaut-at-Arms in the U. S. Senate was a brave, 
 faithful soldier in Mich, regiments during the war, and so far as I 
 can learn has ever been an upright and worthy citizen. 
 
 " I take great pleasure in recommending him for the position to 
 which he aspires. " Cyrus G. Luce, Governor." 
 
16 
 
 FORMER ENDORSEMENTS. 
 
 " Randolph Co., Ind., Fe3., 1881. 
 " To the Republican Members of Indiana, of the United States 
 House of Representatives : 
 " We, tlie undersigned, take great pleasure in recommending to 
 your favorable consideration for appointment to the position of 
 Superintendent of Hot Springs Res. Ark., our fellow-citizen, Seth M. 
 WMtten, Esq. We know him to be an upright citizen, an energetic, 
 capable man, and an earnest, active, and uncompromising Repub- 
 lican, who did his whole duty in the late campaign in Indiana. 
 
 " Jno. W. Macy, Chr. Republican Cent. Com., 
 
 " George N. Edger, County Auditor, 
 
 " A. Stone, Prest. of Randolph Co. Bank, 
 
 " L. J. Monks, Judge Randolph Cir. Court. 
 
 "Joseph R. Jackson, Prest. Commercial Bank, Union City, Ind. 
 
 " N. Cadwallader, ex-State Senator, Pres. Citizen's Bank, 
 
 " George W Patchell, Ed. Union City Times, 
 
 " Jas. F. Rubey, Cashier Commercial Bank, 
 
 "Jno p. C. Shanks, ex-Representative in Congress, 
 
 " E. H. BuNDY, State Senator, 
 
 "Silas Colgrove, ex-Judge Randolph Cir. Court, 
 
 " R. V. .Murray, Sheriff Randolph Co." 
 
 The foregoing recommendation was also signed by nearly one 
 hundred and fifty prominent citizens of Randolph and Jay counties, 
 Ind., and by all the Republican members of the Indiana Legislature, 
 whose names cannot be attached here for a want of space. To this 
 was added the following : 
 
 "I cheerfully join in recommending Mr. Whitten. 
 
 "A. G. Porter, Gov. of Ind." 
 •' I cheerfully join in recommending Mr. Whitten. 
 
 " Thos. J. Heiskell, Depty. Secy, of State." 
 " I heartily concur E H. Wolfe, And. of State." 
 " I cheerfully concur in the recommendations above given. 
 
 "B. C. HoBBS, ex-Superintendent of Pub Instruction." 
 "I concur in the foregoing testimonials of Mr. Whitten's character 
 and moral worth. R. W. Thompson, Sec. of Navy." 
 
 " I heartily and cordially concur in the foregoing. Mr. Whitten 
 is certainly worthy and well qualified for the place he seeks. 
 
 " R. Wes McBride, Atty., (now Judge De Kalb Cir. Court, Ind.)" 
 " House of Representatives. 
 
 "Washington, D. C, April 4, 1881. 
 "Sir: Seth M. Whitten, Esq., of Indiana, is an applicant for the 
 appointment of Supt of the Hot Springs Reservation. I ask for his 
 application a favorable consideration, as he is worthy of the posi- 
 tion and eminently qualified to discharge its duties. 
 
 "Mr. Whitten entered^the volunteer service of his country as a 
 private soldier, when quite a boy, and made an enviable record. 
 By reason of the exposure and hardships of tlie service, he is now 
 physically unable to labor, and is partially blind. 
 
17 
 
 " He is an attorney of fair ability, posesses a good English educa- 
 tion, and is of exemplary cliaracter. He is an earnest Republican, 
 and an active and efficient campaign worker. 
 
 " I beg to express the hope that his merits will receive due recog- 
 nition, i' Very respectfully, 
 
 " Thomas M. Browne." 
 " Hon. Secretary of the Interior. 
 
 " U. S. Senate, April 6, 1881. 
 
 " I cordially unite in the recommendation of Genl. Brown, and 
 hope Mr. Whitten may be appointed to the place he seeks. 
 
 " Benjamin Harrison. 
 
 " I concur. O. D. Conger, H. W. Blair. 
 
 " I concur. T. W. Ferry 
 
 " I am glad to concur. A. E Burnside, U. S. S., Jno F. Millre. 
 
 "Respectfully recommended. W. J Szwell, U. S. S 
 
 "A. Saunders, U. S. S., E. H. Rollins, James W. .VIcDill, Jos R. 
 Hawley, O. H. Platt " 
 
 " Union City, Ind , March 2o, 1831. 
 " Hon. Benjamin HarrLson, U. S. Senator, Hon. Thomis M. Browne, 
 
 M. C, Washington, D. C. 
 
 "This is to certify that we are well acquainted with Setli M. 
 Whitten, Esq., and know Iiim to be a man reliable in business, of 
 decided energy and indomitable perseverance. He is, and always 
 has been an earnest Republic iii, and during the state and national 
 campaign of 1880, did much and valuable work in local canvass, at 
 his expense, and amid discouraging circumstances of physical pain, 
 caused by sickness. His individual efforts contributed largely to 
 Republican gains at October and November elections, in this and 
 neighboring precincts, and anv recognition you can give him, will 
 have been justly earned. He is afflicted with obstinate chronic mus- 
 cular and nervous rheumatism, and in applying for the position of 
 superintendent of the Hot Sprin«j:s Reservation, he is seeking medi- 
 cal advantages which he cannot otherwise procure. The service he 
 has rendered the Republica.n party, entities him to a recognition 
 equal to the appointment he now seeks In giving him whatever 
 assistance may be in your power, you will favor a worthy and capa- 
 ble man, and we, your constituents, hope and expect you will do it. 
 
 " Very respectfully, 
 
 "William Commons, M. D. 
 "John L. Reeves, .\I. I). 
 
 " We concur in the above as to Mr. Whitten's ability and reliable 
 Republicanism, and to his valuable assistance in the late state and 
 national campaign. 
 
 " H. N. C NVERSE, N. Cadwallader, 
 
 " B. F. CODDINGTON, GeO. W. PaTCHELL." 
 
 " Indianapolis, June 28, 1880. 
 " Genl. Jas A. Garfield, President U. S , 
 
 " Washington, D. C. 
 " I take great pleasure in recommending my friend, Mr. S. M. 
 
18 
 
 \\^iitteTi, of Union City, Indiana, for the position of Siipt of the 
 reservation at Hot Springs, Arkansas, for which place he is an ap- 
 plicant. Mr. Whitten is a lawyer by profession, was a good soldier, 
 and served meritoriously during the war, and I think his appoint- 
 ment would give general satisfaction not only to the Republicans of 
 Randolph County, but throughout this state. I earnestly hope you 
 will appoint him. " Very truly yours, 
 
 "A. D. Streight." 
 Having been defeated in my attempt to obtain the position of 
 Supt. at Hot Springs by a Mr. Hamblen, of Ark., who, I am informed, 
 was a rebel soldier, and not being physically able to return to an 
 active law practice, I endeavored to establish a ' Soldier Paper.' To 
 assist me in the latter effort, my friends gave me the following 
 
 BUSINESS ENDORSEMENTS: 
 " Nathan Cadwallader, Pres.; I. P. Gray, V.-Pres.; E. M. Tansey, Cas'r. 
 " Citizen's Bank, Union City, Ind., Oct. 5, .1881. 
 " This is to say that I am personally acquainted with the bearer 
 of this, Seth M. Whitten, Esq , who entertains an idea of starting a 
 paper in the interest of the private soldier, should he receive the 
 proper encoura.^ement ; and from what I know of his great energy I 
 have no doubt that he would succeed Having been a soldier him- 
 self, no one is better qualified than himself to anticipate their 
 wants and insist that full justice be done to them Mr. W. is worthy 
 their favorable consideration. "Respectfully, 
 
 " N. Cadwallader." 
 
 "To the Soldiers' Reunions at Parke County and La Fayette, Ind. 
 
 "Union City, Ind., Oct. 5, 1881. 
 " This to certify that we have for soms time been acquainted with 
 Seth. M Whitten, Esq , and know him to be a man of uncoininoii en- 
 ergy, indomitable perseverance and unsurpassed patience. We have 
 always found him correct and reliable in business, and cm safely 
 recommend him as a man who will transact all business acording 
 to contract. He was a soldier during tha war of the rebellion, and 
 his devotion to the cause of the private soldier is not surpassed by 
 any ; and regarding his ability to conduct a paper in the intere.sts of 
 the soldier, we can say that he has the ability, can commindthe fac- 
 ulties, and has the ' knack ' of making such an enterprise eminently 
 successful. 
 
 " William Commons, M. D., late U. S. Navy. 
 
 " B. W. Simmons, Co. F, 69th Ind. 
 
 " J. R. Jackson, 69th Ind. Vols. 
 
 "John Butcher, Co. K, 40th O. V. I. 
 
 " E. M. Tansey, 1st Sergt. Co. D, 7th Ind. Cav. 
 
 " Wm M. Reeves, Co. F, 69th Ind. 
 
 " F. W. White, late Capt. Co. E, 89th Ind. Vols. 
 
 " O. C. Gordon, Co. E, 69th Ind 
 
 " W. W. NivisoN, Co. M, 5th Mich. Cav. 
 
 " F. H. Rodman, Co. F, 2Lst Ind, H. Artillery. 
 
 " Jno. L. Reeves, late Maj 40th O. V. I." 
 
 1 
 
19 
 
 The f olio wintic letter will serve show that, while I have always been 
 an earnest Republican, I have at the same time been a consistent advo- 
 cate of moral reforms, enforcing the law against intemperance with 
 such vigor as to'prevent the establishment of the liquor business in 
 my town for a period of about eii,^ht years. This letter was publish- 
 ed before I had any knowledge of its existence : 
 
 " Presbyterfan Parsonage, 
 
 " Union City, Ind., Jan. 20, 1880. 
 
 '■'■To whom it may concern: This is to state that I am personally 
 acquainted with the bearer, Seth M. Whitten, and commend him 
 most heartily as one qualified for the office of County Cl-erk. I de- 
 sire further to state that he is an outspoken, uncompromising advo- 
 cate of temperance. As such he has been of great service to the 
 cause in this city; that we have no silooiis or 'dram-shops' in the 
 limits af the Corporation, is owing to his untiring, persisfent, perse- 
 vering efforts. Many of our best citizens fully accord with me in 
 this statement. 
 
 " To all who favor temperance and sobriety, I commend him as 
 one well worthy of your^support. 
 
 " Respectfully, 
 
 William Coultei?, Pastor Pres. Ch." 
 
 Wlien in Washington in 1881, and while my application for the 
 Hot Springs place was pending, I was in need of employment to 
 meet current expenses. Being very willing to work at anything 
 honorable, and having been a Census enumerator in Ind. in 18 "<0, [ 
 applied to Mr. Walker for temporary employment, and for a recom- 
 mendation, referred him to my work as an enumerator. In reply I 
 received the following letter: 
 
 " Department OF the Interior, Census Office. 
 
 ''Washington, D. C, Feb. 26, 1881. 
 " Seth M. Whitten, Esq., care of Hon. Thos M. Browne, 
 
 House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. 
 
 " Sir : In view of the fact that your enumeration schedules have 
 been found, upon examination, to be entirely satisfactory, I feel 
 disposed to comply with your request for temporary employment in 
 this office in a clerical capacity ; and should you desire a position 
 for two months, at $60.00 per month, you will be assigned to duty 
 on reporting to Mr. Rawlings, Assistant Chief Clerk. 
 " Very respectfully, 
 
 " F. A. Walker, Superintendent of Census." 
 
 The campaign of 1884 appearing to me to be one of unusual im- 
 portance to the country, I entered the contest earnestly in the full 
 hope that I might be able to say or do something which would as- 
 sist the Republican party. Acting upon the advice of others, for a 
 short time, I undertook to show, and did show the record of the two 
 great parties to my . oinrades in Indiana, through the medium of a 
 newspaper called The Private Soldier. It having been necessary 
 that I should receive financial support from candidates, and others 
 interested in the success of our party, I sent out a supplement of 
 
20 
 
 the paper to vvhicti was attached the following certificates : 
 
 " Winchester, Ind., Aug. 21th, 1884. 
 "I have Ions: known Mr. S. M. Whitten, and know him to be a 
 sound, earnest, ensrs^etic Republican, and I believe him to be an 
 honest and honorable business man. He has immense energy and 
 push in everything he undertakes, and is well qualified for this 
 particular work. I have no doubt but any assistance rendered him 
 for the purpose asked, will be conscientiously applied in that pur- 
 pose. Jno. W, Macy, 
 
 " Chairman Rep, Central Com't., 
 
 Randolph Co., Ind. 
 " Winchester, Ind., Aug. 21th, 1884. 
 " I am well acquainted with Mr. S. M. Whitten, and from an ex- 
 tended interview with him I think he has his proposed work well 
 in hand. I believe him to be worthy of support, and he has my full 
 permission to use my name as reference. 
 
 " Thomas M. Browne, M. C." 
 ''Union City, Ind., Aug. 21th, 1884. 
 " We, the undersigned, comrades and neighbors, are well acquaint- 
 ed with the fact that Mr. S. M. Whitten has made the soldier ques- 
 tion a theme for careful and patient study; he has spent months 
 of time laboring for the soldiers and sailors of the late war, refus- 
 ing all compensation therefor, and we have no hesitation in saying 
 that he is well adapted to the work he has undertaken, and if properly 
 supported he will accomplish a vast amount of good among a class 
 of voters which, in our opinion, cannot be done in any other way. 
 We cordially invite your support in the manner set forth above. 
 
 " O. C. Gordon, Pres Y. M. Rep. Club." 
 " VV. S Ensign, Editor Eagle." 
 ''A. B Cooper, Postmaster." 
 " Bentley Masslich " 
 "Geo. W. Patchej.l, Editor Times" 
 "James F. Rubey, Mem. Co. Cen. Com." 
 " Greenville,' O., Aug. 2Uh, 1884. 
 "From our acquaintance with Mr. S. M. Whitten, of Union City, 
 Ind., we believe him to be especially fitted for the work above set 
 forth, and concur in the foregoing statements. 
 
 " D. D. Hunter, Chr. Rep. Central Com, Darke Co., 
 
 " O. A. Baker, Secretary." 
 
 1 have numerous certificates which have been given to me from 
 time to time to assist me in business pursuits, but will only add the 
 following letters : 
 
 "Hillsdale, Mich., No-q. 1, 1868. 
 
 "7b any to w7iom this may concern: I have been acquainted for a 
 short time, personally, with Mr Seth M. Whitten, and by repute 
 for a longer period, and consider him a young man of fair promise, 
 and one who has so far as I have known, comported himself as a 
 young man of good habits, and commendable resolution to persevere. 
 
 " H. L. Hall " 
 
21 
 
 " To all whom it may concern : I have been acquainted with the 
 bearer hereof, Mr. Seth M. Whitten, for a number of months. I 
 take great pleasure in stating that he is a young man of good character 
 and standing, and of great energy in any undertaking he engages in. 
 I most cheerfully commend him to the favorable consideration of 
 all with whom he may meet. 
 
 '' Very respectfully, 
 
 C. J. DicKERSox, Judge of Probate." 
 " Hillsdale, Nov. 10, 1868. Hillsdale Co., Mich." 
 
 " Hillsdale, Nov. 11, 1868. 
 
 " The bearer, Seth .M. Whitten, tells me that h« is about to engage 
 in teaching school in Ind., and desires some reference as to his 
 moral character. 
 
 " I have known Mr. Whitten for some time and believe him to be 
 a man of excellent principles, and of good moral character, and has 
 an honest, earnest view of life, and worthy of the esteem and con- 
 sideration of all good men. 
 
 " Respectfully, 
 
 " E. L. KooN, State Senator." 
 
 The foregoing letters, certificates and endorsements, have been 
 presented to show what my life has been as a citizen, and I now 
 offer the following testimony to show my standing as a soldier. It 
 is in the nature of a historical sketch, and was prepared by the 
 Orderly Sergeant of my company, after which it was signed by 
 other comrades. The purpose of it was to aid me in a claim for 
 some back pay due me as a soldier, which the War Department had 
 unjustly withheld, and to further assist me in 1872, when I had un- 
 der consideration the matter of contesting for a county office. 
 
 I have also inserted some extracts from the testimony of com- 
 rades in my pension claim : 
 
 MILITARY HISTORY OF S. M. WHITTEN. 
 
 " Hillsdale, July 24, 1872. 
 " Editor Republican^ Coldwater, Mich. 
 
 ** Dear Sir : At the request of several friends and members of our 
 former company, I take the liberty of writing you a short history of 
 Mr. Seth M. Whitten's (of your county) war record, which you may 
 publish if you see fit. 1 was a Sergeant in the same company, and 
 from the fact that he had seen service before and was always ready 
 at his post, I soon formed his acquaintance, and always was glad 
 to have his associations To say that Mr. Whitten was entirely 
 without his faults, or to say that he was commendable above every- 
 body else, or even to say that his heart might not have failed him 
 at times, is more than 1 would say of any man living, for we were in 
 sore and trying places. We repeatedly stood where we expected 
 the deadly missiles of our traitorous foe would, every coming second 
 of time, strike to us the fatal blow, and sweep us out of existence. 
 What soldier d.d not ? Show me the man who did not, at least 
 occasionally, feel trepidations of heart and fear for the coining re- 
 
22 
 
 suit of his fate, and I'll show you either a lunatic, an Idiot, or an 
 incarnate fiend. Show me one who never hated to go in way of 
 harm, who never feared to meet his end, and one who never had a 
 thought enter his mind to turn back, or get out of coming danger, 
 and I'll show you either a raving maniac, a devil, or a god, 
 
 " But to the man who, experiencing all these fears and trepida- 
 tions, who spite of all the weakness of human nature, stands fast, calm- 
 ly and deliberately considers his position, then with his life in one 
 scale and liis duty to his loved ones at home, to his country and to 
 his maker in the other — summons all his stamina of character, and 
 then energetically press forward, as it were, regardless of fate — I 
 say to such a man we can justly apply the grand and appropriate 
 epithet of " noble brave." And such a man we claim Mr. Whitten 
 to have been. Being in " military life " as he is in civil, always 
 sober and temperate, he was ever possessed of full qualifications of 
 mind to act, and being active and energetic in nature, he was ready 
 at his post ; and though repeatedly snubbed on account of youth 
 and size, being diminutive in statue, I believe he fully and ably 
 performed the measure of his part in carrying out and ending our 
 terrible war. And I believe him yet as ready and willing to per- 
 petuate the principles and stand by the noble government for which 
 we fought. 
 
 " In reviewing his history with the eye of memory, I can see re- 
 peatedly where he volunteered to go on duty and share equally our 
 dangers, when his former rounds or sickness and other causes 
 would have honorably excused him ; and I have yet to learn the 
 place where he ever flinched in action. On the 23d of May, 1864, at 
 North Ann River, he with seven or eight others stood firmly at the 
 works on their posts when the whole line had fallen back. On the 
 3d day of June we, with Wilcox's Division, charged the rebel works 
 across an open field, at or near Cold Harbor. Capt. Marshall, com- 
 manding our legiment at that time, did not go into the immediate 
 engagement, from the fact that his time was nearly out, and he was 
 anxious to live to see home and friends once more, and Whitten be- 
 ing in regular line of detail, was on duty as guard at his headquar- 
 ters. But after our line had gone out, and he had completed his 
 ' trick of duty,' he being anxious to be witli and share with the 
 boys, stole aw^ay and went up to them and was at his post in the 
 dongerous charge. And when we returned, as fortunately we did, the 
 Corporal of the Guard grumbled, and Whitten cheerfully stood his 
 full rounds of duty to make up. In our several engagements at 
 Petersburg afterward, he was conspicuous for valor, and received 
 compliments from other companies. 
 
 " I often had a chance to observe the courage and faithfulness of 
 said Whitten, as also of the rest of our boys On the 18th of Au- 
 gust, 1864, as we moved out to march around to the left, and upon 
 the Weldon railroad. Private Whitten was taken sick and ordered 
 to the rear for medical treatment He remained away in hospital 
 for sometime thereafter, and was not fit for duty for a longer period, 
 and for this reason he was without a gun, none having been issued 
 
23 
 
 to him since his return, as the demand for guns was greater than the 
 supply. 
 
 "On the morning of the 25th of March, 1865, at the time the 
 rebels surprised and captured Fort Steadman on our right, when our 
 company were fallen in, and were in readiness to move off, as our 
 captain was an illiterate man and always depended on me to do all 
 his company writing, and as he then had an amount of it on hand to 
 do, he excused me from going out and ordered me to remain in camp 
 and attend to this writing. He also excused all who had no guns. 
 Just as the company were moving out of camp, Whitten came to me 
 and asked me to let him take my gun and go with the boys. I then 
 had a very nice gun and wished to keep it so, and at first refused to 
 let him have it; but, as he insisted on it, and urged very strongly, 
 I finally consented, and armed and equipped he ran on after the 
 company. Having overtaken them he took his post and remained 
 with them all day in the faithful discharge of his duty. About 
 night they made a charge under a heavy fire, but, as our boys after- 
 ward told me * He flinched not once.' During the day, while con- 
 spicuously standing in line of battle, a rebel shot struck against his 
 hatchet, which was in his belt, with such force as to make its mark 
 in the hatchet and knock him flatly to the ground. Sergt. C. W. 
 Robinson told mf^, that he thought it had killed him, but that he 
 soon rose up and remained with them through the day, and until 
 they came back into the camp late in the evening. Thus he volun- 
 tarily hazarded his life when he might just as well have remained in 
 comparative safety. 
 
 "On the 28th of that same March we broke camp again, and on 
 the morning of the 29tli moved around to the left. Our former 
 Orderly Sergt. Jacob H. Stark, had now returned to the regiment, 
 but had been promoted to the First Lieutenancy of our company and 
 assigned to its command. I was made Orderly in his stead, and tlms 
 being placed at the head of the company had a general supervision 
 of the men. About three or four o'clock of the said March 29th, 
 1865, xrhile marching along we came upon the enemy and went into 
 the line of battle. We moved up on the double quick, and then 
 went by the right flank, directly through a New York battery, (a 
 part of the 5th I was afterwards told) out into the open field. Here 
 we were fairly exposed to the enemy's view, being face to face with 
 them, and not more than twenty or thirty rods apart. We were just 
 coming to the front, in line of battle, when they opened a galling 
 fire upon us, so that nearly all our regiment broke and ran to a line 
 of standing underbrush close in our rear Then Sergt. Stark, with 
 Captain Carrick and Captain Fry, ^of the 1st Michigan Infantry with 
 whom we were serving;), standing firmly in their places, strove to 
 rally the men. 1 had heard much of Stark's bravery, and had there- 
 fore resolved that, if I ever went into action with him, I would 
 stand by him through thick and thin. I accordingly remained by 
 his side, not intending to run until he did, and then to be the last 
 to run to the rear. Thus I had a full view of the field, both to the 
 right and left. I remember distinctly, just at this point, that these 
 
24 
 
 were the only officers I could see out in line, and the only privates, 
 or non-commissioned officers were the said private, Seth Whitten, on 
 my left and one called Al Guernsey, one of our old 4th boys, on my 
 ri^ht. The shots came whizzing thickly around us, yet the said 
 Whitten stood out boldly in front. After he had discharged his 
 piece, and it had become so injured by a rebel shot that he could 
 not fire it any more, he grasped it by the sling and swinging it 
 aroun(J over his head, urged his comrades to come on, in tones so 
 loud that he could be dinstinctly heard above the din of battle. 
 Thus he persisted, regardless of his danger, cheering them, calling 
 upon them in the name of God to follow him, saying, ' they're 
 whipped, they're whipped, see them run, &c,' and the result was a 
 complete victory ; and, I may, perhaps, say that, as I believe, if it 
 had not been for the valor of these five men above named, the whole 
 tide of battle would have been changed. He was with us on the next 
 day, (the 30tli,) and on the 31st, when we were engaged on Stony Creek, 
 where several of our company were wounded ; he was prompt and 
 faithful and when,af ter the heaviest of the battle, I was called upon to 
 send a detail of men, to aid in forming a strong skirmish line to follow 
 them up, and drive in their rear guard, he cheerfully volunteered to 
 be one of that number. On the 1st day of April, 1865, at the battle 
 of Five Forks, he was one of the foremost of the company and regi- 
 ment, and was earnest in the engagement. We had it hand to hand 
 with them here, and were so mixed that we could hardly tell our 
 line. During the contest Whitten (climbed upon their works,) cap- 
 tured a brigade rebel flag, and brought it safely within our lines. 
 
 " After the lull a detail was called for to go on the skirmish line 
 and he readily volunteered, and while out on this duty he was cap- 
 tured by the rebels and held as prisoner and kept on the shortest ra- 
 tions, and marched day and night until we captured him back with 
 the whole of Lee's army at the Appomatox Court House on the 9th 
 day of April. ' When he returned to us we were nearly as short for 
 rations as he, but on seeing his looks we all appreciated his condi- 
 tion, and several divided with him. 
 
 " I need not enter into further detail. Suffice it to say, he was 
 bold and energetic in many such times, and faithful after, and should 
 I specify fully all I can and am knowing to, it would take more 
 time and space than you would want to spare. I am able to sub- 
 stantiate all I have said and much more. 1 will venture to say that 
 if the records of the army will show our position at the different 
 times, they will agree with the dates here given 
 
 " Hoping this will inform you and the public of his career as a 
 soldier and set all right in public opinion, I remain truly yours, &c. 
 
 " E. H. Reynolds, 
 " Late Orderly Serg't Van Valor's Ind. 
 
 " Co. 4th Reg't Mich. V. V. Inf." 
 
 *' To all whom it may concern: This is to certify that we were well 
 acquainted with private Seth Whitten, during his stay in our com- 
 pany, and know that he was faithful in the general discharge of his 
 
duties and ever acquitted Mmself as a good soldier; was firm and 
 and unflinching in battle, where he was often tried : 
 
 " John C. Yates, O. A. Janes, J. B. Jones, Jay. S. Bush, L. J. Lyon, 
 J. B. Dickerson, George Beasom, William H. Turpening, John 
 W. Fowler, Amos H. English, John N. Irish, Alfred A. Irish, 
 Charles W. Robinson, Burzillia S. Miller, Ira Miller, and David 
 M. Draper, comrades of company and regiment.^'' 
 
 The Lieutenant, Jacob H. Stark, referred to by Sergeant Reynolds 
 in the foregoing statement, now resides at Ann Arbor, Mich. In 
 January, 1888, he testified in my pension claim as follows : 
 
 Lieut. Jacob H. Stark : " I reside at Ann Arbor, Michigan ; formed 
 the acquaintance of claimant (meaning S. M. Whitten) at the time 
 of his enlistment in Co K, 4th Mich, Infantry, about Feb. 25, 1864, 
 at Hillsdale, Mich. I was Orderly Sergeant of said Co. from its or- 
 ganization till March 17, 1865, when I was mustered in as 1st Lieut., 
 and was with the company till mustered out at Houston, Texas, May 
 26, 1866. Was well acquainted with claimant, and remember quite 
 a number of incidents relating to his military service. I knew from 
 first acquaintance that he had previous to that been in the service, 
 and while he was not the most easily disciplined of the company, 
 none exceeded him in bravery, in action. After the organization of 
 the old 4th Mich. Infty went down, we were consolidated with the 
 1st Mich. Infty. 
 
 "About the 25th of March, 1865, near Hatcher's Run, Va , after 
 about eight hours warm engagement our ammunition was exhausted. 
 Being in command of the company, I ordered claimant to go to 
 Brigade Headquarters and find out where he could get ammunition, 
 and return with some as soon as possible. He succeeded in getting 
 it — a dangerous undertaking — willingly, speedily and successfully 
 performed. I must say in justice to claimant, that he was uniformly 
 cool and brave under the enemy's tire. 
 
 "[Signed:] Jacob H. Stark." 
 
 Of my conduct as a soldier while a member of Co. .\I, 8th Mich. 
 Cavalry, my comrades have testified in my pension claim as follows : 
 
 Horace E. Woodbridge, Quartermaster Sergeant: "During the 
 month of April, 1863, deponent formed the acquaintance of Seth M. 
 Whitten at Coldwater, in the county of Branch, and State of Michi- 
 gan. That there were so many things about and concerning said 
 Whitten while in the service, that impressed the mind of deponent, 
 during the time of their service together in said company and regi- 
 ment th;.t he now distinctly remembers the man, and very many 
 incidents of his military service Said Whitten although but a boy, 
 was always ready and willing to perform his duty as a soldier under 
 all circumstances " 
 
 Justus (t. Houghtalin, Duty Sergeant:—" That he first became ac- 
 quainted with v\ hitten about the time of his enlistment as a mem- 
 ber of said company and regiment. He well remembers of said 
 ^V hitten having been on various kinds of duty as a soldier with 
 him, affiant, and that he was always active, energetic, ready to 
 
26 
 
 perform and faithful in the performance of his duties as a soldier 
 and that his conduct was at all times becoming a good soldier." 
 
 Elias Rose, Corporal : — "That he became acquainted with Whitten 
 about the time of his enlistment in April, 1863, and has known him 
 since that time ; that he was diminutive in statue, and being only 
 about sixteen years old he attracted the attention of myself and 
 other members of his company ^n the performance of his duty as a 
 soldier. I remember that he was faithful, and ever ready to per- 
 form his duty, many times when sickness or other causes would have 
 excused him." 
 
 Enos B. Headley, Private : — " That about the month of April, 186'i, 
 he became acquainted with Seth M Whitten, then of Branch County, 
 Mich., who was also a member of said company and regiment of Cav. 
 That he distinctly remembers Seth M Whitten as a member of said 
 Co. M, from the fact that when he was enlisted he was a mere boy 
 about 16 years of a'j^e ; and being small of his age, this naturally at- 
 tracted the attention of affiant and other members of said company, 
 and regiment. Especially was this the case when said Whitten was 
 performing his duty as a soldier. Affiant well knows that he was 
 always faithful and i)unctual in the performance of his duties, and 
 temperate in his habits " 
 
 I am sure you will accept this testimony as sufficient proof of 
 my right to make the modest claim of having faithfully performed 
 my duty with the sabre, carbine, revolver and musket, while serving 
 my country in a military capacity. I will conclude the part of the 
 sketch of iny life, and introduce a statement made by Hon. Wm. 
 Williams, late a member of Congress from Warsaw, Indiana, certain 
 political letters from candidates and committees for whom I labored, 
 the notice of a final meeting at my town the night before our State 
 election, i\ov. 1886, and the vote in my precinct at said election, 
 which are, I think, conclusive of my right to claim that I have been 
 equally faithful in the performance of my duty as a Republican. 
 I was for 15 or 20 years an active agent for the Republican County, 
 State, Congressional and National Committees, and have distributed 
 at some considerable personal expense their documents, thousands 
 upon thousands. 
 
 Hon. William Williams : — " I first became acquainted with Whit- 
 ten during the canvass of 1866, in Noble County, Ind., but had no 
 special personal acquaintance until the autumn of 1868, from which 
 time until about 1872, I was well acquainted with him both person- 
 ally and by reputation, while he lived in Elkhart Co , Ind. He was 
 a school-teacher for some years in those counties, and was an active, 
 effective organizer and campaign worker. He was an earnest Rep- 
 ublican, of strict moral integrity, and was respected by all who had 
 intercourse with him. 
 
 "(Signed) W. Williams." , 
 
 " Union Republican Congressional Exe(;utive Comisiittee. 
 Executive Committee: — Hon. Z. Chandler, Oha'^rm^an; Jas M. Ed- 
 munds, Secretary; Gov. H. D. Cooke, Treasurer; Hon. S. Cameron, 
 
27 
 
 Hon. J. A. Logan, Hon. John Pool, Hon. H. W. Corbett, Hon H. H. 
 Starkweather, Hon. J. H. Ketcham, Hon. G. A. Halsey, Hon, John 
 Coburn. 
 Union Repuhlican Resident Committee: — Hon. James Harlan, Chair- 
 man; Richard J. Hint.on, Secretary; Hon. B. R. Cowan, Gov. H. D. 
 Cooke, J. M. Edmunds, Frederick Douglas. 
 
 Washington, D. C, Sept. 21, 1872. 
 Setii M. Whitten, 
 
 Coldwater, Mich. 
 Sir: Yours of the 10th received, and we forward you a copy of the 
 Globe containing the " Senate Proceedings " of the date you desire. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obd't serv't, 
 
 J. M. Edmunds, Secretary. 
 
 ^'Headquarters of the Repuhlican Congressional Committee, 1879. 
 1317 F Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C. 
 Jay A. Hubbell, Chairman ; Wm. E. Chandler, >S'ecretery. Executive 
 Committee : — Hon. Wm. B. Allison, Hon. E. H. Rollins. Hon. 
 Frank Hiscock, Hon. Mark H Dunnell, Hon. Godlove S. Orth, 
 Hon. William McKinley, Hon Joseph Jorgensen, Hon. George R. 
 Davis, Hon Horatio G. Fisher. 
 
 W.ASHINGTON, D. C, AuQUst 18, 1879. 
 Seth M. Whitten, Esq., Secretary, &q. 
 
 Union City, Ind. 
 Dear Sir : I have yours of August 13th, and send you by this mail 
 twenty-five copies of each document published by the committee, 
 and also hand you circular herewith, and Campaign Text Book. If 
 you would like a few Text Books to supply to speakers I will for- 
 ward them. 
 
 I think you are doing good work, and I will help you all I can. 
 
 Yours truly. Jay A. Hubbell " 
 
 " Headquarters of the Repuhlican Congressional Committee, 1879. 
 1317 F Street, Northwest, VVashington, D. C. 
 Jay A. Hubbell, Chairman; Wm. E. Chandler, Secretary. Executive 
 Committee: — Hon. Wm. B. Allison, Hon. E. H. Rollins, Hon. 
 Frank Hiscock, Hon. Mark H. Dunnell, Hon. Godlove S. Orth, 
 H n. William McKinley, Hon. Joseph Jorgensen, Hon. George R. 
 Davis, Hon. Horatio G. Fisher. 
 
 NN'ashington, D. C, Septemher 3, 1879. 
 Seth M. Whitten, Esq., 
 
 Union City, Indiana. 
 Dear Sir : Your letter of August 23 would have received attention 
 sooner except for illness. I send you three Text Books by this mail 
 and enclose a circular herewith Please designate on the circular 
 what kind and how many documents you can use to advantage, and 
 I will forward them to you. 
 
 I want to see Indiana redeemed, and I know that a good, earnest 
 effort, such as you are willing to make, "will do it. I would like to 
 hear from you from time to time on the situation in your locality. 
 
 Yours truly, Jay A. Hubbell" 
 
28 
 
 Rooms of Foster and Hiclcenlooper Club. Headquarters: City Hall, 
 
 Public Square. 
 Execidive Committee: D. J), Hunter, Chairman; M. T. Allen, Secre- 
 tary; H. H. Cole, Z. T. Dorman, A. N. ^yilson, C. H. Bolles, Benj. 
 
 Meckstroth. 
 Ojfficers: E. A. Ulrey, President; Jas. Woodbury, l^i^ Vice President; 
 
 J. E. Breaden, Jr., 2ndVice Pres.; I. N. Ullery, Secretary; F. S. 
 
 Gordon, Assistant Sec ; B. Collins, F. H. Jobes, Cor. Secretaries; L. 
 
 L. Bell, Treasurer; G. S. Harter, Reader; M. W. Laurimore, Sgt.-at- 
 
 Arins; L. Bascom, Assistant Sgt.-at-Arms. 
 
 Greenville, O., August 18, 1879. 
 Seth M Whittex, Fsq., 
 
 Union City, Ind. 
 . Dear Sir : Your letter of recent date has remained unanswered un- 
 til now, for the reason that our committee had under consideration 
 the propriety of calling a new convention for the purpose of filling 
 vacancies, &c., &c., and the Committee did call another convention, 
 fixing Aug. 30th as the time for holding the same. 
 
 " I will forward you a set of documents as requested. I am glad 
 to hear that you and other Republicans of your own and neighbor- 
 ing townships are anxious to work. If the committee arranges for 
 public meetings we will assign you a portion of the work, still I can 
 see no impropriety in your going ahead in your own way irrespec- 
 tive of any arrangement by the committee. * * * 
 
 Hoping to hear from you again, I remain yours, 
 
 J. E. Breaden, Jr., Sec'y D C. C. 
 
 (Will send " Docs." by express ) 
 
 ^^Headquarters of the Republican Congressional Committee, 1880. 
 1317 F Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C. 
 Jay A. Hubbell, Chairman; Edw'd McPherson, /Sfecre^ary- Executivie 
 Committee: — Hon. Wm. B. Allison, Hon. Edw'd H. Rollins. Hon. 
 Frank Hiscock, Hon. Mark H Dunnell, Hon. Godlove S. Orth, 
 Hon. William McKinley, Hon Joseph Jorgensen, Hon. George R. 
 Davis, Hon. Horatio G. Fisher. 
 
 Washington, D. C, July 24, 1880. 
 Dear Sir : I send with this a set of our documents as far as print- 
 ed to date. Please examine and advise which in your judgment are 
 best suited to your locality, and in what quantities you^think you 
 can advantageously use them. If you have lists of doubtful voters 
 we can supply them from this point. 
 
 Very respectfully, &c., 
 
 P^Dw. jNIcPherson, Secretary. 
 S. M. Written, £sq., Atty. at Law. 
 
 Union City, Randolph Co. Ind. 
 
 "Mentor, Ohio, Sept. 15, '80. 
 Mr. Seth M Whitten, 
 
 Union City, Ind. 
 Dear Sir : Yours of the 14th inst. i-s received and contents are noted. 
 
 i 
 
29 
 
 I send you some documents upon the topic to which your letter 
 refers. Very truly yours, 
 
 «T. A. Garfield." 
 Rooms of iJie Republican Central Committee, Randolph County. 
 Central Coinmitteemen : J. W. Macy, Chairman ; A. H. Patty, Secre- 
 tary ; Geo. U. Carter, Lasalle Bailey, \V. L. Cox, John C. Barnes, 
 W. R. Cog^shall, R. H. Morgan, Clarkson Charles, A. Canfield, S. 
 Kegereis, John A. Hunt, J. A Botkin, J. C. Godwin, H. McVey, W. 
 W. Smith. N. T Warren, Charles Trine, Jas. Woodbury, Miles 
 Scott, Wm. A. Macy, Wm. Fowler, D. F. Orr. 
 
 Winchester, Ind., 10, 4, 1880. 
 Seth M. Whitten, Union City: 
 
 Can you fill out Mr. Tucker's appointments. He has thrown up. 
 Let me know this evening. 
 
 Yours, &c., 
 
 J W. Macy. 
 "THE FINAL RALLY! 
 The last grand rally of the campaign will be held at the 
 Opera Houfte on Monday Eve , November \st. 
 Major John L. Reeves will preside. 
 T7ie Union City Glee Club will furnish vocal music. 
 The Coddington Martial Band will also be present. At the re 
 quest of a number of citizens and ex-soldiers. 
 S. M WHITTEN, 
 of Union City, will discuss the Land Grant, Pension and Tariff Legis- 
 lation of ConiJ:ress, from a non-partisan standpoint, aided by the 
 statutes, and official records, and the published records of the Re- 
 publican and Democratic parties. It is the purpose of the speaker 
 to present the law, the votes in Congress, proposed legislation, and 
 the position of the two parties on these questions, without uttering a 
 word that will wound the feelings of the most ultra partisan. Every- 
 body turn out The ladies are especially invited. The meeting will 
 open at 7:30 sharp. 
 
 By Order of Citizen and Soldier Committee. 
 It is sufficient to say that I was prepared with my documents and 
 records for that occasion, and had the honor of addressing the larg- 
 est audience of the campaign, at our town, although t]iis was the 
 fifth and last political meeting held. Of my effort the Union City 
 Eagle, Nov. 4, 1886, (after the election] spoke as follows: 
 
 " Seth M. Whitten made an able address to a good audience at the 
 Opera Hall, Monday night. He discussed pensions, public lands 
 and tariff." 
 
 The following tables show the vote in Union City, Ind , for Blaine 
 in 1884, and Robertson, Republican candidate for Lieut. Gov. in 1886; 
 
 1884. 
 
 ist Ward 2d Ward. 3d Ward. 
 
 Republican 156 165 142 
 
 Democratic 85 151 134 
 
 Majority 71 14 
 
30 
 
 1886. 
 
 ist Ward. 2d Ward 3d Ward. 
 
 Republican .. 132 185 132 
 
 Democratic 63 95 120 
 
 Majority 69 90 12 
 
 From a comparison of this vote it will be seen that there is but a 
 slight dilFerence in the majorities of the 1st and 3d wards, while in 
 the 2d, (where I reside) there is a net Republican gain of 76 votes 
 over Blaine's majority in 1884. I do not claim that this increase is 
 wholly due to my efforts, yet it is acknowledged that the earnest, i 
 care:£ul work whicli I performed, both publicly and privately, aided 
 by my valuable collection of documents and records of both parties, 
 did much more toward securing this result than did all other 
 efforts combined. There was a large soldier vote in my precinct, 
 and having in my possession all of the records of Congress, and of the 
 parties which show the action taken upon the subject of pensions, 
 bounties, land grants, the tariff, and such other legislation and mat- 
 ter which has affected their interest, directly and indirectly, I 
 was in a position to furnish them information absolutele reliable, 
 which I did, and for this reason it had its effect upon their minds 
 Had my policy been pursued over the State, the Republican major- 
 ity would have reached fifteen to twenty thousand, the legislature 
 would have been Republican, and Benj. Harrison would have been 
 returned to the United States Senate. I make this declaration Un- 
 derstandingly, with a clear knowledge of the feelings of my com- 
 rades throughout the State then, and now, and without fear of suc- 
 cessful contradiction from any source whatsoever. 
 
 I submit that 1 have now presented sufficient proof to sustain 
 every statement made by the gentlemen who have endorsed me for 
 the position of Sergeant-at-Arms, which refers to my character as a 
 citizen, to my services as a soldier and to my labor as a Republican. 
 I will now present some testimony to show how I received my disa- 
 bilities and what has been their degree since 1871, as these matters > 
 are also alluded to, in the letters of my friends which are mentioned 
 and copied into this record. 
 
 I have the sworn testimony on file in my claim for pension, 
 of persons who were my school teachers, persons who were 
 neighbors, and fellow-workmen, also my father's family phy- 
 sician since 1856, all of whom were well acquainted with me 
 me prior to my enlistment, and whose testimony shows that I was 
 a sound boy in good health when I enlisted. A want of space pre- 
 vents my giving it here. I will, however, insert the more important 
 sworn testimony of the following officers and comrades of my com- ' 
 pany and regiment : 
 
 First. J. B. K. Mignault, Regimental Surgeon : — "I was surgeon of 
 the 8th iVIich. Cavalry from its organization until some time after 
 the seige of Atlanta, Ga., in 1864. The following facts enable me to 
 distinctly remember the claimant at the time he was examined by 
 me for the purpose of ascertaining his physical condition, and his 
 
31 
 
 fitness for the service, wliicli was soon after his enlistment. The 
 claimant was a mere boy, and for this reason was carefully exam- 
 ined I am sure that I made every test in such examination which 
 the law and my oath required of me. I also distinctly remember 
 that after I had so examined the claimant, and found him physi- 
 cally sound in all respects, it was still a question whether we would 
 accept him as a soldier on account of his ao"e But I distinctly re- 
 member the boy was anxious so go as a member of Co M of said 
 regiment, and that in support of his right to so enter the service, he 
 had his father's written consent ; and upon this we decided to, and did 
 acept him into the service I am also positive that the claimant was 
 not at that time suffering from any impairment of vision, or other 
 disease or injuries ; and my reasons for knowing this are the facts 
 stated, and that had there been any such defects, my examination 
 aforesaid was amply sufficient to have disclosed it. 1 also distinctly 
 remember the engagement at Sweetwater, Tennessee, Oct, 26, 1863, 
 and that the 8th Michigan Cavalry participated in said engagement. 
 I also remember that on the next morning, and perhaps for a day or 
 so after that, Itreated several men who were wounded or injured in 
 said engagement, and who had been j)laced in an old church near 
 Lenoir Station, Tennessee. I have an indistinct recollection now of 
 having see:i ciayimant at said church, and of having treated him for 
 an injury to his side and shoulder, received, as I now remembei" it, 
 by his horse falling upon him the night before, when we were re 
 treating to Lenoir Station. I am also quite sure that when we were 
 at Knoxville I gave claimant liniment to use on his injured side and 
 shoulder. I also remember that when we started from Lenoir Sta- 
 tion for Knoxville, we did so in great haste on account of an attack 
 from Longstreet's; forces. I still remember of claimant's having 
 come to me, and of my having examined his eyes at Strawberry 
 Plains in Dec. 1863, as stated in my former affidavit. I further re- 
 member that from the beginning to the end of the Morgan raid, in 
 1863, the whole regiment was subjected to hard, fatiguing marches, 
 great loss of sleep and opportunities for rest, and was required to be 
 exposed to clouds of dust in our line of march , and great exposure 
 to night air. I was present with the regiment during said raid, So 
 far as I was able to judge from my examination of said claimant and 
 his physical appearance at the time of his acc^iptance into the ser- 
 vice by me, I am positive that the claimant was absolutely free 
 from the disabilities from which he is now suffering, and in my 
 judgment, he received said disabilities in the service, and in the line 
 of his duty as a soldier. 
 
 (Signed) J. B. K. Mignault." 
 Seco7id. Horace E. Woodbridge, Q. M. 3., Orderly Sergeant and 
 Lieut : - " About the 16th day of March, 1863, deponent enlisted as a 
 Quarter Master Sergeant in Co. " M," of the 8th Mich. Cavalry. At 
 the time of the enlistment of said Whitten about April 10th, 1863, 
 I distinctly remember him as a hearty, healthy boy; and,on accDunt 
 of his youth and size I further remember that I soon became ac- 
 quainted with him, and the fact that he was a mere boy attracted 
 
32 
 
 my attentiop to his physical as well as his general appearance. 
 
 " Before the war and since, my profession was and has been that 
 of an oculist in actual service ; have practiced more than twenty years. 
 I do not believe there was any trouble or disease of the eyes of said 
 Whitten, at liis enlistment, nor of either of them; and my reasons 
 for so stating and so believing are as follows, to wit : 
 
 " I never h^d any occasion to think that such was the case by 
 reason of any awk\vardness or any other difficulty in the perform- 
 ance of his duties as a soldier, or from any other circumstance be- 
 fore the Morgan raid (in July, 1863.) I was the drill master of 
 the said Co. " M," having put myself in a position to accept such 
 service by the study of a book of drill instructions which I pur- 
 chased at Detroit, Mich. That many times when performing such 
 service in the drilling of said Co., Whitten was required to take a 
 part in such drill exercises, sometimes at target practice, sometimes 
 at sabre exercise, and perhaps at other times with the revol- 
 ver Sometimes mounted and at other times dismounted. It is 
 still fresh in my mind that during- such exercises, my attention 
 was often attracted toward said Whitten as in the first instance, 
 partially by reason of his size, but more especially on account of 
 the correctness and precision with which he executed the different 
 commands given I can well remember that at target practice he 
 always had exactly the sime position as the other members of the 
 Co. and never in any manner asked permission to get in any differ- 
 ent position than the other soldiers on duty at the same time ; nor 
 did said Whitten disclose any weakness of vision, and I am positive 
 that in shooting at the target, he, said Whitten, always used his gun 
 from right shoulder, and 1 further remember that his shots would 
 make a good average with the other members of the Company, 
 which I do not believe could have be^n the case with any defect of 
 vision. I further remember that in sabre exercise he was often 
 conspicuous for liis proficiency in drill in this, he was among the 
 best with a sabre in the company, and I can di>tinctly remember 
 that I often put him at practice witli men much older and of greater 
 weight than himself, and that he could successfully compete with 
 nearly all with whom he came in contact, in the performance of 
 such duties. I am also certain that liis sabre and revolver were 
 used with the riyht hand. That such exercises were had near Camp 
 Nelson in the State of Kentucky and elsewhere before the John 
 Morgan raid in 1863, and continued almost daily over a period of 
 three or four weeks. I further know^ that said Whitten went with 
 his Co on said Morgan raid in July, 1863, and I did not see him 
 again until some time in October, 1863, when he retured to his Co., 
 then somewhere near Kingston, or Lenoir Station, in the State of 
 Tennessee. And deponent further remembers that when said Whit- 
 ten returned to said Co in Oct., he was not able tor duty, was not 
 required to do much duty, but volunteered to do anything that he 
 was able to do. As soon as he resumed his duties I detected a dif- 
 ficulty in his vision, it being quite bad ; he also complained of 
 great pain in and about his eyes. I made an examination as best 
 
33 
 
 I could without tlie aid of instruments, and found the pupils very- 
 much dilated, and that partial amaurosis had set in, which was, in 
 my opinion, caused by improper treatment during his sickness 
 (after the Morgan raid) or perhaps from exposure and exhaustion 
 while on the Morgan raid. That he continued to do light duty 
 after this, and went with his company into the engagement at or 
 near Sweetwater, Tennessee, Oct. 26, 1863 ; that deponent was also 
 with the company in said engagement. Sometime during this en- 
 gagement Whitten's horse was shot. 1 remember of having known 
 something about it at the time, but not distinctly enough to relate 
 it. I also remember that later in the evening when on the retreat, 
 or return to camp, word was brought to me while acting as First 
 Sergeant at the head of the company, that Whitten's horse had 
 nearly given out, that he wanted another, which I could not 
 furnish. That after this, and sometime during the night deponent 
 learned that Whitten's horse had finally given out, and had in some 
 manner fallen upon him. I distinctly remember of having seen 
 Whitten in some sort of ambulance on the next morning, and while 
 I perhaps did not at that time know the exact nature, nor the extent 
 of his injuries, I do know that he in some maimer sustained an 
 injury^to his left side and shoulder. Deponent has no further re- 
 collection of having seen Whitten until we arrived at Knoxville, 
 when he again reported for light duty in the company with one 
 arm in a sling, it being the left arm as deponent now recollects it. 
 Deponent further recollects that Whitten was also complaining of 
 an injury to his left side, and the trouble with his eyes increased, 
 and at times he would come to deponent for relief. I further 
 remember that when he left the Co. again, at Strawberry Plains, 
 Tenn., about Dec. 20th, 1863, his condition was but little improved, 
 if any. Deponent knows that Wl^itten received his injuries and he 
 thinks his other disability when in the discharge of, and in line of 
 his duty as a soldier. 
 
 (Signed) Horace E. Woodbeidge." 
 
 Justus G. H(/Ughtalin, Duty Sergeant ; Elias Rose, Corporal ; Enos 
 B. Headley, Private, and E. ,]. Devens, Capt., have all testified to the 
 same effect in their several aflBdavits made in my claim for pen- 
 sion. 
 
 The following statements are taken from the records of the Sur- 
 geon-General's OfBce : 
 
 " The records of the office of the Surgeon-General, U. S. A., show 
 that Seth M. Whitten, private Co. M , 8th .Mich. Cavalry, was admit- 
 ted to hospital at Covington, Ky , on the the 18th of July, 1863, for 
 treatment for interm ittent fever ; was transferred Aug. 8, 1863, with 
 conjunctivitis, and was returned to duty Sep. 14, 1863. * * 
 Entered Dennison General Hospital, Ohio, Jan. 19, 1864, with chronic 
 diarrhoea, and was dischari^ed Feb. 13, 1864. Age 17; degree of 
 disability, one-half. C D. Palmer, Acting-Assistant Surgeon, 
 U. S. A., in the certificate of disability, states that he had carefully 
 examined private Seth. M. Whitten, and found him incapable of 
 performing the duties of a soldier because of chronic diarrhoea, and 
 
34 
 
 hepatization of left lun^. B. Cloak, Siirireon, U. S. Vols., in charge 
 of hospital at Camp Dennison, states in the certificate of disability : 
 * Disease contracted since enlistment." 
 
 Jacob H. Stark, Orderly Sergeant, and 1st Lieutenant of my com- 
 pany during second service, testified as follows: 
 
 '' I remember that at different times claimant complained of an 
 injury received in the previous service, above mentioned. Jf I re- 
 member correctlv he said his horse fell on him." 
 
 My physical condition since my discharge from the service is 
 shown by the statements and testimony of the following persons, who 
 have testified in my claim for pension : 
 
 Hon. William Williams, Warsaw, Ind : — "In the spring of 1870, he 
 (Whitten) declined an appointment to be deputy-marshal to assist 
 in the census work of that year, because if he accepted it he would 
 have been compelled to do so under a political pledge which he pos- 
 itively refused to make. That in the fall of 1870, I had a postal 
 route vacancy, and I tendered the same to Whitten, but he again de- 
 clined on account of poor health and weak vision. That in Feb. 
 1871, he went to Washington, and we talked about a place for 
 him in the house, which 1 fully believe might have been obtained, 
 but he again declined an account of poor health and vision.. That 
 in the summer of 1871, at different times he wrote me about his 
 failing health and vision, Again in September or October, 1871, he 
 wrote me that his vision and health were failing fast, and that he 
 was very anxious to change his occupation. About the 15th or 
 20th of November, 1871, I again wrote him that I thought I could 
 certainly get him some place suitable to his physical condition; 
 but before Congress got to work, he notified me that he was blind. 
 
 Dated July 29th, 1881. (Signed) Wm. Williams" 
 
 In January, 1873, I came to Washington and was examined by the 
 Medical Referee of the Pension Office, who after this sent me to 
 Philadelphia for an examination by Dr. Agnew, of that city. This 
 examination was made as will be seen by the following certificate : 
 
 1611 Chustnut Street, 
 Philadelphia, January 23d, 1873. 
 Mr. J. H. Baker, Commissioner of Pensions : 
 Dear Sir:—" I have examined, this morning, the eyes of Mr. Setli 
 M. Whitten, and have no hesitation in saying that he is hopelessly 
 blind. The optic disc of the left eye may, perhaps, receive luminous 
 impressions, but the disorganization is too great ever to hope for 
 any useful vision. The right eye, I doubt, cannot even perceive 
 light. 
 
 I am very truly your ob't^serv't, 
 
 (Signed) D. Hayes Agnew, 
 Prof. Surgery, University Penn. 
 
 Previous to this time, and afterwards, I had consulted such noted 
 Specialists as Drs. H. H Roman, of Sprinu^field, Illinois, E. Williams 
 of Cincinnati, Ohio, Peter Mets, of Massillon, Ohio, Mier McLaugh- 
 lin, of Jackson, Michigan, A. B, Hildreth, of Chicago, 111., and a Mr. 
 
35 
 
 Kennedy, of Roundouf , New York. I did this in the hope that I 
 might find some one who could at least produce some slight relief ; 
 but after a short term of treatment and several careful examinations, 
 they all decided that 1 was incurable, and either testified or certified, 
 about as Dr. Agnew did in the certificate above quoted. These cer- 
 tificates and afiidavits are now on file at the Pension Office. 
 No language can describe what I suffered during these wretched 
 years from December, 1871, to the summer of 1876. It was not 
 enough that I should continually suffer the most excruciation pain, 
 but in addition to this 1 was very much of the time reduced to ab- 
 solute want, and was often subjected to the deepest humiliation on 
 account of my poverty, which was the direct result of my disabili- 
 ties received in the service, and in the line of duty. 
 
 In July, 1875, I moved from Branch County, Mich., to Union City, 
 Indiana, where 1 now reside. I here formed the acquaintance of Dr. 
 John L. Reeves, a very skilful physician, who soon became a most 
 earnest friend. In a few weeks he began a course of treatment for 
 my eye trouble which he continued for more than a year. Under 
 this treatment I have recovered the partial use of my left eye 
 only. 
 
 Having the doctor's affidavit, I here insert that portion of it 
 which shows the treatment he gave me, and the degree of my disa- 
 bility. 
 
 John L. Reeves, M D., Union City, Indiana -.—"About the month of 
 August, 1875, he was professionally called into the family of Seth M. 
 Whitten, to treat his child then sick. From my first acquaintance 
 with him I discovered an apparent trouble with his eyes. That he 
 made daily visits (nearly) for several weeks thereafter; that nearly 
 every visit there was some peculiar incident which attracted the 
 attention of affiant toward said Whitten, and I began to make some 
 special obseivation of his eyes. That among other things it was 
 noticeable, that the extreme heat of the sun, or any physi- 
 cal exertion, which would heat the blood of Whitten, or any sharp 
 piercing wind that came in contact with his eyes, would produce 
 extreme pain directly in and about the ball of the eye, extending 
 toward the back part of the head, which condition was denoted 
 with apparent clearness by the peculiar condition of the eyes, and 
 more especially the left eye ; during such times there was an an ex- 
 traordinary enlargement of the pupil, and an extreme superficial 
 flow of water from the eyes; that in nearly all cases all applica- 
 tions, or medicines given internally for the direct trouble, were 
 without effect, until the attack had run a course of about 24 to 48 
 hours, unless relieved by opiates. These attacks were often sudden 
 when the general condition of the system was normal, and appetite 
 good ; that said trouble always produced constipation and loss of 
 appetite for a short period, and was nearly always attended with 
 nausea that further produced extreme retching, without being able 
 to relieve the stomach by emetics until the pain began to subside: 
 that the circulation became irregular most always producing slight 
 fever. That affiant distinctly remembers that he treated said 
 
3U _ 
 
 Whitten for these troubles quite frequently during the autumn of 
 
 1875, and winter of 1876. 
 
 "I administered such medicines as I at the time thought the 
 symptoms required. That there was no apparent general improve- 
 ment until March, 1876, when a marked change was observed, and 
 improvement was rapid The sea green reiiection of the pupil 
 slowly but surely disappeared, and the visual field in left eye grew 
 clear : the repletion that had been from the first so marked and 
 prominent in the globe also decreased, and the general outward 
 appearance of the eyes resumed a normal condition nearly, with a 
 gradual restoration of sight in left eye, but none in right eye, as 
 affiant believes. This improvement continued until about Oct., 
 
 1876, without interruption, when in that month Whitten performed 
 manual labor for two or three weeks at ditrging and shovelling dirt 
 in grading side-walks in this city. During that time and soon after 
 I was again called to treat him for the troubles first mentioned, and 
 found the same symptoms attended with less severity. 
 
 " That in the winter of 1877, during January, February and March, 
 Whitten was again at manual labor, and this time engaged in chop- 
 ping cord-wood During this time I was called and treated him 
 three or four times, when I met new complications in the form of a 
 trouble with his left side and shoulder, which, it would appear, was 
 a recent aggravation of a trouble of long duration ; a lameness of tlie 
 side and shoulder was apparent, which produced extreme pain and 
 a feverish condition of the parts affected bordering on inflammation, 
 the shoulder being somewhat shrunk ; that the trouble increased to 
 such an extent, that Whitten was obliged to abandon wood-chopping 
 and was for a time quite sick, and for a longer period he was com- 
 pelled to carry his left arm in a sling, to relieve his shoulder. That 
 treatment and rest again restored him, when, contrary to my ad- 
 vice, he again \^ ent to manual labor, this time engaged in cutting a 
 ditch on a farm about 8 miles from Union City ; that after working 
 at that for a few days, I was again called and treated him until he 
 recovered; that he did not perform any more manual labor until in 
 harvest of 1877, as affiant now remembers it, when, again against 
 my advice he worked at cutting grain with a cradle as affiant then 
 understood it from Whitten ; that during all this time he kept up 
 the constant use of said Oil Liniment, and such other medicines as 
 I thought his case required. That the bad results of his harvest 
 work upon his eyes was prominent, and this time taking my counsel 
 h^ abandoned all manual labor and has not performed very much 
 since, and no hard labor whatever. That since that time, said Whit- 
 ten has been engaged in the practice of law here and elsewhere, and 
 while prostration has not been so frequent since then as before, yet 
 affiant well knows that his vision is now very imperfect, and that by 
 reason of this, his duties are performed under great disadvantages 
 and extreme difficulties, and at all times requires the utmost care to 
 preserve what sight is left to said left eye ; but affiant says that he 
 is well acquainted with the circumstances in life of said Whitten, 
 and believes that he is compelled to depend upon his labor for sup- 
 
37 
 
 port, and I have advised him and believe that his present occupa- 
 tion (the practice of the law) is best suited to his condition. And 
 affiant further believes that constant manual labor would in a no 
 great length of time again totally destroy his sight, and that it is 
 liable to come upon him at any time while performing his usual 
 labor. That he is obliged to, and always does, wear glasses. 
 
 (Signed) John L. Reeves, M. D." 
 
 Dated Feb. 18, 1882. 
 
 Affidavit of James H. Fahnestock ; — " My nam9 is James H. Fahn- 
 estock, I reside and receive my mail at Shanes Crossing in the above 
 County, and State. (Mercer Co , Ohio.) I am a physician in regular 
 practice for 12 years I first became acquainted with the claimant 
 about the month of May in the year of 1880, at Union City, Ran- 
 dolph Co., Ind. About this time I entered into Co-partnership with 
 Dr. Jno. L. Reeves of Union City, and engaged with him in the prac- 
 tice of medicine in that town and vicinity Almost from the first 
 claimant was a frequent visitor at our place of business, and for a 
 long time came quite often, sometimas for medicine for himself, 
 and sometimes for others, or to attend to matters pertaining to his 
 profession as an attorney for Dr. Reeves. I had good opportunities for 
 knowing his physical condition from his general appearence when I 
 saw him, and from his complaints of his sufferings to Dr. Reeves in my 
 presence, and a portion of the time to me,I can distinctly remember 
 that his eye trouble was always the most serious, but he also nearly 
 always complained of a trouble for the most part a soreness and 
 lameness in his left side and shoulder. He always claimed to me that it 
 was caused by a horse falling upon him while he was in the 8th 
 Mich. Cavalry, I was in the 45th Ohio Mounted Infantry, which 
 for a while was brigaded with the 8th Mich. Cavalry. Claim- 
 ant and myself have talked about it. I can remember that I 
 quite often furnished a plaster or liniments for claimant to use on 
 his side and shoulder. About the mi(Jdle of the month of Novem- 
 ber in the year of 1882, I was called to treat the claimant for his 
 eye trouble. This was after his wife's death. He was suddenly 
 stricken down at his office. It was at this place that I was first 
 called to see him. He was nursed by Mr. James B Ross and Mr. 
 Ebenezer Tucker, Esq., of Union City, Indiana. When I first saw 
 him his suffering was very intense with pain in the eyes. I was 
 informed by his attendants that for a day or so constant applica- 
 tions of hot water, which was heated to such a degree as to render 
 it almost impossible for them to wring cloths out of it, were made 
 directly to his eyes. I was obliged to administer opiates to produce 
 relief, but such relief was of short duration. There was also a 
 nauseous condition of the stomach which cuused the claimant great 
 suffering on account of the continued retching it produced. In the 
 course of two or three days his whole left side became involved 
 Accute inflammation of the muscles and nerves supervened, and 
 finally claimant's entire body became so sensitive that it was al- 
 
38 .- 
 
 most impossible to move him in the least without causin.i^ an invol- 
 untary exclamation of pain, which was also denoted in his appear- 
 ance. In about one week he was removed to the house of a Mr. 
 Carpenter in said town, where he was nursed by Mrs. Carpenter, 
 Mr. Tucker and others, whom I do not now remember. The movin^^ 
 seemed to make him Avorse, and he soon became and continued ab- 
 solutely helj)l('ss, by reason of a semi-paralyzed and weakened con- 
 dition, and for some time I did not think it possible for him to 
 survive. This condition continued, and I treated him almost daily 
 until about the 20th of December, when the paralysis, inflamma- 
 tion, and weakness beii:an to subside, and lie be^'^an to improve. F 
 am not able to say just what medicines 1 administered to him, for 
 the reason that 1 furnished the medicine at each visit as I thoui;ht 
 the symptoms required, and did not make or use at any time written 
 prescriptions I can distinctly remember, though, that the greatest 
 amount of pain and suffering was located directly in his eyes, left 
 side and shoulder. I continued to furnish him medicine until in 
 January, 1883. 1 have not my books at hand by which I could give 
 the correct dates, but am certain that I have given them very nearly 
 correctly. I can also remember that claimant was very much re- 
 duced in flesh, and that he was notable to, nor did not return to his 
 law business at Union City, until the next autumn, 1883. He was 
 not sufliciently capable of physical exertion as to perform any hibor 
 continuously, and not a sufficient amount at any time to earn a 
 subsistance for himself and family, and no lieavy labor at all. 
 
 " I have no interest, direct or indirect in this claim. 
 
 (Signed :) James H. Fahnestock, M. D." 
 
 Dated March 8, 1888. 
 
 Affidavit of Frances B Loring, M. D. 1407 N. Y. Avenue, North- 
 west, Washington, D. C.:— "That his name is Francis B Loring, his 
 age 37 years, and his residence and post-office address as above given. 
 That he is now and for 14 years last past has been a physician in re- 
 gular practice, making diseases of the eyes a subject for special 
 treatment and study; that on the 3d day of May, 1887,. and 
 again on the 22 day of July, 18S7, at his, deponent's office, on the 
 said New York Avenue in Washington City, he made a close, careful 
 and thorough examination of the eyes of said claimant (Seth M. 
 Whitten,) with and without the aid of the ophthalmoscope, and found 
 retinitis pigmentosa in a high degree in right eys, with posterior 
 staphyloma, atrophy of the optic nerve and myopia in left eye. That 
 there is total blindness of his, claimant's right eye, except it may 
 perhaps receive luminous ijiipressions ; but there is not sufficient 
 strength of vision to distinguish any object whatever; and in his, 
 doponent's opinion, there never will be for the reason that there is 
 absolute destruction of the optic nerve of cilaimant's right eye. That 
 the vision of his left eye is about 20-200 of a normal condition, and 
 the disorganization is too great to hope for any improvement. That 
 lie believes claimant's physical condition to be as stated, and that 
 he is absolutely incurable. And he further says, that in his opinion 
 the disease of eyes from which the clainant is suffering, is accoiii- 
 
39 
 
 panied with severe pain in and about the eyes, which extends to and 
 at times involves the entire nervous system of him, said clainiant, 
 more especially is this the case whenever the claimant is subjected 
 to exposure, to inclement weather, extreme heat or cold, to over-ex- 
 ertion, or to any kind of pliysical labor which produces fatigue or 
 which causes his blood to become over-heated. That the said disease of 
 eyes from which Claimant is suffering is also sufficient to, and as De- 
 ponent believes, does affect his. Claimant's, general health, 
 which when taken together and in connection with his im- 
 perfect vision, renders him \vholly incapable of perform- 
 ing manual labor for a subsistence ; and, that any extended 
 attempt to perform any manual labor requiring exposure 
 to extreme heat or cold, or to inclement weather, or which would 
 require ordinary physical exertion, would very soon further impair 
 if not wholly destroy what vision remains in his left eye. And he 
 further says, that the said disease of eyes from which claimant is 
 suffering, is, of itself, sufficient to, and often does destroy the vision 
 of the person so afflicted, sometimes in a few years, or in other cases 
 after years of suffering and gradual loss of sight; and that to pre- 
 serve the vision in such cases it is necessary to use the utmost care 
 and caution, and to wholly abstain from the exposure and labor 
 above described. And he further says, tliat he has seen and read 
 Avhat purports to be an official communication from the Commis- 
 sioner of Pensions to the claimant, in which he finds the following 
 record of claimant's sickness, and disease of eyes, while in the ser- 
 vice of the United States, in July and August, I860, to wit: 'The 
 records of the office of Surgeon General, U. S. A., show that Seth M. 
 Whitten, private Co. M, 8th Michigan Cavalry, Avas admitted to hos- 
 pital at Covington, Kentucky, on the 18th day of July, 1863, for treat- 
 ment for intermittent fever ; was transferred August 8th, 
 1863, with conjunctivitis, and was returned to duty September 
 14th.' That if this ^aid record is a true history of claimant's phys- 
 ical condition at that time, it is evident that he had some disease of 
 eyes at the time of, in connection with, or immediately following the 
 said intermittent fever; that in such cases where the predisposing 
 causes of said fever are fatigue, exposure to malarial influences, it is 
 often attended with various forms of inflammatory diseases of the 
 eyes, with a partial or total loss of vision. It may be in- 
 termittent or permanent. That blindness, often total, comes on 
 suddenly, and may be so complete that all perception of light is 
 lost, though the pupil reacts perfectly to the stimulus of light. 
 .This condition may continue from a few hours to some days, when 
 'the sight again returns. That in such cases the seat of the dis- 
 ease is evidently situated in the retro-ocular i)ortion of the optic 
 nerve, so that the disc and retina remain for a time unchanged; 
 and no changes in the fundus are visable for some weeks, and 
 then symptoms of atrophy of the optic nerve, and various other 
 serious diseases of the eyes supervene, which show conclusively that 
 a progressive disease of a permanent nature, has seized upon the in- 
 terior portion of the eye That at first, and perhaps for some time, 
 
40 
 
 the ophthalmoscope does not reveal anythuig abnormal in the ap- 
 pearance of the fundus oculi, except a slii,^ht dilation and tortuousity 
 of the retinal veins, and it is often the case, and in fact in most 
 cases, that such a condition as described exists, and the attending 
 physician does not discover it until it results in acute inflamma- 
 tion, or other serious injury to the eyes, and vision of the person 
 afflicted. That in the case of the claimant, the pathological con- 
 ditions are affirmative, and in the opinion of deponent, such a con- 
 dition with claimant did exist, and the conjunctivitis, which the 
 record shows he had, was only the natural result of that condition ; 
 and that a recovery from the conjunctivitis would in nowise check, 
 or affect the progress of the diseases such as claimant is saffering 
 from, and is not a cause but a result of such a condition. And 
 he further says that judging from the diseases and disorganiza- 
 tions which the ophthalmic examination discloses in claimant's eyes, 
 he, deponent, believes the disease of the eyes, with which claimant 
 was afflicted at the time mentioned, to wit : July and August, 1863, 
 to have been 'Neuritis ;' and that his present condition so far as 
 it relates to his, claimant's, disease of the eyes, and loss of vision, is 
 the result of the fever and of the Neuritis, aforesaid, which he ]iad 
 at that time ; and from the same source of reasoning lie further 
 states, that in his opinion, the diseases and disorganizations of claim- 
 ant's eyes, even though there may have been a slight unhealthy con- 
 dition prior to the time mentioned, which is not admitted, would 
 have never developed in a degree sufficient to seriously affect claim- 
 ant or his vision, had it not been for causes mentioned, or some other 
 cause of a violent nature producing same results That had claimant 
 remained in civil life instead of entering the military service as he did 
 in his, deponent's opinion, the claimant would]be to-day in the enjoy- 
 ment of good vision,and would be free from the debilitating eff ects,and 
 the pain produced by the disease of eyes from which he is suffer- 
 ing ; and there are no structural changes, or pathological symptoms 
 which would warrant any other conclusion. That the said posterior 
 staphyloma, the other conditions, and the atrophe of the optic nerve, 
 are but the natural results of the condition, he, claimant, is shown 
 to have been in in July and August, 1863, while the myopia was, 
 beyond a doubt in his, deponent's opinion, developed by that condi- 
 tion, and but for this, and the subsequent exposure and hardships in- 
 cident to his continuance in the service, it never would have developed 
 in such a degree as to destroy, or even seriously impair his vision. 
 That as a conclusion, it is his, deponent's opinion, that the disease 
 of eyes, loss of vision, and results as described, with which the 
 claimant has been and now is affiicted, are directly due to his mili- 
 tary service as aforesaid. And deponent further states that while 
 the foregoing deposition is not in his hand- writing, he has carefully 
 read and revised the same, and now makes it his deposition ; and 
 that he has no interest direct or indirect, in this claim. 
 
 (Signed) Francis B. Loring." 
 
 Dated July 22, 1887. 
 
 Affidavit of William H Fox, M. D., Washington, D. C.:— " That his 
 
41 
 
 nanio is William H. Fox; liis age 30 years; his residence and post 
 office address is 1517 L St.,N. W ..Washington, J). C. That he is now and 
 for two years has been a physician in regnlar practice, making dis- 
 eases of the eyes a subject of special treatment and practice, and two 
 years prior to that time had devoted himself to the special study of 
 that subject, and on the 24tli day of Feb., 1888, and again on the 
 25th day of Feb., 1888, at his office on tlie said L street in Washing- 
 ton, D. C, he made a careful and thorough examination of the eyes 
 of said claimant, Seth M. Whitten, both with and without the oph- 
 thalmoscope and trial glasses, and finds retinitis pigmentosa in an 
 advanced state, with atrophy of the optic nerve in the right eye, 
 and a high degree of myopia, with staphyloma and atrophy of optic 
 nerve in left eye. That there is total blindness of right eye except 
 a very faint perception of light; and in the left, without glasses, 
 he has but 2-100 of normal vision, and only 20-70 of normal vision 
 witli the best correction by glasses. 
 
 "That in comparison vvitli the exaniination made on the 22nd day 
 of July, 18S7, by Dr. Loring of tbis city, there seems to be a 
 fTirther decrease in the vision of left eye, as shown by my examina- 
 tion, and his affidavit. I believe the claimant's condition at this 
 time to be as I have described it, and tliat he is absolutely incura- 
 ble. And 1 further say that I have this day examined and have read 
 a communication purporting to be from the Department of the In- 
 terior, dated Feb 1), 18S7, and signed by D L. Hawkins, Asst. Sec and 
 by John C. Black, Com. of Pensions, in which communication I find the 
 following statement, to wit: 'Tlie records of the office of the Surg. Gen. 
 IT. S. A., show that Seth M. Whitten, private Co, M, 8th Mich. Cavalry, 
 was admitted to hospital at Covington, Kentucky, on the 8th day of 
 July, 18()3, for treatment for intermittent fever; was transferred Aug.8, 
 1863, with conjunctivitis, and was returned to duty Sept. 14, 1863." 
 And I further say that at the time I made the exaniination afore- 
 said, I had in my possession the affidavit of Dr. Francis B. Loring, 
 of this city, who is well known to me, to be a specialist in the dis- 
 eases of the eye, in active practice, which affidavit was executed 
 July 22, 1887 That I have twice carefully read the ^-aid affidavit, 
 and fully understand all the terms, conclusions, and every opinion 
 expressed by said Loring, in said affidavit, so executed July 22, 1887, 
 as aforesaid ; that the conclusions and opinions as therein expressed, 
 by said Loring, are so thoroughly in harmony with my own mind, 
 about the matter stated, and that they are so thoroughly corrobora- 
 ted by my examination, that I herein in my affidavit, endorse and 
 express the same opinions as my own, regarding the claimant's con- 
 dition, and fully believe that every conclusion jjresented by Dr. Lor- 
 ing is warranted by what has been disclosed by my said examina- 
 tion ; that if I Avere to write out in full hiy own conclusions and 
 opinion of the claimants condition, and of the causes leading there- 
 to, I should in substance, if not in form, express them in nearly the 
 same language as did Dr. Loring, in his said affidavit. That this 
 affidavit, so far as my statements appear, including all interlinea- 
 tions and erasures, is in my own hand-writing, and I have no inter- 
 
42 
 
 est, direct or indirect, in this claim for pension. 
 
 (Signed) William H. Fox, M. D/' 
 
 Dated Feb. 25, 1888, 
 
 Affidavit of W illiam Commons, M. D., Union City, lud: - "That lie is 
 well acquainted with 3eth M. Whitten, who, as aj^pears from two cer- 
 tificates of discharge exhibited to and examined by me, was a private 
 of Company 'SJ, of the 8th Mich Cavalry, and of Co. K, of tlie 4tli 
 Mich, infantry That snch actinaintance has existed personally for 
 more than two years last past, and by sight and reputation for about 
 five years. That during the past two years or more the business re- 
 lations of this affiant and said Whitten have been such, that affiant 
 has frequently met and conversed with him, and at times they have 
 been together for some hours ; that when they are about the vicinity 
 of home, this affiant sees said Whitten almost daily; and from his 
 observation of Whitten generiiUy, and all the circumstances under 
 which they are made, affiant believes the physical condition of said 
 Whitten during his acquaintance with him to liave been as follows, 
 to wit: That he has been for most of the time on account of sick- 
 ness and pliysical disability, incapable of earning a living by manual 
 labor ; that frequently, and for several weeks continuously, he lias 
 been almost, or v/holly, incapable of physical exertion so as to per- ; 
 form out-door labor of any kind. That the habits of said Whitten 
 are, and have been correct; that to the best of my knowledge and be- 
 lief, lie has abstained wholly from spirituous liquors of all kinds, does 
 not use tobacco in any form, nor any kind of narcotic ; that his disposi- 
 tion is and always has been industrious and persevering I have no 
 interest whatever in this matter. 
 
 Dated Feb -3, 1881. (Signed) William Commox.s, 
 
 Late Asst. Surij-eon, 
 
 U. S. N. 
 
 Affidavit of William AV. Nivison (Late of) Union City, Ind. — " Tiiat 
 since about the month of Jan. 1875, he has been in the employ of 
 the United S'ates Express Co., and has resided at Cleveland, Ohio; 
 and for the six years last past at Union City, Ind. That before this 
 time, and ever siiu'e about the year 1854, he resided at Algansee, 
 County of Brancli, and State of Mich , and was always at home and 
 in that vacinity, except wiiat time he was in the military service of 
 tlie United States during tlie war. That he has been nearly all 
 of this time well acquainted with S. M. Whitten, of Co. " M" 
 of the 8th AEich, Cavalry, and of Co. K of the 4th Mich. Infantry. 
 And affiant says that while he was not particularly acquainted be- 
 fore the war, with Whitten's physical condition, he lived for several 
 years about two miles^ from liim, just before his enlistment, and 
 never heard of his being defective in vision in either eye ; and from 
 what he row remembers of him he believes he was a sound, healthy 
 boy at his enlistment And he further says that since the war he 
 has been most of the time well acquainted with said Wiiitten, and 
 knows that he is suffering from some trouble with his eyes, the 
 origin or exact nature of which is to affiant unknown. That said 
 trouble greatly hinders said Whitten when performing manual 
 
 
labor. That Wliitten worked for thi;^ affiant on a farm in 1871; that 
 he was not physically capable of properly doing this work, nor 
 many other kinds of manual labor at that time, both by reason of 
 his imperfect vision and his general health ; and affiant says that 
 since that time, Whitten has not been able to, and affiant does not 
 believe that he could now make a living by manual labor, and he 
 well knows that since his acquaintance with him and more espec- 
 ially for the past 14 or 15 years, Whitten has lived a quiet life, hav- 
 ing been industrious in his business habits, and being free from all 
 dissipating habits of every nature whatsoever. I have no interest 
 direct or indirect in this claim for pension. 
 
 (Signed) William W, Nivison." 
 
 Dated Feb. 3, 1881. 
 
 Tn addition to the testimony above given, there is also on file 
 the testimony of Leander J. iNIonks, Judge of the Circuit Court, Ran- 
 dolph Co., Ind., of a clerk, and an ex-clerk of the same court, of two 
 ex-mayors of Union City, Ind., and of a number of lawyers, physi- 
 cians and business men, who testified that from about Sept. IS 75, 
 to Sept., 1885, the time their testimony was taken, I was not physi- 
 cally able to perform any heavy manual labor and not very much of 
 the time able to attend to my duties as an attorney, but did so be- 
 cause my circumstances, and the necessities of my family compelled 
 me to do it 
 
 These witnesses all testified before Mr. Geo. H. Eells, who was a 
 special examiner of the Pension Office. 
 
 It is a fact well known to all my friends and acquaintances that 
 for years, at least one-half of the time I have not been able to work 
 at anything requiring active inde|3endent physical exertion but in 
 order to support my family have been obliged to labor far beyond 
 my strength, ;ind, until paralytic, or nervous prostration resulting 
 from my disabilities recei ved in the service,came on from sheer exhaus- 
 tion. Well, (luring all these years, and miserable years they were, I 
 struggled along without one word of complaint against my party lead- 
 ers, while I knew that I was being treated unfairly both in the settle- 
 ment of my claim for pension, and in the matter of depriving me of 
 the advantages of the medical treatment which the position of 
 Superintendent of the Hot Spring's Reservation, would have afforded, 
 to say nothing about the humiliation in having been defeated in the 
 House of my own party leaders. From 1868 to March 4, 1885, the 
 Union soldiers and sailors, and the loyal peojjle of this country wit- 
 nessed some of the most disgraceful politicil proceedings ever en- 
 acted since the formation of the Constitution Without their knowl- 
 edge or consent, a handful of men gathered at the Nation's Capital, 
 few of whom had actively participated in crushing out a rebellion 
 which for its atrocities has never been equalled by anything yet 
 recorded in the history of civilized Nations, began a wholesale 
 policy of granting pardons where there were no signs what- 
 ever of any repentance, nor any evidence that such pardons 
 were desired, or would be accepted. I saw a thousand Moshys, real 
 Guerrilla Cut-Throat Traitors received into the RepubUcan fold, and 
 
44 
 
 the ink with which their pass carrls were written had scarcely dried 
 before they were in possession of a commission duly issued to 
 them by the Chief Executive Officer of that same Government they 
 had so Tecently p/llaged and pl/midered, and whose loyal citizens 
 and soldie7's they had murdered in cold blood without having ac- 
 corded to them their rights as prisoners of war, or in other cases 
 had starved them to death, or had torn them in pieces with dogs. 
 Now, these commissions so issued to these devil Jiends in Jmnian 
 form, were not meaningless things, mere waste paper, showy "Sou- 
 venirs," upon Avhich had been written the creed of the Republican 
 party only, but each individual parchment bore a significant and a 
 higlily important inscription, which was a notice to the M'orld that a 
 great government had thus honored and confided her interests to the 
 hand of a heartless' traitor, wliose sword was yet stained with the 
 blood of innocent men, who had been murdered because of their loy- 
 alty and devotion to their country. The proclamation sent fortli by 
 these commissions was as follows : "7%e United States of America,'To 
 all who shall see these presents, greeting : Knowye,T\\iiX'b\ autlior- 
 ity vested in me by the Constitution, and reposing special confidence 
 in the patriotism, ability, discretion, and integrity of JohnS Afo^-by, 
 of Virginia, (notwithstanding tlie fact that on April 21, 1865, at Far-' 
 quier Co , Va , you summoned your band of riifians together for the 
 last time, and declared to them that the country was then the 'spoil of 
 a conqueror,' and that you would then and there disband your organ- 
 ization in preference to surrendering it to your so-called enemy, the 
 United States (lOvernment, and the fnrtlier fact that you never did 
 repent of the crimes you had committed as ^ guerr ilia chief fain, nor 
 surrender your person to any legal authority) I do hereby appoint you 
 to be a Revenue Officer, and a Postal Officer, in tJie State of A'ir- 
 ginia, and to be the United States Consul at the Post of Hong-Kong, 
 China, at a salary, of $4,000,00 per annum with perquisities. 
 [P. S. — \\ e have the most conclusive proof which we find published 
 in a entitled /' Partizan I^ife with Col. John S. Mosby " that 
 in the autum of 1864, you did at one time murder thirty Union sol- 
 diers, who had fallen into your hands through your deceptive prac- 
 tice of wearing the Union uniform, and that at another time you 
 murdered seven men who were the soldiers of the Government; but 
 as you are an influential citizen of your locality, we forgive you and 
 send you on this mission ) And reposing special confidence in the 
 patriotism, ability, discretion and intigrity of Amos T. Akerman, of 
 Georgia; of David M. Key, of Tenn ; of Robert W. Hughes, of Va.;; 
 of Tliomas Settle, and of Mr. Lush, of Nortli Carolina ; of William 
 P. Canaday, of North Carolina ; of James L. Orr, of S. C; of Col. 
 Northup, of S. C ; of Jos. L. Morphis, of Miss ; of T. W. Hunt, of Miss.; i 
 of Green Chandler, of Miss ; of G. W. Henderson, of Miss.; of James 
 Longstreet, of Georgia ; and of all other prominent Rebels who may 
 ^Ppiy> I ^o hereby appoint you to be prominent officers of the 
 United States, to wit: Attorney Generals, Post Master Generals, 
 United States Judges, Marshals and Attorneys for the United States 
 Courts, and Collectors of Customs, and of the Internal Revenue 
 
45 
 
 : Taxes, or to fill any otiier office it may be your pleasure to designate. 
 ; (Signed) Grant— Hayes- Garjield— Arthur. 
 
 When our boys were at the front fighting' the battles of their 
 country, and successfully resistiuijr the attempts of the rebel hordes 
 to reach and destroy the Nation's Capital, when these same traitors 
 named were adhering to that rebellion, and encouraging and aiding 
 the very crimes I have mentioned, the American Congress then coni- 
 posed almost entirely of Republicans, and the leaders of the Repub- 
 lican party in their public and private utterances solemnly promised 
 these Union soldiers, and their friends at home, that when the 
 rebellion was crusJied, its leading authors and abettors, should be 
 tried and hung for tlieir treason. The soldier and the officer alike 
 believed these statements, and had it not been for such belief 
 there would not to-day be a Jeff Davis to keep up the strife by 
 keeping alive and before the people of the South the claim that 
 their cause was only temporarily conquered. There would have been 
 no Akermans or Keys for Cabinet officers, no Thomas Settles for 
 United States Judges, no James Longstreets for Marshals, and no 
 Xorthups for Attorneys of the United States Courts, no James L. Orrs 
 for Foreign Ministers, no Garlands and Lamars for Cabinet officers, 
 or Justices of the U. S. Supreme Court,no Wad.- Hamptons nor Butlers^ 
 nor Vests nor Berrys for Senators of the United States, no Chalmers 
 nor Wheelers, nor Blackburns for Representatives in Congress, and 
 no William P. Canadays for officers of the Senate and House. If it 
 I had not been for the belief that the law for punisliing treason 
 I would have been vigorously enforced, these purjured traitors, these 
 villians, these fiends in human form, who inaugurated that rebellion 
 Without a cause, actuated by the nmst selfish motives, and who mur- 
 dered my comrades by the thousands, would have been put to death 
 at the point of the bayonet before the final surrender and the con- 
 flict would have terminated inside of one year from its beginning, 
 and at a much less loss of life to the Union side, than under tlie 
 course pursued. As to JeflTerson Davis, T am, and for more than 
 tlurty years have been, well acquainted with about twenty-five or 
 thirty of the Michigan boys who participated in his capture, and whc 
 were personally present when, clad in his petticoat, he came ^orth 
 from the tent and was only goiny; to the spring for water. If these 
 boys had believed that a Republican Congress and a Republican Ju- 
 diciary would not have inflicted a proper punishment, as certain as 
 a God reigns in the Heavens, they would have killed the dirty vll- 
 llan then and there. 
 
 It is a fact, which has now taken its place in history, that very 
 soon after the surrender, the Committee on the Conduct of the War, 
 had under consideration the proposition to bring a number of lead- 
 ing traitors to a speedy trial and punishment. Senators Chandler 
 and Wade and Representative John Covode were extremely anxious 
 that such action should be taken, and to that end these gentlemen 
 met Andrew Johnson Sunday, April 16, 1865, by appointment, and 
 the subject was brought up for discussion and consideration. Mr. 
 Johnson stated "that he was anxious to make a historical example 
 
4G 
 
 of the leading traitors, for its moral effect upon the future, and took 
 exceedingly extreme ground on this point, much more so than the 
 other gentlemen were willing to approve." They all agreed upon 
 one point, that in the case of the seizure of Jefferson Davis, he 
 should be summarily punished by death. Mr Chandler remarked, 
 with emphasis: " You ham only to hang a few of these traitors and 
 all loill he peace and quiet in the South. A few men Tiave done the 
 mischief, and the masses of the people were misled hy them. They 
 har)e put the country in great peril to gratify their political ambi- 
 tion, and they ought to suffer the penalty of treason as a warning to all 
 men hereafter P Mr. Johnson replied " that Northern men could never 
 realize the sufferings the rebellion had brought upon the loyal peo- 
 ple of the South, and that no punishment could be too severe. He 
 added that he was determined that a precedent should be established 
 that would be forever a terror for such men as had conspired to over- 
 throw the Government." 
 
 Gen. Benj F. Butler had been invited to this conference, and 
 stated that, if Davis, Benjamin, Floyd, Wigfall, and other civil 
 officers of tlie confederacy, could be arrested in the insurrectionary 
 States, in any locality under military control, and where no civil 
 authority existed or was recognized, they could be arraigned before 
 and be tried by a military commission. Finally the President re- 
 quested Gen. Butler to prepare a plan fo^ the prosecution and pun- 
 ishment of Davis and his associates, for the use of the Government, 
 and he consented to do so 
 
 Gen. Butler (assisted by Senator Chandler), prepared this plan and 
 it was submitted to President Johnson in the latter part of May, 
 1865. It was long and elaborate, was based upon an exhaustive ex- 
 amination of the history of all military tribunals, and set forth in 
 substance these propositions : 
 
 " 1. That Davis could be tried by a military commission, having 
 been captured while in rebellion in a locality where no lawful civil 
 authority existed. This tribunal could sit at Fortress Monroe, 
 where Davis was a prisoner, as that was still within the military 
 lines. 
 
 " 2. That this commission should be composed of the thirteen of- 
 ficers of the highest rank in the army. 
 
 " 3. That in case of conviction, before the sentence should be ex- 
 ecuted, Davis should be allowed an opportnnity to appeal to the 
 Supreme Court of the United States ; this would silence criticism, ' 
 secure Davis all his legal rights, and establish a precedent which 
 might stand for all time 
 
 " 4. That the only doubt that existed as to the conviction of Davis 
 was to be found in the question of the jurisdiction of the military 
 commisson. 
 
 "6. That the prosecution should liold Davis's assumption of mili- 
 tary authority against the United States as tlie overt act of treason, 
 and that his military orders, his commissions of ofiicers, his 0;iicial 
 announcements of himself as 'commander-in-chief of the military 
 and naval forces of the Confederate States,' his official review of 
 
47 
 
 troops, the oflB.cial reports made to liim by commanders of armies 
 in rebellion, should be proven to establish the case. 
 
 " 0. That the records of the oaths taken by him as an officer in 
 the United States Army, as a Senator, and as Secretary of War, 
 should be shown with evidence that he had violated them. 
 
 " 7. That the various acts of cruelty to prisoners of war commit- 
 ted by his orders should be proven ; other minor counts could 
 also be introduced in the indictment to secure an accumulation of 
 charges." 
 
 Gen. Butler also indicated that the line of defence would be, to 
 question the jurisdiction of the Commission, an attempt to prove 
 the right of secession and a claim that the allegiance to a state was 
 paramount to an allegiance to the Government ; that Davis acted as 
 the head of a de facto government, and that this de facto government 
 had been recognized by the United States in the exchange of pris- 
 oners, terms of surrender, flags of truce, recognition by correspond- 
 ence, which amounted to such recogiition of the existence of a gov- 
 ernment, as must prevent the United States from claiming that 
 participation therein was treason. 
 
 To meet this defence. Gen. Butler in his brief grouped together a 
 powerfularray of precedents and decisions, upon which the prosecu- 
 tion could rest its case and meet these objections- 
 
 This plan also met the axjproval of every member of the Commit- 
 tee on the Conduct of the War, and it was annoucned to the country 
 that very many of the ablest lawyers of the country coincided with 
 Gen. Butler as to the advisability of this course, and its correctness. 
 
 The victim of their inhuman cruelty saw in this movement, as 
 he believed, a disposition on the part of the Government, to bring 
 these traitors, the authors of their miseries, to justice; but for some 
 some reason then unknown and which has never been satisfactorily 
 explained, this plan was set aside, a different policy pursued, and 
 treason was made odious, "in a horn." 
 
 No sooner had the latter policy been adopted, than an attempt 
 was made to begin a system of wholesale pardoning of these same 
 traitors. It is true that the reconstruction acts of Congress for a 
 time, and a short time only, prevented those who were after- 
 wards brought within the provisions of Sec. 2 of the 14th Amend- 
 ment from holding any office ; but subsequent events have proven 
 that this step grew out of, and was a natural result of the discord 
 between Congress and Andrew Johnson, and gave interested parties 
 an opportunity to survey the field of the late rebellious territory, 
 that they might the better prepare for the future. Well, in the 
 winter of 1860, the ball began to roll, and treason started on its 
 way toward the Capital of the Nation, to triumphantly overthrow 
 and take the place of loyalty. Hon. Thaddeus Stevens and a 
 minority of other good Republicans of the House, acting with the 
 Zach. Chandlers of the Senate, declared they would never give 
 their consent that Congress should by a constitutional amendment 
 have the power to pardon the villians of the rebellion, and in this 
 idea they were sustained by a majority of the Joint Select Com- 
 
48 
 
 mitlee on Reconstruction, wliicli Committee instructed Mr. Stevens, 
 April 30, 18 G6, to report to the House a joint resolution proposing: 
 an amendment to tlie Constitution of the United States, which 
 is now knowrf as Article 14. There was no particular difference 
 in result as between the 1st and 2d sections of the resolutions 
 as offered by Mr. Stevens, nor in the 4th and 5th of those 
 finally adopted, but the 3d which so materially affected the 
 leading traitor and the Union soldier was vastly different. I find the 
 original one to be in this language : " Sec. 3. Until the 4th day of 
 July, in the year of 1870, all persons who voluntarily adhered to the 
 late insurrection, giving it aid and comfort, shall be excluded from 
 the right to vote for Representatives in Congress and for electors 
 for President and A^ice-President of the United States." As thus 
 introduced there is no provision for Congress to set itself up as a 
 keeper of the morals and conscience of traitors, but it required 
 these men to stand upon the provisions of a bill reported on the 
 same day by Mr. Stevens from the same committee, entitled, '■'-a hill 
 declarinu' certain persons ineligible to office under the Government 
 of the United States, and which provided that the President, Vice- 
 President, and heads of Departments, a^'ents in foreign countries, 
 those who had acted as officers above the grade of Colonel in the 
 Army, or Master in the Navy, those who had acted as Governors, and 
 those who prior to the war had been heads of Departments of the 
 United States Government, or officers of the Army and Navy, or per- 
 sons educated at the Military or'Naval Academy, Judges of the Courts 
 of the U. S , members of either House of the Thirty-sixth Congress, 
 VvJio gave aid or comfort to the rebellion those who have treated of- 
 ficers or soldiers or sailors, of the Army or Navy of the United States, 
 captured during the late war, otherwise than lawfully as prisoners of 
 war, while serving in any capacity as an officer of the so-called Con- 
 federate Government, should not be eligible to any office under the 
 Government of the United States " Had this bill been adopted, 
 your Mosbys, your Longstreets, your Mahones, and nearly all the 
 rest of your rebel hordes who would have passed into oblivion, 
 mourned by none, and resting beneath the contemi)t of every true 
 and loyal citizen. But this was not to be ; and so in the Senate 
 notwithstanding the earnest efforts of Zach. Chandler, Benj. Wade, 
 and Henry Wilson, to adopt the policy of the Reconstruction Com- 
 mittie, these propositions were defeated as Mr. Chandler stated in 
 tile Senate : " By the united forces of self-righteous Republicans 
 and unrighteous copperheads," and this more liberal policy which 
 provides that Congress may, by a two-thirds vote of each House 
 remove their disabilities was adopted. And for this political trans- 
 gression the Republicans who participated in it never have been, 
 nor will they ever be forgiven by the Union soldier, and the weep- 
 ing widows and orphans, the aged father and mother, who are the 
 victims of their damnable treason. It was not enough that you 
 should adopt this amendment, but in addition to this and prior to 
 the act of May 22, 1872, Congress having all this time been Re- 
 publican by nearly a two-thirds majority, you passed bills grant- 
 
49 
 
 ing amnesty and pardon to nearly six tlionsand men wlio had been 
 gnilty of the most heinous crimes known to the law. Not satisfied 
 with this result, and while the Congress was yet largely Republican, 
 you passed the act last mentioned, and i-emoved the disabilities 
 from all persons whomsoever, except Senators and Representatives 
 of the 3Gth and 37th Congress, officers in the judicial, military, and 
 naval service of the United States, heads of Departments and foreign 
 ministers of the United States. Now, what manner of men were 
 these to whom you had thrown this offer for pardon 'i* Were they 
 asking for it? Were they deserving- of it •' And was their conduct 
 during the two or three years just preceding that time such as en- 
 titled them to this pardon, are questions wliich the orators and lead- 
 ers of the Republican party liave never, nor have they dared to discuss 
 them before an audience of Union soldiers, or loyal people of the en- 
 tire North I tell you now, you perpetrated a great wrong, com- 
 mitted a uross act of injustice, and outraged the sensibility of every 
 man, woman and child who loved the flag, and who followed it through 
 its destinies during the trying hours of Avar, wlien you pardoned these 
 men without the consent, and against the wishes of that two millions 
 of heroes who have made it possible for you to be in the enjoyment 
 of a united country, with one Constitution and one flati". A short time 
 since we had an important " flag episode '' which created no little 
 stir among the veterans of the country, and they very properly 
 demanded of the President that he should keep them safely in the 
 custody of the United States, as the law required. This action of the 
 President has subjected him to criticism in many quarters, and some 
 very prominent men have made it a subject for comment in politi- 
 cal discussion. In a speech delivered by Gov. Foraker, of Ohio, at 
 Caldwell, Ohio, Sept. 10, 1887, he said: " Whenever those flags are 
 disposed of, if they are ever in our time, the men who captured them 
 should be heard " If in a matter like this the soldier ought to be 
 heard, how insignifiicant in importance when you compare the re- 
 turning of these rags to be used at the dedication of monuments 
 erected to the memory of traitors, which your liberality to rebels 
 has permitted, and still permits, to the restoration to the legislative 
 halls of the Nation of a hundred rampant, unrepentant traitors, and 
 while still preaching the doctrine of State rights, their right to com- 
 mit treason, and while he is boasting of his devotion to that Arch 
 traitor, Jefi'erson Davis, one of them is elevated to the high position 
 of Associate-Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The 
 return of the flags would not in anywise affect the results of an es- 
 tablished principle, nor the purse, the coal-bin. or the flour barrel 
 of a disabled helpless veteran, while if the statements of Republi- 
 can Senators and Re] resentatives are to be believed, the restoring of 
 traitors to power and to Congress has endangered the rights of the 
 peo[)le, and may destroy the results of victory, and has robbed the 
 Union Soldiers, the widows and orphans of the country, of more 
 than one hundred millions of dollars in the defeat of pension bills 
 alone. But more than this, the restoration of rebels to office has 
 brought with it the right of the traitor to set himself up as the su- 
 
50 
 
 perior of the Union Soldier, and the independence of his position 
 jirompts him to say, and he does say, " What are you going to do 
 about it '?" And echo answers, " What are you going to do about it?" 
 
 But to return to the amnesty bill of 1872, I have the testimony of 
 Senator Sherman, of the late Senator Johnson, of Maryland, and 
 Chandler, of Michigan, and the report of the Congressional Ku-klux 
 Committee to prove that the men who were to be pardoned under 
 it, were as base a set of creatures as can be found in the penitenti- 
 aries and prisons, of any Morthern State. In 1871 or '72, President 
 Grant caused the U. S. Attorney in South Carolina to begin a prose- 
 cution against some of them for the murders they had committed 
 and Hon. Reverdy Johnson, of Maryland, was called to defend them ; 
 but after hearing the testimony he became so disgusted that he refused 
 to proceed, and after addressing the court, wholly abandoned the 
 case He said : 
 
 " I have listened with unmixed horror to some of the testimony 
 which has been brought before you. The outrages proved are shock- 
 ing to humanity ; they admit of neither excuse or justification ; they 
 violate every obligation which law and nature impose upon men ; 
 they show that the parties engaged were brutes, insensible to the 
 obligations of humanity and religion." 
 
 But let us see what Senator Sherman has said about these men 
 upon whom you forced this amnesty in '72 I give it to you just as 
 I find it in the pamphlet which he gave me. Senator Sherman is 
 also my authority for the above quotation, as I cut it from his 
 Springfield speech : 
 
 " Spee(;li of Hon. John Sherman, delivered before the Legislature of 
 Illinois, at the City of Springfield, June 1, 1887." 
 
 "southern DEMOCRATrc ATROCITIES." 
 
 "What language can express the cruel and barbarous atrocity of the 
 controlling elements of the South in their treatment of Republicans, 
 both white and black, and especially of the freedmen who had been 
 invested, by constitutional amendments, with liberty and political 
 rights? Taking advantage of the defection of Andrew Johnson and 
 his reconstruction policy, they commenced with laws that denied the 
 freedmen liberty of speech and of the press, and even the personal 
 freedom and protection allowed by the laws of the most despotic 
 powers in Europe to the meanest serf, followed by wholesale assassi- 
 nation of unarmed and undisciplined negroes, inflicted'by secret, or- 
 ganized and disguised bands, using all tlie agencies of terror and 
 superstition that could affect the mind of an ignorant and credulous 
 people, with such success, that in ten years after the war the freed- 
 men of the South could not, as a rule, vote wherever their vote 
 would change the result, they could hold no office, and might be 
 cheated and robbed and murdered with impunity. This intimida- 
 tion was, in many places, especially; in the far South, extended to 
 white Republicans of character and intelligence, among them some 
 Confederate soldiers, who resisted as far as they could these atroci- 
 ties, and were branded with opprobious epithets, tabooed and ostra- 
 
51 
 
 cized, and, in some cases, murdered. Does any man deny tliis ? All 
 this and more, in hideous detail, was proven before committees of 
 Congress, was reported by officers of the army and evidenced by 
 every form of proof known to courts, and, in many cases, was ad- 
 mitted by the press and people oi the South and defended." 
 
 Now, as the late Sanator Chandler has more clearly defined the cor- 
 rect position of these deT>ils, and their right to a pardon at that time, 
 I have attached that portion of his speech bearing upon this subject, 
 which he delivered in the Senate of the United States, January 31, 
 1872. 
 
 "Legal and Political Disabilities. 
 Speech of Hon. Zachariah Chandler, of Michigan, in the Senate 
 of the United States, January 31, 1872." 
 
 "The Senate having under consideration the bill (H. R. No. 380) for 
 the removal of legal and political disabilities imposed by the third 
 section of the fourteenth article of amendments to the Constitution 
 of the United States — 
 
 "Mr. Chandler said: * * * * 
 
 " Mr President, the Senator from Missouri has advocated on this 
 floor universal amnesty. What is amnesty ? If I understand it, and 
 1 think I do to some considerable extent, amnesty is a boon, given 
 for a consideration. You do not amnesty a man who has not com- 
 mitted a crime ; you do not amnesty a man whose skirts are clean ; 
 you amnesty a criminal. If you grant that boon, to wit, amnesty, 
 are you not entitled to place a condition upon that boon? 
 
 "In this case what is the condition that we impose lor this boon ? 
 If these infamies which exist in the South must be unfolded, it is 
 as well that I should have the unpleasant task imposed upon me of 
 referring to them as any other man. I have been compelled for 
 more than a year to listen to stories of wrong and outrage that would 
 make the blood in the veins of any loyal or humane man tingle with 
 horror. I have seen tlie victims wlio have been outraged. Why, 
 sir, the colonel of one of our Michigan regiments, and an officer of 
 this Government, was taken out by Ku Klux wretches and one hun- 
 dred stripes inflicted upon him, and when I saw him he could hardly 
 move, because his wounds were not yet healed. Murders innumer- 
 able, for they are counted by tliousands,outrages innumerable, for they 
 are counted by more than tens of thousands, have been perpetrated by 
 by these wretches in the night time. And now we demand whai? 
 We demand of these men simply, " Stop killing, and then we will 
 amnesty you;" "Stop whipping, and then we will amnesty you ; " 
 " Stop these outrages, and then we will amnesty you." Is our de- 
 mand unjust or unreasonable? 
 
 •'Mr. President, the men who are banded together perpetrating in 
 the night time, and almost every night, unheard-of and untold 
 atrocities, are the very men who seven years ago were in the rebel 
 army. You cannot find a man of them who did not wear the rebel 
 gray during the rebellion, and to-day they wear the Ku Klux dress 
 and badges, and are the rebel army in a different uniform. 
 
 "Sir, we have amnestied every man who has shown the least sign 
 
or symptom of repentance. We have amnestied every man who 
 lias come forward and even asked to be amnestied. Who are these 
 men that are njw to have amnesty forced upon them ? To a very 
 considerable extent they are the very members of this Kn Klux 
 organization ; and what is the credit that we shall receive after the 
 thing has been done? Why, sir, that you dared not refuse it another 
 hour. They will say, " You refused it to us as long as you dared, 
 and now that you dare not refuse us another hour, you grant it to us 
 grudgingly " Sir, if I ever did vote amnesty to an unrepentant 
 rebel I hope God may forgive me, but I shall never forgive myself. 
 
 * * * Have these other rebels shown any symptoms of repent- 
 ance ? Is there any evidence that any single one of the men upon 
 whom we are going to force amnesty against tlieir will and wishes, 
 men who will not even ask us to grant the boon, has repented of his 
 sins and has become a loyal man ? No, sir. On the contrary, tlie 
 evidence is glaring that not only are they unrepentant rebels, but 
 that they are as bitter rebels as they were when they wore the rebel 
 gray witli muskets pointed at the loyal heart of this nation. 
 
 "Mr. President, I cannot vote this boon in advance of a demand for 
 it, and I never will. The very moment that these rebels show that 
 they have repented, that they have become Inyal, law-abiding citi- 
 ceus, that moment I will vote them amnesty ; but, until they do 
 show that they have repented of their rebellion, I never will vote 
 them amnesiy. 
 
 "Sir, it is not amnesty that they require. These men are criminals 
 who are to-day prisoners of war, unless the President's proclamation 
 that the war was ended may have relieved them. * * * What 
 they need is the strong hand of power to punish them for their 
 crimes. It is true that we have sent some sixty or seventy of them 
 to State's prison, but that is not what they need. They need what 
 they are inflicting upon their poor innocent, loyal neighbors ; they 
 need a stronger, harsher treatment than they have received in the 
 courts. * * * 
 
 ''I have never been in very great haste to grant either amnesty or 
 rights to the men who rebelled against tlie Government. When th'^^y 
 took up arms against this Government, they forfeited every right, 
 and when they laid down their arms tliey admitted that they had 
 forfeited every right. They simply asked, not amnesty, not the 
 protection of their property, but that we in our magnanimity would 
 grant them their miserable lives. That is all they asked. They 
 made no further demand than that, that their lives might be spared 
 and they would have been perfectly content with that. But, sir, in 
 addition to their lives, we gave them their property, and in addition 
 to their property we have given a large majority of them amnesty, 
 and now you propose to come in and give amnesty to the rest, 
 not as a right, for every right was forfeited, but as a boon, and a 
 boon for what ? 
 
 "Sir, I will not go over the history of the wrongs and outrages that 
 will be spread before you in two or three days by the chairman of 
 the Ku Klux Committee; but if any man desires to see sustained 
 
53 
 
 every assertion that T have made, and see more than sustained every 
 utterance that has been made by the newspaper press, he has only 
 to look over the evidence taken before that Ku Klux Committee, 
 and more than all that has been said will be sustained." 
 
 But, you will say, that this charge of Senator Chandler's does not 
 refer to any of the prominent leaders of tlie South, who were in re- 
 bellion, and of course [ must take the trouble to relieve your minds 
 upon that point by the introduction of some Democratic proof, 
 which you have often used in the campaign and wiiich is found in 
 a Democratic minority report of the Joint Committee on Condition 
 of Affairs in the Southern States. They say : 
 
 " While we do not intend to deny that bodies of disguised men 
 have in several of the States of the South been guilty of the most 
 flagrant crimes, crimes which we neither seek to palliate nor excuse 
 for the commission of which the wrongdoers should, when ascer- 
 tained and duly convicted, suffer speedy and condign punishment, 
 we deny that these men have any general organization or any polit- 
 ical significance " 
 
 " Perhaps the men who knew mure about the formation of what has 
 come to be familiarly known as the Ku-klux organization than any 
 others were Gen'l K. B. Forrest, of Tennessee, andGea'lJohn B. Gor- 
 don, of Georgia." — Minorlti/ lieport, signed by Hon. Frank P Blair, 
 Hon. James B. Beck, Hon. P. Van Trtvmp, Hon. S. 8. Cox, and other 
 members of the Democratic committee. 
 
 " The organization was mainly confined to the soldiers of the army ; 
 men who had shown themselves plucky and ready to meet any 
 emergency, and who were accustomed to command." — Ge7i. John B. 
 Gordon, of Georgia. 
 
 " Those men who were in tlie organization were young men mostly ; 
 men who had been in the Southern army, and men who could be re- 
 lied upon in case of a difficulty." — General N. B. Forrest, of Ten- 
 nessee. 
 
 " It has forty thousand members in Tennessee and five hundred 
 and fifty thousand in the South." — Genernl N. B. Forrest (in 1868). 
 
 " It is a protective political military organization. Its objects 
 originally were protection against loyal leagues and the Grand Army 
 of the Republic; but after it became genei'al it was found that po- 
 litical matters and interests could best be promoted within it, and> 
 it was then mad,e a political organization, gimng its support, of 
 course, to the Democratic party. 
 
 " But is the organization connected throughout the State? 
 
 " Yes, it is. In each voting precinct there is a captain, who, in ad- 
 dition to his other duties, is required to make out a list of names of 
 men in his precinct, giving all the Radicals and all the Democrats 
 who are positively known ; and showing also the doubtful on both 
 sides and of both colors. This list of names is forwarded to the 
 grand commander of the State, who is thus enabled to know who are 
 our friends and who are not." — General JY. B. Forrest. 
 
 So then, this organization was no ordinary fourth of July picnic, 
 but was a powerful agent for mischief and crime. It rose like an 
 
04 
 
 exhalation from the unsodden grave of the " lost cause." It origi- 
 nated in hostility to the Government, enmity against the Union. 
 It was the successor of the Southern Confedeacy, rebellion in dis- 
 guise, war at night. And the men who managed, and directed, were 
 the most prominent men of the South ; men who had been promi- 
 nent in their devotion to treason. They were not asking for pardons. 
 They were spurning your pardons, and yet, in the hope that your 
 action in forcing it upon them would induce them to accept it, 
 and become converted to your faith, led you to disregard the wishes 
 of a loyal North in this respect. 
 
 NoM% the American people will never believe that you could have 
 thus shamefully ignored the facts so clearly pointed out by Senator 
 Chandler, and the Ku Klux testimony referred to by him, which es- 
 tablished beyond a doubt that these men who were to be pardoned 
 by your action, were fit subjects for the gallows, and the peniten- 
 tiaries, rather than the clemency of the Government they had 
 fought so hard to destroy, and the people wondered, and were as- 
 tonished at this boldness of Congress. And it was so unnecessary, 
 so uncalled for, and such a departure from the promises that had 
 been made that the law of Congress providing for the punishment 
 of treason should be rigidly enforced, that the people have not be- 
 lieved, nor can tliey^, nor will they ever believe, that such a step was 
 taken except for some political purpose. So let us inquire into the 
 cause which led to this generosity of the Government and the per- 
 ferment of these traitors. This cause was not given in the body of 
 the parchment which had borne to them the news of an appointment 
 to office, and a fellowship with the Grants, the Hayes, the Garfields, 
 the Arthurs, and Shermans ; nor had this cause been proclaimed 
 from the rostrum, or through the Republican press, and if he would 
 know the cause the soldier must carefully trace the political events 
 of the day from 1866 to this time. Two millions of Union soldiers, 
 and the widows and orphans of the victims of their cruel hatred to 
 whom this insult was thrown, have never had any testimony to 
 show that this preferment of traitors was because of their super- 
 loyalty to their country, nor was it because of their moral worth, or 
 of some peculiar fitness not possessed by the average loyal man. 
 And they also knew that they had never been consulted in ^his mat- 
 ler, and that nine-tenths of this great army of Union soldiers utterly 
 condemned this action of their party leaders, who by these acts, as 
 they believe have not only disgraced the Government, but have exten- 
 ded this keen, cutting humiliation, to them and to their children. 
 And what of the cause which led to this preferment? Why this 
 sudden outburst of good feeling toward men whose moral crimes had 
 been measured by a standard brought from the jungles of the sav- 
 age, and from the dark ages of the world? Why prefer these men 
 to feed and sustain them, when every school district in the North, 
 East, and West, yea, in the loyal counties of the States of Tenn , Ky , 
 Mo., and Md., could have produced their superior in intellect, and in 
 everything which enters into the makeup of an honest patriotic citi- 
 zen ? Men who had experienced years of hardship and siifltering,in bat- 
 
55 
 
 tling with this monster, treason, which these rebels had forced upon 
 them. Why not prefer these men, they had been tried in the dark 
 hours of the country's distress, had never failed you, and why not 
 prefer them ? Why trample a law under your feet which com- 
 manded you to prefer them, and instead fill these places with their 
 enemies ? Why not prefer the fathers, the brothers, and the sons 
 of the victems of Andersonville, Salisbury, Castlethunder, and the 
 other hells of human structure, erected by the minions of Jefferson 
 Davis to deplete the ranks of our armies in 1863, and '64. These 
 victims had, in thousands of cases, left helpless wives and children 
 near and dear to them in life, whose only dependence for a long 
 time after was that father, brother, or elder son and why not prefer 
 them for these positions ? But worse than this, the same Govern- 
 ment which had thus deserted them, for a Mosby, had, by its power 
 and force of law, required their services, and had driven them to 
 their death ; and the stingy pittance which a Republican Congress 
 provided for the support of their families was not sufficient to hide 
 their nakedness, much less to feed and educate them, and so, at last, 
 this father, this grand-father, this brother, who had thus been over- 
 looked in tlie selection of men for office, was obliged to do for 
 them what the Government through its agents had promised, but 
 had failed to carry out. And why not add to their income these ad- 
 vantages and opportunities to correspond with* this extra care and 
 responsibility ? Why make this choice and thus help the rebel to 
 make good his assertion made in 1861, that the Union soldier was a 
 '' Northern Mudsill f" 
 
 Well, these were problems which contained no small amount of 
 the mysterious " political puzzle ; " and for a long time the cause of 
 this generous treatment of traitors was not distinctly understood, 
 nor properly measured by the loyal people of this country. The 
 leaders of the Republican party who had participated in this nefar- 
 ious work, in the hope of political gain, had studiously avoided the 
 truth, and proclaimed that it was for the good of the whole people, 
 that they had thus recognized the late Southern Confederacy, No 
 one believed them, however, except the politician who subsequently 
 shared in the profits, and yet the real cause did not come to the 
 surface until 1868, when the lust for personal power, and the per- 
 sonal ambition of man could not be further restrained. The can- 
 vass was short and decisive, and it led the presidential aspirants 
 of the Republican party, soul, body, and breeches, into the camp of 
 political ambition. Few of them had been noted for their daring 
 deeds of heroism in the line of battle from *61 to '65, but a majority 
 were now eager for the fray ; and like the man who was " going to 
 Kansas or bust," they were determined to crush out that wicked re- 
 bellion, no matter what the cost might be, even at the risk of mak- 
 ling a Republican of every leading traitor. In the silent watches of 
 'the night, by the wayside, standing in the shade of the forest oak, 
 or upon the banks of the mighty river, or the strand of the turbu- 
 lent ocean, in the church, the secret chamber, at the public office, 
 at home and abroad — everywhere — that little fellow with golden 
 
56 
 
 wings and piercing eye, we call the Presidential bee, was ever 
 present, and dexterioiisly plied his vocation. Into the ears of an 
 Allison, a Hayes, a Blaine, a Hawley, a Harrison, and a Sherman, 
 he whispered words of comfort and encouragement, and "with his 
 little business end lie set their plans in motion." 
 
 Here then, we have the beginning of the cause which led to this 
 choice, this perf erment of traitors over loyal people, for you did not 
 confine it to the Union soldier alone, but, in your search for men 
 even in the South, you almost invariably choose the white rebel, in- 
 stead of the White Union man, for these positions to which you were 
 so eager to promote them. This latter conundrum was easily solved 
 by the most illiterate man and the solution was very clear. The 
 Republican re]:)el you chose was, in most cases, an autocrat of the 
 same school with the Democratic rebel. There was no differ- 
 ence in tlie degree of their hatred toward,- and their disgust for, the 
 man, woman, or child, who had loved the old flag during the time 
 of treason, and so upon this point, without reference to the color of 
 the truly patriotic citizen before your choice was made, and his con- 
 version thereby secured, a rebel was a rebel,and they all stood upon 
 the same yjlatform. Well, under the Reconstruction Acts of Con- 
 gress, whicli followed so closely upon the termination of their cam- 
 paign of riot and murder from '61 to 65, the rebel saw that his de- 
 sire to again come ^o the front in the councils of the State and 
 jS'ation, could not be realized unless he deserted '■'■Ids lost cause,''^ 
 and came over soul and body to the policy of the Republican pa.rty. 
 The Union man of the South, though ever ready to extend a helping 
 hand when opportunity afforded, though he had maintained his alleg- 
 ience to the old flag at the risk of not only his own life, but that of wife 
 and children, had not been chosen as a leader for the reason that 
 this existing hatred before mentioned made it very clear that he 
 could not draw sufficiently from the rebel ranks to control a majority ; 
 and, as the rebel now had a right to vote, and if he would join the 
 Republican party, an immediate right to hold an office, he saw in this 
 disadvantage of his loyal neighbor his opportunity to become a 
 prominent party leader in his State, and unless he did something in 
 this direction, what he called "Carpet-bag government" and "mili- 
 tary despotism," would be continued for an indefinite time, and from 
 that quarter he could not hope for even the slightest recognition. But 
 more than this, he saw in such a movement an opportunity for him 
 to become a local office-holder in this, to him, new and untried party, 
 which would admit him to the councils of great committees, and ul- 
 timately result in bringing about the desired Government office. The 
 method by which the inducement could be offered him was not an 
 untried one in the Northern States, for, during the war, men were 
 bought and sold under this influence, but for another purpose, and- 
 under somewhat different circumstances. I refer to the custom 
 which prevailed in 1863 and 1864, when men were being recruited 
 for the military and naval service, as it closely illustrates the man- 
 ner of procedure. To one man it was said, " Produce fifty men and 
 you shall have the position of captain ;" to another, " produce forty 
 
57 
 
 men and you sliall be made a first lieutenant," and to another, " pro- 
 duce thirty men and you shall be made a second lieutenant." And 
 so the word was passed alontir the line until every officer from colo- 
 nel to corporal was amply provided for. Then be^an a system of 
 visiting recruiting committees, substitute brokers, keepers of alms- 
 houses, and the dignity with which some men dealt in human souls 
 was never excelled by the chivalrous gentlemen of the South in 
 ante bellum days. So it was to the new rebel convert the offer 
 was made, give us a majority in your county, and, aided by the 
 military power which surrounds you, we will make you a represen- 
 tative in your State Legislature. Give us a majority in your Sena- 
 torial district and we will make you a State Senator. If your in- 
 fluence in your congressional district is sufficient to gain you 
 a majority of the votes our military power will be instructed to see 
 that your rights are duly recognized at the polls, and we will wel- 
 come you as a Representative in Congress Increase your acquaint- 
 ance, and devolop suffi(;ient strength in your State to win over her 
 legislature to your interests, or show us that your influence is suffi- 
 cient to control it as you may, and the office of United States Sen- 
 ator, United States Judge, United States Attorney, or any other office 
 within our gift which it may be your pleasure to designate, shall 
 be placed at your command. These were some of the inducements 
 w^hich were quietly placed before him, and deny*it as stoutly as you 
 can, declare it to be a Democratic campaign lie, you have not, nor can 
 you disprove the assertion, that all of these essential points, were not 
 fully and ca efully considered by the Republican rebel before he 
 came into our camp. There was no sudden conversion, no decrease 
 in his devotion for the lost cause, no change of inward feeling for 
 the crimes he had committed against his fellow man. In fact, there 
 was no conversion whatever from treason to loyalty, but his personal 
 ambition, his desires and his opportunities to again plunder the Gov- 
 ernment was the sole inducement, and after counseling with others 
 who were contemplating the same step, and with men at Washing- 
 ton, who stood high in official and party influence, they began to 
 come by tens, twenties, fifties, and by hundreds, until upon the 
 authority of Mr. Hlaine, I am able to say that more than six thous- 
 and had availed themselves of the privileges afforded them by the 
 14th Amendment to the constitution, prior to the Amnesty Act of 
 1872. With them there came such numbers of the rank and file of 
 the rebel army that for a few years prominent candidates were able 
 to control majorities at elections, to manipulate them in State Con- 
 ventions, and finally controlled their delegations in the National 
 conventions of this the greatest of all parties. That this picture 
 pi'esents the real status of affairs in the South, during the time I have 
 described, no sane man will any longer attempt to deny. And, rely- 
 ing wholly upon your actions for a foundation for such belief, the 
 Union soldiers of this Nation have fully believed it for fifteen years 
 and they are not alone in this belief. It may be true that the in- 
 ducement you offered did not bring to the ranks of the Republican 
 party, the better elements of the rebellion, if it were possible to 
 
.18 
 
 discriminate in that direction, and that in numbers of the rank and 
 file yonr hopes were not fully realized ; but that yon made the offer 
 and that it was accepted in hundreds of cases is now a settled ques- 
 tion, and is no loui^rer open to argument. 
 
 Now, T would not speak so plainly in this matter if I did not sin- 
 cerely believe my statements were true, nor am I confined wholly 
 to your actions for a u'ronnd for such belief, as I have the utterances 
 of Senators Sherman aud Frye in the Senate of the United States, 
 April 7, 20, and 2H, LSSl, to support it. The Senate had under con- 
 sideration a resolution, the adoption of which would have elected 
 Harrison H. Riddleberger, of Va., to the office of Sersreant-at-Arms of 
 the Senate Mr. Sherman entered into the discussion and presented 
 his reasons why Mr. Riddleber^-er, as he thought, should be elected. 
 Mr. Harris interrupted and asked the Senator from Ohio why he 
 proposed to support a rebel soldier for that office in preference to a 
 Union soldier To this Mr. Sherman replied as follows : 
 
 " Let me answer the. question. I vote for Mr. Riddleberger be- 
 cause I am informed that he is an honorable and able man ; a man of 
 influence in his State, a man of good character, good standing, who 
 has been a good soldier in a bad cause and none the less worthy for 
 that if he believed it was a gooil cause, t shall vote for him be- 
 cause it is believed by the majority of my political friends that he 
 is the best man to p rform the duties of the office. * * * ^^ i 
 do not object to him because he was a confedei'ate soldier; because 
 wlienever a confederate soldier will act in harmony with the con- 
 stitutional amendments which have been adopted, will seek to carry 
 them out in good faith, I welcome him Into the Republican fold at 
 all times." Such is Mr. Sherman's estimate of the man he " believed 
 to be the best man " for the position of Sergeant-at-Arms. He was 
 preferred over thousands of Union soldiers superior to him in every 
 respect for the position, and further strengthened the charge that 
 the Union soldier was a '■'■ Northern mudsilir But the purpose of his 
 support was more clearly explained in a speech made by Mr. Sher- 
 man on the 7th of April, 1881, when speaking to this same question 
 he said: "If the election of Riddleberger will enable us to breakup 
 the power of the Bourbon democracy in Virginia, I will go into this 
 contest with ten times the heart I have had. If the action of the 
 Republican party in coming up to the support of the Senator from 
 Virginia and electing one of his trusted friends will strengtlien the 
 Republican party in Virginia that is a political object which will 
 greatly advance the good of the people of the United States, it is a 
 political object for which I would contend. Anything that wilt. 
 
 BEATDOWNTHAT PARTY AND BUILD UP OUR OWN IS .lUSTIFIABLE IN MORALS 
 
 AND IN LAW. * * * ^Yg yN\\\ by the strong right 
 
 arm of the Republican party, that party which has governed the 
 country in twenty years of peace and war, that has a record 
 as honorable as any in American history, protect and defend 
 the Senator from Virginia when he declares his independence 
 of Bourbon democracy. If he will stand with us upon the 
 great principles of our party, we will cover him with our 'shield - 
 
59 
 
 we will back liim with our stroni? arm. If you attack him you at- 
 tack us, and we are accustomed to contest with you That is the 
 way T feel Therefore, if the election of Mr Riddleberger will 
 
 STRENaniEX THE IvEPt'BLICAN PaRTV WE ARE JUSTIFIED IN ELECTING HUl, 
 
 IF FOR No OTHER REASON." Xow let US enquire a little about this Sen- 
 ator from Virginia whom Senator Sherman would so earnestly, and 
 ably support. We have heard very much said by the Republican 
 orator in the Senat^^ and House, and in the canvass, about unrepent- 
 ent rebels beini>- appointed to office by a Democratic administration, 
 and the assertion is made, that there must be a irenuine conversion, 
 a sincere repentence, and an acknowledgement that they were 
 guilty of gross crimes before they would bo accepted into the Re- 
 publican fold. It was a well known fact that until 1876, and per- 
 haps until 1878, the Senator from Virginia, Mr. Mahone, to whom 
 Mr. Sherman referred, had always acted with this same Virginia, 
 Bourbon Democracy liad despised the Virginian who had remained 
 loyal, that he afterwards became a readjuster and was not in har- 
 mony with the Republican party, and never for once acted with it, 
 
 r.EFORE HE WAS PRO>frSEI) THAT HaRRFSON H. RtDDLEBERGER SHOULD BE 
 ELECTED TO THE OFFICE OF SeRGEANT-AT-ArM-; OF THE UnITED STATES 
 
 Senate. The legislature which sent him as a Senator, was com- 
 posed of Democrats, Readjusters, and Republicans Mr. i\[ahone in- 
 sisted that a combination of the two latter parties should elect him 
 as Senator from Virginia. This command was obeyed and he en- 
 tered the Senate chamber with strong democratic proclivities In 
 the course of time, finding that he conld not wield much of an influ- 
 ence alone, he saw the necessity of uniting with one or the other of 
 the two parties. As if by magic the news flashed over the country 
 that he had made his political bed with the Republican side of 
 the chamber, and I here assert that he came, and was received, 
 without having in the least cleansed himself from the awful 
 crime of treason, to say nothing of the lesser crimes committed 
 liv him while supporting it. But let this unrepentent rebel fur- 
 nish the proof of this statement which can be found in his own 
 language at page 4 of the Congressional Record of .March 14, 1881, 
 as follows; " I came here, sir, asa Virginian to represent my people, 
 and not to represent that democracy for which yon stand, [meaning 
 Hill, of Georgia ] I come with as proud a claim to represent that 
 people as you to represent the people of Georgia. Won on 
 
 FIELDS WHERE I HAVE VIED WITH GEORGIANS WHOM I COMMANDED AND 
 OTHERS IN THE CAUSE OF MY PEOPLE AND OF THEIR SECTION IN THE LATE 
 UNHAPPY CONTEST ; BUT THANK G D FOR THE PEACE AND THE GOOD OF 
 THE C0UNT::IY that contest IS over, AND AS ONE OF THOSE WHO ENGAGED 
 IN IT, AND WHO HAS NEITHl'.R HERE NOR ELSEWHERE ANY APOLOGY TO 
 MAKE FOR THE PART TAKEN, I AiM HERE BY MY HUMBLE EFFORTS TO BRING 
 PEACE TO THIS WHOLE COUNTRY " 
 
 It occurs to my mind that this was no idle boast, but that he in- 
 tended to make the claim, and did make it, that the hellish part he 
 had taken under the flag of treason, and for which he had no apology 
 had won for him the right to a seat in the Senate of the United 
 
ou 
 
 states, and subsequent events make it equally clear that he demand- 
 ed and received the support of the Republican side, if not under a 
 positive promise with an implied consent and understand ini^ that 
 his wishes in the direction of patrouage should be gratified The 
 statement that has been so of ten made, that the necessities of the 
 re]3ublican party at that time, required such action as was taken in 
 the case of Mr. Riddleberu-er, has long since spent its force, and has 
 become, as Mr. Sherman saw fit in his speech of June 23d, '84, to so 
 characterize them, like the pension claims of veterans '•'■old stale 
 clai7n.^ ^\ ?in(\ more recent events, fcr instance the defeat of 
 two Union soldiers, by Mr. Canaday, who were candidates for the 
 same office, in a Republican caucus, and in the Senate was the most 
 conclusive evedence of tlie correctness of my position; and in the 
 coining contest you will find that every soldier in the close States 
 and doubtful sections are more familiar with this record, much more, 
 than ever before. Well, before I proceed to show what Mr. Frye 
 w^as disposed to do in his support of Mr. Riddleberger in 1881, let 
 me call your attention to the fact that in 1878, about April 3, in the 
 House of Representatives he made what was then called a great ex- 
 pose of the hypocrisy of the democratic House because of their pre- 
 ferment of rebels to Union soldiers. He took occasion to call the 
 roll of soldier-employees, created some considerable merriment, 
 had his speech set in pimphlet form, when it was sent broadcast 
 through the North as a campaign document; and in this connection 
 let us propound a " wee small " conundrum. The number of times 
 that the prominent leaders of our party have made the statement 
 that they had full confidence in the sincerity and honesty of pur- 
 pose of the Mahones, in short of all the leading rebels of the rebel- 
 lion, who have returned to public life in the United States service, 
 when they engaged in that rebellion, are as numberless as the sands 
 of the sea shore. Over and again the Ingalls and Shermans of the 
 Senate, have declared their belief in an honest conscience with all 
 men I have mentioned, who committed treason. Kow, have I not 
 an equal right to say that a Democrat of to-day as sincerely believes 
 that his party is the one entitled to the confidence and support of 
 the people of this country? If you do not doubt him as a traitor, 
 can you doubt him as a r)emocrat ? And if this proposition is true, 
 have I not the same right to make the claim that in their defeat of 
 Union soldiers in the House as shown by Mr. Frye, they did believe 
 as sincerely as did Mr, Sherman, when supporting Riddleberger, that 
 they were working for the common good of the country at large V It 
 is not necessary that I should have or express an opinion in this 
 matter, for you have forced this position upon me by this silly 
 acknowledgement, and if you believe they were sincere as 
 rebels, how can you say that they are not equally sincere as Demo- 
 crats? Then, if it was for the good of the whole country that 
 Union soldiers in the House should give way to rebels and civil- 
 ians, why was it necessary for Mr Frye to occupy the time of the 
 House in an exposition of it, and why did you undertake to elect a 
 majority of the next House of Representatives largely upon that is- 
 
61 
 
 sne. But let iis enquire whether the rebuke so administered to 
 tlie House by Mr. Frye, was for political effect for the then cam- 
 paign, or whether he made the chari^^e of hypocrisy in sincerity. If 
 made in a true spirit of friendship and loyalty to the soldier, it 
 would seem that his Republican colleagues in the House ou^lit at 
 least to be bound by the principle advocated, if not by the teaching 
 and practice pointed out by Mr. Frye. But I am able to say that the 
 very infamous proceedini^c of discharging Union soldiers, as pointed 
 out by Mr Frye, was continued by the I^epublicans soon after the 
 bejJTinning of the 47tli Congress. There were at that time on the 
 soldier's roll fourteen men who had served in the Union army dur- 
 ing the war, who were disabled, and who had received their disabil- 
 ity in the line of duty. Nine of them, though not politicians but 
 common soldiers, having an honest conviction of their own, hap- 
 pened to vdte the Democratic ticket and were discharged. Soon 
 after Congress convened, they each received a notice as follows : 
 " DuoR ki:p:i'Ek'!5' Offick, House of Representativf:s, U. S , 
 
 Washington, D. C, Dec. 14, 1881. 
 
 , Ksq., 
 
 Present. 
 
 Sir : You are hereby informed that your services will not be re- 
 quired after to-day. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 W. P. Browm.ow." 
 
 I have now in my possesion the original notice from which the fore- 
 going was taken, T have been for years intimately acquainted With 
 the comrade to whom it was addressed, and from his discharges, 
 and liis commissions which he has shown me, I am very certain that 
 lie rendered quite four years of faithful service to the Government, 
 in every position from the ranks to the office of Captain. 1 am also 
 M-ell acquainted with the fact that he is now, and for a number of 
 years has been seriously disabled, and is wholly dependent upon 
 his labor for support, does not draw any pension, and is obliged to 
 support his father and mothef, who are nearly eighty years of age. 
 I am also informed after a careful inquiry, that at least six of the 
 nine who were thus discharged, had been faithful soldiers, and bore 
 honorable scars received in the line of duty, while defending the flg 
 of their Country. I get this information not from politicians, but 
 from my comrades, who were their associates, and are still employed. 
 Now, I think I am within the bounds of truth, when I say I have 
 read section 1754, more than one thousaed times since the year 1868, 
 and while the language is, ** That persons honorably discharged 
 from the military and naval service by reason of disability, result- 
 ing from wounds or sickness incurred in the line of duty, sJiall be 
 preferred for appointments to civil offices, provided they are found 
 to po^ess the business capacity necessary for the proper discharge 
 of the duties of such offices." ' I do not find at any point or place, 
 any direction to an officer to say to the applicant who brings him- 
 self within this law, you must vote the Democratic ticket, or you 
 must vote the Republican ticket, or you are not eligible to office, 
 
62 
 
 under this law. It is plain then, that to refuse to appoint such a sol- 
 dier to an office he seeks, wlien some rebel is filling it, is not only a 
 violation of the law, but the man who does it is as much a criminal 
 morally as the man who would steal their purse. For in each case 
 it is literally robbing him of that which legally belongs to him. 
 But another thought in this connection. I have often heard the re- 
 mark made by Senators and Representatives, and other public officials 
 having the authority to make appointments to office, tiiat this law 
 under consideration, has reference to the minor offices of the Gov 
 eminent. This interpretation may suit the idea of the politician, 
 but it is not the law, nor is it the language of the law, nor will it bear 
 any such construction. It means what it says and says what it means ; 
 and, is a direction to the President as much as to any other officer 
 of the Government, which requires him to perfer " for appoint- 
 ments to civil offices," the soldier and sailor who was discharged for 
 reasons mentioned in the law, "provided they are found to possess 
 the business capacity necessary for the proper dischariie of the 
 duties of such offices." Mr. Frye well knew this to be tlie 
 law, in Dec bS81 and, if he was made acquainted with the fact 
 that nine Union soldiers had been discharged, Avhy he did not hasten 
 to the House, seek out Ms successor, Nelson Dingley, Jr., and have 
 him make a speech denouncing it, as he had done in April 1.S7S? 
 I know that it is extremely foolish for me to propound this question 
 for I am as competent at this time to judge of the answer as 1 would 
 be after the answer had been made, and 1 leave the subject without 
 pressing Mr. Frye to. that extent. Well, to return to the statement 
 of Mr Frye made in the Senate, April 20, bS81, as to why he would 
 support Mr. Uiddleberger for the office of .'-^ergeant-at-Arms of the 
 Senate, he said : "Gentlemen, we said to you when this contest 
 started here that we intended to fight on tViis line until a solid South, 
 made solid in these devious ways, lost its solidity. We recognize 
 in the fight in Virginia the entering wedge; and because we recog- 
 nize that as an entering wedge, and for that reason alone, we have de- 
 termined to stand by it, to give it our amen and amen, hoping that 
 sooner or later the South may rise up to the dignity of free and in- 
 dependant states and yield to every man, white or black his rights." 
 Now, during the discussion Mr Frye saw fit to briuiJf in the con- 
 troversy of the Lynch vs. Chalmers contested election case then 
 pending, and which was afterwards investigated and, by the House 
 determined in favjr of Lynch The simon pure cussedness and the 
 shot-gun policy of the shoe-string district of Mississippi, as it had 
 been inaugurated and carried out by rebel J. R Chalmers, was 
 clearly portrayed to the Senate, and so far as the stealing 
 of votes is concerned, rebel Chalmers was shown to have been a 
 ballot-box robber of the most approved pattern. When the matter 
 came on in the House it provoked a long and animated discussion, 
 during which the vote of every precinct in the congressional dis- 
 trict was carefully canvassed, the most glaring frauds pointed out 
 and proven, and the charge made by Mr. Frye in the Senate on that 
 April day that J. R. Chalmers, of Miss., was a man without honor, a 
 
63 
 
 Iree-booter, and that he liad attempted to secure a seat in the Na- 
 tional House of Representatives through villianous practices, was 
 made good. Finally a vote was taken upon the following reso- 
 lution : 
 
 '■'■ Re^olmd, That John R I.ynch was elected, and is entitled to his 
 seat in the 47th Congress from the sixth district of Mississippi." 
 
 April 29, 1.S82, was the day upon which the vote was taken, and 
 I find it recorded at page 23 of " The Republican Campaign Text- 
 Book^'' for 1882, in these words : 
 
 " The question was taken, and there were — yeas, 125, nays, 83; not 
 voting, 83." 
 
 Now, it will be seen from an examination of this vote, that it was 
 some less than the number of Democrats then in the House. 
 
 No one observed this more readily or felt it more keenly, than 
 did Chalmers, himself, for had his rebel friends, Blackburn, of Ky., 
 Pibbrell, of Tenn., Hooker, of Miss., Wheeler, of Alabama, Gibson, 
 of La., Hatch, of Mo , Simonton, of Tenu., and Singlet(m, of Miss., 
 and his other democratic Iriends who refrained from voting, voted 
 lor him instead, he would have been seated, and Lynch, the " nigger,'^ 
 Wf)uld have been defeated. For a very short while after the vote 
 was taken, and until lie came to his senses, he had nothing but 
 curses, and harsh words for his recreant colleai-ues. However, an 
 hours reflection removed the mist from before his eyes, and he had 
 only to look to the past, and to the promises made, and the induce- 
 ments offered to men in his position if they would only embrace 
 the religion of the Republican party. I make the statement upon 
 the authority of a gentleman who claims to have been present, that 
 before he left the chamber on that day, lie declared openly that he 
 M'onld cut loose from this, nmo rebel party, and would return to his 
 state and run as an independent candidate for Congress in the 2nd 
 district, if lie could be assured of the support of the Republican 
 Convention, and the other influences usua,lly extended in sucli cases 
 after the convert had been received into full fellowship and com- 
 munion. Encouraged in this step by a number of leading Republi- 
 cans, he did return to his state in the spring or summer of 1882, 
 announced himself as an independent candidate for Congress, in 
 the 2nd Congressional district, and was endorsed by both the 
 Greenback and Republican conventions, and by the assistance of 
 those organizations, and the use of monej^ sent from Washington, 
 was able .to make the campaitrn, and claims to have been elected 
 by 10,230 votes against 8,982 votes for Van H. Manning, Democrat. 
 
 This was enough to atone for the past, and from that time the 
 Republicans of the House, and the prominent Republican officials 
 of the Government supported him as earnestly and with as much zeal 
 as they had before opposed him. No bond for his good behavior 
 was required, and you receive him as he stood before you on that 
 April day, covered with the slime of treason, and other most hei- 
 nous crimes. For years the following inscription was visible, yea, 
 was written in letters of blood upon his forehead: " Was a member 
 of the secession Convention of Miss, in 1861, and voted for secession; 
 
64 
 
 entered the rebel service as a captain, in March, 1861 ;CoL Ninth 
 Miss. April, 1861; rebel Brig. General in Feb. '62 ; was in the first 
 Division Forest's Cavalry; was elected to the 45th, 46th and 47th, 
 Congresses as a Miss. Bourbon Democrat; have never accepted the 
 amendments, nor the results of the war, and will help wipe them 
 off the Statute Books; was a member of the Ku-klux clan ; I inaugu- 
 rated, and believe in the shot gnn policy ; helped to kill the iNiggers 
 and did what I could to deprive them of their votes, when I made 
 the race against that " Nigger " Lynch; in short, I am a Mississippi 
 Bourbon of the old school, and declare this to be a white man s Gov- 
 ernment, and that Bourbons only, are fit to manage it.' . .,, . 
 
 I niicrht continue in this direction until I had filled pages with in- 
 stances which illustrate, and prove, beyond a doubt, that you have 
 ever been ready to assist a rebel if he would join and work lor the 
 Republican party; and as in the case of Chalmers you have not 
 waited for the elective olHce to come, but have provided the newly 
 made convert with a federal office, and have permitted him to con- 
 trol a share of the patronage in his District or County, where it was 
 
 advantaireous to him. 
 
 " Thus do all traitors: 
 If their purgation did consist in words. 
 They are as innocent as grace itself." 
 But there is another thought in this connection which is worthy 
 of notice. How often and often have we heard and read the state- 
 ment that the war had forever settled the question of human slav- 
 ery, the right of a State to secede, and the right of the colored man 
 to vote If your campaii^n literature, and your public declarations 
 of the past ten or fifteen years represent the real facts, the latter 
 proposition is conclusively proven to have been erroneous VVhile 
 the first is in the South a dead letter, except the fact that the colored 
 people cannot be bought and sold as before the adoption ot the bith 
 amendment, in all other respects their condition is equally as bad 
 as before. As to the second proposition, your literature, and your 
 declarations have had no effect whatever upon the rebel and I again 
 refer to Republican authority lor my proof It is a fact, beyond 
 question, that a school history has been adopted m the soutliern 
 states which, instead of referring to the war as a rebellion, and to 
 its authors as traitors, teaches it as a revolution, and declares tnat 
 Jefferson Davis and his associates who were the leaders, were mar- 
 tyrs to a noble and a just cause, which, was not conquored but tem- 
 porarily overpowered. Over and again have these Rebel leaders 
 declared, both in public and in private, that the fire was 
 only smouldering-, and that it would some day burst lortn 
 with greater force than ever, this time with a Jetterson 
 Dcivis as a leader, and our Lincoln in the rear. To coun- 
 teract this idea you frequently in public debate, refer toi 
 the fact that the new generation coming on in the South would noti 
 be as rash as those of their ancestors who before engaged in rebellion, 
 and that that portion of the confederates who have, as you say a^c 
 cepted the results of the war in good faith, would prevent it. Justl 
 
65 
 
 liow yon liarmonize all of these statements I cannot readily nnder- 
 stand, for they are certainly of the . most conflicting character. In 
 one breath yon tell ns that their school-books teach that treason 
 was right and that there were no traitors; and in the next breath 
 you tell us that the education of the coming generations will be such 
 as to prevent a recurrence of the scenes of '61 to '65. So far as your 
 Republican rebel is concerned, he has accepted the results of the 
 war, not in good faith but in theory only, and for the purpose of aid- 
 ing him to obtain political preferment as I have pointed 
 out; and should the occasion arise in the life-time of the next genera- 
 tion, his son, who has had the same teaching- .as the son of the democrat- 
 ic rebel in this respect, \^ ould as quickly follow 7<!-/.9 State into rebellion 
 as did his father before him. Now, do not understand that I am 
 predicting another rebellion soon, although I do not look upon such 
 a thing as impossible when I consider the conditions tendered and 
 forced upon leadintf traitors by the Republican party in the settle- 
 ment of their status after the war closed Not one of them was pun- 
 ished or eoen reprimanded for their treason They had deserted 
 irom the army and navy, from the halls of Cona^ress, and from other 
 public positions. Some of them had violated such statutes and army 
 reiJTulations as would, if convicted, subject them to the death pen- 
 alty, and yet not one was punished. Well, thousands of men who, 
 when the war broke out were hardly known, seized upon this oppor- 
 tunity to mount a popular wave and float along to prominence, and 
 to-day we find them filling almostevery position of importance from 
 the office of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court to that of Su- 
 pervisor of elections. Here then are two strong incentives to the 
 yotm.g bloods of the South to repeat in whole or in part, the parts 
 taken by their traitor fathers in the late unholy war. They will 
 have nothing to risk but the chances of failure, and if not success- 
 ful it will result in self-promotion, and I do not believe the settle- 
 ment^of these questions rest upon a solid foundation. These are stein 
 facts which are constantly before you, and as the leaders of the Re- 
 publican party are absolutely primarily responsible for it, I do not 
 wonder that you are continually declaring that " the war has for- 
 ever settled the question of the right of a State to go into rebellion." 
 Now, if I have taken a false position as to inducements offered, the 
 chivalrous southron to repeat the treason of his father, and as to the 
 want of stability of the settlement of the questions growing out of 
 the war, I do not expect to hear you state in the coming contest 
 that "a full restoration to power of the democratic party, as it is 
 now constituted, means an attempt, and perhaps with success, of the 
 rebels to ' wipe off the statute books every vestige of war 
 legislaiton' " as was declared by the traitor Blackburn in the House 
 of Representatives in April, 1879. If my position is not corj*ect, do 
 not alarm us with the idea that the pensions of the Union soldier will 
 be stopped unless the rebel is pensioned with him. Do not tell us 
 that an attempt will be made to create a Democratic Supreme Court 
 which in turn will declare that the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments 
 were not legally adopted. 
 
66 
 
 Gentlemen : The leaders of the Republican par'y in ConiJ^ress, and 
 those outside of Cono^ress who supported it, ha^e brought about tlie 
 very dangers you warn us of. It was wholly in your hands ; you 
 settled it in the way you did for the reasons I have pointed out ; you 
 cannot esc- e the responsibility, and your appeals to the people to 
 save tlie country from this impending danger is the strongest evi- 
 dence of the weakness of the position, assumed when you began to 
 lor)e and pardon the rebel instead of treating and punishing him as 
 a criminal. The following article will serve to show that the rebel 
 sees in this weakness his opportunity, and that he hopes advantage 
 will be taken of it : 
 
 " Said over Confederate Graver. 
 Remarkable speech of a Baltimore lawyer on the Lost Cause. 
 
 A New Tork TFbr^;^ special from Baltimore, June 6, says: Gen. 
 Bradley T. Johnson, president of the Maryland Confederate So- 
 ciety, made a remarkable siieech to-day upon the occasion of the 
 decoration of Confederate graves. After speaking of the heroism of 
 the Confederate leaders, he said : 
 
 ' The South is progressing. She is not dead. These old Confed- 
 erate soldiers and their descendants elect ninety out of every hun- 
 dred Congressmen, thirty-four United Staines Senators, and the Pres- 
 ident of the United States. The Government of the United States 
 is con^ oiled by Confederate soldiers It is always the case that 
 when you get into a position t > command respect you will get res- 
 pect. These old Confederate soldiers are not idle. Their work for 
 twenty-six years in government, in lailroads, and in industrial en- 
 terprises of all sorts is making itself felt all over this land. In 1890, 
 Texas will send twenty-five men to Congress. The anxiety will be 
 then not who can carry New York in the election, but who can win 
 in Texas.' 
 
 Of the lost cause he said : ' I didn't believe the United States had 
 a right to coerce the Southern people. I said I would fight if they 
 tried to do it, and I did fight. I would do the same thing to-morrow, 
 as God is my witness Many of us might have kept out of that war, 
 but we didn't.' He made this reference to Jefferson Davis: 'I recall 
 the sentimentality exhibited by some just before the eigthtieth 
 birthday of Jefferson Davis, a man who, of all tlie Confederates, has 
 been singled out by his enemies and branded by malice and preju- 
 dice and kept from his rights. He is a patient statesman and a 
 hero. I hope he will go down to his grave with the disfranchise- 
 ment his enemies have put upon him, for I am sure he has no desire 
 for it to be otherwise, and would never accept the right of suffrage 
 except by unanimous consent, of which there is not the remotest 
 hope.' " 
 
 Do not flatter yourselves with the notion that this seniimeiit is 
 confined to one man, or to a few men, for it is the Universal senti- 
 meiit of the South. The very rebels you have emph:)yed in the Sen- 
 ate, not only cherish the memories o their days of treason, but b')n.st 
 that they are proud of the part taken by them as rebels, and would re- 
 peat the offence if opportunity offered. 
 
67 
 
 Then, I am safe in making the statement that the results of the 
 war as to their f^nal settlement do not rest upon any solid founda- 
 tion after all ; a it has been kep afloat t_.us far by sentiment only 
 and this IS a result of yielding to a political ' ifluence, such as T have 
 mentioned Upon this po' it, Judge Albon, W. Tourgee, in the North 
 American I ^vJew for January, 1887, presented an able article in 
 which, after show ng the dussens oi -, and finally the divisions, between 
 the " Abolition p:iement," and the Lincoln Class of Republicans, he 
 said: ' 
 
 ''To these influences was added also that of certain party leaders who 
 had gamed pos'cion and promln -ice during the war, very largely 
 on account of the absence in the military service of those who 
 would otherwise have been their rivals. To perpetuate their power 
 these men organized their followers and dependents and instructed 
 them to clamor lustily for obliviou for all things connected with 
 the period of war, except its political phases. They declared that 
 the struggle was over and all that pertained to it should be foro-otten • 
 that soldiers should be remembered with pensions and "liouies" ai 
 UbUum, but for the public service, statesmen trained in the schools 
 gentlemen polished by social experience, and millionaires imbued 
 with the knowledge how to make the many subserve the interest of 
 the few, able to subsidize the press, corrupt delegates and purchase 
 votes and influence— that these men were needed both by party and 
 country to steer the ship of state through the breakers that threatened 
 when war was ended. They inculcated the sentiment that uatriot- 
 ism was well enough in war, but trickery was the kevnote of politi- 
 cal success in peace. 
 
 " We should not fail to note also as a force which exerted a po\v- 
 erful influence in producing the result we have indicated, that mor- 
 bid sentimentality which insisted upon, ignoring the righteousness 
 of the National cause and the noble simplicity of motiv^e which in- 
 spired its supporters, because of a silly fear that the feelin^-s of 
 those who fought on the other side might be injured by the asser- 
 tion of these fa.'ts. 
 
 "That such a state of public sentiment must si.ine time come to 
 an end, the dullest might easily predict. The fact cannot always be 
 neglected that the Nation was right, and tlie South and its sympa- 
 thizers wrong. So, too, the impression cannot always prevail that 
 the men who wore victorious were so greatly inferior in patriotism, 
 genius and fortitude to those whom they overoatne. It was certain 
 to be demonstrated that the military disadvantages which beset 
 the Union cause were fully equal to those wJiich confronted the Con- 
 federates, and that the disaffection of the Northern people went a 
 long way towards equalizing the respective power." 
 
 T/(,e Union soldier who bore the brunt of the battle, saw in this 
 moDeiiient a determination on the part of Republican leaders to 
 serm self first, the rebel second, and himself when you could' not 
 help it; and your action made him, an I for years he has been an 
 iudf, pendent factor at the ballot-box, and mhat you. temporarily 
 gained in thp South, in the beginning, has gone from you foreoer, 
 
68 
 
 and unless you undo this work as far as possible, you have also for- 
 ever lost very many of the Cong-ressional districts of the North, which 
 you might, under other circumstances, have retained in suflicient num- 
 bers to have made a majority. Now, when the responsibility for 
 our defeat is so clearly pointed out to you, do not attempt to trans- 
 fer it to the shoulders of the Prohibitionist, for it does not look well 
 in such a position, and returns to you with great force. But I have 
 one or two more illustrations in this direction and then 1 shall have fin- 
 ished this subject. In the Ohio campaign of 1887 at Wilmington, 
 Sept. 15, Mr Senator Sherman made a speech in which he is reported 
 to have made the following declaration : 
 
 " The veterans of the Union armies and navies are entitled to the 
 liberal consideration of this people for all puhlic preferment, and 
 should receive generous care and adequate pensions The flippant, 
 sneering language of President Cleveland's vetoes of pension bills 
 is insulting to the veterans and degrading to the Executive. The 
 subservient spirit displayed in Mr. Cleveland's illegal order to re- 
 turn rebel battle flags, the precious trophies of the Union troops, 
 deserves only reprobation, and justly excites the resentment of all 
 loyal people." 
 
 So, too, Mr. Senator PJvarts in his speech before the Republicans 
 assembled in New York, to form the Republican National League, 
 laid great stress upon the right of the Union soldier to be preferred 
 overall other persons. But look in upon the Senate and its record, 
 and you will find as I have so many times stated that civilians, who 
 were either in sympathy with the rebellion, or who were too cow- 
 ardly to do battle for tlieir country, and the rebels are very largely 
 in the 'majority. Civilian C S Draper, who sits near the throne, 
 was born in the District of Columbia, the value of his services are not 
 worth a straw to you and the party beyond his money; he would 
 have you believe that he is from Michigan, but I don't believe he 
 ever saw the State His politics are adapted to the taste of any 
 Senator with whom he speaks, and the fact that for a long time one 
 son was an employee at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and 
 another in the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, shows that he has no 
 feeling beyond self, and my comrades would style him a '' first-class 
 hog.' James Wood is another specimen ; accordins: to his own state- 
 ment, publicly made, he did the '' dirty work " of the Democratic 
 party in his locality in Ind , up to the campaign of 1880, and as he 
 " was not rewarded for it, he thought he would try the Republican 
 party." I heard him make this declaration when making a speech 
 at my home in 1880, and since January, 1881, he has been kept con- 
 tinuously in office, and two of his sons have been equally favored. 
 James Christie is no more entitled, under the law, to the place he 
 holds than a Mexican, when compared with the right of a disabled 
 Union soldier to command it for himself. The National Republi- 
 can of Sunday, May 13th, has an article in which it is shown that 
 he has no family, is in good circumstances, and has a country seat 
 in Dover, N. H.; and yet you feed and clothe him, and a hundred 
 capable, deserving soldiers go unprovided for. It is no wonder now 
 
G9 
 
 that the rebels called ns " Northern Mudsills," and yon have made 
 the claim doubly sure. 
 
 Rebel Soldier J. H. Crawford has been on the Capitol police force 
 for a number of years, and in the Consrressional Directories for the 
 48th, 49th, and 50th Cono-resses ; (2d edition,) his: residence has been 
 given as No. 1 B St., N. W. In the 1st edition, 50th Congress, it was 
 changed to 224 North Capitol street. There is nothing significant 
 • in this of itself, but examine again and you will find that John James 
 IngaUs is registered at the. same No. and street. Who keeps this 
 rebel there ? Let Mr. Tngalls answer, and then if he is doing it let 
 me ask him if he has published the fact to that soldiers of Kansas 
 Let me ask him if such a course is in harmony with his declarations 
 of March 6th, and when he had his contest with Senator Voorhees 
 A Mr. Heiggins, and a number of other men were and are still there 
 who to my personal knowledge have annual incomes, amounting to 
 thousands. H. T. Strawbridge is another instance ; you call him a 
 disabled Union soldier. According to the records of the office of the 
 Adjutant General, State of Ohio, he was in the service eight months 
 A soldier Republican neighbor of his, at London, Ohio, in a letter 
 written to me, assures me that he never left the State. That he has 
 money at interest, and his wife the life control of nearly 400 acres 
 of first-class lands, are matters about which he boasts when drunk 
 His London, Ohio, friend states that his income, outside of his sal- 
 ary, is near $.3,500 per year, and no one but himself and wife to care 
 for. I quote from his letter of April 9th, as follows : 
 
 ''As to the subject of your inquiry I cannot give you just the ex- 
 act figures because I am not able to go out, and cannot get to the 
 Court House to look up the records; but, as I am very well ac- 
 quainted with the party I can give you a very good history of the 
 case being well acquainted with H. T. Strawbridge. He enlisted in 
 
 ii ' • ^- ^•' ^" ^^^^' ^"^^^ ^evei' ^^^ o"t of the State of Ohio 
 as a soldier; and men of his company who served at the front with 
 the regiment for three years, did not know after the war was over 
 that Strawbridge ever belonged to the regiment. He was nomi- 
 nated and elected by the Democrats of Madison County, sheriff in 
 1873, and re-elected in '75, was elected treasurer on same ticket in 
 '77, and re-elected in 1879. 
 
 " It seems strange that any one should believe him to be a Republi- 
 can. He IS a bitter partisan and will resort to all the devices known to 
 a dishonest politician to carry an election. He was elected between the 
 plea of "Disabled Soldier," and the use of money and whiskey 
 As to his earthly goods, he has not far from twenty tltonsand ^o\- 
 wlXh .'"^'^^'t , , ^'% ^if'« ^^s 380 acres of good well improved land 
 which IS rented for three years for $1,900, per year, cash. The land 
 
 II k'""' «? / .^'"'^' """^ ^^^®" ^''^^ to ^^er heirs. She has all the 
 tile benefits of it while she lives. He can sit down and do nothing 
 and have an income of at least thirty-five hundred dollars per year 
 and It js but right that he should step aside and give some poor old 
 soldier a chance to earn their bread for a few years. I will o-ive 
 youtl-enameof a Democrat from London, and a good Democrat 
 
70 
 
 who has Mr. Stniwbriclg-o's history, and will give yon some points. I 
 refer to I. G. Peetrey, Chief Clerk", Book-keepers Division Sixth Aud- 
 iters Office. Peetrey wrote np Strwbridg-e in the (Cincinnati^ Enquirer. 
 T bid yon God Speed in yonr enterprise. If there is anything I can 
 do, call on me." * * * 
 
 Snch a man as this has no claim upon the Grand Army as a com- 
 rade, and that he has no consideration for his disabled comrades in 
 need is clearly proven by his greed. He is a comrade in name and 
 theory only. 
 
 Well, snppose yon look into the case of D. S. Barry, over at the 
 reporters gallery. He is, T am told, paid a stipend of |G0 per month, 
 and lias no v/ork. But then he is a Newspaper Correspondent, you 
 know. 
 
 I might go on until I had called the roll of the Senate, for I have 
 it before me complete However, my means will not pei'mit and I 
 will in detail refer to one more case only The illustration and com- 
 parison may seem to be a little spicy, but if a National or a Republi- 
 can Cong. Committee could send it to the people by the tens of thous- 
 ands, 1 do not think it will corrupt the morals of 39 "staid old 
 Senatorj?" if it is repeated, and then it is so closely in harmony with 
 the subject I present for a comparison, 1 think some of you, at least, 
 will recognize the former document. It was in the campaign of 
 187G .that I received this document for distribution. I think I used 
 two or th^ee thousand in my locality. Tt had flaming head lines and 
 was entitled " Democratic Reform. Union Soldiers rem.omd to malce 
 room, for Rehsls. What the Democracy hns already Accomplished'' 
 It had been carefully edited and clearly pointed out all of the re- 
 movals aud the appointments Arnong the brave officers who had 
 been removed was Maj. ^^. J. Bunnell ; his services were set forth 
 and his removal deeply regretted Of his suc^^essor, at page 4 of 
 the doc. referred t", I find the following statement: 
 
 "This brave soldier and meritorious officer was succeeded by F. 
 M. Schell, of Indiana. Schell is a big, pompous fellow, whose busi- 
 ness it was to clear the floor of all persons except members previous 
 to the calling of the House to order each day. This duty he dis- 
 chai'ged in such imposing and tremendous fashion as at 
 first to make him a buitfor ridicule. He became disagreeable by 
 his officiousness, and grave charges -a ere preferred, which caused his 
 dismissal in May, but lie has received pay for Jime and July on 
 vouchers. He is still to be seen a1)out tlie floor of the House, and it 
 is said he has been " taken care of," which probably means that he 
 is paid upon a voucher instead of appearing upon the lolls. The 
 story of the charges against him is too indecent to print. He is, in 
 short, known as the purveyor to members of the House of a name- 
 less commodity, for tlie furnishing of which he assisted at the be- 
 ginning of the session in setting up an establishment. He has a son 
 in the doorkeeper's department." 
 
 Like the charges referred to in the above article, what I have heard 
 about, and from the lips of this messenger in the Senate is too inde- 
 cent to print ; but as to the latter business mentioned, except the 
 
jtrovidiny- of a house under liis own supervision, if he does not have 
 the reputation of bearing- the same relation to the Senate that Schell 
 did to the House, tlien it is because the Eng'lish languai^e repeated 
 over and again is not sufficiently forcible to make a reputation. A 
 short time ago I asked him if he went into the Union army during 
 the war. These are his exact words in reply: " Yes, I loeni; tliat is 
 1 went to the depot to see my friends off lolio did go.'' Being at that 
 time in search of information, I pressed him further with—" Why 
 did you not enlist ?" To this he replied : " I didn't have to go, and 
 tliat is all there is of it." I then asked him how long he liad been 
 employed in the Capitol, to which he replied : "Since 1S70, either 
 in the House or here (meaning the Senate). My brother was a mem- 
 ber of the Legislature which elected Mr. Quay, and I am solid as 
 long as T want to stay." 
 
 Before this time I met him on the street one night, when he ap- 
 peared to be intoxicated ; he then told me that he was worth from 
 twenty-five thousand dollars up, and did not care for anything I 
 am told by others that such is the case as to his means. Those of 
 you who desire to see him, please call at the rooms of the Committee 
 on Appropriations and enquire for Christian Chritzman. And so it 
 is like the McDonald, Gray, "Horse Leeches;" a large number of these 
 bachelors, official office suckers, have been skipping back and forth 
 from Senate to House, and they have no more feeling for a soldier in 
 distress than they have for a dog in distress, and if we speak to them 
 about their greed, if Republicans, the first thing we hear is, " Well, go 
 to the Democrats; they will do something for you " This is the in- 
 sult we receive when we are demanding our rigJits, and the office to 
 which, under the law, they have not even the siiadow of a title, and 
 were placed there by an arbitrary violation of the law itself. 
 
 Will some Senator explain why it was that Virginia must be 
 ransacked to find a fat, stout, hearty rebel, to take the place of Thos. 
 H. McKee, when that gentleman was transferred to the Library? 
 Were there no Grand Staff s in the Union army? If none, then find 
 one who was disabled while bearing aloft amid the din of battle 
 the staff from which floated the colors of his command. There 
 are thousands of tliem in the land. 
 
 But let me show you how considerate you are of the interests of 
 the Democratic Rebel Soldier who has placed himself ^in your care 
 and protection; of the son of a man whom you call a Knight of the 
 Golaen Circle Copperhead, and the young man was the clerk to the 
 Committee on Rules by the courtesy of Mr. Frye, who seemed to have 
 forgotten that Maine "sent any soldiers into the Union army. 
 
 About August L 1884, rebel soldier W. H. May, was discharged 
 from the messenger roll, and, as I understand it, from the service. 
 He claims to have been the commander of a rebel battery, and 
 boasts of the great slaughter he made with it. Well, before Con- 
 gress convened in Dec, he was restored to the roll, and as you well 
 know, the probabilities are that he did not perform any duty in va- 
 cation. But he must have his back pay and you gave it to him. In 
 
tlie Deficiency Bill, approved March 3, 1885, at page 24, 1 find the fol- 
 lowini^ item : 
 
 "For W. H. May, for services as messenger from first of August, 
 1884, to thirtieth of November, 1884, $477.40." 
 
 Again, in "The Republican Campaign Text Books " for 1882, and 
 1884, you reproduced the Report of Senator Harrison, referred to by 
 me as having been made July 3, 1882, and of Senator A^oorhees who 
 had introduced the resolution of inquiry upon which the report was 
 founded, the campaign committee said : 
 
 On the 16th of March 1882, Senator Voorhees, of Indiana, who, in 
 1861, denounced Union soldiers as "Lincoln hirelings," "Lincoln 
 dogs," with collars around their necks, labeled, A. Lincoln, etc, etc, 
 introduced in the Senate, the following resolutions:" 
 [Resoloutions omitted.] 
 
 Now the inquiry I would make is, knowing that you intended by 
 that declaration to prejudice the mind of the Union soldier against 
 the Democratic party, T ask how do you prove your sincerity in the 
 charge made against Voorhees? If he was this sort of a man, and 
 said these things he is not the fit associate of Christian men, and 
 yet you are at all times friendly and sociable with him, yea, you do 
 'more than this, you grant him favors for which a disabled veteran 
 might plead for an hundred years at your hands, and not a crumb 
 loouldhe receine. Mr. Voorhees has been the Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Additional Accommodation for the Library of Congress 
 nearly all of the time, if not ever since its organization in the 46th 
 Cong. His son James P. Voorhees has been the clerk, with a very 
 small amount of labor at any time. Now in order to provide him 
 a means of support in vacation, the Senator has a number of times 
 offered a resolution asking that this committee be allowed to sit 
 in vacation; and the Republicans of the Senate have each time per- 
 mitted it to pass without objection when they knew the purpose of 
 it and that the committee would not meet. An examination of the 
 published accounts of the secretary of the Senate discloses the fact 
 that you have thus given to James P. Voorhees, the sum of |2,2o0, 
 and I think the sincerity of the campaign committee in making the 
 charge they did isserionsly questioned. So too, C. B. Reade, and R. 
 B. Mahone, have been paid hundreds of dollars in the same manner. 
 
 I have cited these cases to show that your senatorial courtesy makes 
 you very considerate of the needs of rebels, and of civilians born dur- 
 ing or since the war, and I will add that this same senatorial courtesy 
 has trampled the law preferring disabled Union soldiers upon the 
 floor of the Senate. And in the face of all of this, you insist that 
 you are the only real friends of the soldier. As to what Mr. Cana- 
 day has done I pretVr to let others speak, and present the following 
 item which was clipped from a Washington paper : 
 
 "hheaking his promises. 
 "What the Veterans' Hights Union Charge Against Sergeant-at-Arms 
 
 Canaday. 
 
 "The Veterans' Rights Union is not entertaining very good feelings 
 
 i 
 
for Sergeant-at-Anns William V. Canaday, of tlie Senate. That 
 functionary has caused great offense by his summary removal of ,ex- 
 "Union soldiers and filling tlie vacancies with those who fought on 
 the other side They also claim that Mr. Canaday has made prom- 
 ises of correcting things, but failed to do so. In instances where ho 
 promised to meet the union half way, when the tnne came for their 
 fulfillment of tlie agreement, they complain that Mr. Canaday went 
 back on his word. The committee has become tired of Mr Cana- 
 day's methods, and, in a quiet way, they have been gathering to- 
 gether, from time to time, points about his management of his of- 
 fice, which they say they will produce should it be found necessary 
 to do so." 
 
 And so like all men who — 
 
 Dress'd in a little brief authority, 
 Play such fantastic tricks before high heaven 
 As make the Angles weep," 
 you have advocated one thing for the soldier and have practiced 
 other until tlie record is one of glaring inconsistencies. 
 
 You may think of the soldier as you please, but he is honest in 
 his belief that the Republicans of Congress are not, as a whole, in 
 sympathy with their requests for more liberal pension Ijws, and in 
 the application of other laws enacted for their benefit, and not will- 
 ing to make good the promises made to encourage enlistments dur- 
 ing the dark hours of 1863-64. They have closely followed and 
 carefully analyzed the congressional debates, and the campaign 
 speech which, upon comparison, discloses the fact that the declara- 
 tions of the speaker and his subsequent, or former actions do not cor- 
 respond; but on the contrary, while the most profound sympathy 
 is expressed for a comrade broken in health, and struggling with 
 poverty, when followed to Washington, in many cases, the person 
 so expressing such sympathy is found to be the chief supporter and 
 political backer of some rebel soldier, or of some civilian who is 
 perhaps in good circumstances, financially, and who is holding the 
 very position which his supporter and backer but a short time be- 
 fore, declared in his speech belonged to the disabled Union soldier. 
 The truth of this statement exists to-day in the make-up of the 
 Senate force of employes. I make the charge boldly and without 
 fear of successful contradiction. 
 
 There has been another way of defrauding the soldier that has 
 been a complete success. Senator Plumb tells us what it is at page 
 466 of the Congressional Record of May 19, 1881, in these words: 
 "The offices of this Government belong to the people of the 
 United States, the District of Columbia included, but the fact is 
 the District of Columbia has got about one-third of them, as I un- 
 derstand. If it is to be understood in the future as in the past, 
 that we are to have an office-holding sclass in the District of Columbia, 
 tlie sooner we know it the better. 
 
 * * * * * 
 
 " If we are to have a class of people inducted into office by various 
 <Ievices at the back doo , or any other way, by purchase and sale, as 
 
is coiidamtly goivg on in this eiiy, and if because they happen to an- 
 swer certain clerical requirements when they are put in,they are never 
 to be displaced,then, of course, we may, as we probably ought to, know 
 whether we are under any responsibility to our constituents, or any- 
 body else, in regard to the matter." 
 
 \s to our right to call upon Senators to assist us in securmg our 
 rio-hts under this law, we certainly do not get much consolation from 
 the proclamation of Senator Morrill, found on the same page witii 
 Vlr Plumb's statement. Mr. Kellogg, of La., had asked Mr. Morrill 
 what he would do in a case where a disabled soldier, who had been 
 recommended by leading citizens of Vermont should apply to him 
 for his assistance to the end that he might be appointed to an ot- 
 fice. Mr. Morrill replied as follows : 
 
 " If the Senator will allow me to answer that I had just such a 
 recommendation presented to me this morning, of a wounded sol- 
 dier Yesterday a lady came here, whose husband's hands are both 
 paralyzed. She has just been discharged from the Census Bureau ; 
 she has three children; and I had one or two applications m the 
 course of the day. All I desire to say is that I do not like to have 
 it go abroad and become the settled practice that it is only neces- 
 sary for applicants to apply to Senators. I do not wish to have 
 my heart torn out of me every day on account of applications tor 
 clerkships" 
 
 " Horses for ye, and brown Greek manuscripts 
 And servants with great, smooth, marbly limbs," 
 but the sore necessities of those who bore the brunt of the fight, 
 saved your country, and made you what your position makes you, 
 gives you no concern whatever, 
 
 I have the details for ten or twenty pages of instances where prom- 
 inent Republicans have indirectly declared that Senator Mander- 
 son's ''old soldierism " had become a dead letter, but I cannot print 
 
 them now. 
 
 There is another class of inconsistencies which our National KepuD- 
 lican Campaign Committees have brought into their campaign books. 
 One or two illustrations will be sufficient. When the vote was taken 
 in the Senate, June 9, 1880, upon the amendment of Senator Harris 
 to repeal the law requiring that men who had been discharged trom 
 the army or navy should be appointed to the District police force, 
 it was found that the amendment had been adopted by 25 yeas to 
 15 nays. Js^ow, there were 33 Republicans in that Senate and the 
 query is how 25 men could outvote 33 men. There were but few 
 pairs and some of the Democrats broke their pairs to make a quorum 
 and the Record shows that enougli Republicans were present to 
 have defeated the amendment. Why did the Committee make then 
 statement so misleading ? 
 
 In 1882, when you were supporting Chalmers in Miss, tor C ongress 
 the National Campaign Committees were spreading their books 
 North, filled with the atrocious crimes committed by this same 
 Chalmers, two years before, when a Democratic candidate. Gentle- 
 
/o 
 
 men these inconsistencies will not work in this campaign, 1 warn yon 
 
 now. 
 
 Again, for another illnstration, read the following: 
 
 "(•APT. SHERWOOD A CANDIDATE FOR POSTMASTER 
 
 National RepuUican, {Y.d.\ioviQl\ March 19,1876. 
 
 The r3itting of Captain Sherwood, Repnblican candidate ±or post 
 master of the Honse, against a Bourbon nominee f^V^.v^lf lunation 
 was a characteristic illustration of the pendmg P^^^^^^^l^^j,^"^^^^ 
 Sherwood, a one-legged Union soldier, hobbles back to h s l^^me m 
 Michigan, rejected by the Democrats and supported n '^^^^^^^Z.i^ 
 office by Republicans only, while a confederate, hale /^^d hearty 
 and sound in limb and body, is safely ensconsed m a * ^.^^^ffif J;^ tn«_ 
 National Capital. This is among the lessons of the period : Union 
 ists to the rear, Confederates to the front.'" . , ,. 
 
 (Sherwood had, ever since the war, and has since this time, nem 
 a fat office in Washington.) 
 
 War Department, 
 
 Adjutant Generai/s Office, 
 
 Fehruary 26, 1881. 
 
 Military record of Edward W. Whitaker. 
 
 Tormerly of the — 
 
 1st Connecticut three-months Volunteers, 
 2d New York Cavalry, and 
 
 1st Connecticut Cavalry. , 
 
 Corporal, Serjeant, Sergeant-Major, 2d Lieutenant, 1st Lieut., 
 Capt., Maior, Lieut. Col., (and Brevet Brigadier-General, U- S. 
 
 Brlvetl'd Bri'gadier-General of Volunteers, May 16, 1«65 to date 
 from March 13,1865, -for gallantry and uniform ^^^^f f/^i?. 
 Appointed Captain Seventh United States Cavalry, Oct. 18, I8bb, 
 
 to date July 28, 1866. 
 
 Geo. D. Ruggles, 
 
 Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 From Wasliington Post, Sunday, December 9, 1883. 
 "general w^hitaker withdraws. 
 The following is a copy of a letter sent to the Republican bena- 
 tors by General Whitaker, who has been prominently mentioned in 
 connection with the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate : 
 
 " 'Washington, D. C, Dec. 8, 1883. 
 I desire to withdraw my name from the canvass for Sergeant-at- 
 Arms of the Senate, being fully convinced that it would be tor tne 
 best interests of the Republican party that the aPPO^J*^,^^* J'^^ 
 <nven to the South, and in favor of Mr. W. P. Canaday, of North Caro- 
 lina Respectfully yours, 
 
 E. W. Whitaker, of Conn.' 
 
 -National Republican, Dec. 14, 1883, page 1." 
 
 ''a reorganization. ^ 
 
 The Republican Senate Caucus, and nominate new Officers. 
 * Senator Mahone was present. (Adjourned.) 
 
"After it reassembled : — For Sei\7cant-at-Arms, Senator Hawley pnt 
 in nomination Col. W P. Canaday, of North Carolina, and Senator 
 "Edmunds nominated Col George W. Hooker, of Vermont. Colonel 
 Canaday received 27 votes and Colonel Hooker 6." 
 
 ^'There loere only six votes against the nomination of Mr Cana- 
 day for Sergeaid-at-ArmsP 
 Editorial, same date. 
 
 " THE SENATE OFFICERS." 
 
 "The caucus of Republican Senators yesterday took action looking 
 to a reorganization of the patronage of the Senate by nominating 
 Gen. Anson G. McCook, of New York, for secretary; Col. Wra. P. 
 Canaday, of North Carolina, for Sergeant-at-Arms. * * * 
 Wm. P. Canaday is a native of North Carolina, He went into the 
 Confederate army a mere boy. At the close of the war he accepted 
 its results in good faith, and, wisely recognizing that the South owed 
 no allegience to any party, cast his lot with the one that seemed to 
 him to be truly National. * * ;;c * -a^ 
 
 "His nomination is a graceful recognition of Southern Republi- 
 canism." Of course he had defeated two Union soldiers, but he 
 was a Republican rebel, and that was correct. The Capt. Sherwood 
 sympathy was forgotten. 
 
 From the National Bepuhlican (Editorial), Wednesday, March 19, 
 
 1879. 
 
 " THE FORTY-SIXTH CONORESS." 
 
 * * * * Hi 
 
 "If any prophetic mind had predicted fifteen years ago, that, on 
 the 18th day of March, 1879, those who had been in rebellion, would 
 control the Congress of the United States and dictate the laws of 
 the Nation, a writ of lunacy would have been issued to place such a 
 prophet under the tender care of a lunatic asylum. But, in all that 
 intervening period, the purpose of the South has been to subjugate 
 a Government that it could not overthrow, and we regret to admit 
 what history compels, that the Republican party has in a great de- 
 gree aided in the advancement of the purposes of the ex-Confeder- 
 ates by the mistaken policy of generous dealing, which has given 
 away legitimate advantages and relaxed its proper hold upon the 
 powers of a Government that had been saved through their j)atriot- 
 ism, courage, and sacrifices. A generous restoration of traitors and 
 reb€>ls to citizenship, a mawkish sentimentality on the part of Re- 
 publicans that they must as conquerors, be magnanimous, a desire to 
 be regarded as forgiving in heart and action, a disposition to let by- 
 gones he hy-gones, have all been contributed to rele.ise the Republi- 
 can grasp from controlling the Government, and to restore its \' orst 
 enemies to control. 
 
 " This is the present condition of the Nation. The Republicans 
 have frittered and given away their prestige Until to-day traitors 
 and rebels are advanced to the front, and the loyal and true men, 
 who stood in the breach when the starm of rebellion raged, and Vv^ho 
 perilled lives and fortunes to save the country, are now consigned to 
 
77 
 
 take back seats among those who make onr laws and shape our des- 
 
 tinies " 
 
 I am told at the RepuhUcan office that the above editorial was 
 undoubtedly written by that veteran journalist, Hon. A. M- Clapp. 
 
 Now, in the past three years I have received hundreds of letters 
 from individual soldiers, from posts and other organizations repre- 
 senting, in all, I am sure, near 100,000 men. These letters all refer 
 to the matters I have under consideration. Would you like to know 
 the feelings of the men who seut them ? I cannot express it more 
 clearly than bv quoting from the letter of "Private Dalzell" of 
 Caldwell, Ohio, published in the National Tribune of this city, De- 
 cember 1st, 1887, in these words : 
 
 " It was for the whole Union, the whole Government, that we 
 fouuht and won the fight and saved it from death, and it is the duty 
 of Congress to provide a fund large enough to meet all our wants ; 
 but if it continues to prove ungrateful, unpatriotic and mean, let us 
 go to the State legislatures as the Ohio boys did, and compel them 
 to shell out. If you petition your Legislatures they dare not say no. 
 Woe to the member of the Legislature in any loyal State who would 
 vote no on such a bill. Agitate it in the newspapers, pour your pe- 
 titions in on the Legislature, and thing will go like a house on fire. 
 Boycott and spot any newspaper, any party, any man who opposes 
 the measure. You gain nothing by mincing matters. Spit it right 
 out; go for them as you went for the Jhonnies— horse, foot and 
 dragoon, charging with a cheer, if need be with a curse, and you 
 will soon make it. * * 
 
 "We beg nothing; we simply collect a small per cent, on a very 
 bad debt, lonir owed to us by a very stingy, mean and unwilling 
 debtor. Our demands are duns, not the pleas of beggars or paupers^ 
 1 have very little respect for politicians, I declare ! The longer I 
 live the less I have. They care little for the soldiers; in fact, de- 
 spise us, and would curse us to our teeth if they did not want our 
 votes. So in approaching such people I would not beat about the 
 bush, but go for them as one goes for people for whom he has no love 
 and precious little respect. 
 
 " We have minced matters too much with these scamps. \A e 
 should keep a black-book and taboo every Congressman,^ Senator and 
 legislator who dares to vote no on any of our bills. That is the 
 only measure that will ever penetrate their thick hides and skulls. I 
 would vote for the horned and hoofed devil in any party who would 
 favor our equalization of bounties, arrears of pensions and the ap- 
 propriations of the Treasury surplus to favor soldiers and their fam- 
 ilies. But I will not vote for any politician, even if he were an 
 Angel from Heaven, if he goes back on these bills, or ever did." 
 
 As true as God reigns in the Heavens, this is the sentiment you 
 must meet in the contest now upon us, and you may as well nomi- 
 nate a candidate without a platform, for we have not forgotten the 
 " Arrears of Pensions "plank of June 5th, 1884, nor Senator Sherman s 
 speech of June 23, nor his votes as will be shown hereafter. But I 
 must pass to the subject of 
 
78 
 
 T[TE Eqtjaltzatiox of Bounties. 
 
 OAA^ing- to the confused condition of affairs during the war, and the 
 fact that a portion of the bounties paid were offered upon Orders of 
 the War Department, issued at irregnlar intervals, and which ap- 
 plied only to certain classes, it is not strange that there should have 
 l^een an unequal distribution of them. The soldier saw this at the 
 time of his enlistment, but he did not let so small a matter inter- 
 fere with his duty, and he felt that Congress would sonietime read- 
 just and oqnalize the amount paid. Have you paid them? Let us 
 see. In the ;39th Cong., 1st. Sess , Bill (H. R. No. 602), passed the 
 House, May 25, 18(3(); yeas 139, nays 2. See vol. 58, Cong. Globe, 
 page 2827. The session ended July 28th, and a Republican Senate 
 failed to act upon it. In the 39th Cong., 2d Sess., Bill (H. R. No.83r)), 
 passed Feb. 15, 1867, see vol. 62 Cong. Globe, page 1272. The session 
 ended March 3d, and again a Republican Senate failed to act upon 
 the bill. 
 
 Upon the authority of a statement of Hon. Lewis B. Gunckel, of 
 Ohio, made in the House in Feb. 1875, lam able to say that the 40th 
 Cong passed another bill, and the Senate failed to act upon it. 
 
 The House of Representatives, in the 2d session of the 43d Cong, 
 passed another bill which went to the Senate, and even after the Vice- 
 President (Hon. Henry Wilson), liad declared it iiassed. Senator Mor- 
 rill, Glided by the rebel Democrats, followed it up and killed it upon 
 a plea that the action of the Senate in laying the report of the Con- 
 ference Committee upon the table killed the bill. This same question 
 arose in the Senate among the Republicans when the Fitz-John Por- 
 ter Bill was passed, and it was not sound doctrine then, nor Avas it 
 followed, either; but he was restored to the army by the Republi- 
 cans, and Nuthout their votes it could not have been done, and the 
 chief actor. Senator Sewell, is a regular delegate to the Cliicago Con- 
 vention from N. J "Oh, consistency, thou art a jewel." Well, in the 
 Republican Campaign Text-Book, for 18854, find the statement that 
 such representative Democrats in tlie House as ClarksonN. Potter, , 
 Thomas Swan, Fppa Huntou, ef a!., voted against the Bounty Bill last 
 quoted, and that oiily one Democrat in the Senate voted for it If 
 this committee was composed of honest men and had they intended 
 to give the soldier and the public tlie truth of the matter, why did 
 they not add, that such representative Republicans in the House as 
 H L. Dawes, Danl. W. Goorh, Eugene Hale, Jos. R. Havvley, Stephen 
 W. Kellogg and Luke P. Poland, et al., vnted with the rebel Demo- 
 crats referred to. And why not add to tlie statement that '' only one 
 Democrat voted for it in the Senate" the following: while William 
 
 B. Allison of Iowa, Henry B. Anthony, of R. I., George S. Houtwell, 
 of Mass , Zachariah Chandler, of Midi., George F. Edmunds, of Vt., 
 Orris ^. Ferry, of Conn., Fred'k T. Frelinghuysen, of N. J , Lott M. 
 Morrill, of ^le., Justin S Morrill, of Vt., Thoinas R. Robertson, of S. 
 
 C, Aaron A. Sargent, of California, John Sherman, of Ohio, William 
 M. Stewart, of Nev., and W. B. Washburn, of Mass., all leading Re- 
 publican Senator's, voted against and would have defeated it by their 
 votes had it not been for Mr. Wilson This is indeed a nice record 
 
79 
 
 for men who lo-ce the Union soldier, but turn to pages 1265 of the 
 Colli?. Record of Feb. 13, 1875, and to page 2050 of same, of March 
 2, 1875, and examine it for yourselves. 
 
 The Honse of Rep. in the 44th Cong., then Democratic, passed 
 another bounty bill, but the Senate failed to act upon it. No rebel 
 Senator has ever thrown out more insults to the soldier than did 
 some of the Republicans who took a part in the discussion, and in op- 
 position to the bill. Mr. John Sherman urged that the soldier was 
 led in the matter by claim agents. That he did not have any just 
 claim against the Government, but was demanding a new contract. 
 The old contract had been fully discharged and he was tired of the 
 business of soldier's claiming: further bounties. For the space of an 
 hour or so he was a/"dr/7 Holman watch-dog of the Treasury ; and as he 
 has never published any notice that he had changed his mind as to 
 these bounties, but arrears of pensions only, it is safe to remark that 
 he has never been called off, but is still watching the bounty end of 
 the Treasury Department. 
 
 Our Pension L.\ws. 
 
 It is a fact well understood by all, that our pension laws have 
 from the first been a mass of incongruities. No proper conception 
 of the enormity of the business, and of the modes and methods 
 necessary for obtaining pensions was had in the beginning, and as 
 a result we liave had periods of limitation and other restructions 
 which were not founded upon reason, justice or equity, but by 
 means of which you have defrauded the soldier under a system of 
 legalized robbery out of more than five hundred millions of dollars 
 Instead of providing some system of practice for the guidance of 
 drunken, inexperienced and incompetent clerks, many of whom are 
 merg children,you place the whole matter in the hands of one man,and 
 so unstable is the practice that scarcely two similar propositions are 
 tried by similar rules, and they are as variable as the winds, and as 
 elastic as the most pliable rubber, always in favor of the Govt. 
 The spy system, reigned for years under a Republican administra- 
 tion, and under it thousands of honest soldiers were stabbed in the 
 back of an enemy, and in the night time, as it were, for your agent 
 worked in a secret way, and his victim knew nothing of it. Thous- 
 ands of my comrades have gone to their graves with the dagger still 
 sticking in their 1 acks and no opportunity was ever afforded them to 
 meet their accusers face to face. Did our enemies ever treat us 
 worse ? And you call this an honest way of dealing with the de- 
 fenders of your country. If you will take the trouble to read Sen- 
 ate Bill 32S9, the practice there pointed out with some slight modifi- 
 cations, IS the one needed. You have also be^n stingy in the extreme 
 in tlie amounts paid to the children, and some oiher classes. The 
 rates are very unequal and like disabilities do not draw like rates 
 of pension. The table of rates which I have prepared, found in S. 
 Bill 3289, will provide a remedy if you will make it a law. 
 
 Then there is the cowardice of a Republican Senate so clearly ex- 
 hibited in the action which restored the limitation after you had 
 opened wide the door by the act of January 25, 1879. The Demo- 
 
81) 
 
 cmtic House sent you an appropriation bill which, not only did not 
 have any linntation tacked on, but they had provided for arrears 
 for special act cases as well. The Senate struck this out, and Mr. 
 John James In-alls, of Kansas, offered an ameudment the Jth sec- 
 tion of which was the original limitation amendment and whicli, 
 after havin- been amended, was adopted. The vote by which it 
 was adopted is not given, but, on the final passage of the bill, Messrs. 
 Allison, Anthony, Blaine, Booth, Burnside, Cameron, of Pa , Came- 
 ron, of Wis., Chandler, Conkling, Dawes, Edmunds, ierry, Howe, 
 tngalls, Jones, of Nev., Kirkwood, Mitchell Morrill, Oglesby, Pad- 
 dock, Plumb, Rollins, Saunders, Teller, and Wmdom, all Republi- 
 cans, voted for it; and thus the act was, and is fastened upon a Re- 
 publican Senate, and that alone has defrauded the soldier out of 
 250,000,000 of dollars. How Mr. Ingalls could, m his speech made in 
 the Senate, June 23, 1884, deny that he was the - Judas m this 
 matter, [ cmuot wall understand, for the recorded Senate proceed- 
 ings of Cougress from Feb. 21, 1879, to March 2d, are all against him 
 and proves that he offered the amendment. ;, «, . n.. .„. 
 
 If you desire to know the feelings of the rank and file of the sur- 
 vivors of the Union army, upon the question of your right to pen- 
 sion popular women at high rates after the country has showered 
 honors, and thousands of wealth upon them, read the speech of Hon. 
 Jos B. Cheodle, delivered in the House Apr. 23, '88. 
 
 Mr John Sherman cannot take back what he said of us in liis 
 speech, June 23, 1884, and when delivering it he made many remarks 
 equally as mean as those expressed in Cleveland s vetoes. Mr. Sher- 
 man has since declared that he was in favor of granting f';f('^\% 
 pensions in all cases, but he has since the time he so stated votedl 
 for more than 1,000 bills granting original pensions, and not a man 
 is paid arrears. I know your rule in special act cases m this re-Pect' 
 but there is no justice nor equity in it, and Mr. Edmunds, in 1882 
 stated in the Senite that it wis a rule mide by a Republican Senates 
 Comrnittea. The ori-inil bill to increase the pensions of widows to 
 112 per month, did n )t hive the proviso that a woman must be mar- 
 ried to her husbmd prior to the pissige of the act, in order to be 
 entitled to $12 per month, but of the 19S votes adopting that proviso, 
 117 were Republicans. ., 
 
 Will you look into these matters, or shall we still suffer toi Uu 
 
 want of proper laws ? 
 
 Respectfully submitted. 
 
 S. M. WHITTEN. 
 
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